November-December 2001
Edited by Scott Daniels
National Tragedy Inspires Good Turns and Patriotism
In the days and weeks following the tragic events of Sept. 11 in New York City and Washington, D.C., the BSA mobilized to provide service and support to families of victims and to encourage patriotism among all citizens.
Chief Scout Executive Roy L. Williams acknowledged the countless acts of helpfulness by BSA members across the nation. "The spirit of Scouting is evident in the many offers of assistance from local councils," he said. "We encourage Scouting participation in community relief efforts such as blood donations and food drives."
On Saturday, Sept. 15, members of the National Capital Area Council responded to "A Call to Action" by organizing flag-waving displays in a highly visible show of patriotism and support for the attack victims. In hundreds of locations across the metro Washington, D.C., area, fully uniformed Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, Venturers, and leaders waved flags and displayed signs of sympathy, resolve, and support.
In addition, Scouts accomplished many Good Turns by running errands and caring for pets of neighbors with a family member in the hospital, either as a victim or as a medical staff member.
Enter the Boys' Life reading contest
Young readers have two months left to enter the 2001 Boys' Life "Say Yes to Reading" contest.
Entrants write a one-page report on "The Best Book I Read This Year." Books can be fiction or nonfiction. Enter reports in one of three age categories: 8 years old and younger; 9 and 10 years old; 11 years and older.
The contest is open to all Boys' Life readers. All entrants receive a free Pedro patch—but only if they include a letter-size, stamped (34 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 multi-tool (or any two books they want), copies of Codemaster books 1 and 2, the limited edition Codemaster pin-and-patch set, and their names announced in Boys' Life.
Send reports and stamped return envelopes for the free patch to Boys' Life Reading Contest, S304, P.O. Box 152079, Irving, TX 75015-2079. Entries must be postmarked no later than Dec. 31, 2001.
Apply now for 2002 Eagle Scout college scholarships
Eagle Scouts graduating from high school in 2002 may qualify for a National Eagle Scout Association (NESA) scholarship.
In 2002, NESA will award one scholarship of up to $48,000 (up to $12,000 per year); four $20,000 scholarships (up to $5,000 a year for four years); four scholarships of $8,000 ($2,000 per year); four $4,000 scholarships ($1,000 per year); and 12 $3,000 (one time) scholarships. NESA review committees select winners and determine the number and size of scholarships to be granted to deserving Eagle Scouts.
In addition to being a graduating high school senior, each applicant must (1) be currently registered in the BSA, (2) have been granted the Eagle Scout Award prior to submitting an application, (3) have an SAT and/or ACT score acceptable to the standards set by the committee, and (4) have demonstrated leadership in Scouting and strong participation in activities outside Scouting. An applicant also must show financial need and have the endorsement of a volunteer or professional Scout leader who knows him personally.
Scholarship applications must be postmarked no later than midnight Feb. 28, 2002, and received no later than March 5, 2002.
Get applications for 2002 Eagle Scout scholarships (form 58-702) or NESA membership (form 58-404) at local council service centers, or write Eagle Scout Service, S220, 1325 W. Walnut Hill Ln., P. O. Box 152079, Irving, TX 75015-2079.
Hindu Karma Award approved
The national Religious Relationships Committee has approved a new religious recognition created by the North American Hindu Association. The Karma Award is for Boy Scout- and Venturing-age youth. The program specifically addresses four fundamentals of the Hindu faith—Dharma, Artha, Kama, and Moksha.
Additional information is available from the North American Hindu Association, 847 East Angela Street, Pleasanton, CA 94566-7511, (925) 846-3811, HinduDharma@home.com.
The religious emblems programs in Scouting are created by the various religious groups to encourage youth to grow stronger in their faith. The BSA has approved these programs and allows the recognition to be worn on the official uniform, but each religious group develops and administers its own program.
2002 National Endowment Art Tour scheduled to visit 15 cities
Displays of BSA artwork by Norman Rockwell, Joseph Csatari, and others will be the featured attractions during the 15 stops scheduled for the 2002 National Endowment Art Tour.
