ScoutingSeptember 1999



Letters Letters

Seeking ways to stop the violence

The May-June issue of Scouting magazine with the article about Michael Gurian's views ("How Society Fails Boys - And What We Can Do About It") arrived on April 20. I had just spent three hours in front of the TV, watching the most horrible tragedy in the history of Littleton unfold. All the while helicopters flew over our house on their way to and from Columbine High School where two students killed 12 other students, a teacher, and themselves.

Your article was extraordinarily timely and I agree with everything Mr. Gurian had to say about society failing our boys.

I am writing this letter as a warning to parents across the United States. Littleton, Colo., is not the kind of place where you would expect this to happen. People live here for their children; the schools are good, and we feel they are safe. [But] if it can happen here, it can happen anywhere.

Right now I feel fortunate. My daughter is a senior at Littleton High School. She is safe; but I have a seventh-grade son, a fourth-grade daughter, and a second-grade son. If we start changing the way we raise our boys now, maybe high school (and middle school) can be a safe place for them and every other kid in America.

We must start seeking ways to stop the violence, and Mr. Gurian's books are certainly a place to start.

Julene A. Lani
Den Leader, Pack 114
Littleton, Colo.

Another ship you can sleep on

I enjoyed "In the Footsteps of Valor" in the May-June issue and would like to add to the list [that accompanied it] of World War II ship overnight programs available to Scouts.

Last March our troop camped on the U.S.S. Silversides (SS-236), a submarine berthed as a floating museum in Muskegon, Mich. It is still about 98 percent intact, with most equipment in working order. (The pre-World War II Coast Guard cutter McLane is also available for overnighters.)

Our Scouts said it was one of the best camp-outs ever (and there were no tents to pitch, fires to make, meals to cook, or dishes to clean). For more information, call the museum at (616) 755-1230, or write to U.S.S. Silversides & Maritime Museum, 1346 Bluff, P.O. Box 1692, Muskegon, MI 49443.

The troop also visited the U.S. Coast Guard Station, Grand Haven, Mich., where we saw a film about and then toured the station's new 47-foot motor lifeboat. [To learn more about this location, call (616) 850-2552 or 850-2553 and ask for the officer of the day.]

Gerald A. Griner
Assistant Scoutmaster, Troop 13
Plainfield, Ill.

Changes planned for Wood Badge

In April, councils received notice that a new Wood Badge course for leaders in Cub Scouting, Boy Scouting, Varsity Scouting, and Venturing is being developed for implementation in 2001.

Wood Badge has a special place in my life, as it does with many Scouters. I would appreciate knowing the answers to some questions I have been asked since the announcement:

Why and in what way is Wood Badge changing? What individuals are making the decisions and are they Wood Badgers? How are they going about it, and is there a way others can offer suggestions, provide input, and stay up-to-date on proposed changes? Is there a phase-in schedule for implementing changes?

Acceptance of changes will be important if the long and cherished tradition of Wood Badge is to be successfully continued.

Mike Dunne
Council Training Chairman
Istrouma Area Council
Baton Rouge, La.

The following will help answer questions regarding the updating of BSA Wood Badge training:

Why is Wood Badge changing?

To better meet the needs of Scouting, chartered organizations, volunteers, and youth members, periodic review and adjustments are essential with all BSA programs and training courses.

Major modifications have not been made in the core curriculum of the Boy Scout Leader Wood Badge training since 1973 (when it shifted from Scout skills training to a leadership development program using Scout skills as a reinforcement tool) or in Cub Scout Trainer Wood Badge since its inception in 1976. And at present, Scoutmasters and assistant Scoutmasters make up only half of all Boy Scout Leader Wood Badge participants, the others being volunteers serving in different capacities throughout the BSA.

What changes are being made?

After a comprehensive review of both programs, a Wood Badge task force recommended the development of a new comprehensive course designed for all leaders in Cub Scouting, Boy Scouting, Varsity Scouting, and Venturing, with a special focus based on contemporary practices in leadership development. This arrangement will encourage cooperation among Scouting's different programs and help foster retention of both youth and adult members at all levels. It is too early in the process for details of a new syllabus, but a single course will focus on the needs of leaders from all areas of Scouting. Another key objective will be the strengthening of leadership skills, because better trained leaders in this area help to reinforce the program and build commitment among membership.

