Free Republic

Finding God on the Mountainhttp://www.beliefnet.com/story/197/story_19711_1.html A scoutmaster discovers he had to get lost in order to find what was missing from his life. By Tony McIntosh I'm a scoutmaster for a small Boy Scout troop in my town. This summer during camp I went along with two of the older scouts--my son, who is 14, and another boy, 15--on what's known as "The Adventure Trek," a 28-mile backpacking trip that includes two days of white-water rafting. Our troop had gone backpacking in the past but never like this, so it was going to be a challenge for all of us....

Scouting survives: Even in high-tech age, youths learn to 'Be prepared'http://www.herald-mail.com/?module=displaystory&story_id=144116 Sunday August 6, 2006 by CANDICE BOSELY candiceb@herald-mail.com TRI-STATE - These are a few of their favorite things: Cell phones and cookies, iPods and pop-up tents, video games and wilderness badges. Seeing teenagers - and children even younger - talking or sending text messages on cell phones, fiddling with mp3 music players and playing video games are common sights. Girl Scouting and Boy Scouting might almost seem passé, given the associated images of camping, surviving in the wilderness and sleeping in wooden cabins at camp. But it's not antiquated...

Philadelphia Gets Tough on Violatorshttp://www.theeveningbulletin.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=16968717 07/26/2006 By: Michael P. Tremoglie, Special To The Evening Bulletin Philadelphians are being gunned down in record numbers - mostly by people who were previously convicted of violent crimes, or acquitted of violent crimes, by one of Philadelphia's legendary lenient judges. The Street administration's response to the carnage was a typical liberal one - blame gun laws. Never mind the reams of evidence that state that more guns owned by honest citizens deter crime, the Street administration follows the failed liberal Democrat doctrine to reduce crime - ban guns. Never mind that the perpetrators are...

Street's Ousting Of The Boy Scouts An Act Of Political Cowardicehttp://www.theeveningbulletin.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=16997240 http://tinyurl.com/qhhrm 08/02/2006 By: GREGORY J. SULLIVAN, Special To The Evening Bulletin The decision by Mayor John Street and supported by the Fairmount Park Commission to punish the Cradle of Liberty Council of the Boy Scouts of America for its adherence to the organization's long-standing prohibition on openly homosexual members and leaders is the triumph of political correctness over sound policy. What is more, it is a betrayal of an organization and, most especially, the young boys who desperately need the moral instruction of the Scouts more than ever. Since...

Public Expression of Religion Act moves forwardhttp://www.recordgazette.net/articles/2006/07/28/news/05news.txt http://tinyurl.com/hp9ga Rees Lloyd, Banning-based attorney and Commander of American Legion District 21 (Riverside County), has been selected to testify on behalf of The American Legion before the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on the Constitution in support of passage of Senate Bill 3696, Veterans Memorials, Boy Scouts, Public Seals and Other Public Expressions of Religion Act of 2006 (“PERA). S 3696 (PERA), sponsored by Sen. Brownback (R-Kan), a companion bill to H.R. 2979 (PERA), sponsored by Rep. Hostetter (R-Ind.), would amend all relevant federal laws to eliminate the authority of judges to award taxpayer-paid attorney...

Fitzpatrick steps in for Boy Scoutshttp://www.phillyburbs.com/pb-dyn/news/111-07312006-691181.html http://tinyurl.com/pvk5s By BRIAN SCHEID Bucks County Courier Times Congressman Mike Fitzpatrick, R-8, wants the city of Philadelphia to end its dispute with the Boy Scouts of America. Fitzpatrick has sent a letter to Philadelphia Mayor John Street, blasting the city's pending decision to oust the Boy Scouts from their Philadelphia headquarters for refusing to change their policy prohibiting gay members. Fitzpatrick, an Eagle Scout and former president of the Bucks County Council of the Boy Scouts of America, also gave a brief speech on the floor of the House of Representatives Wednesday in support...

The Scout Law: what does it mean?http://www.timesnews.net/community_article.php?id=415 Published 2006-07-27 16:23:38 By Kurt Stevenson Warriors Path - A View of Scouting Through The Eyes of Scouts Since 1910, Scouting has had several basic fundamentals. Lord Baden-Powell set up these principles to insure the integrity of Scouts everywhere. These are known in Scouting as the Scout Law, the Scout Motto and the Scout Oath In this series of articles, we will examine the 12 points of the Scout Law, the Scout Motto, the Scout Oath and hear about lessons learned through Scouting from various members of the Warriors Path District Committee and...

Family, friends cheer on McAllen astronauthttp://www.mysanantonio.com/news/metro/stories/MYSA071806.1A.valley.space.169b85e.html http://tinyurl.com/zs9yd Web Posted: 07/17/2006 11:02 PM CDT Jesse Bogan Rio Grande Valley Bureau McALLEN — The recent e-mail from outer space informed the small group the voyage had been safe and rewarding. Their supporting role was almost over. "Now the shuttle is just about packed and ready to come home," astronaut Mike Fossum, 48, who grew up in McAllen, wrote them from the space shuttle Discovery on Sunday. "We're all ready, too — our objectives have been met." Hours later, on Monday morning, they gathered before a large television screen in Fossum's boyhood home,...

Learning to become the bank of (insert town)http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/business/15050013.htm http://tinyurl.com/kbzpr Bank of America's donation policy reveals a national bank trying to adapt to the many regions it serves BINYAMIN APPELBAUM bappelbaum@charlotteobserver.com Posted on Sun, Jul. 16, 2006 The letter from Charlotte reached Valdosta, Ga., in mid-April. The Alapaha Boy Scout council had requested a $1,000 donation from Bank of America Corp. The answer was no. The letter said the bank had a new policy barring donations to groups that discriminate. The Boy Scouts of America has a long-standing policy barring participation by homosexuals. Other councils, including the Mecklenburg County Scouts, also...