The tour is designed to honor local individuals for substantial contributions to their council endowment fund and to serve as a catalyst for additional giving. At each location, the BSA will host an informational seminar for prospective donors and a gala reception, which will include an induction ceremony for new 1910 Society and Founders Circle members.
Locations and dates for the 2002 tour are Jan. 24, Provo, Utah; Jan. 31, Sacramento, Calif.; Feb. 21, Riverside, Calif.; Feb. 26, Tucson, Ariz.; March 7, Shreveport, La.; March 21, Baton Rouge, La.; April 4, Newport News, Va.; April 18, Akron, Ohio; May 2, Indianapolis, Ind.; May 16, Belleville, Ill.; May 23, Gastonia, N.C.; Oct. 3, Augusta, Me.; Oct. 10, Massapequa, N.Y.; Oct. 24, Rancocas, N.J.; Oct. 29, Doylestown, Pa.
Scouts send holiday greetings to U.S. servicemen and women
When mail call comes this Christmas season for American servicemen and women scattered around the globe, several hundred cards and letters they receive will be coming from Boy Scout Troop 328 of Salem, Wis.
Twenty members of the troop contributed a total of 440 holiday cards and letters to this year's fan mail campaign sponsored by Friends of Our Troops, a Fayetteville, N.C., organization, which has been providing military personnel with greetings from the "folks back home" for 35 years.
As a result, Troop 328 was recognized as one of the nation's top 15 youth service organizations participating in the program—the only Boy Scout troop to be so honored.
And it all began four years ago with a single Scout.
"The first two years, I did it all by myself and sent out about 50 cards with short notes enclosed," says 14-year-old Eagle Scout Philip Koehler, whose mother, Connie Koehler, is the troop's Scoutmaster. "The third year, several other guys joined in, and this year the whole troop got involved."
Five Troop 328 Scouts, including Philip, sent 50 or more pieces of mail each, and five other members sent 25 or more apiece.
Each received a special "Top Friend" certificate from Friends of Our Troops, according to G. B. Wiser, executive director of the program.
"A lot of the military people we wrote sent letters back to us," Philip says. "I got replies from Japan, India, Egypt, and several other countries."
Also recognized by the organization was Cub Scout Pack 35 of Spotswood, N.J., whose members sent 407 pieces of mail to service personnel last Valentine's Day. Fifteen members of the pack received certificates for writing 25 or more cards or letters, and the pack also ranked among the top 15 youth service groups nationally.
"It's a worthwhile cause, and the boys love doing it," says Pack 35 den leader Carol Doscher. "For privacy reasons, we have them sign just their first names and use my return address. In response, we get letters of appreciation from all over."
For information on how to join the next holiday fan mail campaign, either as a group or as an individual, contact Friends of Our Troops, P.O. Box 65408, Fayetteville, N.C., 28306-5408; call (910) 426-7379; or check out their Web site at www.militarymail.org.
—Bill Sloan
Go online to Scouting magazine's Web site
Each issue of Scouting magazine can be found on the magazine's own Web site, www.scoutingmagazine.org. The current issue is available shortly after the print edition has been mailed to all registered volunteer Scout leaders. (The site also includes the text content for all issues from September 1998.)
The site allows readers to submit a letter to the editor or a Worth Retelling story, or to respond to a question from the Front Line Stuff column. Readers can also test their wits with an interactive version of the Family Fun Page. A special customer service page provides a way to e-mail questions about a magazine delivery or a change of address for either Boys' Life or Scouting.
Annual indexes for Scouting magazine back to 1993 and selected earlier years are available, as well as unit anniversary notices, rules for current reader contests, and the winning entries for the magazine's annual reader competitions from 1998 through 2001.
The magazine site can also be accessed through the official BSA Web site, www.scouting.org. Click on "adult volunteers" and then on the image of the Scouting magazine cover.
