November-December 2000November-December 2000
Edited by Scott Daniels
Young readers have two months left to enter the 2000 Boys' Life "Say Yes to Reading!" contest. Entrants submit a one-page report on "The Best Book I Read This Year." Books can be fiction or nonfiction, entered in one of three categories: 8 years old and younger; 9 and 10 years old; and 11 years and older.
The contest is open to all Boys' Life readers, and all entrants receive a free Pedro patch—but only if they include a letter-size, stamped (33 cents), self-addressed envelope with their report. (Include name, address, age, and school grade with each book report.)
The top three winners from each age-group will also get a Leatherman multitool, copies of Codemaster books 1 and 2, a limited-edition Codemaster pin-and-patch set, and their name announced in Boys' Life magazine.
Send reports and stamped return envelopes for the patch to Boys' Life Reading Contest, S204, P.O. Box 152079, Irving, TX 75015-2079. Entries must be postmarked by D ec. 31, 2000.
After extensive review by a National Cub Scout Committee task force, the Cub Scout Leader Recognition Plan has been significantly updated. The new requirements are listed in the latest Leadership Training Committee Guide (No. 34169D) and will be included in the next printing of the Cub Scout Leader Book.
Major changes include the following:
Additionally, the pendant and ribbon awards will be eliminated as current stocks are depleted, with the square knot insignia and certificates remaining as recognition items for the awards.
The new requirements became effective Sept. 1. Leaders registered before that date have the option to continue using the previous requirements until Sept. 1, 2001.
Requirement 7 for the Fitness activity badge in the Webelos Scout Book asks boys to "Read the booklet Don't Be Tricked by Drugs: A Deadly Game! Discuss it with an adult and show that you understand the material."
The revised version of the booklet is now titled Take a Stand Against Drugs. Local council service centers may have copies, or they can be purchased from the Drug Abuse Task Force, S202, Boy Scouts of America, P.O. Box 152079, Irving, TX 75015-2079.
The Tribe of Tahquitz was formed in 1925 by 15 Long Beach, Calif., honor Scouts to provide support for the Long Beach Area Council's then-new Camp Tahquitz. Both the tribe and the camp are named for Tahquitz Peak in the San Bernardino Mountains, and last July they celebrated their 75th anniversary together.
The camp, which moved in 1959 to a new 640-acre site about 50 miles from its original location, is one of the oldest in the western United States. It and the tribe have operated continuously since 1925.
"The most unique aspect of the tribe is its unbroken tradition of supplying volunteer staff and other vital support for the camp during each of those 75 years," said Jeff Tylicki, the council's vice president for program. Tylicki, like many other volunteer leaders in the council, is a past member of the tribe. So is Michael Dermody, who has served as camp director for 15 years.
"The dedication of our staff is one of the strongest attractions of the camp," said Dermody. "Scouts look up to these older boys, who provide the camp program, and many return just to become members of the honor group." New tribesmen must be at least 14 years old, and each must be elected by a vote of the present members.
Over the decades, more than 5,300 honor Scouts have held membership in the boy-run organization, which conducts a year-round program of service, educational, and social activities. The tribe is widely known in Southern California for its authentic Native American costumes, song-and-dance performances, and Indian lore demonstrations at schools, hospitals, and such high-profile venues as Knott's Berry Farm and the Queen Mary cruise ship museum.
—Bill Sloan
To many, "ski country" means places like Colorado, Utah, and Vermont. But the Daniel Boone Council wants the world to realize that North Carolina has great skiing, too. Because of this not-so-well-known fact, the Scouts and Scouters of the council will experience boundless fun soon—this winter—and reap a financial bonanza, to boot.
"Lots of people are surprised at how much skiing we have in our area," says Steve Taylor, Scout executive of the Asheville, N.C.-based council. "But with mountains of up to 5,000 feet, western North Carolina offers outstanding opportunities for winter sports right here in the heart of the Old South."
Four years ago, the council expanded what was already one of the nation's top high adventure programs to take full advantage of its natural wintertime assets. It organized its own ski packages for Scouts and Scouters and teamed with the area's two major ski resorts in a fundraising project that earns up to $10,000 annually for council scholarship funds.
