skeptic

WHAT THE HECK? WHY IS THIS ON HERE? PLEASE REMOVE IT.

Perusing the JOTI special Jambo info I found this. There seems to be some very clear explanations regarding certain elements of youth protection in it. I am not suggesting it is better or worse than BSA guidelines, just that it appears to address issues, in verbal form anyway, in a substantial way. Just as in YP, it is only as good as the willingness of someone to adhere to the intent. Here is a link to the event noted: https://www.jotajoti.info/joti-special-edition https://www.scout.org/sites/default/files/library_files/Code%20of%20Conduct%20of%20WOSM.pdf

Not seeing any ads, so not sure to what others refer. I do keep ad blockers on my computer though.

https://blog.scoutingmagazine.org/2020/03/16/how-to-conduct-a-board-of-review-through-videoconferencing/?fbclid=IwAR0GCH57DrgBZcGvlb9dGk089hrEM2_Ac6TH47Z4HV8PrgVfOuY0E4qFF80

I just followed the link from Schiff, but it may have taken me somewhere not on subject completely. There were a full compliment of the golden patches; the hardest to find are Schiff and Philmont, and the most common is the one in the OP query. Have to go look at the historical stuff, but think there was also a SOR version. In one of my books I have the complote set. At the 75th, they put out a very large assortment of similar patches for many different events. I believe I finally tracked all of them down and also have them in my "stuff'. Have a bag of Centennial items that are just that, a bag. But still lots of items. I have the 50th, 75th, and 110th all represented on my one official shirt; the 50th Jambo is on the right pocket, the diamond jambo is a name tag as an ASM, and the centennial is in the proper place above the pocket, a staff. My choice to brag just a bit that I attended all three of those jambos. Probably get a ticket from the UP, but really do not care.

I have a copy of that in my stuff. Keep saying I am going to find someone to play all the various records and save them to modern files for easy use. Have a number of them. Similarly with my 15+ pieces of sheet music. Get someone to play them and record. I have only heard about 4 or 5 of them. I have heard the Ives record. It is typical Byrl.

Good thoughts, and certainly of import. The larger question is how do we "actually" screen our applicants? Other than hearsay from friends and acquaintances, how do we make an educated and rational decision to even go to the actual registration point, and how do we do a "non" official interaction? None of the safeguards are foolproof, no matter how much we try to make them so. The worst actors are often also the most tenacious and scheming. I know we generally discuss unexpected individuals coming forward with no direct apparent connection to the unit or its members. But, since we encourage Eagles, for example, to come back to Scouting as their lives allow, often after college and so on, we can not out of hand say someone is suspicious simply because they are not attached to a family/group member. When I first got involved I was on base in the service. Later, I was simply looking to get reinvolved in a program I feel and felt had merit. The first two times I attempted that later adult involvement, the local council ignored me, for what ever reason. When the Great Western, at the time, responded immediately, I was hooked for life. It is common sense and balance. Unfamiliar individuals likely need to be kept at arms length until proper checks and observation can occur. On occasion, we may have someone that is fine, but does not have the interaction skills we may need. They may have another way to be involved though. We need the skill levels of many, and we should NOT drive away someone for no reason, other than "they have no kids involved" concerns. After all, most of the camp staffs are made up of young people with "no kids" and who are just trying to stay involved.

Somehow I ended up with far more here than intended, and I am unable to figure out how to fix it, as the edit feature is not obvious to me, if it is there. The only part I was trying to feature was the Screening discussion, not the other material. If someone can fix that, I would appreciate it. Or, it can just go dormant on its own I guess. Thanks.

Our CO has put all the state precautions into effect. That includes trying to keep a small distance, six feet, between individuals that ARE meeting. All group gathering are postponed, including our weekly church services. Much is precautionary, but in the case of our church, half or more of the congregation is in the higher risk categories. And many groups that use the facility are already higher risk individuals such as the Anonymous groups. So here we sit.

