September 2002

Edited by Scott Daniels New BSA CD-ROM Program Promotes Traffic Safety Program Resources by the Day, Week and Month New Recruiting Patch Available A Scout's Devotion

President Bush receives Silver Buffalo, thanks BSA for its example of 'service, character, and citizenship'

Since it was introduced in 1925, the BSA Silver Buffalo Award for noteworthy and extraordinary service to youth has been presented to more than 600 outstanding Americans, including 14 presidents of the United States.

The White House February 25, 2002 Dear Mr. Williams: Thank you for the "Distinguished Service to Youth" award, as well as the print of "A Season of Service." I appreciate your kind gesture and words of support. I am grateful for the Boy Scouts' continued example of service, character, and citizenship. The enormity of the tragedies of September 11, 2001, has caused many Americans to focus on the things that matter most: our faith, our love for family and friends, our commitment to our country, our freedom, and our principles. As a Nation, we have emerged stronger and with a renewed spirit of pride and patriotism. Laura joins me in sending our best wishes. May God bless you, and may God bless America. Sincerely, George W. Bush

President George W. Bush is the latest U.S. president to receive the BSA's highest commendation for service to youth. The presentation took place in February when a BSA delegation visited the White House to deliver the annual Report to the Nation. The president also was given a print of artist John Thompson's "Season of Service," an illustration that appeared on the cover of the December 2001 issue of Boys' Life depicting Scout holiday Good Turns.

In response, President Bush sent the letter shown at right to Chief Scout Executive Roy L. Williams:

Goodwill Industries honors BSA

Accepting a Shared Heritage Award recognizing Scouting's long relationship with Goodwill Industries International Inc., the BSA's Al Kugler, administrative assistant to the Chief Scout Executive, is flanked by (at left) Rex Davidson, president and CEO, Goodwill Industries of Greater New York & Northern New Jersey, and (at right) George W. Kessinger, president and CEO, Goodwill Industries International Inc.

As part of its 100th anniversary celebration, Goodwill Industries International Inc. in February recognized the Boy Scouts of America and 19 other organizations and agencies "that have helped shape Goodwill Industries throughout the years."

Begun a century ago by a Methodist minister in Boston's South End for the purpose of giving people hope, dignity, and independence, Goodwill Industries has grown into a 215-member organization in the United States, Canada, and 24 other countries.

In presenting the BSA with its Shared Heritage Award, the organization noted that its relationship with Scouting "goes back as far as World War II, when the two community agencies teamed up to collect scrap metal and other materials under the 'Salvage for Victory!' program."

Scouts "continue every year to distribute and later collect hundreds of thousands of bags for donations to Goodwill." In addition to helping people in need, such projects provide Scouts "with community service experience, leadership opportunities, and exposure to the world of work...

"Through the direct application of Scouting time and talents, [local Goodwill organizations] have benefited from millions of dollars in ultimate retail sales to be used for employment and training programs in their communities."

New BSA registration fee increase effective Jan. 1

Beginning Jan. 1, 2003, the Boy Scouts of America will increase its registration fee from $7 to $10 per year for traditional members. This increase will affect youth and adults registering in packs, troops, teams, crews, and ships, as well as council employees, and council and district volunteers.

The $10 prorated fees will become effective for any traditional membership (whether it is recharter, new, additional registration, or other) with a membership effective date of Jan. 1, 2003, or later. Membership that has an effective date of Dec. 1, 2002, or earlier will be charged the $7 prorated fee.

For more information, contact your local Scout council service center.

Get your Scouting magazine index for 2001

The 2001 Index for Scouting magazine and indexes for each year back to 1970 are available.

For an index, send a self-addressed, first-class-stamped 8-by-10-inch envelope; for more than three, add additional postage.

Order the indexes from Scouting Magazine Index, S304, P.O. Box 152079, Irving, TX 75015-2079.

The 2001 index is also available on the Scouting magazine Web site, www.scoutingmagazine.org, along with indexes for every year back to 1993.

