Quote of the Week- Environment

Quote of the WeekIf people want to change, they will. If they don't want to, it's hard to make them do so. The current interest in the environment is is itself fashionable.
Giorgio Armani

I think it is manmade. I think it's clearly manmade. If you don't understand what the cause is, it's virtually impossible to come up with a solution. We know what the cause is. The cause is manmade. That's the cause. That's why the polar icecap is melting.
Joe Biden

We can drift along as though there were still a cold war, wasting hundreds of billions of dollars on weapons that will never be used, ignoring the problems of people in this country and around the world, being one of the worst environmental violators on earth, standing against any sort of viable programs to protect the world's forests or to cut down on acid rain or the global warming or ozone depletion. We can ignore human rights violations in other countries, or we can take these things on as true leaders ought to and accept the inspiring challenge of America for the future.
Jimmy Carter

The world’s forests need to be seen for what they are.. giant global utilities, providing essential services to humanity on a vast scale. Rainforests store carbon, which is lost to the atmosphere when they burn, increasing global warming. The life they support cleans the atmosphere of pollutants and feeds it with moisture. They help regulate our climate and sustain the lives of some of the poorest people on this Earth.
Prince Charles

If the firms that employ an increasing majority of the population are driven solely to satisfy the owner's greed at the expense of working conditions, of the stability of the community, and of the health of the environment, chances are that the quality of our lives will be worse than it is now.
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

There are many who still do not believe that global warming is a problem at all. And it's no wonder: because they are the targets of a massive and well-organized campaign of disinformation lavishly funded by polluters who are determined to prevent any action to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming out of a fear that their profits might be affected if they had to stop dumping so much pollution into the atmosphere.
Al Gore

We sometimes emphasize the danger in a crisis without focusing on the opportunities that are there. We should feel a great sense of urgency because it is the most dangerous crisis we have ever faced, by far. But it also provides us with opportunities to do a lot of things we ought to be doing for other reasons anyway. And to solve this crisis we can develop a shared sense of moral purpose. (talking about the environamental crisis)
Al Gore


For a long time, the scientists have been telling us global warming increases the temperature of the top layer in the ocean, and that causes the average hurricane to become a lot stronger. So, the fact that the ocean temperatures did go up because of global warming, because of man-made global warming, starting around in the seventies and then we had a string of unusually strong hurricanes outside the boundaries of this multi-decadal cycle that is a real factor; there are scientists who point that out, and they're right, but we're exceeding those boundaries now.
Al Gore

Yours in Scouting Service
Mark W
Assistant Scoutmaster
Troop 1616
Great Alaska COuncil
Eagle Scout OA Brotherhood Member
NSJ '05 WSJ '07 '11 Philmont AA '08

WSJ 2011 Promo VIdeo

Here is a promotional video for the 2011 World Scout Jamboree.



Yours in Scouting Service
Mark W
Assistant Scoutmaster
Troop 1616
Great Alaska COuncil
Eagle Scout OA Brotherhood Member
NSJ '05 WSJ '07 '11 Philmont AA '08

WSJ 2011 Twitter

The Sweden Jamboree Organizing committee is not on twitter, so follow their twitter updates on a daily basis to help keep you up to date. Here is the link the the twitter site:

2011 WSJ twitter

Yours in Scouting Service
Mark W
Assistant Scoutmaster
Troop 1616
Great Alaska COuncil
Eagle Scout OA Brotherhood Member
NSJ '05 WSJ '07 '11 Philmont AA '08

Little Sioux Ranch

Here is a story from popular mechanics about Surviving and facing disaster. It has a interesting scouting twist and I think that all scouts need to read it. Here is the link to the full article:

Click here for full article.

Here is the excerpt about the Scout Ranch in Iowa:

Rule 2:

Keep Cool in a Crisis

The tornado siren sounded at the Little Sioux Scout Ranch in western Iowa just before the power went out on June 11, 2008. Scout Leader Fred Ullrich, an IT manager at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, opened the door of the building where he and 65 Boy Scouts had taken shelter. “I was looking for lightning and listening for that freight train sound you’re supposed to hear with tornadoes, but there was nothing like that,” Ullrich says. “But something told me we were in deep trouble—I don’t know what it was. I yelled for the boys to get under the tables.” As the scouts dove for cover, the wind came up. Ullrich leaned into the door from the outside, trying to push it shut, but instead he was picked up and thrown from the building. Then the 150-mph wind simply blew the Boy Scout shelter apart. “I can only describe my actions in that moment as being totally futile,” Ullrich says. “There was absolutely nothing I could do.”