As part of an effort to promote early- season skiing, the Wolf Laurel Resort gives the council 500 lift tickets, which are sold to Scouts and the general public for $10 each with the council keeping the full amount. The nearby Cataloochee Ski Resort designates a special Scout weekend during each ski season, with the council receiving half of the $30-per-person fee for the event.
The Wolf Laurel tickets are also good for a new snow tubing slope at the resort, which Taylor describes as "ideal" for Cub Scouts. "It's safe, involves no skill whatsoever, and it's lots of fun for younger kids," he says.
About 1,000 older Scouts have joined the skiing programs since they started, and a number of units now have their own ski teams. The council is spreading the word to neighboring councils, inviting them to participate.
More information about the ski program is available by accessing the Daniel Boone Council Web site, http://www.danielboonecouncil.org, or by telephoning (800) 526-6708.
—B.S.
Thousands of BSA units in hundreds of councils sell popcorn each year as a money-earning project. But nowhere have Scouts had more popcorn sales success than in North Carolina's Old Hickory Council.
In 1999, Old Hickory ranked first in the nation in per-boy sales among councils in its size bracket for the third straight year, but that wasn't all. Pack 942, chartered to Calvary Baptist Church of Winston-Salem, also sold more popcorn than any other unit in the United States and Canada for the second year in a row.
The rankings are determined by Trail's End Popcorn officials. They reported that only one larger-size council posted higher sales totals than Old Hickory, and the 130 members of Pack 942 led all BSA units of all types and sizes in unit sales.
"We've been averaging a 20 percent per year increase in each of the last several years," said Steve Daniel, senior executive of the council's Piedmont District and coordinator of councilwide popcorn sales. "We went over the $700,000 mark in sales in '99, and we're shooting for $1 million in 2000."
There's no magical "secret" behind this kind of success, according to Daniel. "The only thing we do that's different from some other councils is giving the boys cash commissions instead of prizes," he said. "Other than that, it's a simple matter of following our plan, starting early, getting parental support, paying attention to details, doing lots of promotion, and working hard at all those 'boring basics' that almost always pay off."
In the Old Hickory Council, they're paying off to the tune of more than $500,000 a year for Scouting.
—B.S.
They came from points near and far—like Bangladesh, the Bahamas, Egypt, and the Philippines—to sample the Cajun hospitality of the Southeast Louisiana Council's International Encampment.
Held during a week in late July at Salmen Scout Reservation near New Orleans, the event attracted 50 international Scouts and leaders. Each visitor was a guest in the home of a local Scout or leader and was paired with his host during the camporee.
"It was our first attempt at holding an international event, but it probably won't be our last," said Keith Christopher, director of support service for the council, which is headquartered in suburban Metairie. "It was a tremendous experience in cultural sharing and a lot of fun for everyone. We had an outstanding response from the foreign Scout organizations we contacted."
Highlights included a tour of historic sites in New Orleans, special "friendship games" designed to familiarize participants with each others' cultures, and camp activities like swimming, canoeing, and shooting sports. Participants also sampled special ethnic foods, including South Louisiana's spicy gumbo, boiled crawfish, and other Creole dishes.
Christopher credited council board member Subhash Kulkarni, a native of India and a past district governor of Rotary International, for providing valuable overseas contacts.
—B.S.
The 16-year-old girl had a severely cut hand and was suffering from shock and loss of blood when Scoutmaster Ron Rautio and four Scouts from Troop 1707 of the Detroit Area Council found her at a campsite in Michigan's Isle Royal National Park.
One Scout ran to a nearby ranger station for help while the others began first aid and treatment for shock. A three-mile boat ride took them to a medical facility, where 22 stitches were needed to close the girl's wound. (She said she had cut herself opening a can with the blade of a pocketknife).
Ron Rautio and his four Scouts— Will Lambdin, Michael Latimer, David Mercure, and Scott Rautio—were among Scouts and Scouters who received BSA awards for lifesaving and heroism in 1999.
Like the group from Troop 1707, the vast majority of recipients were awarded the Local Council Certificate of Merit in recognition of their quick thinking and decisive action. Two other members of the same troop also received Local Council Certificates of Merit in unrelated incidents—Jeff Babbie for rescuing his 3-year-old sister from drowning and Eric Kappaz for using the Heimlich maneuver to save his mother from choking.
