RememberSchiff

A virtual solution used for Pets Merit Badge Requirement - Show your pet in a pet show In Maine, 14-year-old scout wasn't able to put on a pet show as part of that badge before social distancing measures came in to play, so he started a Facebook group Quarantine Pet Show. More details and news video. https://www.wabi.tv/content/news/Hermon-boy-scout-finds-creative-way-to-earn-pet-merit-badge-569451181.html

Like Scouts, some had to "do" the road test more than once.

Inconceivable...even easier Georgia is now allowing people to get their drivers' licenses without having to take a driving test during the coronavirus pandemic. Qualifying teenagers in the state just need their parents' permission to get one. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/georgia-drivers-test-parents-permission/

Allegheny Highlands Council Allegheny Highlands Council Boy Scouts of America voted Wednesday to suspend in-person events and activities at its two camps for most of the 2020 summer season due to concerns over the coronavirus pandemic. The council — which serves scouts in a five-county region on the New York-Pennsylvania border — operates at Camp Merz on Chautauqua Lake for Boy Scouts and at Elk Lick Scout Reserve in Smethport, Pa., for Cub Scouts. more details at source link: https://www.post-journal.com/news/latest-news/2020/04/local-boy-scouts-council-suspends-in-person-summer-camps-for-2020/ https://www.alleghenyhighlands.org/

4/28/2020 Ben Blumenberg, SE Sagamore Council, expects to see a rise in the number of earned patches in the coming weeks. “We’ve seen more merit badges earned now than any other week of the year except for our summer programs" , Blumenberg added. https://www.wishtv.com/news/local-news/boy-scouts-can-now-earn-organ-donor-awareness-patch-amid-pandemic/ Tune in next week for another exciting adventure of Scouts of the Internet.

A new BBC reality show, Win the Wilderness- Alaska is now on Netflix. Six British couples compete, like the Great Race, for ownership of a cabin and property in Alaska near Lost Lake. Most of the filming was at Lost Lake Scout Camp and Northern Lights High Adventure Base with the assistance of Midnight Sun Council Development Director CJ Stewart, who is at left , bearded , green hat shown here in Episode 1 teaching bear safety (in video at BBC website). The difference between a Grizzly Bear and a Black Bear, a black bear coming at you... https://midnightsunbsa.org/89-district-programs.html?start=5 https://alaskahighadventure.com/ Link below has clips from show: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p080w8dl https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000dt9g

Update for 2020: AIR SHOW CANCELED The Chippewa Valley Air Show at the Chippewa Valley Regional Airport and the Memorial Day parade and program in downtown Eau Claire have been canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic "Unfortunately, current travel restrictions and government advice surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic have caused us to lose our military performers, making it impossible to host the high-quality event attendees have come to expect," said Tim Molepske, scout executive with the Chippewa Valley Council of Boy Scouts of America. https://www.leadertelegram.com/covid-19/air-show-memorial-day-parade-canceled/article_d13c3397-7a84-568a-98ea-fd6565c8be45.html

Here is the 4/28 ABC News video with interviews which I thought was very well done. At 1:30 in video in link below, One of the things that we learned during Scouts — and becoming an Eagle Scout — is not to give up, even though sometimes things aren't easy to fight," Leo Cantos told ABC News. "And so, when I got the virus, that's what I thought I should do. I should fight through it and so I have and I'm continuing to fight through it. https://abcnews.go.com/US/blind-triplets-eagle-scouts-battling-covid-19/story?id=70395529

Update:

Leo, Nick and Steven Cantos — all of whom have been blind since birth — became well-known in 2017 when they each earned the rank of Eagle Scout, the highest rank in the Boy Scouts, in Arlington, Virginia. Last week, all three learned that they had the coronavirus, COVID-19 and were hospitalized. One of the three is now home. Story and video report. (though not the one shown on ABC News tonight. I will look for that - RS) https://abcnews.go.com/US/blind-triplets-eagle-scouts-battling-covid-19/story?id=70395529 https://www.respectability.org/2020/04/blind-triplets-covid-19/

"...BSA’s financial position and general operations have already been significantly impaired by COVID-19; BSA has cancelled events and programming, its fundraising activities have slowed considerably, and BSA furloughed about 60% of its workforce effective April 1, 2020. (Id. ¶ 7.) BSA also closed nearly all of its 175 Scout Shops, and expects some of those locations to remain closed well into the summer. (Id.) Moreover, BSA is also facing the potential cancellation of its summer programming at its high adventure facilities, which historically provided a material portion of BSA’s annual revenue. (Id.). Overall, BSA estimates that COVID-19 will have an impact of over $60 million on its liquidity position." Doc 497, page 3 filed 04/28/2020 In Chapter 11 by BSA attorneys https://casedocs.omniagentsolutions.com/cmsvol2/pub_47373/815432_497.pdf