Before I sign the actual application I do review it for being complete. As part of that I read the "reflection", partly as consistent with my final conference before the board. Personally, I on occasion suggest a rewrite so that it is a bit clearer and to perhaps proofed for major grammar or spelling issues. If they choose to not, that is their option. But, as I explain, this reflects on them as well, and so they should attempt to do it well. Just my approach. The main thing is that it is "their" thoughts.

My question would be what is the badge, and why the change. Is it important in order to better understand and learn? If so, then how hard is it to just begin anew. On the other hand, if the badge is generic and the change is insignificant, you might push the rule of starting before the change. Is it worth the discussion or possible friction? Weigh it and decide the best approach, but I would hope it will not become a point of contention. Good luck.

Can you expand on this, maybe even have a photo of the award? Hiking on a ship? Did they have their fit-bits?

Neckers are not required at all, if I understand. It is an option. Many units have a formal and field (dare I use that term) necker, the formal one for COH and such, and the informal basic and larger for actual use int the outdoors and so on. Related to this thread; who remembers the old BL column that encouraged making slides? Years ago, I think it was at the 85 jambo, I saw a Scouter with a full collection of all the BL slides, most that he made himself. Coo. My favorites are one from the 1960 jambo with the patriotic scene, and the first non-official slide I got, a white fdl with a red rose, for attending the 1955 Rosebowl Scout circus. I need to gather all the mass of miscellany and make a display.

