RememberSchiff

...an earlier draft of the one-page document on camps obtained by the AP asked organizers if their program would limit attendance to people who live nearby. If the answer was no, the camp was advised not to reopen. That local attendance limitation was dropped and was not in the version posted Thursday (5/14/2020). https://time.com/5837094/cdc-decision-tool-coronavirus/ https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2020/05/14/856483424/cdc-issues-decision-tools-to-guide-reopening-of-schools-businesses-transit Today 5/14/2020, the CDC released some of their long-delayed guidance that schools, businesses and other organizations can use as states reopen from coronavirus shutdowns. The CDC also posted six one-page “decision tool” documents that use traffic signs and other graphics to tell organizations what they should consider before reopening. Decision tool for Youth Programs and Camps During the Covid-19 Pandemic*: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/Camps-Decision-Tree.pdf * The purpose of this tool is to assist directors or administrators in making (re)opening decisions regarding youth programs and camps during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is important to check with state and local health officials and other partners to determine the most appropriate actions while adjusting to meet the unique needs and circumstances of the local community.

Amend Charter and Bylaws of BSA such that quorums are the same for any group - a majority of serving (not attending) members will constitute a quorum. In these days of email, txting, virtual meeting there is no need to limit number to only those attending in person. And yes, we do this with our own Troop Committee! All voting requires a quorum and any meeting where voting takes place requires a published meeting report describing date, measures votes and attendees present. So for example, page 8 of Charter and Bylaws of BSA Clause 4. Five percent of the members of the National Council present in person shall constitute a quorum for all purposes. Clause 4. Fifty percent or greater of the members of the National Council shall constitute a quorum for all purposes. page 9 of Charter and Bylaws of BSA Clause 5. One-half of the members of the Executive Board, present in person, shall constitute a quorum https://filestore.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/Charter_and_Bylaws_June_2019.pdf

05/13/20: Roundtable which was broadcast live via Facebook. "Narrangansett Council (RI, southern MA, eastern CT) announced summer camps, including famed Camp Yawgoog*, will be virtual only. https://turnto10.com/news/local/boys-scouts-cancel-summer-camps-plan-to-go-virtual One hopeful note in above announcement: "We will continue to evaluate options for small groups to come to camps later in the summer if we can do so in a safe manner. We are also planning to offer a variety of fall weekend programs at Camp Yawgoog and at Adventure Base Camp if the situation at that time allows it. " Tim McCandless, Scout Executive & CEO *"Yawgoog Scout Reservation, founded in 1916 as “A Scout Adventureland Forever,” is situated on over 1,800 acres of beautiful wilderness in Rockville, Rhode Island. Yawgoog is divided into three separate Camps: Camp Three Point, Camp Medicine Bow, and Camp Sandy Beach."

I wonder if they will tell us, like they told us about mortgaging Philmont and other assets last year. But whether they do or not, being in Chapter 11 will likely require court approval of any "significant structural change" though I suppose they could nominate a CSE to be in compliance with the current Bylaws. That was the year that was. My $0.02,

Schedule: "Personal invitations will be sent via email for any meetings that will be held but are not listed below." https://nam.scouting.org/schedule/

Nearly all summer camps are awaiting the release (May 15?) of CDC and state guidelines. I say nearly as some have already canceled. Boston: I have not heard any news or informed rumors about Spirit of Adventure (Boston area) summer camp. Connecticut update 5/11: day camps only? Beth Bye, the commissioner of the CT state Office of Early Childhood, said Monday that summer camps could open on June 29 with strict public health guidelines in place. The governor’s office later clarified that would not include overnight camps. Camps will be limited of 30 campers per program; campers would be required to have temperature checks before entering; and all camps would need to abide by strict cleaning guidelines, Bye said during a roundtable discussion of the states Reopen Connecticut Advisory Group that focused on education. Larger camps that can demonstrate they have the space for more children can apply for a waiver from her office, Bye said. Parents working on the front lines during the pandemic can receive a subsidy to cover up to three weeks of camp or other child care.

Considering the economic and mental health need, states' re-opening plans (coming May 15?) should include rapid covid-19 field test sites to support summer camp opening? Camp weeks might start on different days to shorten lines. My $0.02,

I hear ya, in my experience, "blood circle" is attention-grabbing with scouts while "safety circle" is more assuring with parents. Know your audience, I guess. Cough circle vs Social circle vs Gather circle vs....? At arms length seems about a foot short of 6ft. , need an air gap the width of a bread box (a unit of measurement from back in the day). My $0.02,

https://nam.scouting.org/ BSA Virtual National Annual Meeting 2020 Coming Soon Virtual National Annual Meeting and National Executive Board and Committee Meeting schedule, as well as the Registration for the Major Events for National Annual Meeting. Stayed tuned for updates.