3:36 Vimeo video and text at https://scoutingwire.org/a-scout-is-helpful-especially-in-times-like-the-present/ https://player.vimeo.com/video/411093499

A heads-up... A formation of 6 F-16C/D Fighting Falcon and 6 F-18C/D Hornet aircraft will conduct these flyovers as a collaborative salute from the Air Force and Navy to recognize healthcare workers, first responders, military, and other essential personnel while standing in solidarity with all Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic. The joint flyover by Air Force and Navy aircraft will take place over Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York and Delaware, on Tuesday afternoon 4/28 as the military flight demonstration squadrons focus on honoring front-line workers in some of the places hardest-hit by COVID-19. The mission is one of many multi-city flyovers both demonstration teams will conduct in the next two weeks in areas of the country hit hardest by the coronavirus. The military is calling the collaborative salute "America Strong." The Philly/Trenton flyover starts when the aircraft take off from Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst at 1:45 p.m. The airplanes will then loop over Trenton and Levittown, Pennsylvania, before flying over the Mt. Laurel, New Jersey, area at 1:55 p.m. . The planes will make a few loops over the Philly area before ending the flight around 2:15 p.m. south of Wilmington, Delaware. https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/27/us/blue-angels-thunderbirds-coronavirus-first-responders-trnd/index.html http://afthunderbirds.com/site/2020/04/25/thunderbirds-blue-angels-to-salute-new-york-new-jersey-and-pennsylvania-covid-19-responders/

Alaska: ..fears about girls getting sick cut the six-week season in half. Now, the Anchorage-based group, one of two councils in the state, is sitting on about 144,000 unsold boxes, she said. As a result, Samoas, S’mores and Tagalongs have filled up living rooms and garages across the council’s sprawling region in southern Alaska, Leslie Ridle, head of the Girl Scouts of Alaska said. “I’m hearing from lots of families: ‘When am I getting these out of my living rooms?’” Ridle said. The halted sales pinched the cash that pays for nearly everything the council does in Alaska. That includes camps and scholarships for 3,500 girls and wages for 20 full-time employees. But as Ridle weighed where to cut, First National Bank Alaska notified the council that it got a federal Paycheck Protection Program loan, she said. https://www.adn.com/business-economy/2020/04/26/girl-scouts-sitting-on-144000-unsold-cookie-boxes-get-federal-relief-in-alaska/ https://keprtv.com/news/coronavirus/alaska-girl-scouts-to-get-relief-loan-for-lost-cookie-sales

I suppose it will not be long before we are discussing if a COR can or should ask a scout "How many of your scout outings and merit badges were virtual?"

One council here is offering a virtual First Aid merit badge class via Google classroom at $20/student. Drive thru online registration and virtual learning... As a former First Aid MBC, my scouts spent all sessions hands-on - practicing (again and again) assessment, bandaging , proper splinting, transport, ... never charged a student . Need to add a third panel on left showing a scout staring at his smartphone! Well...maybe my son can take his driver test virtually. Taking my 2 aspirin now.

Done. Maybe another split for posts regarding internet access?

Alabama: Mobile Area Council, Camp Maubila "The executive planning committee and board made the difficult decision to postpone Summer Camp 2020. The safety of Scouts and staff is our primary focus and with all of the uncertainty, postponing is the right thing to do. Units that paid campsite fee deposits will be rolled over to 2021 with their campsite preference noted." https://bsamac.org/2020/02/12/scouts-bsa-summer-camp/ William Bryant Jr., Mobile Area Council SE, said the situation was more clear-cut for his council than for some: Camp Maubila would have offered one week of camp fairly early in the summer, where some councils operate camps for six weeks or more In the meantime, from the national level on down, scouting has focused on online activities. May 2 brings a nationwide virtual campout: Streaming programs will be offered all day long, and scouts are encouraged to camp out in their own back yards. At the other end of the spectrum, and the other end of the state, is the Greater Alabama Council, the Boy Scouts of America unit that covers a huge swath of north and northwest Alabama, including Birmingham and Huntsville. It normally operates major June-July camp programs at Camp Sequoyah, east of Talladega, and Camp Comer, near Fort Payne. The council’s scout executive, J.T. Dabbs, said “We’re taking it one week at a time.” https://www.al.com/life/2020/04/can-summer-camps-open-in-2020-decision-looms-in-alabama.html

Sorry about that. I think I fixed my misppeling.