Once the tornado passed, Ullrich noticed he couldn’t hear out of one ear. He felt around and fished out a stone. All around him was chaos. Some scouts were pinned under a collapsed brick chimney; others were trapped by the debris of the wrecked structure. For a brief moment Ullrich was dazed. Then he went into autopilot rescue mode. “I don’t know how to describe it,” he says. “It was like my brain went away, and I went to a very businesslike place.” He circled what was left of the disintegrated shelter, directing the able-bodied to take care of the injured. And the scouts did just that—applying pressure to wounds, turning T-shirts into bandages and elevating the legs of those who were in shock. Ullrich used a 6-foot iron bar to pry up a wooden board and bricks that had fallen on one boy.

In a disaster roughly 10 percent of people panic, while 80 percent essentially do nothing. Unable to come to terms with what’s happening, they freeze. The remaining 10 percent jump into action. Ullrich was trained in CPR and first aid, skills that doubtless helped the scouts that day, but before any of that formal training would even matter, Ullrich needed a separate and equally important skill: to get hold of himself and get people organized.

According to Chris Hart, a former Navy psychologist and now professor at Texas Woman’s University, being able to set aside fear is what separates people like Ullrich from others. “Fear is a good thing,” Hart says. “You want to have it because it can motivate you to action. But if you become overwhelmed by it, then it’s debilitating.”

What’s worse, research shows that the greater the number of people who are involved in an emergency situation, the less likely it is that anyone will intervene—a phenomenon known as the Bystander Effect. Ervin Staub, professor emeritus of psychology at the University of Massachusetts, who has done extensive research on the subject, says that in group situations, there is a diffusion of responsibility; people look for cues from others before deciding how to act. “Just being aware of this tendency and saying ‘I am responsible’ can make a difference. People who believe that they are responsible for other people’s welfare help more.”

Ullrich didn’t know what he and his scouts were in for that day, but mental preparedness and responsibility are central to the Boy Scout philosophy. The night before the tornado, Ullrich had put the boys through a first-aid drill. When emergency responders arrived after the tornado, what they saw was devastating—four scouts were dead or mortally wounded. Scores were suffering from broken pelvises, dislocated shoulders, lacerations and punctured lungs. Yet, amazingly, the rescue crew also saw that Ullrich and the uninjured scouts were putting their training to work. They had organized an on-the-spot triage center, helping to prepare the most seriously injured for their journey to the hospital.

By teaching his scouts to leap into action, Ullrich skewed the 10-80-10 math of disaster. He saw the drill as part of his responsibility to care for the troop. “The point of it is to get these scouts to be the people who don’t sit around when something bad happens,” he says, “but to be the type of people who do something.”

Yours in Scouting Service
Mark W
Assistant Scoutmaster
Troop 1616
Great Alaska COuncil
Eagle Scout OA Brotherhood Member
NSJ '05 WSJ '07 '11 Philmont AA '08

NSJ 2010 Bulletin

September-October 2009

COUNCIL CHECKLIST: WHERE DO YOU STAND?

Should Already Be Done

• Second national fee paid by July 31.
• Confirmed transportation and tour arrangements.
• Finalized council fee and payment schedule.
• Designed council shoulder insignia.

In Progress

• Promote jamboree at roundtables.
• Promote jamboree at troop meetings.
• Make individual calls to Scouts who have indicated an interest in attending.
• Hold monthly committee meetings.
• Schedule Troop Junior Leader Training for early 2010.
• Schedule the troop’s pre-jamboree training campout for late May 2010.
• Prepare for the third and final payment, due January 31, 2010.

Next 30 Days

• Order council shoulder insignia.
• Order custom unit numeral.
• Order equipment packages from Supply department.

Announcing new lower prices on canvas tents. Check out the updated 2010 Jamboree Package Plans brochure on MyBSA>>Resources>>Jamboree Information.

