TAHAWK

All the religious medals are non-BSA awards, as are the NRA medals.

All the religious medals are awarded by the religious organizations. BSA merely cooperates with earning and recognizes those awards. "The religious emblems programs are programs created by the various religious groups to encourage youth to grow stronger in their faith. The religious groups—not the Boy Scouts of America—have created the religious emblems programs themselves. The Boy Scouts of America has approved of these programs and allows the recognition to be worn on the official uniform, but each religious organization develops and administers its own program." In a partnership between BSA and the NRA, The NRA shooting medals are awarded to Scouts by the NRA.. The NRA program extends to youth organizations other than the BSA. I think we should ask BSA. ED: So I did.

Such a place would be a danger to wallet and car springs !

It's the "Congressional Award Program." http://congressionalaward.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/ProgramRequirements.pdf "BSA and Congressional Award program aim to expand participation BSA Program Director Doug Smith (third from right) congratulates Gold Congressional Award winners (left to right) Christopher Alford, Scott Burright, Amanda McGee, Paul Ellison, and Christopher Kruse. Photograph by Richard Greenhouse A new partnership between the Congressional Award Foundation and the Boy Scouts of America is designed to expand the opportunities for BSA members to benefit from theCongressional Award, the highest recognition Congress bestows upon young people for community service, goal-setting, and personal development initiatives. The award program is a nonpartisan partnership between Congress and the private sector, to promote and recognize initiative, achievement, and excellence among youth. To earn the program's highest level, the Gold Congressional Award, a person must complete a minimum of 400 hours of voluntary public service, 200 hours of personal development, 200 hours of physical fitness, and a five-day, four-night camping expedition. The partnership with the BSA was announced at a June ceremony in the U.S. Capitol which also honored 17 recent recipients of the Gold Congressional Award. Receiving the award were five BSA members: Scott Burright of Grinnell, Iowa; Christopher Alford of Park City, Ky.; Amanda McGee of Oregon City, Ore.; Christopher Kruse of Platte City, Mo., and Paul Ellison of Springfield, Va. "By giving of myself, I have learned how to help others have a better life that is very gratifying to all," Burright said in describing the benefits of earning the award. "By participating in the program, I have grown immensely - psychologically, physically, and emotionally." The program is open to young people between 14 and 23 who set and achieve challenging goals for the betterment of themselves and their communities, regardless of physical, mental, or socioeconomic circumstances, in four areas: public service, personal development, physical fitness, and expedition/exploration. Since the program was established in 1979, more than 6,500 Congressional Awards have been earned, representing well over 1.5 million volunteer hours performed in community service across America. To register to earn the Congressional Award, call 1-888-80-AWARD, or visit the Web site, http://www.congressionalaward.org" Scouting, October 8, 1999 "Descriptive info: Congressional Award.. The Congressional Award was started by Congress in 1979.. This award system was set up recognize those young adults who prove to show initiative, great achievements, and significant service to the community.. The United States Senate and the US House of Representatives established the Congressional Award as a private-public partnership.. This organization receives all funding from the private sector.. It was originally signed into law by President Jimmy Carter.. Presidents Ronald Reagan, George Bush and Bill Clinton have signed continuing legislation.. While this is not directly a Venturing award, Venturers are encouraged to register for the program and thus make them self eligible for additional recognition on a national level.. Many Venturers find that active participation in the Venturing Program can merit recognition through the Congressional Award program.. Procedure.. The congressional award is a journey and experience.. Each potential award recipient must register them self with ... hours and experiences in.. This log book is turned in at each award level.. Candidates must be at least 13 years old to register and must complete all requirements by their 24th birthday.. Recognition.. The Congressional Award is a multi-tiered award.. The progression starts with the Bronze Certificate and culminates with the Gold Medal.. Hours invested toward each level carries forward toward the next award.. Candidates receiving the Gold Medal receive the award before a special session of the United States Congress in Washington DC.. Certificate Level.. Min.. Hours per Program Area.. Bronze.. Silver.. Gold.. Voluntary Public Service.. 30.. 60.. 90.. Personal Development.. 15.. 45.. Expedition/Exploration.. 1 day.. 2 days.. 3 days.. Total Hours.. 120.. 180.. Time to Earn the Award.. -.. 6 months.. Medal Level.. Voluntary Public Service.. 100.. 200.. 400.. 50.. 1 overnight.. 2 consecutive overnights.. 4 consecutive overnights.. 800.. 7 months.. 12 months.. 24 months." Central Region, December, 2012. "Last year the BSA and the Congressional Award program signed a formal partnership allowing Sea Scouts the opportunity to earn the Congressional Award by doing voluntary public service, personal development, physical fitness, and undertaking a cruise or superactivity. Here's how you can earn the Congressional Award. You select an adult advisor who helps you set challenging, but achievable goals and plan activities to reach those goals. Along the way to the Gold Medal, you can earn a Bronze, Silver, and Gold Certificate; and a Bronze and Silver Medal. Hours dedicated to earning an award at one level are carried with you to the next level. The minimum age to register is 14 and you must achieve your goals by your 24th birthday. As an example, the hours worked toward a Quartermaster service project can count concurrently toward the Congressional Award if you register with the Congressional Award program before starting the service project. You can register online at www.congressionalaward.org or contact the Congressional Award Foundation at P.O. Box 77440, Washington, DC 20013 (Telephone: 202-226-0130). The Congressional Award is about challenge. It is a fun and interesting way to get more involved in something you already enjoy or something you would like to try for the first time. For example, Sea Scouts learning about special skills needed for Sea Scout advancement could count their hours toward the personal development category. In the personal development area the Congressional Award's Bronze Certificate only requires 15 hours. Another 15 hours are required for the Silver Certificate, then 15 more hours for the Gold Certificate. The Congressional Award Bronze Medal needs an extra five hours of personal development. The Silver Medal requires a total of 100 hours of personal development and the Gold Medal 200 hours. The Congressional Award program is the United States Congress's opportunity to say thanks to Sea Scouts that are serving others and growing as young adults and citizens. Your Congressman may present the certificates and Bronze and Silver Medals in your home town or state capital, but the Congressional Award Gold Medal is presented in Statutory Hall in the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C." Northeast Region, Sea Scouting Committee, October, 2000.

