berkshirescouter

Here is a link to to Great Trails Council Policy on this. I know the people involved this should not be a problem. http://www.greattrailsbsa.org/menu/talk/archive/2006/dec/patch_policy.htm Policy Regarding Design and Creation of Patches and Memorabilia for District and Council Use In keeping with a policy statement by the National Council in October 2006, the Great Trails Council has adopted the following policy regarding design and creation of patches and memorabilia for district and Council use. Policy Regarding Design and Creation of Patches and Memorabilia for District and Council Use Great Trails Council, Boy Scouts of America December 2006 Any patches, medallions, memorabilia, belt buckles, or other items designed and produced for use by the Great Trails Council or by any district within the Great Trails Council must appropriately represent the aims and methods of the Scouting program. All council or district designs for any patch or item must be approved by a council executive board approved volunteer committee before they are produced. Additionally all orders must be placed by using a purchase order that is approved by the Scout executive before they are produced. Failure to do so can result in nonpayment to the vendor with the individual who gave direction for production being held responsible for payment. In October of 2006 the National Council, BSA, provided a statement regarding licensing of BSA trademarks. Reprinted are excerpts from that statement: As the unauthorized use of BSA trademarked words, phrases, emblems, and insignia grows, the National Council must take action to prevent offensive, inappropriate, and inconsistent use of BSA trademark assets in the marketplace, and to protect these assets for future generations. The National Council authorizes a local council to use BSA proprietary marks (i.e., insignia, words, phrases, designation marks, pictorial representations, and descriptive marks relating to the BSA) on materials created solely for the council to use in the promotion and delivery of the Scouting program. All vendors providing materials to local councils that use BSA proprietary marks must be licensed by the BSA to engage in this activity. A local council may not use BSA proprietary marks for commercial purposes (e.g., selling items bearing BSA proprietary marks to the general public), nor may a local council grant such rights, either actual or implied, to any third party. It is absolutely important that all patches are reviewed, approved, and ordered with a purchase order. Failure to do so can result in the volunteer being held responsible for the payment. All articles made with a BSA logo must be produced by licensed vendors who are registered with the BSA. Additionally any vendor who does not follow the trademark requirements of the BSA may be held legally liable