"We work hard to create an awareness of the awards and the people who receive them," said John Perry, director of financial services for the Detroit Area Council. "We usually have six or seven awardees per year councilwide, but it's unusual to have this many from a single troop."
Council officials also make sure that local award recipients receive high-profile recognition for their deeds, Perry added. A double-page spread in the council's annual report was devoted to accounts of their heroism.
The award recipients were also spotlighted at an annual community leadership breakfast, where they had a chance to meet Detroit Lions player Tracy Scroggins.
"No one who merits one of these awards should remain an 'unsung' hero," Perry said. "They all deserve to be showcased in their own councils."
—B.S.
More than $210,000 in college scholarships will be awarded in 2001 to 25 Eagle Scouts by the National Eagle Scout Association (NESA). Awards range from $48,000 (up to $12,000 per year) to one-time grants of $3,000.
Applicants must be currently registered in the BSA and graduate from high school and enter college in the year they apply for a scholarship (that is, 2001 high school graduates apply by the 2001 deadline of Feb. 28). They must (1) have received the Eagle Scout Award prior to submitting an application or verified that an application for Eagle Scout rank has been received at the national office, (2) have an SAT score of at least 1090 and/or an ACT score of 26, and (3) have demonstrated leadership in Scouting and strong participation in activities outside Scouting. They must also state why they believe they need financial aid and have the endorsement of a volunteer or professional Scout leader who knows them personally.
Applications (No. 58-702) are available at local council service centers, or from NESA, 1325 W. Walnut Hill Ln., P.O. Box 152079, Irving, TX 75015-2079. They must be postmarked by midnight Feb. 28, 2001, and received by NESA no later than March 5, 2001.
Wanted: an Eagle Scout to spend two and a half months working on scientific projects in Antarctica.
Since 1928, when Eagle Scout Paul Siple accompanied Adm. Richard E. Byrd's expedition, the BSA has sent eight Eagle Scouts to Antarctica in cooperation with the National Science Foundation. (In the February 2000 issue of Boys' Life, read about the 1998 experience of Eagle Scout Ben Hasse, pictured below.)
The next Eagle Scout will depart in October 2001 and return in January 2002. In addition to having earned the Eagle Scout Award, a candidate must be a registered BSA member with a minimum of three years' membership; age 17 and a half but not yet 21 as of June 1, 2001; and available for training during the fall of 2001.
Ask at council service centers for applications, which must be mailed by Feb. 1, 2001. A select group of applicants will be interviewed in April, and one will be chosen as the BSA representative.
The Philmont Training Center (PTC), the BSA national facility at Philmont Scout Ranch near Cimarron, N.M., offers weeklong training conferences from June through September for council and district volunteers, professional Scouters, and junior leaders. Also available are daily age-specific activities for family members, including (except during the first week) a Mountain Trek Hiking Program for youth 14 to 20 years old.
Families arrive on Sunday and depart the following Saturday. Meals are served in dining halls; housing is in large, two-person wall tents on platforms, equipped with electricity, bedding, and towels, located near showers, restrooms, medical facilities, and recreation areas.
Fees include meals, lodging, and conference and family program materials: conference participants, $280; spouses and children over 18, $210; children ages 6-18, $165; children ages 3-5, $105; children 2 and under, $25; Mountain Trek, $200; National Junior Leadership Instructor Camp (NJLIC), $200.
Participants must have local council approval; some conferences require previous training experience. Contact council service centers or Philmont Training Center, Cimarron, NM 87714, (505) 376-2281, FAX (505) 376-2629, philptc@cimarron.springercoop.com.