September 16, 2009: The first batch of Jamboree Health and Medical Records for those who are council-approved have been distributed. Before you ask or e-mail a question, please review not only this alert, but also all of the information about the process contained on this Web site.

Our hints for making this a better experience:

• Mac users, please open the medical record with Adobe Reader 9, not in preview mode.
• The password that you will receive is case-sensitive. Many users have found cutting and pasting the password is easiest. To date, we haven’t found a technical issue that prevents the medical record from being opened with the assigned password when entered correctly.
• We suggest you download Adobe Reader 9 if you do not have it. It’s available for free; we consider that pretty thrifty: http://get.adobe.com/reader/ .
• If you have your spam filter in place and have not added jamboree.medical@scouting.org to your sender list, please correct this issue before you ask for another record.
• The confidentiality of your information is important to us. Thus, the medical record is password-protected and encrypted. If you have a .mil address or a policy in place that does not allow encrypted password-protected documents to pass, we suggest you update your or your son’s registration to include a personal e-mail address that will allow the attachment through. You can do this yourself at www.scouting.org , MyScouting. We know the Army is filtering these records.
• If you notice incorrect information after you open the file, type over it and print out the record.
• Please complete the record to reflect the time the physical exam is performed.
• Parents, you should receive a copy of your son’s medical record. If you used the same e-mail address for both of you, that is why you received two copies.
• Leaders, if you let your youth use your e-mail address, then you’ll receive theirs as well. Each record is bar-coded with the participant’s member ID.
• Council coordinators, you get a copy of all contingent members’ forms.
• Council coordinators, please contact the jamboree registrar at 2010Jamboree@scouting.org if you need to remove a youth from your attendees list. Parents, please contact your council if your son will not be attending the jamboree.
• We understand some of you inadvertently deleted the form. This is not a problem. If you cannot recover it, send us an e-mail, and we will resend it.
• If you have general questions about the Jamboree Health and Medical Record, please review the FAQs (click the link below) before contacting us. http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/HealthandSafety/Resources/MedicalFormFAQs.aspx

There is still room: Despite rumors, there is still room available at the 2010 National Scout Jamboree, both as participants and staff members. Prospective participants should contact their local council and get signed up as soon as possible. Prospective staff members need to fill out an application at www.MyScouting.org. After all, the 100th Anniversary comes only once. You don’t want to miss this one! Staff members should go to the staff section of this Web site, go to the bottom of that page, and click on “staff positions available–complete list” to view all of the positions available.

Troop Leader Guide: The 2010 National Scout Jamboree Troop Leader Guide is now posted on this Web site. Check out the “Publications” section on the left side to download and print a copy. Please remember this is a “living” document. If you printed a copy some time ago, you may want to print the newest version from our Web site.

Youth Protection Training: Leaders and staff, don’t forget to update your Youth Protection training so it will be current during the national Scout jamboree. Make sure you go through your “MyScouting” account so it will include the correct date. If you need assistance with your “MyScouting” account, contact the customer service center at 800-627-3025.

Travel Advisories: Soon it will be time to book your travel to Fort A.P. Hill. Information will go out via e-mail regarding travel advisories. It is imperative to housing, food services, and emergency services that a travel itinerary for every staff member and for every contingent troop be submitted to the Jamboree Transportation Services by the due date. Instruction on submitting this information and the due date will be included in the e-mail. Be sure to check your e-mail, including the junk/spam folder, regularly.

Recycling: One goal of the 2010 jamboree is to be the “greenest” jamboree to date.

Our refuse contractor has developed a waste removal and recycling program for the 2010 National Scout Jamboree. Each subcamp will have distinct containers for waste material and recycling of specific materials. Each container will be clearly marked, identifying the materials that should go inside.

The proceeds from these transactions will be utilized to offset the expense of hauling and disposing of non-recyclable materials.

Non-recyclable trash will be bagged and collected in a marked subcamp container that will be emptied regularly by our refuse company and disposed of at a landfill.

Dishwater and wet kitchen waste should be collected in pails and taken to the nearest grinding station for appropriate disposal by subcamp maintenance/environmental personnel. Scouts are required to do the same. Food waste recycling is being explored; guidelines and containers for this type of recycling would be made clear.