Here is an update. http://www.palisadespost.com/content/index.cfm?Story_ID=2385 Boy Scout Suit Dismissed; Appeal Planned November 15, 2006 Max Taves , Staff Writer A lawsuit filed by the parents of a 13-year-old autistic former Boy Scout against local Scout Troop 223 and the Western Los Angeles County Council of Boy Scouts of America was dismissed by a federal district court in late October. In their lawsuit, Pacific Palisades residents Jane Dubovy and Mike Reilly argued that Troop 223 and the Council violated state and federal disability laws, mainly the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), after Scout leaders excluded their son, Casey Reilly, from scouting activities and from advancing in rank. Reilly's specific form of autism, known as Asperger's Syndrome, entails impaired communication skills, repetitive patterns of thought and behavior, and weak motor skills. The central debate in court was whether the ADA could be applied to a private organization like the Scouts. The ADA became law in 1990 and prohibits discrimination on the basis of a disability. But the immunity of private clubs and organizations from that law has been a frequent source of debate nationwide. The Dubovy-Reilly suit cited a 2001 case mandating that the Professional Golfers' Association follow the ADA. If the ADA could be applied to a private organization like the PGA, they argued, then it should also apply to the Scouts. The judge, S. James Otero, ruled that because the Boy Scouts of America excludes homosexuals and atheists it is not an 'open' organization and therefore does not have to follow the ADA. The only requirement for joining the PGA, Otero concluded, was being a 'good golfer.' 'Boy Scout Troop 223 is not a private organization,' said Dubovy. 'It's open to all boys in the community. They start applying to the Tiger Cubs at seven to eight-years-old. Being a boy in a certain geographic area is the only real requirement, not one's sexuality or religious beliefs.' Otero also rebuffed another argument from the plaintiffs when he ruled that the Boy Scouts do not cease to be a private membership club merely because they operate campsites for their own private use. 'We were pleased with the judge's decision,' said Ross Harrop, executive of the Western Los Angeles County Council. 'It is the way it should have been dismissed.' Dubovy and her husband plan to appeal the ruling in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeal. Their lawyer, Barak Lurie, said the judge 'misapplied' ADA law and 'went beyond what he is authorized to do.' That appeal is expected to be filed sometime this month. In August 2005, Scout leaders told Casey's parents that he could only attend a weeklong, Scout rite of passage at Catalina's Emerald Bay if his father came to supervise him. Casey's father was an assistant Scoutmaster and frequently attended the Troop's outings, and his brother is an Eagle Scout. But his father's health prevented him from attending that summer's event and his brother was not allowed to attend the event and supervise Casey. In Casey's four years of Scouting, his disability had presented difficulties for the troop. He is physically weaker than his peers and often needs assistance on long hikes. Also troubling for troop leaders was Casey's frequent use of foul language and his propensity to become hyperactive, which they insisted only Casey's father could control. 'We didn't do anything wrong,' said Troop 223 Scoutmaster Mike Lanning in a press release. 'It is standard practice in scouting to ask a parent to accompany a Scout with disabilities whose behavior appears to endanger himself and others. With the help of their parents, our troop has worked successfully with many Scouts with various disabilities. Most have attained the rank of Eagle.' Lanning has run Troop 223 in the Palisades for more than five decades, and the Troop has produced more Eagle Scouts than any other troop nationwide. As volunteers, Troop leaders receive no specific training to deal with special-needs children. And Casey's parents said that lack of preparation created an inhospitable environment for their son and other students with special needs. When Casey used profanity or other Scouts with disabilities would not follow orders, Scout leaders would respond by yelling or threatening punishment, said Mike Reilly. Despite the case's dismissal, there are signs that the suit might have already changed Boy Scouts' special-needs training. 'This experience is a reminder to provide additional training for our leaders and parents,' said Harrop, who oversees 27,000 Scouts within L.A. County. An advisory committee will review the current practices toward special-needs students and recommend ways to better serve those Scouts, Harrop told the Palisadian-Post.

Not to defend what has been done in our name; But how do you deal with an enemy that broadcasts beheadings to the world? To paraphrase a Star-Trek quote I despise what Ive been forced to do by anothers action

Here is a suggestion on a place to stop. Would a side trip to the Gettysburg Pa battlefield work? You might be able to camp nearby. This maybe too far out of your way but other Cival War sites could be on your route. Also check if you will pass near any BSA camps. Spend a day just exploring that area.

Don't just do something stand there.

I know you think you understand what you thought I said but what you heard is not what I ment.

Here is some more on this story. http://www.ketv.com/entertainment/9948196/detail.html