It would seem to me that this info from the BSA information service, would be blasted front and center and very boldly. Maybe I just missed it. More... Wednesday, 01 May 2019 18:15 How This District Showcased What Scouting Is All About to These All-Girl Troops Story contributed by Laura Clay, district director, Catuenga, of the Western Los Angeles County Council As our council’s family Scouting staff advisor, I was working with an organizer for all-girl troop, Troop 642 in Calabasas, CA during August and September when they expressed a desire to reserve Camp Josepho for their troop to do camporee prep. After some discussion with staff in our camping department, as well as other girl troop organizers during our “Scouts BSA Boot Camp” in October, we decided to move forward with a “Trail to First Class” event with the goal of offering an opportunity for girls to easily get a taste of what Scouting is like, as well as connecting all of the brand new troops to one another. The “Trail to First Class” Event Once word got out, the Scouting community came together to create an amazing event. We recruited young female staffers from our camps to lead stations and many adults from the new troops stepped up as well. We also spread the word to surrounding councils, as there are several in the Los Angeles area and we could clearly see the desire was there for an event encompassing all the new troops of young women. At the event, we offered eight stations: swimming, fire-building, knife, ax & saw, first aid, rifles, knots, and nature. Almost all of the staffing was female, as one of our goals was for the girls to see other female role models already in Scouting. During campfire, our council commissioner, Jessica Pazdernik, spoke about what Scouting meant to her, how she was proud of her daughter now being invited to join, and how the girls can step up to be leaders in their community by supporting each other. We also had guest speaker Sherri Zhu from a company that sends youth from China to our Scout camps talk about the international Scouting movement. The mood was electric, with 100+ new Scouts from 20 troops across 7 councils – Orange County, GLAAC, WLACC, Venture County, Verdugo Hills, Los Padres, and California Inland Empire – and lots of excitement from the girls, their leaders, staff, and everyone who came out to visit. “I was feeling burnt out as a volunteer, but this event and the invitation of girls into Scouting has re-energized me completely,” shared Howard Schwartz of Troop 642. The girls left not only with several requirements towards the first few ranks, but they also gained lasting friendships as well! I’ve seen many girls tagging each other on social media about the event and in news coverage for girls’ troops since then! To see more photos from the event, check out their Flickr album. Councils are encouraged to orchestrate similar events in their communities to continue building the momentum of welcoming girls into Scouting. Scouting Wire would like to thank Laura Clay for contributing this story. Published in Scouting.org News Read more... Sunday, 28 April 2019 19:31 George Villalobos Selected as Scout Executive of Ventura County Council Please help us congratulate George Villalobos, who will serve as Scout executive of the Ventura County Council in Camarillo, California effective June 1, 2019. George began his Scouting career as a district executive at the Los Angeles Area Council in Los Angeles, California. During his tenure with the council, now known as the Greater Los Angeles Area Council, he successfully served as director of all markets, director of development, director of field service, and for the last three years as deputy Scout executive. George enjoys outdoor activities including golf, hiking, and camping. Most of all, he enjoys time spent with family, reading, and being active in the community. George and his wife, Lorraine, have two Eagle Scout sons, George and David. They also have a daughter, Rachel, who claims she would have been an Eagle Scout as well. In the comments below, please join us in congratulating George as he joins in partnership with the volunteers and staff of the Ventura County Council to deliver quality Scouting experiences to the young people of the communities they serve. Published in Scouting.org News Read more... Wednesday, 24 April 2019 00:19 BSA’s Call to Establish a Nationwide Volunteer Screening Database You may have heard media coverage discussing the Boy Scouts of America’s Volunteer Screening Database and our organization’s Youth Protection efforts. The safety of children in our Scouting programs is our top priority. As an organization, we have an important duty and an incredible opportunity to focus on keeping children safe, supported, and protected. Our Volunteer Screening Database, previously known as “Ineligible Volunteer Files,” is at the forefront of youth protection procedures. While it has often been misunderstood and criticized, time and time again it has successfully prevented potential predators from re-joining our organization and gaining access to youth – which is precisely why we have been maintaining these records since the 1920s. The database system is one of the approaches most often recommended by experts, including the Centers for Disease Control, to keep kids safe and is a collection of information on individuals who, due to past inappropriate behavior or suspicion of inappropriate behavior, are prohibited from participating in BSA programs. How the Volunteer Screening Database (VSD) works: Individuals are added to the Volunteer Screening Database based on violations of our policies, or suspected violations of our policies. They don’t need to have been convicted to be added to the VSD. We have a very low threshold for removing someone from our scouting programs. Again – this is because our priority is to protect kids, first and foremost, above all else. We believe victims and routinely remove individuals based on only allegations of inappropriate behavior. When an individual is added to the VSD, they are removed entirely from any Scouting program. They are also prohibited from re-joining anywhere. Every instance of suspected abuse is reported to law enforcement. Once the individual has been removed from Scouting and has been reported to law enforcement, the BSA has no other avenue for further investigation or public disclosure. Our goals for protecting children go beyond our organization– we seek to be part of the solution both in and out of Scouting. The BSA fully supports and advocates for the creation of a national registry overseen by a governmental entity, similar to the national sex offender registry, of those who are suspected of child abuse or inappropriate behavior with a child, and thus allowing all youth serving organizations to share and access such information. We have advocated to Congress for enhanced youth protection policies, initiatives, and efforts. Specifically, BSA has recommended to Congress the following programs and ideas that independent experts agree will keep children safe, including: Establishing and funding a system where volunteers can register/be cleared through a common screening process for all states and organizations, with an affordable process for conducting background checks and periodically renewing the clearance to reduce the risk that potential abusers can gain access to children by moving across state lines or to other youth serving organizations; Enabling youth-serving organizations to share information about individuals who have been removed from their programs for alleged inappropriate conduct – even if the individuals have not been arrested or convicted – to keep potential abusers out of these organizations; Strengthening mandatory reporting laws; and, Requiring that sex abuse offenders serve full sentences. We are optimistic about these efforts because we know that they will make a difference – we have seen firsthand the impact they’ve had on our own organization’s steps to protect children. For more information on BSA’s Youth Protection efforts, please visit Scouting.org/YouthProtection. Published in Scouting.org News

This is a fine example of how we are missing the boat today. The focus here is on what the Scouts did and are doing to help the country. The article of course does not come from BSA directly, though you can see the West touch I think. Point is that there is no reason why BSA should not be finding similar ways to loudly toot our horn, or blare it even with all the positive that SO outweighs the negative that the media focus on. In truth, while we are mostly concerned with BSA image, the larger dearth of positive news, which actually predominates if you actually look, is an opportunity.