Those (that link) were large group camping in outbreak areas (Illinois). I'm suggesting small group patrol hikes under CDC and state guidelines not unlike we see people safely walking around now.

Wear a mask when you cannot maintain social distance. "CDC recommends wearing cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain (e.g., grocery stores and pharmacies) especially in areas of significant community-based transmission." https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/cloth-face-cover.html Scouts learn the arms length "safety circle" when using knives. Perhaps the "safety circle" should be extended from arms length to 6ft staff length?

Covid-19 will test scout leadership and character more than anything else has in recent times. Not all scouts will be up for the challenge but I cannot see disappointing those scouts who are. We Scouters can say enough and choose not to provide our outdoor program for the next 12-18 months or longer. Mothball the Outdoor Method. Cancel the 2021 National Jamboree now. No scouts will earn Tenderfoot, Second Class, or First Class under current program requirements during that time. Some say the solution is to fudge the requirements or change the whole program. Make it an indoor STEM program or a Lone Scout program or something else until we run into the next crisis we cannot handle and change it again. My scouts have been stuck inside for two months! They quickly tired of virtual meetings and merit badges as it resembled school at home. None participated in the recent virtual campout. They want to go outside, together as scouts. Is there a Scout way to do this? I think so. My thoughts: SM asks SPL and ASPL to research and understand CDC and state safety guidelines for outdoor activities, in particular, a short nearby patrol hike. SM, ASM, SPL, ASPL all meet outside, usual YP with social distance and face masks. Start brainstorming. If it goes well, build on it, and ask SPL to call a PLC meeting with same guidelines. Come up with a plan for a safe hike. Manage the risk and make clear the consequences for not following safety guidelines! Have “PLC patrol” execute their hike plan. SPL insures PL’s maintain small group, social distance, wear neckerchiefs (masks), wash hands, safe food handling, temp test, family health survey…Retry until they get it right. When they succeed and they will as they want out of the house. As BP said, We never fail when we try to do our duty, we always fail when we neglect to do it. Repeat above but with PL and ASPL meeting with their own patrol to plan a short hike. Sounds like Patrol Method: Forming, Storming, Norming, and Performing Next PLC challenge, a longer hike. Later if allowed, an overnight. Small steps. Start by doing what’s necessary; then do what’s possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible. - Francis of Assisi. My $0.02,

Great to hear from you! I will send up a flare to these members who come to mind, no doubt there are others. @swilliams @christineka @The Latin Scot @DavidLeeLambert

Yes, a family who lives together generally does not social distance or wear masks, whereas a patrol would.

FYI: informative article regarding an Epsilon Tau Pi chapter at Northwest Missouri State University. https://www.nwmissourinews.com/heartland_view/article_42ecbd46-8f0b-11ea-8b11-53b49bc63845.html

If a family (10 members or less) can safely camp and hike, so can a patrol of similar size taking the same precautions. If we had say an Assistant Chief Scout Executive - National Director of Outdoor Adventures,, he should be fighting for safe patrol outdoor access to national, state, and council campgrounds. Social distancing. Learn to walk at same pace to maintain distance. Temp check Neckerchiefs (Face masks) for when social distance cannot be maintained. Bring own food and water, no share. Establish approved loop trails, in fact help rangers replace existing trail markings with one way arrows and other trail maintenance. Cleaning supplies. Family only transports their scout to and from activity. Packing SM's SUV is suspended. Other precautions fellow members? A scout showing how to safely hike was what earning Second Class was all about. I know this goes against the prevailing conventional wisdom that Scouting is about risk avoidance - that the nanny method is better than the patrol method, that it is wiser to ban power tools and ladders than teach scouts how to safely use them, that Train 'em Trust 'em has no place in Scouting. No, Scouting is about risk management. We teach scouts how to make fire not run from it, to swim so they can go in deep water, ...to Be Prepared not Shelter Scared. I will not go silently onto the internet and give up on Scouting or Summer 2020 or wait until a vaccine arrives 18 - 24 months from now. My $0.01,