Here is a follow up news story I just found. This is adding more to the story, but there still seems to be some pieces missing. http://www.palisadespost.com/content/index.cfm?Story_ID=2190 Family of Autistic Scout Sues Troop 223, Council September 07, 2006 Max Taves , Staff Writer At the end of August 2005, 12-year-old Casey Reilly didn't go with Palisades Boy Scout Troop 223 to Emerald Bay for a weeklong, much-anticipated funfest in Catalina. In fact, he didn't go this August either. But it wasn't because of his lack of interest. Understanding why is the subject of a new and potentially precedent-setting lawsuit against Troop 223 and the Boy Scouts of America. After four years of involvement as a Cub, a Webelos and a Boy Scout, Casey's participation in the Scouts ended with an e-mail. In the four years since he joined the Scouts, Casey's autism has posed obstacles: He hiked slower and spoke louder than the average Scout, and interpreting orders didn't always come easily. His specific form of autism, known as Asperger's Syndrome, is often associated with impaired communication skills, repetitive patterns of thought and behavior and often entails weak motor skills, according to the National Institute of Health. People with Asperger's frequently have difficulty interpreting emotions and understanding linguistic subtleties like idioms, irony and humor. Doctors recommend that patients with Asperger's participate in activities that build on their interests in a structured and social environment. For Casey, that meant being a Boy Scout. Casey's parents searched for ways to reconcile his illness to the social and physical demands of being a Scout. Jane Dubovy, his mother and a Palisades-based disability lawyer, hired a children's development specialist to attend Scout meetings and suggest ways of accommodating the Scout curriculum to his individual needs. Casey's father, Mike Reilly, volunteered as an assistant Scoutmaster and attended meetings and hikes. And their efforts often produced results. 'When his dad was present, his behavior changed very noticeably,' said Troop 223 Scoutmaster Mike Lanning. Upon turning 10 years old, Casey graduated from the Cub Scouts to the Boy Scouts, and the demands on him increased. Hikes became longer. Backpacks became heavier. And Boy Scout camp outs became larger. The success of Reilly's transition to the Boy Scouts is now a subject of debate. Given these new challenges, the Scout leadership of the Troop requested that Casey's father attend all Scout events as a condition of his son's participation. But when Casey's father could not attend the week-long Emerald Bay campout because of previous obligations and leaders of Troop 223 refused to allow someone else to chaperone Casey, his future in the Scouts seemed uncertain. Historically, attending Emerald Bay has been a prerequisite for advancing from the first to second year of the Boy Scouts. Days after the Emerald Bay campout in August 2005, Casey's parents received an e-mail from Dr. Paul Kazimiroff, an assistant Scoutmaster in the troop and a pediatric neurologist. Kazimiroff wrote that 'due to his disorder Casey is not mature enough to interact with the Scouts as well as the adult leadership appropriately on an individual basis.' Kazimiroff cited Casey's use of profanity and physical weakness as obstacles to his participation in the Scouts. And he concluded that Casey could return the following February as a Boy Scout but would have to begin again as a first-year Scout. (Kazimiroff would not return phone calls from the Palisadian-Post.) Reentering the Scouts as a 'rookie' was not an option that Casey's parents accepted. They said that Casey would lose the friends that he had known in the Scouts since he was 6 years old. And they feared that Casey's return to the Scouts would not mean increased sensitivity or preparation for his needs. After their son's temporary dismissal from the Scouts, Mike Reilly and Jane Dubovy searched for solutions from other Scout leaders throughout Southern California. Those Scout leaders suggested that Casey join a more 'disability-friendly' troop. But for Mike Reilly that would mean abandoning a troop in which he had invested 10 years of his time as an assistant Scoutmaster. Their older son, Tyler, was an Eagle Scout in that same troop. Last July, Casey's parents sent the Western Los Angeles County Council of Boy Scouts of America a letter that detailed their grievances and threatened legal action. They argued that leaders of Troop 223 were unwilling to make accommodations for their son and unfairly excluded him from Scout activities because of his disability. When the Council did not reply to their letter, they filed a lawsuit on August 16, 2006. Their lawsuit charges Local Troop 223 and the Western Los Angeles County Council with violation of the state and Federal law, namely the Americans With Disabilities Act, or the ADA. Although the Scouts accepts all boys with special needs, troop leaders' training to deal with special-needs children varies widely. According to the Western Los Angeles County Council, troop leaders receive no specific training for boys with disabilities. And Casey's parents hope to change that. 'The Boy Scout motto is one of inclusion,' Mike Reilly said. 'But this Troop doesn't espouse those particular values.' Casey's parents point to the Troop's unpreparedness and unwillingness to deal with students with special needs. And they claim that Lanning's leadership made little room for students with disabilities. When Casey would use profanity, or students with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder would not follow orders, Scout leaders responded by yelling and threatening them with punishment, Reilly said. 'They have no idea how to work with kids with special needs,' he told the Post. 'And when they were offered education and training for students with special needs, they declined.' Lanning redesigned the Boy Scout program in Palisades to focus on earning merit badges relatively earlier than most Scout troops. And his efforts have paid off: in the past 50 years with Lanning as leader, the Troop has produced more Eagle Scouts than any other troop in the country. But Casey's parents argue that Lanning has turned the Troop 223 into an 'Eagle Scout mill' that has little room for boys with special needs. In a conversation with the Post last week, Lanning defended his leadership of the troop and his decision to dismiss Casey. He said that the physical demands of his troop were high and that Casey was not strong enough to participate. Lanning said that he acted on 'behalf of the child's safety. 'We assist every Scout that joins us to succeed,' Lanning said. 'Our record is incredible in that regard. We only have one or two boys per year that leave the troop.' Ross Harrop, the executive of the Western Los Angeles County Council, oversees 27,000 Scouts in LA County, and he supported Lanning's decision in an interview by telephone on Tuesday. 'The needs of special-needs boys are best met with the involvement of parents. That is why the father of the boy was asked to be involved,' he said. Lawyers for Casey said that the success of their case will likely depend on whether the Boy Scouts of America, a private organization, is required to follow the ADA. No court date has been set. In a landmark ruling in 2000, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Boy Scouts. The decision allowed the Boy Scouts to dismiss troop leaders for being homosexual. Jane Dubovy successfully sued the Los Angeles Unified School District in 2002 over Casey's right to speech therapy at Marquez Elementary. In the year since Casey was dismissed from the Troop, he has not returned to the Scouts. In place of going to Emerald Bay this August, Casey attended volleyball camp. He began the seventh grade this week at New West Charter School in West Los Angeles.