My point being that it was turned into a puddle.

Even seen someone "burn out" an aluminum Dutch oven. 0____0

Better to get old than the alternative.

I bought a cast iron Dutch oven that is marked "CHINA," as was the box it came in. Texsport IIRC (no brand on the oven itself, just "CHINA.") Cast iron Dutch ovens from China are currently advertised. I have not looked into "ceramic" "ovens."

The CHINA Dutch ovens often have ill-fitting lids. I needed to go through over a dozen to find one built by someone with pride. I needed a loaner. (My Lodge is from 1961 and does not get loaned.) Having said that, while my CHINA model is a little rougher on the outside, it works just fine.

And BSA, not being especially knowledgeable these days, cannot conceive of a Scout thinking his PL is his "leader." How sad.

2 boys rescue young children from burning home in Florida Published June 17, 2015Associated Press OAKLAND, Fla. – Authorities say two boys rescued two young children from a burning mobile home in central Florida. Ten-year-old Isiah Francis and 11-year-old Jeremiah Grimes rushed in to a neighbor's home around 11:30 a.m. Tuesday in Orange County after a fire broke out and rescued a 1-year-old and an 8-month-old. Isiah and Jeremiah say the smoke inside the home was so thick they could barely see. Fire officials say two other children, ages 2 and 5, who live in the home were injured. One was taken to the hospital via medical helicopter. They were both in critical but stable condition at Arnold Palmer Hospital. Orange County Fire Rescue says a total of four children and one adult were in the home when the fire broke out. "It felt like 150 degrees in there. I'm just thinking, 'Stay calm, keep your mind straight, stay focused on what you're doing,'" Grimes said .

Sooo, if no one shows up . . . .

Reasons surely differ in detains. The trend exists across the spectrum. What I hear and see is that adults do not want to commit there declining "free" time. Without adult support, the youth organizations are as vulnerable as the all-adult organizations. All those adults who left over the Improved Scouting program did not come flocking back when Bill was recruited to save Scouting, and others were not found. I had so many one-active-adult troops in the 1980's. Never saw that in my first life in Scouting. Campfire said at the time that the decline in female members created the "opportunity" to offer the program to boys. Does BSA recruit "legacy" members? I doubt that they have anything like the information to allow it. The records are pitiful. If I have not mentioned it lately, the official records show I completed SM training in 1910. That would make me at least 125-126 years old. I am also recorded as the chairman of a district in the 1930's - long before I was born or the district existed. I forgot to mention another youth program slipping away -- Indian Guides/Indian Guides and Princesses/Adventure Guides. Follow the bouncing name. Say goodbye.