Who is developing the new syllabus?

Content is being developed by a design team and a Wood Badge task force, which includes representatives from Cub Scouting, Boy Scouting, Varsity Scouting, and Venturing, of whom 90 percent are past directors of either Cub Scout or Boy Scout Wood Badge courses.

How can others give input to the new plan?

Surveys will be taken at this year's Wood Badge course director conferences and at the Philmont Training Center to gather additional input. And pilot testing of a new syllabus at national and regional levels will be an integral part of the development process. Questions, concerns, and suggestions related to the development of a more contemporary Wood Badge training may be directed to the Wood Badge Task Force, S209, Boy Scouts of America, 1325 W. Walnut Hill Ln., P.O. Box 152079, Irving TX 75015-2079.

What happens to those courses that are already scheduled?

Boy Scout Leader Wood Badge courses conducted by local councils in 1999 and 2000 will remain unchanged, but 1999 is the final year for the current Cub Scout Trainer Wood Badge. Many of that program's elements, as well as the latest techniques in training delivery, will be made available to councils in 2000 in a new comprehensive Train-the-Trainer program, designed to support trainers in Cub Scouting, Boy Scouting, Varsity Scouting, and Venturing, as well as council and district operations.


JOTA events were awesome

Last October, Webelos Scout Den 1 from Pack 293, Crossroads of America Council, participated in our first Jamboree-on-the-Air (JOTA). We had the assistance of amateur (ham) radio operators Tom Donaldson and Gary Stouder.

It was an awesome experience. Six boys communicated [via ham radio] with other Scouts from across the nation and around the world. With Tom and Gary we also discussed the operation of the radio and the benefits of transmission; the boys checked out the radio tower outside and asked plenty of questions.

We communicated with ham operators in New Jersey, New York, Denver, Tulsa, Argentina, Spain, and Austria, plus K2USA (the special events station) and K2BSA (the BSA station).

Randy Smith
Webelos Den Leader, Pack 293
Willow Branch, Ind.

...The dedicated efforts of the members of the Davis County Amateur Radio Club and the personnel of the Davis County Fairgrounds helped 132 Scouts in Farmington, Utah, earn the Radio merit badge during last year's JOTA.

The Scouts talked with other Scouts in many U.S. states and other locations, such as Russia, Liechtenstein, Madeira Island, Hungary, Poland, England, Nova Scotia, and France. Scouts and adult leaders alike were impressed with the advantages amateur radio has, especially when no electric power is available for telephones or computers.

Two other JOTA sites - the Bridgerland Amateur Radio Club in Logan, Utah, and the Utah Amateur Radio Club in Salt Lake City - participated with our group. They produced an additional 140 Radio merit badges. Thanks to all for a job well done.

Gary Smith (KC7IHZ)
Davis County Amateur Radio Club
Kaysville, Utah

The Jamboree-on-the-Air (JOTA) is sponsored by the World Organization of the Scout Movement and held every October. Look for details in the October issue of Scouting magazine or contact JOTA Coordinator, BSA International Division, S221, 1325 W. Walnut Hill Ln., P.O. Box 152079, Irving, TX 75015-2079; call (972) 580-2405; or visit the International page of the BSA Web site at http://www.scouting.org/international


Tribute to a Scoutmaster

Our Scoutmaster, Norman (Doc) Leard, retired last year after 40 years of service to Troop 12, Montclair, N.J. We are one of the oldest troops in the area, and over our 75-year history, we have had 273 Eagle Scouts (about 17 percent of our members).

The parents and the committee are proud of that record, but we feel that most of the credit should go to Doc Leard for inspiring our sons (and, at least in my case, for getting them to do things I could not get them to do).

When Doc Leard graduated from dental school, he established his practice here in Montclair, where he'd grown up. An Eagle Scout, he decided to "give something back" to the community by getting involved with his former troop, which was led at that time by local Scouting legend O. K. Taylor, who served more than 50 years with the troop. Leard was Taylor's assistant Scoutmaster for 22 years, became active at the district and council levels, and received the District Award of Merit and the Silver Beaver.