Murrysville ,PA: Eagle scout candidate built a scent wall for the Western Pennsylvania Search and Rescue Development Center in Penn Hills. “It’s a wall that has tubes that alternate in height, so the dogs have to go up and down to search,” said Rhea, a freshman at Franklin Regional Senior High School. “Some of the scents are a distraction, and the dogs are meant to find the scent their handler gave them.” “It’s a wall that has tubes that alternate in height, so the dogs have to go up and down to search,” said Rhea, a freshman at Franklin Regional Senior High School. “Some of the scents are a distraction, and the dogs are meant to find the scent their handler gave them.” “It’s a wall that has tubes that alternate in height, so the dogs have to go up and down to search,” said Rhea, a freshman at Franklin Regional Senior High School. “Some of the scents are a distraction, and the dogs are meant to find the scent their handler gave them.” The scent walls are 4 feet high and 8 feet wide, with PVC pipes that conceal a number of different scented objects. Prior to its construction, trainers used cardboard boxes or did outdoor training. “The boxes would (retain) scents, and so they couldn’t easily re-use them,” said Rhea’s father Todd. “The other problem was it only taught the dogs to sniff at the ground.” more info , photos, and interview video https://triblive.com/local/westmoreland/murrysville-boy-scout-creates-scent-wall-for-search-and-rescue-dog-group/ Western PA Search and Rescue Development Center https://www.wpsardc.org/

Apparently, the BSA reached an agreement to keep the Chapter 11 stay on GSUSA trademark litigation in effect until July 22. Both sides are required to select a mediator by May 22. ORDER GRANTING LIMITED RELIEF FROM THE AUTOMATIC STAY WITH RESPECT TO TRADEMARK ACTION( Note: Exhibit 1 Stipulation of link below) https://casedocs.omniagentsolutions.com/cmsvol2/pub_47373/815115_485.pdf (GSUSA) "litigation claim, subject to a pending civil action in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, Case No. 18-10287, for (i) unsecured damages of at least $6,800,000, plus damages subject to expert testimony and attorneys’ fees and costs on account of prepetition infringing conduct; (ii) unliquidated damages for postpetition infringing conduct; and (iii) postpetition injunctive relief." https://casedocs.omniagentsolutions.com/cmsvol2/pub_47373/815068_484.pdf

Update 4/21/2020: Ship 198 has won the 2020 National Flagship Award from the Boat Owners Association of the United States (BoatUS) and Sea Scouts, BSA. The award is presented to a Sea Scout Ship that demonstrates excellence in youth service leadership and strong adult mentorship, which results in a quality character development program and outstanding youth membership achievement during a calendar year. Read more of their past year accomplishments at sources: https://seascout.org/news/2020-national-flagship/ https://www.capegazette.com/article/sea-scout-ship-198-wins-top-national-honor/201117 @mashmaster Scout Salute,

Camps have closed for the summer due to swine flu or polio and have come back the next summer. Total infections and deaths were far fewer than covid-19, but children were more susceptible to polio though adults would contract it too. Some kids spent years in iron lungs, the ventilators of back in the day. A few used leg braces or wheelchairs for life. The threat lasted for decades before vaccines were developed. Some of us grey beards have a round polio vaccination scar, the mark of vaccination, on our upper left arm. Summer camps, beaches, pools, and movie theaters (popular due to AC) were closed. 1921: Some believe FDR contracted polio at a Boy Scout camp (Bear Mountain NY). A week later he was stricken at Campobello. His camp visit had been as chairman of the Greater New York Committee of the Boy Scouts. 1935: first National Scout Jamboree delayed two years (1937) due to polio. 1943: Lone Tree Scout Camp (MA) which had been dedicated in 1929 was sold, some think for fear of spreading polio. Sept, 1943: All Utah unit meetings suspended because of polio outbreak. 1945: No summer camping at Ma-Ka-Ja-Wan (Wisconsin had a serious polio outbreak in 1944). Camp resumed in 1946. 1950: Polio scare closes Camp Perry. https://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2020/03/16/polio-epidemic-covid-19-coronavirus https://neic.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Don-Martin-Written-History-092316.pdf We need another Dr. Jonas Salk and Dr. Albert Sabin. My $0.02,

Agree. COVID-19 could become THE accepted reason for organizations to sell not fully-utilized camps. Remember when the Scout mission of our camps was not as financial resource for Council rather good stewardship of nature's resources for future generations? Another $0.02,