Historically, BSA membership numbers are not reliable. GIGO: My older council took a 30% membership hit about seven years ago when the new SE discovered the "air" in his predecessor's numbers. Being an honest man, he corrected the numbers. (The SE responsible had moved on to a promotion in region. He was first fired when the scamming became known and then was promoted to lead a very large council at a much increased salary.) In 1926, the SE of my older council was fired for cooking the membership numbers. In the 1980's we had five registered troops in a near west-side suburb that had not met once in four to seven years. In 1989, I found that the four oldest troops "in" my east-side district existed only on paper. One registered SM had been dead for four years. (Imagine the confusion of his widow when I called, introduced myself, and asked to talk to him.) Another "troop" met a block from me. Exactly three adults and five youth registered. I walked over on "meeting" night and found the church custodian: "Scouts? Wadda' ya mean Scouts?" Another phantom discovered. And the DE was angry at me when I insisted that the phantom units be officially terminated. In 1994, en employee where I worked came to ask me how it was "allowed" to forge her name on the registration papers for a cub pack. That pack was another phantom unit. Membership after the disaster of the Improved Scouting program never approached what it had been before said disaster. The numbers today, sad as they are, are inflated by school-centered programs that are not recognizable as Scouting.

Context. I again note that membership from historic highs is sharply down in bowling leagues, garden clubs, 4-H, YMCA, Campfire, adult fraternal organizations, Little League,"slow pitch" softball, PTA, and amateur theater groups. The only groups who seem to have increasing membership are street and motorcycle gangs. When you are up against a mega-trend, you need to really up your "game." BSA needs to be pushing for use of proven, best practices. I just do not see that focus. So Scouting -- the volunteer movement -- needs to take up the slack.

As I said, District Advancement Chair. I'll see if I can find for you. Woops! Position vacant. John E Poulson D8 - Chairman (435) 882-2706 Joshua Pinney District Executive (801) 582-3663 x202 Not making this easy, are they? "A current zone listing of merit badge counselors and merit badges by zone may be obtained from your scout unit commissioner." I must say, it's like a different organization that B.S.A. here in Ohio. Says SMs and SAs are prohibited from being Merit badge Counselors. 0___0

What district in what council?

You could call all the Electricity MBCs from the district list. District Advancement Chair should have list if Sm does not. MBC should have retained his/her part of the blue card.

Very useful distinction.

Once you decide you don't want to spend the time, it's easy to rationalize.

I love to accompany Scouts to the international camporee in Dorchester, Canada. For most of them, seeing 4-6,000 Scouts is a lifetime high.

I love Scouting. It was once a - perhaps the - common adolescent male group activity. Times have changed. 40,000,000 seems like a large number. It = .0057% of the world's population - 57/1,000 of 1%. Nearly 4/100 of 1% of those who watched the last Word Cup. I was in uniform to staff outdoor training on Saturday. A lady in her late 30's or early 40's asked me if I was a park ranger - and no, I was not wearing a campaign hat. Her son told me later that he knew I was not a "cop" because I was not wearing "that big black belt" and a "gun." Lots of upside.