I am running Norton and I got it yesterday. Here is a copy of the log from Norton. 9/3/2006 08:55:05,Auto-Protect,Trojan.ByteVerify,Manually deleted,File,N/A,N/A,200608300022,10.0.29.4,prokoff,DADSDELL,"Source: Installer.class,Description: C:\DOCUME~1\prokoff\LOCALS~1\Temp\JVM97.tmp" 9/3/2006 08:55:05,Auto-Protect,Trojan.ByteVerify,Manually deleted,File,N/A,N/A,200608300022,10.0.29.4,prokoff,DADSDELL,"Source: GetAccess.class,Description: C:\DOCUME~1\prokoff\LOCALS~1\Temp\JVM97.tmp" 9/3/2006 08:55:05,Auto-Protect,Trojan.ByteVerify,Manually deleted,File,N/A,N/A,200608300022,10.0.29.4,prokoff,DADSDELL,"Source: Installer.class,Description: C:\Documents and Settings\prokoff\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\Content.IE5\OPQRSTUV\java[1].jr" 9/3/2006 08:55:05,Auto-Protect,Trojan.ByteVerify,Manually deleted,File,N/A,N/A,200608300022,10.0.29.4,prokoff,DADSDELL,"Source: GetAccess.class,Description: C:\Documents and Settings\prokoff\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\Content.IE5\OPQRSTUV\java[1].jr" 9/3/2006 08:55:04,Auto-Protect,Downloader,Automatically deleted,File,N/A,N/A,200608300022,10.0.29.4,prokoff,DADSDELL,Source: C:\Documents and Settings\prokoff\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\Content.IE5\OPQRSTUV\value[1].wmf 9/3/2006 08:55:04,Auto-Protect,Trojan.Ducky.B,Access denied,File,N/A,N/A,200608300022,10.0.29.4,prokoff,DADSDELL,Source: C:\Documents and Settings\prokoff\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\Content.IE5\OPQRSTUV\value[1].wmf 9/3/2006 08:55:04,Auto-Protect,Trojan.Ducky.B,Repair failed,File,N/A,N/A,200608300022,10.0.29.4,prokoff,DADSDELL,Source: C:\Documents and Settings\prokoff\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\Content.IE5\OPQRSTUV\value[1].wmf 9/3/2006 08:55:04,Auto-Protect,Trojan.Ducky.B,Access denied,File,N/A,N/A,200608300022,10.0.29.4,prokoff,DADSDELL,Source: C:\Documents and Settings\prokoff\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\Content.IE5\OPQRSTUV\value[1].wmf 9/3/2006 08:55:03,Auto-Protect,Trojan.Ducky.B,Repair failed,File,N/A,N/A,200608300022,10.0.29.4,prokoff,DADSDELL,Source: C:\Documents and Settings\prokoff\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\Content.IE5\OPQRSTUV\value[1].wmf

My son who is in college now, has Asbergers Syndrome. This is a type of high function Autism. During his time in scouting I was very involved,(ASM for the troop). He was APL PL ASPL Den Chief, SPL and Brotherhood OA. He aged out as a Life Scout, he decided he did not want to complete Eagle. Scouting was good for him and he was good for the troop. After a few campouts the other adults understood the issues and I did not have to be at every event. When my son first was diagnosed we were told to be forceful when his needs were not being met. I think that is what is happening here but a suit is over the top. If a troop cannot cope and the family will not or can not be involved then I feel it is unfair to the volunteers to deal with this kids problem since it can cause safety problems with the other boys.