One of my biggest beliefs is that BSA has the opportunity to be in the real forefront of the environmental surge. We should be doing all we can to encourage varieties of clean energy, solar and wind particularly, and water in a few areas. We should be demonstrating in all the camps conservation methods to best use the various habitats and geographical elements. We should be putting the Stem stuff in, and modifying it with new technology, even as we encourage hands on nature study with the new resources, and where able, throwbacks to older methods such as pressing and field observations. But a nature hike today should include possibly taking photos with phones and then developing ids through online resources and actual physical guides. Camps should have small solar lights for safety and easy location of kybos at night. ATT, since we had that guy that led them as National President, might use camps to put in cell towers on tall buildings such as climbing walls, or even trees. We should become the new green wave with composting and maybe even solar toilets in the camps. Raise worms; raise Christmas trees where possible; find beekeepers to put hives on the sites; build bird and bat houses and distribute them around the camps. Push any and all conservation techniques and teach the youth about them while making the camps a little more self-sustaining. I suspect that a few camps could even become local vegetable growers. Bring the best challenges from the first decades, ones that make sense still, and find ways to incorporate them with new technologies and cooperative efforts with colleges and environmental groups. Focus on that thing called service and being prepared, but make it fit the 21st century when we can, but still teach the best from the past.

With the large changes in liability buffers and YP, how do we realistically allow a valid opportunity for the PL or SPL to lead in an outdoor environment? Since two deep adult leadership is needed, according to current standards, how do you allow them to hike while being in charge, but still fulfill the YP rules? Would having the adults hike in the back within reach, but not actually in sight allow this? We all know that youth will mostly turn to the visible or within shouting adult when they have fears or concerns with their youth leaders. Is this a skill we need to teach and learn in modern adult training? Follow Me Boys has a number of "no adult" scenarios, things that were the norm then. Most of us with more than 50 years likely have our own stories. That was part of the process of learning, and should still be with proper options for safety. Youth leader (only) in direct contact with the adults in the rear with phone or walkie? Runner option if something happens? How to do it with as much distance as possible is the big conundrum.

After receiving a "suspicious" email this morning that I treated as spam initially, I followed up on what I gleaned from the backdoor review. If you get an email from "Omni Agents Solutions", it is legitimate. Here are the various links that National has provided for info to the public and Scouters. www.omniagentsolutions.com/bsa www.OfficialBSAclaims.com www.BSArestructuring.org Fastest way: restructuring@scouting.org. I spoke with both National and with the Omni office this morning. So, it is up to you what you choose to do with this info. Just putting it out there.

So, let us change this to a merit badge counselor. We tell the scouts they visit the counselor in pairs or more, or they take a parent or sibling with them if at the counselor's home. That has been the norm, as I understand it. What I see happening in these responses is that we are suggesting that two deep MUST always be two actual registered adults. First, the MB visit is a scouting activity, but it is independent if it is done as most would agree, in a manner that helps the scout learn to deal with this kind of interaction with adults. If we then say that there has to be a second registered adult there, not just a parent, sibling, or other scout, then we change the paradigm completely. I think the term common sense needs to be reinserted. Follow the rules: No one on one out of hearing or sight of other people. Parents, even if not actually registered, should meet the two adult rule for group gatherings. Other youth meet the standard of no one on one, adult and youth, as long as other adults are around. Again, the absolute thing is no one on one, out of site and hearing of others. A conference can be done in a corner with others nearby and within view. In most cases, the conference would likely be less honest if it could not be between the scout and the leader. We also need to be sure that the youth understand the need for a "distant privacy" on occasion. They may not want other youth or adults to hear their discussion in a conference, whether a rank conference, or a corrective one. We need to not over-react, nor under think.