Simple, whoever qualifies as an essential worker for childcare in that state. BSA membership would not be required as it is a service to essential workers, but who knows we might get some new members from this come fall. Since it is a service to others, how many Scouters or other adults step up is a good question. The camp would follow health and safety (including insurance) guidelines as defined by state authorities, no need to over complicate with redundant process and paperwork such as GTSS, NCAP, ACA certification,... All kids would carry a mask. If you look at a childcare facility, kids often do not wear masks as they maintain social distance. If kids get too close, adults who are required to wear masks, calmly tell to put their masks on. Kids learn fast. Likely a kid will have to bring own tent. One kid per tent. Another point, the served group already understands the risks. Small steps. Another $0.01,

to essential workers? Follow CDC and state guidelines for child care facilities similar to what the YMCA is currently doing, as well as state camp guidelines. It would not be a moneymaker nor an advancement factory. Camp would be downsized and basic - focused on fun and outdoors. Social distances limits group sizes to 10 (patrol size) per area (classroom, campsite). Patrol camping. We would be helping others and learning how to make our camps safe with this new threat. Essential workers would have to press their state governments to extend child care to camps. If that happens, Councils would have to adapt quickly to provide that service. Maybe? My $0.01,

5/6/2020 USA Today summary of two key issues in recent months. 1. Local council's role in Chapter 11 2. Whether Court should allow retention of Sidley Austin as BSA counsel. Recall, the BSA hired SIdley Austin back in Dec 2018 to "explore" bankruptcy and other options. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/investigations/2020/05/06/boy-scouts-bankruptcy-lawsuits-hit-local-councils/5175146002/ https://casedocs.omniagentsolutions.com/cmsvol2/pub_47373/817225_573.pdf https://casedocs.omniagentsolutions.com/cmsvol2/pub_47373/817330_574.pdf Not mentioned were the stays requested by the GSUSA trademark case and various non-sexual injury cases. I hope the BSA is not billed by Sidley Austin for its own defense against conflict of interest charges by Chubb/Century Insurance these past weeks.

And now something completely different.

Camp Directors – are you ready to turn in your Declaration of Readiness? Due to the fluid nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, camp can submit their Declaration of Readiness 30 days prior to the start of their camping operation. Over 450 properties and programs are assessed by area assessment teams each year to make certain that they are meeting the National Camp Accreditation Program (NCAP) standards of operation. These standards set the minimum requirements that a council must achieve to use the BSA Brand for these camps. Camps will be operating with special COVID-19 processes that everyone is required to do prior to coming into camp. Camp Directors need to inform the Assessment Team Leader of these processes so that they know what is required, such as medical screening, mask required, gloves, etc. .... Check out Circular 14 for any updates https://www.scouting.org/outdoor-programs/trail-to-adventure/are-you-ready-for-your-camp-assessment/

Update: ... the Kalamazoo Parks Foundation is putting up the $2-million dollars to pay for the land and development of a new lakefront park. Rota-Kiwan features over 200 acres with connections to Bass Lake and the Al Sabo Land Preserve and already has parking lots, bathrooms, and the required facilities for a park. https://wkzo.com/news/articles/2020/may/06/camp-rota-kiwan-could-soon-be-a-new-kalamazoo-county-park/1014973/?refer-section=local

Update: For 2020 the remaining Camp Director and Program Director trainings will be held in an ONLINE format ONLY - virtual 3-day training course  https://www.scouting.org/outdoor-programs/trail-to-adventure/ncs-is-cancelled-now-what/

Before Chapter 11 and covid, I sat with coffee in hand ruminating that National should provide easy tools for online fundraising and donations and not the product(s). By tools, I mean a council/unit market place website and credit card app. Councils and units could decide what, if anything, they wanted to sell online - be it jerky, BBQ sauce, discount cards, camperships (donations) , Scoutmaster Coffee, 3D printed sporks, wreaths, scout crafts, raking/wood stacking/shoveling services,... or Schiff's great idea*. Another $0.02, * I knew you'd want to know. After working with scouts with Celiac, nut, dairy, and even watermelon allergies, I think Scout Energy bars akin to some Kind bars gluten -free, etc. would sell.

This spring, we witnessed the GSUSA suspend door-to-door and booth sales of Girl Scout cookies. As I understand, their decision was about safety for scouts and customers with input from leaders, parents, "the CDC, federal, state, and local authorities". Meanwhile, new health laws evolved. Customers were directed to website(s) for online purchasing and donation. Sales plummeted, unsold cookie inventory was donated to front line heroes and food pantries. Will popcorn sales or all fundraiser sales become online only? Should National or local councils make the call or will local authorities? Will the practice of warehousing retail food products in member homes end? A lot of questions, perhaps best raised at National Annual Meeting. Hmmm,