New BSA CD-ROM Program Promotes Traffic Safety Every year more than 40,000 Americans (pedestrians, bicycle riders, and passengers in cars, buses, and trucks) die in traffic accidents. And such accidents are the leading cause of death for persons age 1 to 34. Venturing Out: Keys to Safe Driving is an interactive presentation on CD-ROM produced by the BSA's Venturing Division and Risk Management Service. It provides Scouters, parents, and teenagers who drive, or soon will, with information about, and an increased awareness of, traffic safety. Delivered most effectively in a group setting, using speaker notes printed from the disk menu, the presentation offers three important messages: Drinking and driving don't mix. Every year, 17,000 persons, including 2,000 teenagers, die in drug- and alcohol-related auto accidents. Such accidents are the No. 1 killer of teenagers in the United States. Following too closely can be fatal. Rear-end collisions cause more than 2,000 fatalities and 622,000 injuries per year. In a typical passenger car moving at up to 40 miles per hour, one needs at least two seconds for enough reaction time and stopping distance to avoid such a collision. (Add one second if going faster than 40 m.p.h. and one second for each 10 feet more of vehicle length.) Avoid "the Risk Zone." Fatigue and lack of sleep impair reaction time, awareness, and judgment. Drivers are most likely to feel sleepy in late afternoon, late at night, or in the early morning. For Scout leaders, a most susceptible time is the drive home after several days of camping or other activity. The CD also includes "Moving Safely Across America," a fun, interactive highway safety experience, plus links to related Internet sites, such as Students Against Destructive Decisions (www.saddonline.com), the National Organization for Youth Safety (www.noys.org), and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (www.nhtsa.dot.gov). Ask for the Venturing Out CD-ROM (BSA No. 25-292) at local Scout council service centers. Also, a complete review of BSA driving recommendations can be found in the Guide to Safe Scouting (No. 34416C). Ask for the printed edition at local Scout council service centers; the complete content is also available online at www.scouting.org/pubs.gss/.

Program Resources by the Day, Week and Month SEPTEMBER: Join the library. Help kids obtain their first library card during Library Card Sign-Up Month. For information on planning a card sign-up in your town, call the American Library Association at (312) 280-5044 or see www.ala.org/pio/librarycard. SEPT. 1-7: Help stop accidents. Spread the word about injury prevention strategies during National Childhood Injury Prevention Week. For information on first aid, safe toy tips, poisons, and low-cost educational materials, contact the As Safe As Possible Campaign at P.O. Box 715, Richboro, PA 18954; visit the Web site at www.assafeaspossible.org; or e-mail them at Nobooboos@aol.com. SEPT. 17: We the people. Observe Constitution Day with others across the nation, celebrating the U.S. Constitution—the world's oldest, working constitution. For information, see www.constitutioncenter.org or call the National Constitution Center at (215) 923-0004. SEPT. 22: Love thy neighbor. For ways to be a better neighbor and citizen, visit the Good Neighbor Day Foundation at www.natgoodneighborday.com. The site contains tips, games, and puzzles, plus information on how to help the Good Neighbor Bill pass in Congress. — Melanie Radzicki McManus

New Recruiting Patch Available By Bill Sloan September always includes major activities in a troop's annual membership recruiting efforts, so here's a one-question quiz on this all-important subject: Which individual is the most capable, efficient recruiter of new members for the Boy Scouts of America? President Bush A council Scout executive A Scoutmaster An enthusiastic Boy Scout If your answer was 4, go to the head of the class. "Our very best recruiter is an existing Boy Scout who really enjoys the Scouting experience," says Joe Glasscock, national Boy Scout director of program development. "We need to emphasize this to the boys themselves." A new recognition incentive, designed to get more Scouts involved in personally recruiting a friend into Scouting, will help provide that emphasis. The prize is an attractive Recruiter patch, awarded on the spot to any Boy Scout who brings a new member to his troop from now through December. "The national office is providing these new patches to all councils, which will make them available to every Scoutmaster nationwide," Glasscock said. Inspired by local success efforts The national campaign was inspired by the success of similar recruiting patch incentive programs used by several local Scout councils. "Last September's terrorist attacks caused a number of schools in our area to shut down temporarily, which threw a major hitch into our recruiting efforts," said Brick Huffman, director of field services for the Heart of America Council in Kansas City. "In response, we came up with a 'United We Stand' shoulder strip, which we awarded to any troop that increased its active membership, and we got a really big response." By mid-2002, the council had awarded more than 12,000 patches, whose appeal was enhanced by their exclusivity. "The shoulder strips are strictly limited to units that qualify," Huffman explained. "You can't just go out and buy one." Year-round approach is important Introduction of the national patch coincides with increased emphasis on the need to make recruiting a year-round activity, Glasscock says. "The patch will be emphasized throughout the fall, but we don't want to limit our recruiting efforts to just one part of the year," he says. "During the spring, we encourage troops to hold open houses and school rallies for boys who are completing the fifth grade. These are recruiting methods that have been proved effective over many years." The first step to steady growth is for a troop to appoint an assistant Scoutmaster or troop committee member to be responsible for membership and coordinate all troop recruitment efforts. Informative BSA brochures are available at council service centers to help organize such events as troop open houses, Webelos Scout transition programs, and other local recruiting efforts (see below). An effective troop open house, for example, starts with a school rally to survey boys interested in joining the troop. This should then be followed up with a letter or phone call to parents of prospective Scouts. The Suwannee River Area Council in Tallahassee, Fla., has perfected a technique for successfully recruiting middle-school-age boys. This is a group that "often ranks last on many people's recruiting lists," says assistant Scout Executive Brian English. "The middle schools in our area were very receptive, more so than the elementary schools," English says. "They welcomed us because this is the age group when discipline problems really begin, and the schools are looking for answers. Helpful resources "We took demonstration materials, like rappelling ropes, trail bikes, canoes, tents, and camping gear, to show the kids during lunch breaks. Then we followed up with letters and phone calls to rally the boys. We've seen a substantial membership increase as a result." "We're really excited about this new patch and the increased emphasis on year-round recruiting," says Glasscock. "Now what we want to do is splash our message across the country and get thousands of our best recruiters—Boy Scouts themselves—actively involved." The following helpful recruiting materials are available from your local Scout council service center: A Year-Round Guide to Boy Scout Recruiting (No. 18-748). Webelos-to-Scout Transition (No. 18-086). Troop Open House, a step-by-step guide (No. 18-706). High Adventure Survey, for determining boys' interests (No. 34241).