It may just be wishful thinking, but while out on the street in uniform with scouts picking up SFF bags, I noted the individuals with whom I cam in contact seemed more receptive and friendly than in past years. We also seemed to get more donations this year in the area in which we canvassed. The thought occurred that maybe the general public is seeing through the negative hype of the yellow journalists.

Interesting article that I wager few if any major media sources would dare publish. Leavitt: Boy Scouting is not what we may think it is By Irv Leavitt for Chronicle Media — February 24, 2020 On a stinking hot summer day, my father struggled to install a window air conditioner in the front room. It was not a good fit. “Run down to the hardware store and get some Mortite,” he said, fishing a dollar out of his pocket. Mortite is “rope caulk,” thick, sticky stuff that comes already extruded, so you don’t need a caulking gun. My dad had about six tools in those days, and a caulking gun was not among them. “You sure this is enough?” I asked, having been caught short at a store about three years before, when I was 8. “Way more than enough,” he assured me. It was a beastly run in the heat, but I looked forward to getting to East Maine Hardware. It was my favorite place, stocked with exotic tools like electric drills. At home, we had a hand drill with a wooden handle and a little crank on the side. This time, I barely glanced at all the fantastic devices, because I was on a mission, with the whole family waiting to turn on the air conditioner and sit in front of it like it was a television set. I put the Mortite on the counter. “A dollar-one,” the man said. “Holy cow, I just have a buck. Can I bring the penny later?” I asked. “Yep, and you can take the Mortite later, too,” he said, picking it up off the counter, and leaving my forlorn, sweaty dollar behind. The other guy behind the counter chuckled, and the first guy laughed harder. “My father said a dollar was plenty,” I said, thinking that he was right. It didn’t look like the caulk was worth a dollar, not in those days, when you could get a hamburger for 15 cents. “Your father should have given you enough money,” the second guy said, laughing again. “I think he did give me enough money,” I said under my breath. The jokes and snide comments continued. There were now several men around the front of the store, some laughing, some staying out of it. Even a kid could understand what was going on. They saw the patched clothes, the loose flap on my shoe, the amateur haircut. They were making fun of me because I was poor. We had moved from Chicago to Niles, which was no ritzy town, but the rent was higher, and kept going up. Everything seemed to cost more than it was worth. I suddenly felt very small. I had the sensation that I wasn’t tall enough to see over the counter. I realized that I would have to leave and come back with the penny, and give it to these hyenas on my knees. A voice came from behind me. “Give him the flipping Mortite,” I heard. The man didn’t really say “flipping.” Behind the counter, my main antagonist said, “Yes, sir.” A large man in a tan work uniform and two heavy tool belts put some pipes on the counter. “You ought to be ashamed of yourselves,” he said. The plumber turned around to shake my hand. “I’m Mr. Marion,” he said, aware I might not recognize him out of context. “I’m your scoutmaster.” Irving Marion clapped his big right hand on my shoulder. “Say hello to your dad for me,” he said. People say that sexual abuse of over 12,000 Boy Scouts was already underway when I was a Scout. I don’t doubt it, but I never saw that. Scouting programs in Illinois vow to continue despite bankruptcy I saw Mr. Marion and other men who worked hard all day but still found a little time to help boys grow up to be men instead of jackals. I also saw the beauty of life under the dome of the sky. I saw animals playing in the shadows of oak forests. I watched hawks circle in the air before plummeting toward a ground squirrel like a Curtiss Helldiver. I scrubbed my clothes on a washboard. I learned to cook over an open fire, on a coal stove, and in a kettle buried in the soil. If you can do that, cooking on a Kenmore is a cinch. But no one who’s talking about the Boy Scouts of America right now is talking about camping. They’re talking about the BSA bankruptcy, and how it will affect victims’ claims against the organization. Part of the reason the BSA has taken this course is the enormous debt likely owed to the boys harmed while under the deficient protection of the organization. There’s also the likely intention of limiting the number of victims who will join those who’ve already filed, though it may not work out that way. Scouting’s financial underpinnings were weakened before the flood of lawsuits, because there isn’t as much interest as there used to be, even now that girls and gay boys are allowed under its big tent. Membership fell long ago as boys turned to indoor pursuits. In an attempt to get them back and bring in more funding, the BSA reportedly borrowed significantly to build The Summit Bechtel Family National Scout Reserve, a huge West Virginia venue that is as much carnival as camporee. It used to be simpler. It cost us relatively little to be Scouts. If that weren’t the case, we couldn’t have done it. When we’d arrive at a campground, there was nothing there but grass and weeds and a latrine, surrounded by trees. We’d walk into the woods to gather logs for the fires and branches for kindling and tent stakes. Hand axes were borrowed to rough out the stakes. Everybody had a knife to trim the notches for the ropes. The tents had no floors, so the ground cloth went down first, before the wooden tent poles were lifted and the ropes pulled taut. Don’t scratch the canvas. You don’t want leaks. I shunned Scouting’s merit badges, ranks and most of its other militaristic trappings. But living outdoors for a few days at a time was a revelation, an education and a balm. Boy Scout camping isn’t like civilian camping. The BSA owns campgrounds separated from cities, and off-limits to strangers’ RVs and other imitation outdoorsy-nesses. We hiked and swam out of sight of the things of man. There is no question that the Boy Scouts made me a better human being. I’m not necessarily referring to the Boy Scout Law, which famously instructed us to be trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent — though that helped. I’m indebted to the Boy Scouts for giving me the know-how and confidence to do things I might have never done without them. I could find my way through the woods with a map and a compass. I cut wood with a long axe and a two-man saw. I tracked animals, and started a fire, at least once, by rubbing two sticks together. Boy Scouts have long been the acknowledged experts of first aid, aside from actual doctors and nurses. When the methodology of cardio-pulmonary resuscitation changed about 60 years ago, it wasn’t really accepted until it went into the Boy Scout Handbook. We kidded that the Scouts were so committed to first-aid training because that meant the handbook had to be regularly updated with the latest stuff, and the book isn’t cheap. The Scouts drive training by staging regional and statewide competitions, to see how many fake injuries and illnesses we could cure without our fake patients dying. One of these was the first thing I ever won. I still remember how that felt. When there’s a disaster, like a car plowing into a storefront, most people who have managed to avoid injury instinctively run away. But not everyone. Medical personnel, cops and firefighters have been trained to respond to such matters, and they run in the opposite direction. They run toward the blood and the crying and the screams. And often, right alongside them, is a guy who keeps a threadbare green suit in a dresser drawer even though it’s been a long time since it fit.