A friend E-mailed this, it makes a great point. Just up the road from my home is a field, with two horses in it. From a distance, each looks like every other horse. But if you stop your car, or are walking by, you will notice something quite amazing. Looking into the eyes of one horse will disclose that he is blind. His owner has chosen not to have him put down, but has made a good home for him. This alone is amazing. If nearby and listening, you will hear the sound of a bell. Looking around for the source of the sound, you will see that it comes from the smaller horse in the field. Attached to her halter is a small bell. It lets her blind friend know where she is, so he can follow her. As you stand and watch these two friends, you'll see how she is always checking on him, and that he will listen for her bell and then slowly walk to where she is, trusting that she will not lead him astray. When she returns to the shelter of the barn each evening, she stops occasionally and looks back, making sure her friend isn't too far behind to hear the bell. Like the owners of these two horses, God does not throw us away just Because we are not perfect or because we have problems or challenges. He watches over us and even brings others into our lives to help us when we are in need. Sometimes we are the blind horse being guided by the little ringing bell of those who God places in our lives. Other times we are the guide horse, helping others see. Good friends are like this..........You don't always see them, but you know they are always there. Please listen for my bell and I'll remember to listen for yours.

HI Just found this on the Net thought you all might like to know. Settlement reached in Boy Scouts lightning death trial. http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/nation/20060615-1423-boyscouts-lightningdeath.html ASSOCIATED PRESS 2:23 p.m. June 15, 2006 NEWARK, N.J. The parents of a 16-year-old boy killed by lightning at a summer camp agreed to settle their lawsuit against the Boy Scouts of America three days into the trial, their lawyer said Thursday. The amount of the settlement was not disclosed. Matthew Tresca's family claimed the Scouts either knew or should have known a severe storm was in the area of the Pennsylvania camp on Aug. 2, 2002, when they dismissed 350 Scouts from the dining hall to their wooded campsites. On Tuesday, a Scouting official testified that the Resica Falls Boy Scout camp sent children to their campsites during lightning storms instead of keeping them indoors as a matter of policy. The plaintiffs and defendants agreed to keep all details of the settlement confidential, said the family's attorney, Peter Korn. Tresca's parents sued the Boy Scouts of America, the Philadelphia-based Cradle of Liberty Council and three individual scouting employees for negligence. It was not immediately clear whether the settlement involved each defendant. Lawyers for the Boy Scouts, the local council and the individual employees did not immediately return calls seeking comment.

Merry Christmass Happy Chanukah Merry New Year and Bah Humbug

Holiday wishes Please accept with no obligation implied or implicit, my best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low stress, non-addictive, gender neutral, celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasions and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all... ...as well as a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling, and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 2006, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society have helped make our country great, (not to imply that we are necessarily greater than any other country or is the we are the only country in the western hemisphere), and without regard to the race, creed, color, age, physical ability, religious faith, choice of computer platform, or sexual preference. By accepting this greeting, you are accepting these terms. This greeting is subject to clarification or withdrawal. It is freely transferable with no alteration to the original greeting. It implies no promise by the wisher to actually implement any of the wishes for her/himself or others, and is void where prohibited by law, and is revocable at the sole discretion of the wisher. This wish is warranted to perform as expected within the usual application of good tidings for a period of one year, or until the issuance of a subsequent holiday greeting, whichever comes first, and warranty is limited to replacement of this wish or issuance of a new wish at the sole discretion of the wisher.

Google has a new feature called Google Earth. After you down load the application you can go to any location on earth and zoom down to almost ground level. Looks like a good tool for checking out camping areas. A lot easier to use then the Topo that microsoft has.