Scouting magazine

What a Weekend: Go green, earn some green for your Boy Scout troop

Today’s hottest tech toys eventually become tomorrow’s electronic waste: E-waste. And it ends up in landfills all across the country—especially in California, which is home to Silicon Valley.

That’s where Scouting came in. Earlier this month, Sacramento-area Troops 640 and 217 organized an e-waste drive for their community, collecting 80,000 pounds of gadgets for proper and safe recycling. Not only were they helping make the planet greener, they also earned money for their troops and district.

The event drew a lot of attention, too. People lined up 75 minutes before the scheduled start of the drive.

Harriette Carr, committee chairperson, and other members of the Pony Express District helped organize the day. Partnered with CEAR (California Electronic Asset Recovery Inc.), a local electronics recycling company, she arranged for Scouts and Scouters to staff the e-waste drive, which was supervised by a CEAR representative. After the event, they weighed the electronics collected, and the Scouts got a check based on how many pounds they gathered.

Net profit from the one-day drive amounted to about $6,000, said Bill Condray, publicity chairman. Not bad for a day’s work. But the big payday didn’t come easily.

Carr and her crew of adult volunteers researched California recycling regulations, informed the community about what they planned to do, and established safety guidelines for the boys. And they had to follow CEAR’s regulations. The company wouldn’t accept batteries, and anything with a screen had to be logged individually. Other than that, anything else—from PCs to hairdryers—was accepted with open arms.

Promoting the event was more difficult. Troop members peppered houses within a five-mile radius with printed brochures that included information on which types of electronics could be accepted and which could not. Scouts also posted notices at local stores, on craigslist, and in the PennySaver. Even the Sacramento Bee wrote up the event (nothing like free advertising).

An exit survey of the e-waste drive attendees indicated that 69 percent of the visitors had heard about the event either from the circulars or the newspaper article. When you’re planning a similar event, keep that in mind.

Also keep in mind one important safety regulation: Only adults 18 and older can touch the electronics. So the 20 or so adult volunteers donned safety goggles, while some of the 40 to 50 Scouts helped greet visitors, administer the exit survey, and provide paperwork to donors who had items with screens on them (California law requires that those waste items be documented individually). Other boys stood at nearby intersections with signs that advertised the event. For safety reasons, an adult leader stood with each pair of boys.

By 1 p.m., the troops had finished the drive. The boys and leaders had succeeded at helping the environment while helping their budgets. That’s why they’re planning another drive for the spring.

YOUR TURN

Your troop can plan a similar event. How? It’s easy.

Visit this link on the Environmental Protection Agency’s Web site. You’ll find tons of ways to get hooked up with a local program.

An electronics recycling drive helps your community lessen its impact on the earth while also bringing in extra income for your unit.

It’s simple: Go green. Earn some green.

WANT MORE?

Follow the jump for more photos from the event, courtesy of Bill Condray.

Listen live as the 100th Anniversary Celebration launches

Clear your calendar for Dec. 10. That evening you’ll want to cozy up to your computer for the National 100th Anniversary Kick-Off Rally.

If you aren’t already pumped up for 2010’s yearlong celebration of Scouting, this 30-minute live audiocast is guaranteed to get your heart racing. Tune in by visiting this link and RSVP. Then use that same link to listen to the event on Dec. 10 at:

8-8:30 p.m. (EST)
7-7:30 p.m. (CST)
6-6:30 p.m. (MST)
5-5:30 p.m. (PST)

Chief Scout Executive Bob Mazzuca anticipates that 250,000 volunteers, staff members, Scouting alumni, and parents will listen in from across the United States and around the world.

An impressive lineup of guests will join Mazzuca, including BSA National President John Gottschalk, National Commissioner Tico Perez, and AT&T Chairman, President, and CEO Randall Stephenson, the BSA’s 100th Anniversary Chairman. And after starting the celebration, they’ll all answer questions from you and other volunteers.

Submit your questions in advance when you RSVP at the link above.

If you’re looking for a way to pass the time between now and the Kick-Off Rally, check out the 100th Anniversary programs already under way. Click here to see the entire list.

Then, on Dec. 10, switch on your computer and catch some of the energy and excitement at the official opening ceremony of the BSA’s yearlong birthday celebration.