Price of Freedom Trail
In big cities, important historical sites can sometimes get lost or overlooked amid the urban bustle. It can even happen in heritage-rich places like San Antonio, Tex.—but not if the members of the Alamo City's Boy Scout Troop 410 can help it.
"Every schoolkid in town takes field trips to the Alamo, and it's on every tourist's must-see list when they come here," says Troop 410 Scoutmaster Ted Borcherding. "But we have many other historically significant sites in the downtown area that are much less well known, even among native San Antonians."
Members of the troop, in cooperation with San Antonio's IMAX Theatre and author Mark Louis Rybczyk, set out to change that by making all the downtown's cultural and historic treasures more identifiable and accessible to tourists, Scouts, and residents alike.
First, the Scouts researched and laid out a new historic trail, which winds for six miles through the heart of the city and along the fabled Riverwalk, featuring 27 notable points of interest. Next, they designed, wrote, edited, and published a colorful map and brochure to promote the new IMAX Price of Freedom Trail and its various attractions, sponsored and named after the IMAX movie which features a reenactment of the Battle of the Alamo. And finally, they helped design a new medal and badge for Scouts and other youth groups hiking the trail.
"We got the idea from Bill Swantner, the pastor of Hope Lutheran Church, our chartered organization. He pointed out that the Alamo Area Council had only one other historic trail—the old Mission Trail—and it was time we had another one."
Cornerstones of the new trail are the legendary Alamo, where 189 defenders died during Texas' war of independence against Mexico, and the nearby IMAX Theatre, which features the film on the battle.
But the trail also leads to such fascinating places as the King William District, a restored neighborhood of 1870s-vintage homes; the old U.S. arsenal, built by the Army in 1859 and now the home office of a supermarket chain; the location of the homestead where Lt. Col. Robert E. Lee lived from 1856-61; a footbridge immortalized in the short stories of the famous author O. Henry; and a giant, 200-year-old tree known as the Twin Cypress.
"The Scouts got really excited about the project," says Borcherding. "Sixteen boys accepted individual assignments to go out and gather all the information they could about a particular site." The troop hiked the trail several times prior to its official opening in June, during which they found and corrected a wrong turn that had been included in the directions.
"In addition to the historical research they did, the boys also learned a lot about maps and map-reading, printing, editing, and writing," Borcherding adds.
To help promote the trail, the IMAX Theatre is distributing one of the Scout-designed trail brochures to everyone who buys a $10 ticket to the theatre and the nearby Texas Adventure, a high-tech simulated battle experience. Ticket buyers also get their choice of either a commemorative Price of Freedom Trail patch or medal.
For more information, call the IMAX Theatre at (210) 247-4600.
—B.S.
Books of special interest to Scout leaders
The history of the Association of Baptists for Scouting (ABS) is told in the book Why Not Baptist? by R. Chip Turner. Founded in 1951, the group of dedicated Scouters has promoted the employment of the Scouting program in Baptist churches.
In addition to chronicling the history of the ABS, the book also includes additional chapters, by the author and others, elaborating on the many benefits Scouting can offer individual church congregations.
Among these chapters are "Churches and Scouting ... We Need Each Other," "Scouting Is a Resource of the Church," "The Sleeping Giant of Outreach," and "Scouting in Our Baptist Churches."
The paperback book costs $11.95 and is available from ABS History, P.O. Box 168385, Irving, TX 75016-8385.
Other Books to Note
Secret Messages: Concealment, Codes, and Other Types of Ingenious Communication, by William S. Butler and L. Douglas Keeney (Simon & Schuster, $23).
Discover the intriguing mysteries of covert communication in this rich collection of stories, anecdotes, and examples of how soldiers, actors, musicians, even baseball umpires, pass along information in secret. The authors vividly recreate the circumstances in which various messages were used and depict the dramatic and often surprising results.
Pinewood! The Story of the Pinewood Derby, as told by Don Murphy, Founder, Pinewood, P.O. Box 3881, Torrance, CA 90510, PWDfounder@
aol.com. $14.95 plus $4 postage and handling (California residents add sales tax as applicable).