A Scout's Devotion By Keith Monroe The idea was modest when 13-year-old Evan Hunsberger visualized an Eagle Scout service project as a Good Turn for two military bases near his home in Orange, Calif. Evan's inspiration was a frayed book, Strength for Service to God and Country. The pocket-size devotional had been used by his grandfather, Eugene Hunsberger, during service as a Navy corpsman (medic) in World War II, a pharmacist's mate in Korea, and for more than 60 years as a Scoutmaster. Originally issued by Abingdon-Cokesbury Press, a United Methodist Church publisher, the book contained a page for every day of the year, with a Bible verse, a short prayer, and an inspirational message or story by a leading Protestant clergyman or other leader of the era. Eugene Hunsberger had read pages to lonely or wounded servicemen in hospitals and later to Boy Scouts during campfires. Hundreds of chaplains had used the book, but it went out of print after the war in Korea ended in 1953. Evan learned that most chaplains lacked a similar source for providing spiritual comfort to the men and women in today's armed forces. As a service to the military, and a tribute to his grandfather (who gave his blessing to the project but died before it was completed), he decided to print a new edition of the book for distribution at the nearby Los Alamitos and Camp Pendleton military bases. Evan wrote letters, made telephone calls, and sent e-mails in an effort to obtain the needed permissions to reprint the original text and obtain additional material. His fellow Boy Scouts from Troop 241, classmates from Servite High School, and his parents, brother, and sisters all helped him update the original text and add new material so all faiths could use the book's new version. Evan sought new prayers from theologians, priests, rabbis, and Muslim clerics, and he received more than 40, including ones from Cardinal Roger M. Mahony, Duke Divinity School professor Karen Westerfield Tucker, United Methodist Bishop Ernest Lyght, Dr. Robert H. Schuller of the Crystal Cathedral, and Calvary Chapel's senior pastor Chuck Smith. New prayers were added for Jewish holy days, like Yom Kippur, and Islamic holy months, such as Ramadan. Progress was slow at first, but interest—and the project's scope—grew as more people became aware of the effort. The General Commission on United Methodist Men agreed from the start to Evan's request to sponsor the project and promote wider distribution of the new edition, which would be published by Providence House Publishers of Franklin, Tenn. A computer company in Orange scanned the original pages to computer disks for free. Each weekend for three months, four Scouts from Evan's troop and 12 to 30 others, including adult leaders, college students, and classmates, corrected hundreds of typographical errors on the more than 400 scanned pages. Then there were four more months of editing from school, home, and office, and five months of formatting. Following the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, the Department of Defense agreed to order up to a million copies, for distribution to military personnel around the world. The National Council of Churches and other interfaith groups and chaplains' organizations offered to help distribute the book to police and fire departments and other outlets. The General Commission on United Methodist Men began a nationwide effort to raise $3 million to fund the publishing of the books for the military. For his efforts, Evan, who is Catholic, was honored by the United Methodist Church with its Good Samaritan Award. The award honors youth who demonstrate the attributes of a minister to others through outreach or humanitarian assistance. On Memorial Day, three years after Evan began his project, the first 10,000 copies of the new book were scheduled to be sent to military bases. And in June, Evan—who had postponed completing his Eagle requirements to concentrate on his project—finally received Scouting's highest rank. Keith Monroe lives in Santa Monica, Calif. For information on purchasing the new edition of Strength for Service to God and Country or contributing to the fund for its publication, contact the General Commission on United Methodist Men, P.O. Box 340006, Nashville, TN 37203-0006.

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