Share your Scouting-related Thanksgiving plans

With Thanksgiving just a few days away, we at Cracker Barrel want to know: What are you doing with your Scout unit this Thanksgiving weekend?

Share your plans in the comments section below.

The BSA is coming up on its 100th Anniversary, and throughout those 100 years, the organization has established a strong foundation of selfless service to others.

These Good Turns happen throughout the year, not just during the holidays. But from Thanksgiving until the end of the year, extra help is often needed. That's where Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, and Venturers can lend a hand.

How is your pack, troop, or crew stepping up this year?

From all of us at Cracker Barrel, thanks for what you do, and have a happy Thanksgiving.

Scouter Spotlight: Meet Santos Ortiz Perez

It’s time to bring out the Scouter Spotlight again to show off some of the best volunteers in the Scouting program. This week we’re heading to Puerto Rico to meet an impressive volunteer, Santos Ortiz Perez. He’s been involved in Scouting since 1999 and serves as the committee chair for Troop 720.

If his name sounds familiar, it should. Santos was featured in the March-April 2009 issue of Scouting magazine in a story about the Philmont Leadership Challenge. (Read that story here.)

When he isn’t receiving high-level leadership training, Santos volunteers at the pack, troop, and crew levels. Read on to meet this great leader.

Scouting family: My wife, Alicemarie Comas Perez, is a Scouter also. She was on Wood Badge staff and was the one who first got me involved in Scouting. My son earned the Arrow of Light and then became an Eagle Scout in 2007.

What’s your favorite Scouting memory?

I have many. First, my son’s Eagle Court of Honor—wow, it was memorable. Also, serving on the staff of Philmont for the Philmont Leadership Challenge was great. And then there’s the date that I received the invitation to become a Silver Beaver in my council.

What is Scouting to you?

For my family and me it’s a way of life. I’m grateful to the movement for the values and the character of my two sons. There’s no money in the world that I would take for that.

Explain the Scouting message you use when recruiting.

Every day I invite kids to join Scouting because I don’t really know another program in the world that offers what Scouting has to offer: values, the Scout Law, promises to our youth, character, and the ability to make ethical decisions.

Any plans for the 100^th Anniversary?

I’m attending the big party at Fort A.P. Hill for the 2010 National Scout Jamboree. My son is attending as a gift for receiving his Eagle Scout Award. He worked hard and deserved it.

What do you tell new leaders?

Every kid deserves at least to be invited to become a Scout. And every kid who joins deserves a trained leader. Also, remember that you sometimes need to adapt your program to the necessities of the kids in your unit. Let them decide what is good and what is bad.

I also like to tell leaders to “get off the bench!” Play an important role in your unit. Get involved with all your kids in your unit. They’re only kids once, so don’t miss that opportunity.

Our thanks to Santos for sharing his Scouting expertise. If you have an adult volunteer who should be spotlighted, let us know.

Fourth Boy Scout high-adventure base set to open in 2013

You've hiked through Philmont, set sail at Florida Sea Base, and paddled around Northern Tier. You've done it all, right?

Not anymore. Coming in 2013 is the BSA's fourth high-adventure base, called The Summit: Bechtel Family National Scout Reserve. The 10,600-acre property will host rappelling, mountain biking, and—a first for a BSA high-adventure base—whitewater rafting.

The Summit is made possible in part by a $50 million contribution from the Stephen D. Bechtel Jr. Foundation. That's the largest single donation in BSA history.

The Summit will host future national jamborees and represents an attractive possible location for future world jamborees, as well.

You can read all about the exciting new Scouting venue in the January-February issue of Scouting magazine. But if you're itching to know more now, check out these links:

• The BSA's official release about the announcement.
• A local take from a West Virginia news station.
• Another local story from a West Virginia newspaper.

Construction will start in spring 2010, and then the countdown begins.

Chime In: Have thoughts on the new high-adventure base? Let us know in the comment box below.

¿Hablas español? Spanish version of Boy Scout Handbook due by end of the year

For the first time in history, the Boy Scout Handbook will be translated into another language. By the end of the year, the BSA plans to release a Spanish-language version of the official guide for Boy Scouts.