Inspired by the article "The Founder and the Finder," in the November-December 1999 issue of Scouting magazine, this illustrated account provides many details about the birth of one of Cub Scouting's most popular activities. Included are the original rules and regulations, car plans, and track design from the first race in 1953 in Manhattan Beach, Calif.
A Thing of the Spirit: A Biography of Dr. E. Urner Goodman ($15 plus $3 shipping).
Nelson Block, a longtime student of Scouting history, tells the story of the man who in 1915, along with Carroll A. Edson, founded the Order of the Arrow at Treasure Island Scout Camp. Send check or money order to National Order of the Arrow, 1325 W. Walnut Hill Ln., P.O. Box 152079, Irving TX 75015-2079.
The American Boy's Handy Book: What to Do and How to Do It, by Daniel Carter Beard (The Derrydale Press, $11.95). One may call (800) 462-6420, or see www.derrydalepress.com.
The activities and projects suggested by Beard, who was both a founder of the BSA and its first national commissioner, can be as enjoyable for boys today as they were when first published in 1890.
Instructions include how to make a kite, boomerang, squirt gun, water telescope, bow and arrow, puppets, costumes, and much, much, more. Includes a new foreward by BSA Chief Scout Executive Roy L. Williams.
Young American Award nominations due to council offices by Dec. 1
 The 2001 Young American Award winners: Cyrus Jefferson Lawyer IV, Ellicott City, Md.; Jason Wayne Kemp, Mount Airy, N.C.; Hong-Ly Thi La, Gaithersburg, Md.; Evan Michael Todd, Littleton, Colo.; James W. Johnson, Custer City, Pa. |
First presented by the BSA in 1968, the Young American Award is an annual council-level and national program that honors outstanding young adults, both in and out of Scouting.
Nominations can be made by Boy Scout troops, Explorer posts, Venturing crews, individuals, and other community youth-serving organizations that share the same program objectives as Boy Scouting.
Councils select one or more council award recipients and nominate one winner for one of five national awards.
All council and national nominees must
Applications with letters of recommendation and current school transcripts must be date-stamped by the local council no later than Dec. 1. National award applications are due at the BSA national office by Jan. 2.
The national award includes an unrestricted cash grant of $5,000, presented to the five winners during the BSA national annual meeting in May.
Program Resources by the Day, Week, and Month
NOV. 1
Learn with the kids. When families learn together, it has a powerful impact, says the National Center for Family Literacy (NCFL), cosponsor of the sixth annual National Family Literacy Day, which showcases both family literacy programs and family learning activities. The NCFL says families can celebrate by writing ads for a favorite food or toy, or writing about someone important in their lives, then sharing their stories with each other. Check out the Web site at www.family.org; or for a brochure listing ways families and communities can celebrate, call (502) 584-1133.
NOV. 1
Bon appetit! Fathers and sons join forces to prepare a tasty family meal on National Men Make Dinner Day. But note that several rules apply: The meal must be delicious, creative, and require a minimum of four ingredients and one kitchen utensil (forks don't count). Mothers and sisters can't help, and barbecued meals aren't allowed. For additional rules, recipes, and a glossary of cooking terms, see www.menmakedinnerday.com.
NOVEMBER
Dear Diary. Writing down your family history and personal reflections or memories is a treasure for future generations and even "cleanses the soul," according to the Soleil Lifestory Network, sponsors of National Lifewriting Month. For a 10-tip sheet on preserving your memories, call (888) 80-STORY.