World Friendship Fund: A Good Turn opportunity for jamboree participants will be provided at breakfast on Thursday, July 29, 2010. At this time, a collection will be taken for the World Friendship Fund. The purpose is to make Scouts and Scouters aware of how the fund helps Scouts around the world and to give them a chance to contribute to world Scouting endeavors.

A collection bag will be given to each troop in a subcamp by the subcamp program officials prior to the collection. Follow subcamp instructions on how to turn in the collection bag after breakfast.

Scout Visitors to the Jamboree: Jamboree activities are made possible by the event fees paid by participating Scouts and leaders. To ensure all paying Scouts get ample opportunity to participate in all of the jamboree activities, visiting Scouts will not be allowed to participate in events and activities at the 2010 National Scout Jamboree. Participation in the activities at the action centers (action alley, air rifle, archery, bikathon, buckskin games, confidence course, motocross, pioneering, rappelling, and trapshooting) by members of visiting units will not be allowed. Other areas reserved for paid jamboree participants are the outback centers (conservation, fishing, and aquatics), mountain boarding, and the Order of the Arrow’s THE MYSTERIUM COMPASS. Visitors will not be able to work on merit badge requirements at the Merit Badge Midway. Visitors are allowed to watch the action, tour the various activity sites, and purchase food and awesome souvenirs at the trading posts.

Yours in Scouting Service
Mark W
Assistant Scoutmaster
Troop 1616
Great Alaska COuncil
Eagle Scout OA Brotherhood Member
NSJ '05 WSJ '07 '11 Philmont AA '08

Trying out a new template

Please tell me what you think of the new template. I think that after 1.5 years of blogging a new blog template was in order. I still have not decided to create my own template but sometime sooner rather than later I will work on creating a new template for upload to the site.

Hope you all are having a great weekend.

Yours in Scouting Service
Mark W
Assistant Scoutmaster
Troop 1616
Great Alaska COuncil
Eagle Scout OA Brotherhood Member
NSJ '05 WSJ '07 '11 Philmont AA '08

BSA Handbook Review

I know that many different bloggers have already written about the new 12th edition of the BOy Scout Handbook but I would like to say a few things about the handbook.

First off lets take about the organization of the handbook. The organization is much better it is not based on advancement which I believe is important because in the old handbook it said its primary purpose was to be used for Rank Advancement. If you are a true Scout you bring your handbook on every Scout Outing, I know that is a high expectation but you just never know when you are going to need a new skill, brush up on a old skill, have something to read (Sounds boring but it really isn't as bad as a textbook, trust me I know what dry textbooks are all about), or work on advancement. Notice I listed advancement last, this is because advancement has two different purposes depending on who you are. Lets talk about the adult reason first, it one of eight methods the Boy Scouts of America Uses. The method's purpose isn't to cram the advancement information down scouts throats, its purpose is to allow Scouts to grow and learn more and more challenging skills that can be used throughout the rest of your life. If you are adult and think that requirements should be signed off just to keep scouts advancing, then you need to either repeat your basic training or really examine the real purpose. Next lets look at it from the youth perspective, youth first off don't need scouting to be treated like school and the old handbook to me at least made it feel like it was a textbook of sorts.

Now lets look at what type of material and information is in the handbook. In many ways in brought back many of the traditional Scout skills but added a 21st century flare to them which to me is very important especially in a world that moves at light speed.

Finally I have heard from multiple posters that there are a few errors in the book which need to be corrected, I hope that if this is the case, the BSA National Council has come up with a plan, if not then it should be a just fine situation.

Yours in Scouting Service
Mark W
Assistant Scoutmaster
Troop 1616
Great Alaska COuncil
Eagle Scout OA Brotherhood Member
NSJ '05 WSJ '07 '11 Philmont AA '08

NSJ 2010 Bulletin

June-July 2009 Bulletin

Should Be Done:

• Start monthly committee meetings.
• Complete selection of troop leaders (include in monthly committee meetings).
• Confirm transportation and tour arrangements.
• Jamboree troop leaders promote and conduct district jamboree promotion rallies.
• Design council shoulder insignia.
• Develop promotion for summer camp.
• Ensure all council participants (youth, adult leaders, and staff) have completed an online registration application.