Family welcomes 12th Eagle Scouthttp://www.tmnews.com/articles/2006/07/16/sections/news/news74.txt http://tinyurl.com/rwvkn Sunday, July 16, 2006 Last modified: Sunday, July 16, 2006 6:46 AM CDT By Jason Mullis, Hoosier Times BEDFORD - There are 12 virtues the American Boy Scouts espouse to the youth in their charge. Similarly, when Travis Scherschel earned the highest rank of Eagle Scout Saturday, he became the 12th Scherschel to do so. "Becoming an Eagle Scout is an outstanding achievement, which requires hard work and dedication," Mark Scherschel, Travis' father, read from a letter from President George W. Bush. "Your accomplishment serves as an example of excellence and a source of...

Boys will be boyshttp://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2092-2230571,00.html http://tinyurl.com/n3g5a DJ Taylor June 18, 2006 Why are fathers snapping up an old-fashioned book of boyhood lore? DJ Taylor looks at the gap in almost every father’s life -- Like practically every human relationship these days, fatherhood has become horribly institutionalised. A condition that was once thoroughly ad hoc and made up as one went along is now caught up in bureaucracy’s stifling grasp. Father’s Day (an American import that didn’t exist in my youth), fathers’ support agencies, parenting classes: on all sides comes evidence of a natural state hedged about with all kind of wholly...

OK, I can't post her quote here directly, so you'll have to read it yourself: http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/071106A.shtml [I hope this doesn't violate the FR TOS]

Scouts played large part in Fossum's lifehttp://www.themonitor.com/SiteProcessor.cfm?Template=/GlobalTemplates/Details.cfm&StoryID=14170&Section=Local http://tinyurl.com/ru9qt July 12, 2006 Marc B. Geller Monitor Staff Writer McALLEN — One of the biggest influences in Mike Fossum’s life growing up in the Rio Grande Valley was his experience in Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts. Beverly Alleyn, who like Fossum’s mother is a nurse, was his Cub Scout pack leader. And her husband, Mickey, led the Webelos program that Mike needed to complete with other Cub Scouts to transition into Boy Scouts. The Alleyns’ son, Rob, now a McAllen physician, was one of Mike’s classmates and rose with Mike through the...

Fresh Idea: Survival Kits For Kidshttp://kutv.com/freshidea/local_story_143180939.html May 23, 2006 4:07 pm US/Mountain The summer is here and you may have a lot of outdoor activities planned. But before you send family members out in to the wilderness, Michelle King shows us what every parent should equip their child with. In case of any emergency being prepared for the worst may save your life or the life of someone you love. Last summer 11-year-old Brennan Hawkins went missing for four nights, but was found alive. Just one year prior to Brennan, 12-year-old Garrett Bardsley also went missing during a scout trip...

Freedoms under siege, retired general saysOK, I can't post an article that appears in the Louisville Courier-Times due to copyright complaints. I hope posting a link doesn't violate anything: http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060529/NEWS01/605290348http://tinyurl.com/n9oq4

http://www.tallahassee.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060524/NEWS01/605240340 http://tinyurl.com/l56z4

Jewish Scouting struggles to attract new members http://www.clevelandjewishnews.com/articles/2006/05/23/news/local/acover0519.txt http://tinyurl.com/eomag BY: ALAN SMASON, Staff Reporter Tuesday May 23, 2006 When Boy Scout Troop 96, chartered to B’nai Jeshurun Congregation’s Men’s Club, folded last fall after nearly 50 years of continuous operation, many felt it may have signaled the end of all Jewish scouting units in Cleveland. Through nine decades, nearly a dozen different Jewish scouting units — Cub Scout packs, Boy Scout troops and Explorer posts — have closed. Yet, hot on the heels of Troop 96 closing comes news from Temple Israel Ner Tamid (TINT) they are chartering a new...

History and religion lift boys in downtown Detroit heritage tour http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060521/NEWS01/605210727 http://tinyurl.com/pzwed Scouts explore beauty, diversity and freedom BY DAVID CRUMM FREE PRESS RELIGION WRITER May 21, 2006 Detroit often draws visitors for sports, casinos and music, but on Saturday 200 people headed downtown for a rare opportunity to glimpse some of the crown jewels of Detroit's religious heritage. "It's great to be involved in any first, and today is our first-ever Boy Scouts of America Walk with God in Detroit," Ron Pelley, a Scout leader from Allen Park who coordinated the event, told the crowd of scouts and adult...

Boy Scouts of America Selects Campfire Cafe Cookbook http://www.prweb.com/releases/2006/5/prweb384364.htm (PRWEB) May 16, 2006 -- Over The Open Fire, a unique cookbook featuring open fire cooking recipes and methods from the popular television series Campfire Cafe, has been chosen for worldwide distribution by the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). Boy Scouting is designed to take place outdoors. In the outdoors, the skills and activities practiced at troop meetings come alive with purpose. Outdoor cooking has long proved to be an activity that helps make outdoor excursions more fun and educational. Over The Open Fire takes traditional open-fire cooking methods enjoyed by...

Celebrating Our Survival: Why May 16 is Special for Scouting http://www.scouter.com/features/0026.asp May 3, 1999 By MaryAnn Gardner The founding of the Boy Scouts of America in 1910 was the establishment of the National organization. It opened the door to fun and learning in the outdoors to thousands of American boys. It's founding, however, did not guarantee that the organization would survive. Certainly, Baden-Powell had supplied the basics for Scouting in America along with Ernest Thompson Seton, founder of the Woodcraft Indians, and Daniel Carter Beard, founder of the Society of the Sons of Daniel Boone. Seton and Beard brought emphasis...