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CAMP VICTORY, Iraq, March 26, 2009 – A dedicated group of servicemembers is helping to restore the Scouting movement in Iraq, one child at a time. Five-year-old Mariem looks to Army Maj. Gary Farley for assurance as she assembles the wheelbase for a model plane at Camp Victory, Iraq, March 21, 2009. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Ron Burke  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. When Iraq embraced the program in 1921, its Boy Scout and Girl Guide program became a member of the World Organization Scouting Movement. However, due to war and instability, it has been...

This edition features a story on the return of Boy Scouts in Iraq. Play Now

President Obama says he wants to be president of all the people. But some groups are urging him to make an exception for the Boy Scouts of America. Critics of the Scouts who are outraged that the group is allowed to exclude gays and atheists while receiving federal funding are urging Obama to reject the group's honorary presidency, a designation bestowed on every U.S. president since William Howard Taft in 1910.

Iraqi scouts get a visit from Santa Claus, played by civilian contractor Joseph Lord, during a holiday-themed scouting event on Victory Base Complex, Dec. 20, 2008. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Joy Pariante. VICTORY BASE COMPLEX — Cries of delight filled the scouting compound here when Iraqi boy and girl scouts received a surprise visit and presents from Santa Claus during a holiday-themed scouting event, Dec. 20. The Victory Base Council military and civilian volunteers gather once a week with local Iraqi children to participate in arts and crafts, team building events and other scout related activities, but this...

The Boy Scouts of America's Philadelphia chapter has sued the City of Philadelphia in federal court to block the city's May 31 deadline for the scouts to open membership to gays and atheists, or vacate their historic 1928 headquarters off Logan Square. The civil rights lawsuit, filed Friday in federal court in Center City, contends that the city's ultimatum violates the scouts' rights under the U.S. and Pennsylvania Constitutions. "The City has imposed an unconstitutional condition upon Cradle of Liberty's receipt of a benefit that Cradle of Liberty has enjoyed for nearly eight decades, and that many other organizations that...

EASTON, Pa. - A former Bethlehem woman will serve up to 23 months in prison for having her 7-year-old son dress as a Cub Scout to collect money for a nonexistent cause. Sally Ann Gombocz, 51, told a Northampton County judge she wanted to apologize to anyone she hurt. She previously pleaded guilty to theft by deception and corruption of a minor. Gombocz had her son dress as a scout in 2003 and tell people he was raising money for a camping trip. A prosecutor says the family collected $69. Gombocz was sentenced Friday to six to 23 months in...

Sessions Leads 100th Year Boy Scout Recognition Efforts http://sessions.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=89413 Introduces Commemorative Coin, Garners Support for Commemorative Stamp Washington, Apr 23, 2008 U.S. Congressman Pete Sessions (R-Dallas) is leading congressional efforts to recognize the 100th Anniversary of the Boy Scouts of America in 2010 by introducing legislation for a “100 Years of Scouting” commemorative coin. “Boy Scouts are a significant part of American culture, shaping the values, citizenship, and skills of millions of young men,” Sessions stated. “As an Eagle Scout with four generations of Boy Scouts in my family, I strongly value the Boy Scouts’ history of instilling a sense...

Q: Let’s talk about your new book, “On My Honor,” which draws on your experience as an Eagle Scout and champions the values of the Boy Scouts of America, to whom you are donating your royalties. A: Yes, to their legal-defense fund. Q: Which has been fighting the A.C.L.U., to keep gays out of the scouts. Why do you see that as a worthy cause? A: I am pretty clear about this one. Scouting ought to be about building character, not about sex. Period. Precious few parents enroll their boys in the Scouts to get a crash course in sexual...

Philly's War on the Boy Scouts http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120312309480173061.html http://tinyurl.com/3cmtwp By KEVIN FERRIS February 16, 2008; Page A10 Philadelphia As Michael Nutter was sworn in as the city's 98th mayor last month, he called for a new wave of public service to clean up drug-infested neighborhoods. If he is serious about renewing volunteerism, he'll start by putting an end to the city's campaign against the Boy Scouts. On May 31, the Cradle of Liberty Council, the local Boy Scout chapter, will be evicted from its headquarters on 22nd and Winter Streets -- a space it has occupied since 1928. The eviction isn't...

Boy Scout Week Salute: Scouts teaches young people leadership and wisdom http://westlibertyindex.com/article.php?viewID=1396 by Tom Norris · February 06, 2008 With Boy Scout Week upon us, I thought I’d do away with the usual facts-n-figures and talk straight about the organization. Some will read this and think, “That’s nice, but who cares?” One youth club is as good as the next; it doesn’t really matter. But at what point do the things we do start to matter? I suspect this is determined by the degree to which it influences our life. After 14 years in the service, most of that as...

Boy Scout-produced documentary highlights extraordinary Central Texans http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/local/02/03/0203scouts.html http://tinyurl.com/2oddh6 'Believe It. Live It' showcases groups, individuals who personify the Scout Law By Patrick George AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF Sunday, February 03, 2008 A Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent. For almost 100 years, members of the Boy Scouts of America have been taught to memorize the traits that make up the Scout Law. Last summer, a group of nine local Scouts sought to find out what those values really mean by creating a film about the people who personify them in Austin. On...