It's the perfect time, too, as the organization approaches its 100th Anniversary celebration. The new Spanish-language edition acknowledges the strong foundation that the Scouting program has established in the Hispanic community in the past 100 years and the future relationship that will develop over the next century.

If you or your Scouts want to pick up a copy, look for them by the end of the year at your local Scout Shop or at scoutstuff.org.

The entire 480-page book has been translated into the Spanish version of the same length. This task, spearheaded by the Hispanic Initiatives committee, wasn't easy. Mayte Millares and Rich Luna at the national office pored over every word in the English edition to find the best Spanish word to convey the same message.

While the English language has a few regional dialects that affect pronunciation and word usage, a person from Boston can still understand a resident of California. But the Spanish language is more nuanced, and a Puerto Rican may not understand every word spoken by someone who lives in Madrid. 

For example, "There are six different ways to say green beans," Millares said."We had to find the best word that would serve the greatest number of people."

The Hispanic Initiatives committee gathered Scouting volunteers from Peru, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and different regions of the U.S. to hear feedback about their first draft of the book.

The result is a book that mainly uses what's called "Broadcast Spanish," Millares said. It's a region-neutral version of the language that generally avoids words that could be misinterpreted in different parts of the world. 

A byproduct of this, however, was lengthier sentences. Some sentences were as much as 25 percent longer when translated into Spanish, Luna said. This meant extra work for the book's designers, who used a smaller point size for the font in some places.

Though the task was tough, says Millares, it was rewarding. The book's translator was a Scout in her native Mexico and enjoyed camping, river rafting, and navigation there. She and the Hispanic Initiatives team had been pushing the BSA to add a Spanish edition, and once they approved the funding, the "ambitious" and time-consuming task began.

"It was a lot of work, but it was a labor of love," she said. "It was like my first-born child in a way."

Also, an updated bsahandbook.org is on the way. The site, already live and full of great information, will soon have a Spanish version, as well. It will include all of the great interactive info available on the English site but will also feature a glossary that will help Spanish speakers from different regions understand words that may be unfamiliar to them. Not only will the site make the book more accessible to all Scouts, it will also be an educational tool for expanding a Scout or Scouter's understanding of the world.

Ready for a sneak peek at what's inside the Spanish edition of the BSA handbook? Follow the jump.

Let your voice be heard: Join the National Scouting Research Panels

Ever began a sentence with these words: "If I ran the Boy Scouts of America, I would..."?

The BSA is betting that you have. If you're an opinionated Scouting volunteer looking for a sounding board for sharing feedback about the program, you're in luck. With the new National Scouting Research Panels, a formal system is now in place to hear your comments.

The BSA is looking for three distinct survey groups: Scouts, adult volunteers, and Cub Scout parents who aren't registered volunteers.

By joining, you're registering to receive e-mailed surveys from the BSA. But don't worry about a flood of e-mails. The research team will not send you more than four surveys per year. And everyone who participates will have a chance at winning an iTunes gift card or other prize.

Sound good? Click here to get started. Once you're there, you'll be asked for a password. Here's what to enter:

• Youth Scouts: youthpanel
• Cub Scout parents: cubparent
• Registered adult volunteers: volunteer

Be sure to have your membership card nearby, because you'll need it to sign up. The registration process is simple, and then you'll be "in the system" and ready to let your voice be heard!

Scuba diving merit badge released

Looking for the perfect stocking stuffer for your water-loving Boy Scout? Here's one: the Scuba Diving merit badge pamphlet, hot off the presses.

The merit badge, the first new one in three years, will officially be released on Dec. 1 when it will be available in Scout Shops and online at scoutstuff.org. It's the result of a newly announced partnership between the BSA and PADI, the Professional Association of Diving Instructors. Officials at the BSA determined that 84 percent of Scouts were interested in the merit badge, and so it was fast-tracked for adoption.

It's one of five merit badges being released in the next 12 months. The other four are Inventing (first quarter 2010), Geocaching (second quarter 2010), Scouting Heritage (second quarter 2010), and Robotics (fourth quarter 2010).