June 3-9: Council Services. District Key-3; District Committee; Administration of Commissioner Service; Unit Commissioner; Council and District Activities; Training Management Seminar; People Management I.*
June 10-16: Council Services/NJLIC. District Key-3; Council Key-3; District Committee; Administration of Commissioner Service; Unit Commissioner; Health and Safety Risk Management; National Junior Leader Instructor Camp**; People Management II.*
June 17-23: Boy Scouting/NJLIC. Using the Scout Oath and Law; Boy Scout Roundtables; Training Junior Leaders; Strictly for Scoutmasters; Boy Scout Advancement; Re-engineering Scout Training; Teaching Boy Scout Basic Camping Skills; Transitioning to 21st Century Wood Badge and the New Train-the-Trainer Conference; National Junior Leader Instructor Camp.**
June 24-30: Venturing/ Scoutreach/NJLIC. The Venturing Crew; Venturing District and Council Administration; Quality Venturing Roundtables; Training Venturing Leaders; Venturing Advancement; High Adventure Resources for Venturing; American Red Cross Instructor***; Scoutreach; National Junior Leader Instructor Camp.**
June 30-July 6: LDS/ NJLIC. Scouting in the LDS Church; National Junior Leader Instructor Camp.**
July 8-14: Relationships/NJLIC. Marketing and Public Relations; Membership/Relationships Committee; Scouting in the Catholic Church; Scouting in the Church's Ministry; United Methodist Scouters' Workshop; Scouting in the Jewish Community; National Junior Leader Instructor Camp.**
July 15-21: Cub Scouting/Professional Development. Professional Development Level II*; Quality Pack Program; Strictly for Cubmasters; New Directions in Cub Scout Leader Training; Webelos Scout Program.
July 22-28: Cub Scouting. Cub Scout Camping; Cub Scout Roundtables; Implementing Trainer Development; Leading Pow Wows and Universities of Scouting; Pack Trainer; Promoting and Marketing Cub Scouting; Strictly for Cubmasters.
July 29-Aug. 4: Cub Scouting. Cub Scout Roundtables; Cub Scout Den Programs; New Directions in Cub Scout Leader Training; Quality Pack Program; Strictly for Cubmasters; Webelos Scout Program; What's New, Tiger Cub?
Aug. 5-11: Council Services/Finance. Administration of Commissioner Service; District Key-3; District Committee; Unit Commissioner; Training Management Seminar; Major Gifts/Endowment; James E. West Fellowship.
Aug. 12-18: Boy Scouting. Boy Scout Advancement; Re-engineering Scout Training; Teaching Boy Scout Basic Camping Skills; Transitioning to 21st Century Wood Badge and the New Train-the-Trainer Conference; Conducting Troop Junior Leader Training (JLT); Order of the Arrow Adviser's Training; Varsity Scouting in the LDS Church; Working With Scouts With Special Needs.
Sept. 16-22: Boy Scouting. Advanced Boy Scout Camping Skills**; Council High Adventure Trek Planning**; Mountain Bike Trek Management**; Project COPE Director Training**; Essentials of Climbing and Rappelling**; Leave No Trace**; Search and Rescue Management; Scouting for the Home Schooled.
* Professional development conferences.
** Requires top physical conditioning and (in most cases) a Philmont backcountry physical.
*** Additional $125 ARC fee required.
The idea for National Children's Book Week was first proposed 85 years ago by Franklin K. Mathiews, librarian of the Boy Scouts of America. Backed by the American Booksellers Association (ABA), the American Library Association (ALA), and the BSA, a Good Book Week was held in 1916, and in 1919 the ABA and ALA sponsored the first National Children's Book Week. Today the event is administered by the Children's Book Council (CBC), and this year's theme is "Fuel Your Mind." Find ideas for celebrating the joys of children's literature at http://www.cbcbooks.org or (212) 966-1990.
There's no better way to spend time with family and friends than by playing a game or solving a puzzle together, claims Patch Products, sponsor of National Game and Puzzle Week. For a special activity packet that includes a history of some classic games plus activities for kids, see http://www.patchproducts.com or call Patch Products at (800) 524-4263.
Major meteor showers occur when Earth meets debris left behind by comets. Nov. 17 brings the Leonids, so named because meteors appear to come from around the constellation Leo. For more information, see http://www.leonidslive.com. On Christmas Day, the moon moves between Earth and sun. For a map of areas where the partial eclipse will be visible, see http://aa.usno.navy.mil/AA/data/docs/UpcomingEclipses.html. You can also contact a local planetarium or observatory for more information on the meteor shower and eclipse.
—Melanie Radzicki McManus
Copyright © 2000 by the Boy Scouts of America. All rights thereunder reserved; anything appearing in Scouting magazine or on its Web site may not be reprinted either wholly or in part without written permission. Because of freedom given authors, opinions may not reflect official concurrence.
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