Let's look at a few of the comments and negatively weighted parts of this article. First: Any of us that have been around for any length of time likely agree with the statement about inflated pay. It has been a thorn in our sides for years. But, it has gotten far better in the last decade or so. Also, it seems to me that most of the statements about pay do include the pension benefits and medical, so the total figure is skewed a bit. Still, in this area, it seems to be legitimate to challenge the system even more going forward. The comment about people standing in line likely refers to pension benefits I would think, and that is why they are there. 2nd: Isn't it time for the BSA and others that do not feel misleading journalism is right or fair challenge the terminology that the press has labeled the "Ineligible volunteer fils" with? They were never called the perversion files except by the yellow journalists. Similar to the "Obama Care" and "Affordable Care Act". By calling them perversion files, and intimating that BSA called them that as well, they put the worst meaning on them. But, many of the files had nothing to do with child abuse, but other things that would make someone not acceptible. Of course, I have no idea how to fight that, as that is what the sensationalist journalists (?) count on. 3rd: Why are these stories never complete with all the details. For example, how is BSA overall over say the past 3-4 decades in comparison to YMCA, Schools, Sports programs. I think the figures indicate that BSA percentage wise is the lowest, or almost the lowest, even though they are the largest group. Also, why do the stories seldom mention that the perpetrator was also in other positions that allowed them to be in youth contact, such as teaching, sports, church, or even law enforcement? Why is only the BSA being sued if the perpetrator also was part of these organizations? 4th: Explain to me, all you experts and finger pointers and so on how destroying BSA serves anybody's best interests, when the overall good over the past century plus of such magnitude, and continues to overall fulfill its aims? And why do the "ambulance chasers" think they should be able to bend the norm and drag parts of the organization into the melee? I truly have no idea what it is about destroying one of the better parts of our society that serves any positive purpose, other than more money in the lawyer's pocket. Our legal system truly needs some serious overhauling, not just because of this, but as see constantly in absolutely insane sawsuits and weird judgements that do not take actual personal responsibility into play. 5th: Is there really anyone making all the accusations and demands for compensation who actually thinks that that will solve the problem of evil people that prey on the weak and helpless, or will somehow make up for mistakes from decades ago? A few of the actual lawyers have suggested they and their clients only want the BSA to do better. Well, in the past twenty years BSA has developed the model YP plan, one that is a template for other groups. They have already been offering counseling and other help to past victims, before the lawsuits. And they continue to search for ways to improve that. Also, note that decades ago, the IEV files were something nobody else even had, nor made a broad effort to combat the bad actors. Some of the files note that family members and authorities chose to NOT do anything, for whatever reason. We are dragging problems of society from decades before, ones that were met with different methods then, into today's society and trying to somehow turn back the clock. Finally: If you have read the report by the Doctor of psychology that investigate the IEV files in depth, you know that she notes that there is NO absolute way to stop these actions by sick, misguided individuals other than vigilance and tight rules. But the psychologists cannot absolutely determine who might perpetuate these crimes.