But Scuba will arrive first, and so the BSA has established some key facts that Scouters should know about the merit badge:

• Completing the Scuba Diving merit badge will result in the boy achieving an open-water certification, enabling him to dive around the world with the appropriate supervision, based on his age.

• There are two important roles for this merit badge: the merit badge counselor and a certified dive instructor. Sometimes this may be the same person, but more likely, the counselor will be an existing BSA adult member.

• The instructor will be one certified by one of a number of instructional agencies, but he or she does not have to be a BSA member.

• Earning the Scuba Diving merit badge is open to all Boy Scout-age youth. There are, however, limitations based on age with respect to how deep and with whom a boy can dive. These limitations vary by certifying organization.

• Completion of the Swimming merit badge is a requirement of the merit badge and must be completed prior to entering into scuba training portion of the requirements.

• Boys with a current open water certification will not have to recertify in order to earn the merit badge. They will, however, have to have completed the Swimming merit badge, present their certification to the merit badge counselor and complete all the other requirements.

• There are three important pieces of information which must be fully reviewed by the merit badge counselor prior to approving any Scout for the merit badge: the merit badge requirements, the notes to counselor and the scuba policy of the Guide to Safe Scouting.

Coming in 2010: National Outdoor Award badges

Do your boys know their way around a campsite? How are they in a canoe, on a horse, or climbing a mountain? If their outdoor skills have been heightened through the Scouting program, they'll soon have a new award to show for it: the National Outdoor Award badges.

The program, conceived by the volunteer-led National Camping Task Force of the BSA, includes a series of five badges designed to recognize a Boy Scout or Varsity Scout who has demonstrated knowledge and experience in performing high-level outdoor activities.

The five categories are:

• Camping
• Hiking
• Riding
• Aquatics
• Adventure

Boys can apply for and earn any or all of the badges during their time in the program.

To earn the award or awards, a Boy Scout or Varsity Scout must complete:

• Relevant merit badges, which vary for each award.
• The First Class rank.
• Leave No Trace requirements.
• Activities measured by nights of camping, miles of hiking, miles of horseback riding, hours on or in the water, and other adventure activities. 

Detailed requirements and application forms will be provided via MyScouting.org in early 2010.  Scouts may count activities completed in previous years to qualify for these awards.

Now, if those five awards aren't enough, there's the ultimate prize: the National Medal for Outdoor Achievement, which will be the highest outdoor adventure award in Scouting. The requirements for that medal are:

• Complete all five National Outdoor Award badges.
• Earn four additional outdoor merit badges.
• Receive training in Wilderness First Aid.
• Finish the Boy Scout Leave No Trace Trainer certification.
• Plan and lead a unit outing or serve as a youth staff member at a council summer camp.

We'll have more details on specific requirements when they're available.

Raise the flag: "Celebrate Scouting" stamp due out in July 2010

Check your mailbox next summer for even more evidence that the BSA's celebration of its 100th Anniversary is on. It'll be on parade floats at the Rose Bowl and at the National Scout Jamboree, but it will also be on a U.S. Postal Service stamp.

The Postal Service and the BSA have teamed up to release a "Celebrate Scouting" stamp that's due out in July. Check out the design, created by Craig Frazier of Mill Valley, Calif., at left. But the mail-related news doesn't stop there.

Along with the release of the stamp, the BSA is announcing a nationwide push to send letters and care packages to active members of the U.S. Armed Forces and veterans. Talk about a daily Good Turn!

“We are grateful to the USPS for commemorating Scouting's contributions to our nation for the past 100 years,” said Chief Scout Executive Bob Mazzuca. “To continue our tradition of service, we are honored to launch our letter-writing campaign to support our troops serving overseas. Regardless of our age, we never outgrow the joy of receiving a personal letter in the mail. It is the least we can do for the service men and women to whom we owe the deepest gratitude for their service.”

The letter-writing project will make a great activity for your future pack, troop, or crew meetings. So bring pens, paper, and envelopes for the Scouts. The BSA has even created a special letterhead for the project. Click here to check it out (link opens a Word document). Oh, and don't forget to bring some stamps—the 100th Anniversary ones, of course.

For more information, go to the links below. All are PDFs:

• Tips for writing to active-duty soldiers.
• Tips for writing to veterans.
• How to put together care packages.