In Progress:

• Promote jamboree at summer camps.
• Promote jamboree at all district and council events, including Scout roundtables.
• Promote jamboree at troop meetings.
• Make individual calls to Scouts who indicate an interest in attending.
• Monthly committee meetings.
• Follow up on Scouts not adhering to council’s fee schedule.
• Send July 31 council payment ($400 per person; $16,000 per troop).

Lower prices from BSA Supply—There are lower prices on some items in the 2010 Jamboree package plans. The new prices are located on www.MyBSA.org. Council professionals responsible for jamboree will have access to the new prices.

Jamboree patches—All council contingents that have paid the first $100 per person have received or should soon receive their adult leader and youth Scout patches. These are being sent directly to councils to the attention of the council jamboree contact.

Come to the jamboree—There is still room for participants to attend the 2010 National Scout Jamboree. Check with your local council for details. Regions still have troop allocations that have not been fulfilled.

Second jamboree payment—The second payment of $400 per person is due to the National Council on or before July 31, 2009. Participant and adult leaders make payments directly to their council; staff must make their payment online. Late fees of $50 per person ($2,000 per troop) will be applied to those who do not make the payment on time. Don’t forget! Pay by July 31.

Council contingent coordinators—Councils with three or more contingent troops must appoint a council contingent coordinator. This person must submit an adult leader application. Once the council has approved the adult leader application, send that person’s name and contact information to 2010jamboree@scouting.org.

Troop numbers—Jamboree troop numbers are being assigned to councils by Boy Scouts of America regions. Councils have been instructed how to assign Scouts and leaders to troops and submit the troop number assignments, as well as the leadership assignments, to the Jamboree Department.

Approve leaders—If councils have not done so, now is the time to approve youth and adult leaders through the jamboree registration system.

Gateways—Jamborees are full of color and excitement, something in which troop gateways have always played a big part. Showing Scouts from other parts of the country what’s unique or interesting about a troop’s home area is a time-honored jamboree tradition. Troops usually design their gateways to reflect the most notable aspects of their home area—history, geography, industry, etc. This is often done in very creative and novel ways.

It’s important to plan ahead when designing and building the troop gateway. To ensure that all materials, tools, and equipment will be available, it is vital that plans be made early to transport everything that’s needed with the council contingent. The jamboree site is relatively remote. Once there, obtaining the simplest of tools or materials could be a real headache. Due to the lack of facilities or personnel to receive them, shipping separate materials or equipment to the jamboree is not an option. Everything must be transported with the council contingent. Troop gateways must not exceed 10 feet in height and must be of non-conductive material.

No holes—Federal authorities have prohibited the digging of holes of any kind, for any purpose, anywhere on the jamboree site. Applications for permits to dig holes for gateways will not be considered. This rule will be strictly enforced. All gateways must be designed with supports on the ground surface and must be secured by weights, staked guy lines, or other means not requiring holes in the ground. Storms are common at jamborees, and gateways should be designed to accommodate winds of up to 70 miles per hour. It is highly recommended that troops design, fabricate, erect, and test gateways prior to transporting them to the jamboree site.

• Troop gateways—The height of troop gateways will be limited to a maximum of 10 feet and can have no electrical components. The 10-foot height restriction includes flagpoles, which must be of nonconductive material (wood, PVC, etc). There will be NO climbing allowed in the erection of the unit gateways. No tents or other unit components will be allowed within the "fall zone," the height of the gateway itself.
• Metal poles for troop tents are permissible; however, no troop tents may exceed 10 feet in height.
• Subcamp and regional gateways may not exceed 16 feet in height (including attached flagpoles or other amenities) and 20 feet in width, which is the existing design of the jamboree-installed wooden gateway structures. These are to be decorated per the site plans. Each subcamp and region must develop a detailed erection and demolition plan for decorating the provided gateway. No climbing on the gateway will be allowed, and no modifications to the structure are allowed.