Yes, I saw the commercial last night for the second time. It is well done and to the point. Historically, there was a time when BSA was a favorite image for ad copy and also appeared favorably in most local news. We cannot overcome the bad image by ourselves, other than on our very local level. And even then, we run into issues on occasion. Our biggest resource is our ongoing service, not just Eagle projects, but numerous other activities. We have a number of serious outdoor oriented units that do regular trail work and have put up markers in remote areas and after our fires, cleaned up some local park areas. Why was this not know by the larger public? So, lets hope the new leader, not from the ranks, will address this primary need, reaching beyond National with options for local use.

Yep; I just found out that our local council does not even have a PR person on the board. That should be one of the most important positions, and lands back on the SE, since he forms the board's actual functioning groups. Right now we have Scouting for Food in motion; but we have no public communications outside of what we have units do with placing bags and such. Our unit blares it on FB and encourages sharing by members with friends on Social formats. But, we have no viable council webpage; the one we have is neve up to date. There is no direct connection to the council FB link; you have to go through the office to get anything posted there. Not sure if that is because they do not have the staff to monitor, or simply poorly planned. It does not help that the local papers are obviously biased towards BSA and seldom publish any positive stories. We have a few local throw aways that will put things in. But it should be a primary function of the board, and it should utilize resources within the units to help.

For the past decade or more I have felt that National should have had and have a focus on preserving the council level camps whenever possible, including making upkeep help available. While I am not one to feel the Summit is white elephant and not a great idea, no more than are any of the other National high adventure and training facilities. But I do feel that the money put into the Summit might have been better utilized for the broadest benefits by working to "fix" and "save" local camps first. After all, if Scouting is local, then the key outdoor element needs to utilize local facilities to the max, and at the lowest level of expense. As noted, once the property is gone, it is pretty much gone, even though in a few instances it went to a friendly and cooperative entity that still allows scouting groups. At this point though, I feel that the international interest in our large reservations and so on is a plus, and that properly managed and developed they are worth keeping. But, that being said, a primary focus should be on bringing the cost down so that more youth can benefit. Surely there are methods to do this, and the National board should have individuals that could spearhead this type of redirection.