"O. K. was a marvelous person, an inspiration, who gave all his energies to the Scouts," Leard says of his mentor. "He taught me a lot about leadership, working with kids, and always looking to do things better. When I took over for Taylor, I said to myself, 'Boy, these are big shoes to fill!' But after working with him for so many years, I knew what to do."

My first memory of Doc was of him welcoming a batch of new Scouts just graduated from Webelos Scouts. Shaking each hand for the first time, he was able, through some feat of memory, to call out each Scout's full name. I've seen him repeat this a half-dozen times, and I know it makes those new Scouts feel welcomed.

My older son, Gene, made Eagle in 1997, and his younger brother, Stefan, will achieve Scouting's highest rank early in 2000. Obviously, I'm proud of my sons, but I am also grateful to Scoutmaster Leard for helping them achieve so much through Scouting.

Thanks, Doc, for all you've done for so many young Scouts.

Eugene Pitts
Montclair, N.J.

The 90th Anniversary of the Boy Scouts of America - "Celebrating 90 Years of Strong Values and Leadership" - provides a special opportunity for individuals to express to other leaders the kind of sentiments this letter shares. From Nov. 1, 1999, through Feb. 8, 2000, during the "Salute a Leader" phase of the 12-month anniversary celebration, local Scout councils will provide the public with special postcards for sending to leaders or other individuals whose dedication and service may have affected one's life.


Is Sea Scouting neglected?

It seems in reading Scouting magazine that Sea Scouts are becoming the "forgotten children" of Scouting.

Some leaders in our council alone have been part of this program for more than 25 years and have helped other councils gain vessels to support new unit growth. We leaders understand that the liability cost of our programs [are high], so we are well motivated to raise the necessary funds to keep units (ships) afloat.

We have female Sea Scout units that operate vessels 95 feet in length; we have male ships operating vessels of 125 feet ... We hope that we will see more efforts to inform the public about Sea Scouting and also more recognition of the program within Scouting.

Robert P. West
Committee Member, Ship 92
West Sacramento, Calif.

Sea Scouting, whose units are called "ships," is one of five specialty areas in the BSA's new Venturing program for young men and women, ages 14 through 20. The others, whose units are called "crews," are outdoor, sports, arts/hobbies, and youth ministry. Scouting magazine hopes to regularly cover the activities of outstanding units in these specialties - including Sea Scouting.


Sage advice for everyone

The Family Talk column "Helping Your Child Avoid Obesity" in the January-February issue offered sage advice, not only for parents but also for adult Scout leaders as well.

While Scouters are not charged with "raising" youth members, we do set a significant example for them; [and] it is difficult for parents and leaders to encourage a healthy life style for youth when we have not accepted that challenge ourselves. Unfortunately, many leaders (myself included) have fallen victim to the imbalance of a high calorie intake and a largely sedentary life style.

Hopefully, Scouting magazine and the Scouting program will continue to address the problems that create obesity. We need to harken back to the more active life styles of only a few decades ago, when there was a better match between personal fitness and the camp "feasts" which we still enjoy today.

Jerry Egan
Baltimore, Md.

Leave No Trace is for everyone

I want to express my thanks for the excellent March-April cover story on the camping principles of Leave No Trace. Because of crowding in our parks and public lands, it has become even more imperative that we emphasize outdoor ethics in Scouting.

Since Scouting introduced camping to America's youth almost a century ago, we have been expected to maintain a higher standard than the general camping community. Therefore, it becomes incumbent upon us to be the vanguard for preserving and protecting our public lands.

Bruce D. Walcutt
Chairman, Boy Scout Camping Task Force

Two Cub Scouting questions

My husband and I read Scouting magazine cover to cover. The Letters, News Briefs, and Front Line Stuff columns are especially helpful, and the articles provide activity ideas as well as an indication on how we are doing as leaders.

Can you help us find answers to the following questions?

Patricia S. Garretson
Alachua, Fla.

Silver Buffalo was well merited

Every copy of Scouting has something that I find helpful or entertaining, but last year's September issue had much more. We all have memories of rare individuals who have had a lifelong, lasting impact on our personalities and mannerisms, [and] the pictures of the 1998 recipients of the BSA Silver Buffalo Award [for distinguished service to youth on the national level] included Ron Temple, one of the "giants" of my youth in Chicago.