—Melanie Radzicki McManus
Philmont Training Center offers learning opportunities for summer and fall 2002
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, district, and unit volunteers; professional Scouters; and junior leaders. Also available are age-specific activities for family members, including (except during weeks 1 and 12) a Mountain Trek Hiking program for youth 14 to 20 years old. Philmont is located in the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains of northeastern New Mexico. The area is rich in history and natural beauty, and the conference schedule allows time for family activities, day hiking, and recreation. 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 and located near showers and restrooms, medical facilities, and recreation areas. Conferences feature the latest tools, audiovisuals, and techniques, and are led by a faculty of experienced Scouters. Fees include meals, lodging, and conference and family program materials: conference participants, $295; spouses and children over 18, $220; children ages 6-18, $175; ages 3-5, $110; 2 and under, $30; Mountain Trek, $220; and National Junior Leader Instructor Camp (NJLIC), $225. Participants must have local council approval; some conferences require previous training experience. Contact council service centers or the Philmont Training Center, Cimarron, NM 87714; phone (505) 376-2281; fax (505) 376-2629; e-mail ptcreg@cimarron.springercoop.com or philptc@cimarron.springercoop.com. More information is also available at www.scouting.org/philmont/ptc. THE PTC SUMMER/FALL SCHEDULE FOR 2002June 2-8: Boy Scouting. Boy Scout Advancement; Exploring The Scoutmaster Handbook; Troop JLT; Teaching Basic Outdoor Skills; The Boy Scout Training Continuum; Scouts With Special Needs; Communicating With Youth; 21st Century Wood Badge Training. June 9-15: Venturing/Scoutreach. Venturing—The Crew; Venturing—Council and District Administration; High Adventure Resources for Venturing; Quality Venturing Roundtables; Venturing Advancement; Venturing in the LDS Church; Training Venturing Leaders; Scoutreach. June 16-22: Cub Scouting/NJLIC. New Directions in Training; Leading Pack Camping; Strictly for Cubmasters; Tiger Cub Den Program; Cub Scout Den Program; Webelos Scout Program; Cub Scout Roundtables; Teaching Basic Outdoor Skills; National Junior Leader Instructor Camp (NJLIC)**. June 23-29: Council Services/NJLIC. District Key-3; The District Committee; Administration of Commissioner Service; The Unit Commissioner; Training Management Seminar; Council and District Activities; OA Lodge Adviser Training; NJLIC**. June 29-July 5: LDS/NJLIC. Scouting in the LDS Church; NJLIC**. July 7-13: Relationships/NJLIC. Membership/Relationships Committee; Scouting in the Catholic Church; Scouting in the Church's Ministry; Scouting in the Jewish Community; Scouting in the Lutheran Church; United Methodist Scouter's Workshop; James E. West Fellowship; Teaching Basic Outdoor Skills; NJLIC**. July 14-20: Boy Scouts/Finance/Professional Development/Scoutreach/NJLIC. Professional Development Level II*; Cultural Diversity Conference; James E. West Fellowship; Major Gifts/Endowment; Teaching Outdoor Cooking; Boy Scout Advancement; NJLIC**. July 21-27: Boy Scouting/NJLIC. Boy Scout Advancement; Conducting JLTC; Teaching Basic Outdoor Skills; Boy Scout Roundtables; Using the Scout Oath and Law; Strictly for Scoutmasters; The Boy Scout Training Continuum; 21st Century Wood Badge Training; NJLIC**. July 28-Aug 3: Council Services/Professional Development. Council Key-3; District Key-3; District Committee Administration of Commissioner Service; The Unit Commissioner; Health and Safety/Risk Management; PM-I*; PM-II*. Aug. 4-10: Council Services/International. District Key-3; The District Committee; Administration of Commissioner Service; The Unit Commissioner; Training Management Seminar; International Scouting. Aug. 11-17: Cub Scouting. New Directions in Training; Cub Scout Camping; Strictly for Cubmasters; Marketing Cub Scouting; Quality Pack Program; Cub Scout Roundtables; Pow Wow Leadership. Sept. 16-22: Fall Conferences/Boy Scout Division. Teaching Advanced Outdoor Skills***; High Adventure Trek Planning***; OA Staff Adviser Training; Climbing and Rappelling; Leave No Trace***; Project COPE Director Training**; Scouting for the Home Schooled. * Professional Scouters only. |
November-December 2001 Table of Contents
Copyright © 2001 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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