Not sure what you mean by an "honor system." But it is critical to note that, as a MBC, I may not simply accept a candidate's word that he has passed the requirements. While I may accept a note from a leader or an adult that he engaged in some activity, when he is required to "explain," "discuss," "demonstrate, or "show," he must so those things to or with me or with another registered Merit Badge Councelor. Each council camp is assessed annually by BSA to determine if it meets BSA "national camp standards" [sic] If it meets or only slightly deviates (a "deviation") from all the standards , it will likely receive BSA National Camp Accreditation. Too many slight deviations ("weaknesses") may result in a "conditional" accreditation. If a standard is clearly not met, a council can seek a variance (permanent) or a one-year waiver from that standard due to an unexpected problem. "The national camp standards [sic] are the foundation of the National Camp Accreditation Program, which assesses council and camp conformance with the requirements set forth in the national camp standards [sic]. The national camp standards [sic] consist of standards, which are mandatory when applicable, and recommended practices, which represent best practices recommended for all camps. All camps that are operated by a Boy Scouts of America council are required to meet the standards that fit the type of camp being operated."[italics and lack of capitalization in original] Denial of accreditation is extraordinarily rare and very serious. "A camp may be denied accreditation if: 1. Any applicable standard, term or commitment of its Authorization to Operate on its score sheet, or the conditions of any variance or waiver is scored “noncompliant†and 2. Either the camp is already conditionally accredited or the camp poses an imminent danger to life or health, and this danger cannot be eliminated by closing parts of the camp or program. If the camp assessment team believes that denial of accreditation may be appropriate, it must consult immediately with area leadership. Area leadership will work with council leadership to develop a corrective action plan to restore either conditionally accredited or fully accredited status. A camp that is denied accreditation is not required to close during its current season, unless there is imminent danger to life or health, but it may not reopen the following season using the name, trademarks, or trade dress of the Boy Scouts of America without approval from the area and region. Any denial of accreditation is subject to automatic review by the regional camp accreditation committee." Standard PD-107 provides, in pertinent part: "All advancement must be consistent with BSA advancement policies. Advancement is not the primary objective of the program. Recognizing that an important part of the merit badge program is that the Scout meets with a qualified counselor, due care is taken to ensure that all merit badge requirements are met. Some merit badges may not be appropriate for offering at summer camp. Advancement offered and camp personnel instructing advancement programs are approved, as appropriate, by the council advancement committee. VERIFICATION: • Observation of proposed program implementation • Written approval from council advancement committee (may be part of general program design approval pursuant to Standard PD-112) • Discussion with camp director and/or staff." As noted in previous threads, BSA policy requires that a merit badge requirement is only passed for any purpose when a registered merit badge counselor certifies that the individual candidate has passed that requirement as a result of interaction between the counselor and the candidate. If BSA were to enforce existing national camping standards, a council camp that allocates no time for interaction between a registered merit badge counselor and candidates for a given merit badge cannot be found to in compliance with BSA advancement policy because zero time is insufficient to allow the merit badge counselor to determine and certify that a candidate has met any requirement for the respective merit badge. The council camp that my troop attended the last two years allocated zero time for interaction between merit badge counselors and candidates for dozens of merit badges. The same was true in 2010 and, I am told by multiple sources (including the camp's Program Director) , in 2011. I have witnessed the same practice in others camps in West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Ohio. If the National Camp Standards were applied, those camps should have been given the choice of dropping the merit badges in question or being denied accreditation. Further, Recommended Practice RP155-1 provides "RECOMMENDED PRACTICE: There is an on-site visit by the council advancement committee or other relevant council committee personnel, as appropriate, to meet, review example programs, and counsel advancement program counselors to ensure quality, appropriateness, and consistency with BSA advancement policies." Recommended Practice RP 155-1 should be made a National Camp Standard. History tells us that council employees at the level where decision are made often cannot be trusted to follow BSA policy when it comes to merit badge millery. "Just because you were doing something wrong for a long time doesn't mean it's right. We're Boy Scouts, and once we become aware of the rules. we follow the rules -- even if we've been ignorant of them or there's been an intentional disregard in the past." Steve McGowan, General Council, Boy Scouts of America Scouter, May-June 2015, at p. 6 If that is not enough, consequences for deliberate flouting of BSA advancement policy should follow.

JB, doncha' love the 6 volt batteries, copper wire, and packages of 000 steel wool at some summer camps? Last summer, they had 6" diameter magnifying glasses. Now that's real typical gear in the wilderness. 0___0 And notice that it's sans match, not "primitive." The requirement can be met by butane lighters, piezoelectric propane stoves, highway flares, and electric bbq starters (if the extension cord is long enough). Real wilderness survival stuff! I do stick to the requirements, as I am sworn to do. But I explain the many errors in the pamphlet and the requirements. For example, informing the Scouts that fire and STOP are tools, not needs, and pointing out the needs that those tools help meet is just giving additional information. Probably the most important life lesson is that that no one, not even BSA, can tell you in advance what your most important priority will be when the boot comes down. That's more important than informing them that BSA illustrates a ferro rod and scraper in the MBP and then gives directions not for using the ferro rod but incorrect directions for using natural flint and steel that will ,most likely, break the ferro rod. They may never need to start a fire in a crisis, but 99.9999 they will have to deal with crisis. At present, the only MB Police are "troop leaders," whoever that is. BSA continues to assert that it has no way to enforce the rules.

Perhaps your correspondent didn't think this issue through as well as one might. I suggest that the difference between "adding requirements" and "prerequisites" is only a difference in the label used, not the effect. I have always -- truly -- felt that the Wilderness Survival Merit Badge should require: that the candidate be First Class that the candidate have the Camping Merit Badge that the candidate have the First Aid Merit Badge that the candidate be able to start a one match fire three out of four times in fair weather using natural materials, including natural tinder (Why work on advanced fire-starting using field-expedient methods if the candidate lacks the ability to start a fire at the basic level?) that the candidate know the nine needs for survival in the wilderness. (The survival needs drive the skills and tools needed; e.g. 98.6 dictates being able to use the tool we call "fire," as does signaling.) I'll just make them "prerequisites." Like a prereq of passing Plane Geometry before being allowed to take Algebra. Ya; that's the ticket. They will certainly have a different experience. Is the real difference that the person making the supposed distinction agrees with the "prerequisites" and not with the "additions"?