Dr. Temple is and always will be "Mr. Camp Blackhawk" - the embodiment of the spirit of summer camp at the Owasippe Scout Reservation. As a staff member when I was a camper, then as my supervisor when I was on staff, and as my Order of the Arrow lodge chief, he taught this Scouter what it means to be a Scout and an Arrowman.

The BSA did very well indeed when it chose Dr. Ron Temple for the Silver Buffalo.

John D. McCann
Wrentham, Mass.

Scout uniforming needs emphasis

When I was 5 years old, I saw a fully uniformed Cub Scout walk by my house. That day I decided that someday, when I was "big," I would become a Scout. That chance encounter with the Scout uniform resulted in my eventually earning the Arrow of Light, Eagle rank, District Award of Merit, and the Silver Beaver, during more than 40 years in Scouting.

I believe that today not enough emphasis is placed on wearing the full uniform. Other than my troop, I know of only two or three others in our council that wear the full uniform on a regular basis. During summer camp our troop was actually criticized because it was "unfair" of us to have complete uniforms when all the other troops did not wear them....

Charles A. Anderson
Scoutmaster, Troop 44
San Angelo, Tex.

Advancement in the Venturing and Boy Scout programs

I am impressed by the BSA's new Venturing program for young men and women aged 14 through 20. The advancement program, with the Bronze, Gold, Silver, and Ranger awards, offers exciting opportunities for high school-age youth. However, I would like clarification on two points:

Can a member of a Venturing crew work on both the Boy Scout advancement program and the Venturing advancement program at the same time?

On the other hand, can an older Scout who is a member of our troop's active Venture patrol (for Scouts aged 13 through 17) also work on the new Venturing awards program while continuing to advance toward Eagle in the Boy Scout program?

Bruce McCrea
Scoutmaster, Troop 180
Lansing, Mich.

To earn awards in the Venturing advancement program, a young person must be a registered member of a Venturing crew.

However, a registered member of a Venturing crew who has earned at least First Class rank as a Boy Scout can also continue to work on Boy Scout advancement. This is true even though he is no longer a registered member of a troop - although it is possible for an older Scout to be, simultaneously, a registered member of a Boy Scout troop and a Venturing crew, as both units are individually chartered by the BSA.

A Venturer working on both advancement programs must follow each program's regulations. For example, all Boy Scout requirements for Eagle rank must be completed by the Venturer's 18th birthday, while he can earn Venturing awards until his 21st birthday.


Pack's float was built with pride

When I needed a Webelos den leader, my husband, rural mail carrier Bernie Stafford, who has been involved in Scouting for several years, volunteered. Little did I know how seriously he would take the job.

As a learning experience and a way for Webelos Scouts to earn points toward activity pins and achievements, the den built a Captain Hook ship to enter in the annual Christmas parade in Clarksville, Tenn.

The small rural pack had little to work with other than a lot of Cub Scout spirit and a lot of "do your best" thinking. The materials were mostly recycled items, and the cost of the float was $26.50.

The den selected boys to be Captain Hook and Peter Pan, and the rest of the pack dressed as crew members or Lost Boys. In the parade, the float won the award for the best adaptation of the theme, "Fairy Tales and Sleigh Bells." They received a large plaque and a $200 prize to add to the pack treasury. Not bad for a small group of boys with a whole lot of Cub Scout pride.

Katrina Stafford
Cubmaster, Pack 546
Clarksville, Tenn.

Visitors were fellow Scouters

At the school where I am a special education teacher, four visitors from South Korea arrived to observe our instructional techniques. One teacher who came to my classroom, Ho Jong Lee, had a small backpack with a Scout emblem on it. When I asked if he worked with Boy Scouts, he immediately bowed and said yes, then unbuttoned his collar and pulled out his Wood Badge woggle [a leather neckerchief slide].

He later gave me a neckerchief from the 1991 World Jamboree in Korea, and I gave him a neckerchief and slide from our troop. Over the next few days, in broken English and Korean, we shared our Scouting experiences. I also took Lee and another Korean teacher who was a Scouter to our pack's pinewood derby, where they were very impressed by the event.

When the day came for their return to Korea, I gave them some more Scout gifts, including pinewood derby kits. We shook hands and bowed and exchanged business cards and promised to correspond in the future.