Visitors—From Wednesday, July 28, through Tuesday, August 3, the jamboree will be open to visitors from 9 A.M. to 5 P.M., with the following exceptions:

• Wednesday, July 28: 11 A.M. to 5 P.M.
• Saturday, July 31: 9 A.M. to 11 P.M. (to allow for arena show attendance only)

There are no accommodations on site for visitors, including RV, tentage, or fixed housing. Upon entering the jamboree site, guests will be directed to the visitors information tent in the main parking lot, where they will receive directions to regions, subcamps, or activity areas. Visiting Scouts will not be able to participate in action center and/or program activities.

Still have questions about jamboree? Check the jamboree Web site, www.bsajamboree.org or send an e-mail to 2010jamboree@scouting.org. We’ll get back to you as soon as we can.

Yours in Scouting Service
Mark W
Assistant Scoutmaster
Troop 1616
Great Alaska COuncil
Eagle Scout OA Brotherhood Member
NSJ '05 WSJ '07 '11 Philmont AA '08

WSJ 2011 Update 4

Here is a update from the Boy Scouts of America, this information only pertains to Western Region. The Information came to me in a e-mail. The information was about interviews for staff and adult leadership for the Western Region. Here is the e-mail:

Thank you for your interest in serving in a staff or leadership role in the 2011 World Scout Jamboree!

Bob Russell (our Western Region WSJ Chair) and I will be scheduling opportunities for you to interview with us in the coming months. Between now and December, we plan to be in a number of locations around Western Region and hope that one of these date / locations will be convenient for you. I tentatively plan to set up an opportunity in the Denver, CO area on Saturday, October 10 and one in the Portland, OR area on November 21. and we'll be passing along a number of additional dates and locations shortly.

The first opportunity happens in Seattle, WA on Saturday, September 19, 2009 from 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM. They will take place at the offices of the Chief Seattle Council located at 3120 Rainier Ave. S., Seattle, WA 98114. If you would like to take advantage of this opportunity, please contact my assistant, Elizabeth Vargas, at Elizabeth.Vargas@Scouting.org to set up a 30 minute interview.

Please monitor your email for postings of additional times and locations.

Thank you,
John
John Van Dreese
Associate Regional Director / Program
Western Region, BSA
john.vandreese@scouting.org

If you have not received this e-mail and applied for the 2011 World Scout Jamboree IST or adult leadership positions at least 1 month ago, please contact Elizabeth or your local council to see if they have processed your application. Your council must approve your application just like the 2010 National Jamboree online application process, this is likely where the hold up is.

Yours in Scouting Service
Mark W
Assistant Scoutmaster
Troop 1616
Great Alaska COuncil
Eagle Scout OA Brotherhood Member
NSJ '05 WSJ '07 '11 Philmont AA '08

Quote of the Week- LeadershipFaye Wattleton: The only safe ship in a storm is leadership.

Faye Wattleton: The only safe ship in a storm is leadership.

James Callaghan: A leader must have the courage to act against an expert's advice.

James Kouzes and Barry Posner: There's nothing more demoralizing than a leader who can't clearly articulate why we're doing what we're doing.

John Gardner: Most important, leaders can conceive and articulate goals that lift people out of their petty preoccupations and unite them in pursuit of objectives worthy of their best efforts.

Margaret Chase Smith: Leadership is not manifested by coercion, even against the resented. Greatness is not manifested by unlimited pragmatism, which places such a high premium on the end justifying any means and any measures.

Peter Drucker: The leaders who work most effectively, it seems to me, never say "I." And that's not because they have trained themselves not to say "I." They don't think "I." They think "we"; they think "team." They understand their job to be to make the team function. They accept responsibility and don't sidestep it, but "we" gets the credit. This is what creates trust, what enables you to get the task done.

Rosalynn Carter: A leader takes people where they want to go. A great leader takes people where they don't necessarily want to go but ought to be.

Tony Blair: The art of leadership is saying no, not yes. It is very easy to say yes.

Warren Bennis: The manager asks how and when; the leader asks what and why.

Warren G. Bennis: The most dangerous leadership myth is that leaders are born -- that there is a genetic factor to leadership. This myth asserts that people simply either have certain charismatic qualities or not. That's nonsense; in fact, the opposite is true. Leaders are made rather than born.

Yours in Scouting Service
Mark W
Assistant Scoutmaster
Troop 1616
Great Alaska COuncil
Eagle Scout OA Brotherhood Member
NSJ '05 WSJ '07 '11 Philmont AA '08