The youth of Philadelphia are in danger. There are as many as 3,900 homeless families in Philadelphia. Only about half of Philadelphia ninth-graders graduate from high school within four years, and last year's state standardized math and reading tests came back to 11th graders in Philadelphia public schools with 70 percent of scores below proficient. In 2006, 1,030 young Philadelphians between the ages of 7 and 24 were shot; 179 kids were murdered. On such a battlefield, it would make sense for the City of Philadelphia to partner with churches and non-profit organizations to provide after-school programs, youth sports leagues,...

Scouts to earn skateboard badgehttp://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7183888.stmLast Updated: Saturday, 12 January 2008, 00:50 GMT A revamp of the scout movement will allow boys and girls to earn badges for skills such as skateboarding, making a fruit salad and racing quad bikes. The Scout Association said 40 new badges marked the largest ever overhaul of the activities of the movement. Chief Scout Peter Duncan said: "Young people today have a larger choice than ever before of activities to fill their spare time with." The new badges will be launched this weekend at the scouts' winter camp. The event for the 500,000-strong movement is...

Eagle Scout ordered to take God out of park projectI can't post the article, but basically it mentions a Boy Scout's Eagle project for a public park that included a mention of God. After the inevitable complaint, the Parks Dept, which approved the original proposal with "God" included, asked the Scout to remove the offending marker.

Thanks to the work of a couple dedicated Cub Scout Leaders there is a online network called PTC Media that showcases three Scouting-related audio podcasts and one video podcast. "Akela's Adventure" is an audio podcast that that features a den leader and his son as they review their den's latest meeting and activity. Don't forget to listen to a couple of jokes presented by the Cub Scout. http://www.ptcmedia.net/category/a-cub-scouting-adventure/ "An Hour A Week" is an audio podcast which features a cubmaster as he discusses events and issues about being a leader of a Cub Scout Pack. http://www.ptcmedia.net/category/an-hour-a-week-poscast/ "The Leader's Campfire" is...

Spc. Donald Williams helps an Iraqi Boy Scout tie off his tent Saturday during an Iraqi Scout event in Baghdad. BAGHDAD — In a sunny grove in the International Zone in Baghdad Saturday, excitement and laughter filled the air as Iraqi Scouts, leaders and Coalition volunteers of the Green Zone Council enjoyed a day of socializing and outdoor scouting activities. Blankets, tables, and scout-made tents were sprinkled among the trees, and the upbeat mood was contagious – there wasn’t a frown to be seen.“You almost forget we’re in Iraq!” said Lt. Col. Tina Flanagan, a Coalition Soldier who has been...

The horrific crime shocked a nation. Three young boys, cub scouts, were tied up, murdered and their naked bodies dumped in a drainage ditch. As a Deep South community bayed for justice, attention focused on a group of misfit teenagers, heavy metal fans accused of killing the children in a Satanic ritual. The case became a sensation at a time when a 'Satanic panic' over cults was gripping 1990s America. All three were found guilty. Jason Baldwin, then 16, and Jessie Misskelley, 17, got life sentences. Damien Echols, 18, was put on death row, where he remains. Now evidence, including...

Perry book to tout Scout values http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/metro/stories/MYSA103107.10B.PerryBook.31f57c2.html http://tinyurl.com/2a97dx 10/30/2007 10:11 PM CDT Peggy Fikac, Express-News AUSTIN — Add another title to Gov. Rick Perry's resume: author of a book defending Boy Scout values against "lawsuit-happy do-gooders." The GOP governor, who proudly wears his Eagle Scout pin on his lapel, has written — with some assistance — a book on scouting that paints the organization as a leading indicator in the battle between right and wrong. The book isn't due until February, but Perry described it in remarks Tuesday, referring to a U.S. Supreme Court decision in a lawsuit brought by...

The Boy Scouts of America's refusal to bend its rules to permit gay scouts will cost the organization's local chapter $200,000 a year if it wishes to keep its headquarters in a city-owned building on Logan Square. Representatives of the Boy Scouts of America's Cradle of Liberty Council were notified that to remain in their 79-year-old landmark headquarters, they needed to pay the city a "fair market" rent, Fairmount Park Commission president Robert N.C. Nix said yesterday. Currently, the rent is $1 a year....

God is Back on U.S. Flag Certificates Tuesday , October 16, 2007 By L.A. Holmes WASHINGTON — God is here to stay, say members of Congress who on Tuesday presented a 17-year-old Eagle Scout with a corrected version of a certificate that accompanied a flag that he purchased to fly over the U.S. Capitol. Andrew LaRochelle was the first to raise questions about the Architect of the Capitol policy that censored the word “God” out of certificates verifying the flag's authenticity. The flags are purchased and flown at constituents' requests, and include personal messages that until last week could not...