My experience is a reminder that wherever we are in the world there are brother Scouters who, while they may not speak English, all speak the language of Scouting.

Michael Hawley
Assistant Scoutmaster, Troop 106
Glendale, Calif.

Webelos Scouts were Readymen

A recent incident emphasized to me the importance of what we are teaching the boys in our program. Two of our Webelos Scouts, Dishon Delmare and Phillip White, were building a tree house with a non-Scout friend. When the friend suffered a deep cut on his leg from a nail, the two Webelos Scouts took him into the house, carefully cleaned the wound, and kept the boy calm.

When the mother saw the injury, the boy was taken to an emergency room, where the wound was closed with stitches. The treating physician said the wound was very clean, and he could tell that the injured boy had received proper first aid at the accident site. The two Webelos Scouts told the doctor they had learned what to do at a recent den meeting in which we discussed the Readyman activity badge and went through certain important first-aid points.

Dishon and Phillip have since bridged over to Troop 191. And their non-Scout friend also joined the troop.

David M. Goodnight
Cubmaster, Pack 191
Lake Dallas, Tex.

Successful leather project

For the leatherworking part of the Webelos Craftsman activity badge, I planned to have the boys in my den make tool belts. I went to the Tandy Leather store in East Hartford, Conn., and spoke to the manager, Greg Owen.

Tandy had no kit for a tool belt, but Greg, who is an Eagle Scout, helped me design one that would hold a hammer, two screwdrivers, and a pair of pliers.

With Greg's assistance, we made the belts during a class at the store (he had more patience with the boys than I sometimes do).

We paid for the boys' tools with money from the den treasury, while parents paid for the leather and other construction materials. The project was well worth the time and costs, because as we move on to the woodworking projects for the Craftsman activity badge, each Webelos Scout can wear his own tool belt carrying his own tools.

And they really act like master craftsmen!

Leanne Moran
Webelos Den Leader, Pack 57
Coventry, Conn.

'She was an example to us all'

The members of Pack 140, Nairobi, Kenya, would like to share the following tribute to the late Louise Martin with the readers of Scouting magazine:


Webelos den leader Louise Martin was a source of inspiration for adults and youth in Pack 140.

"Den 5! Den 5! We're the best den alive!"

Here were the fifth-grade Webelos Scouts at the International School of Kenya in Nairobi, ready to take part in Pack 140's annual pinewood derby. And with them was their den leader, Louise Martin, with more enthusiasm and energy than anyone else.

You could say that Louise was a latecomer to motherhood and Cub Scouts. Five years ago, she and her husband, Doug, adopted Rusty, Karen, and J. R. And she took over Den 5 as the boys were entering their last year in Cub Scouting.

We were lucky to have Louise with us at Pack 140. She did everything with a commitment and enthusiasm that was difficult to match.

Working toward the Citizen activity badge, Den 5 visited the U.S. Ambassador to Kenya, Prudence Bushnell, and led a world citizenship awareness campaign at the International School. Fun ideas like word search games were part of the program.

At our Christmas bake sales, Louise had the most beautifully decorated cupcakes, which must have taken hours to create. "We all worked on them," she always said. "It was great fun!"

At Halloween, we almost didn't recognize her as she arrived covered with a black cape and her face painted green.

For pack meetings, Louise made beautiful signs and posters with her computer. She used her scanner to reproduce Cub Scout logos so we could have authentic programs for our blue and gold banquets.

Beyond Scouting activities, Louise was a volunteer at the Sheldrick Trust, where she put her skills as a veterinarian to good use to help save orphaned rhinos and elephants.

Why are we telling this story about Louise? It is because Louise Martin was a victim of the U.S Embassy bombing in Nairobi, Kenya, on Aug. 7, 1998.

Louise was an energetic Cub Scout leader, parent, and an example to us all. We are all better people for having been touched by her and her deeds.

Pack 140 continues as a strong and dedicated group due to the time given us by Louise. We will never forget her ever-positive "Catch you later!"

We had a memorial service for Louise in September, and the pack is sponsoring a bench with a plaque in her honor that will be placed in the Nairobi National Park near a picnic site.

Amy O'Neill
Committee Chairman, Pack 140
Nairobi, Kenya

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