Alumni Alive - Fall 2017

SCOUTING ALUMNI AND FRIENDS The Scouting Network

ALUMNI ALIVE!

ScoutingAlumni.org

Lions and Tigers and Bears - Oh Yes!

Newsletter for Alumni and Friends FALL 2017

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INSIDE THIS ISSUE

2 Message from the Director

3 Jump Start Your Alumni Event With This Guide

7 Spelling Bee Champs Cannot Be Fooled

10 Scouts and Scouters Rally for Those in Need

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Learn How to Be A Scout!

Notable Scouting Alumni

A Message From The Director When Hurricanes Harvey and Irma tore through Texas and Florida this summer, Scouts and Scouters from across the country responded. Some started food drives and trucked necessary supplies to the floodstricken regions. Others collected money for the American Red Cross or the BSA’s Disaster Relief Fund, which helps rebuild Scouting in disaster areas. (Visit http://scoutingemergency.kintera.org/2017 to donate.)

And some troops became the boots on the ground that helped start the clean-up process.

I had a memorable experience in September when I traveled to Port Arthur, Texas, a city that received 26 inches of rain in just 24 hours. (Wow!) Harvey hit the city hard, leaving everything flooded and countless people without homes. Alongside Scouts from Troop 240 in Grapevine, Texas, I spent two days clearing five different houses. First, we emptied personal items like furniture, appliances, and beds. Then, we took all the plasterboard off the walls, removed door jambs, and ripped out the flooring. The idea was to allow things to dry out and get rid of the mold. Others will come behind us to restore what the floodwaters destroyed.

Recovery began as soon as the clouds finally disappeared and the sun shone again. Everywhere there were people ready to roll up their sleeves and start working immediately. People came from everywhere and helped those in need, regardless of whether they knew their names.

It is times like these that unite our country. When disaster strikes, we set aside our differences of opinion and help one another. If there’s a silver lining to this summer’s storms, it is the unity that comes from tragedies such as these.

I’m encouraged by the thought that my story is not the only example of service, that countless other Scouts from across the country were doing their part as well. I’m also encouraged by the thought that our collective service this summer and fall continues a Scouting tradition dating back more than 100 years. For every Harvey or Irma, Andrew or Katrina, there are thousands of Scouts standing ready to do their daily Good Turn. And in doing so, they not only serve their neighbors and their country, but also develop a habit that will continue when today’s Scouts become tomorrow’s leaders.

Once a Scout, always a Scout.

Dustin Farris Director, Scouting Alumni and Friends P.S. You may wonder how the Florida Sea Base fared during Hurricane Irma.

Fortunately, there was relatively little damage. Staff and volunteers are working to restore the facilities. The Brinton Environmental Center has been turned into an American Red Cross shelter and home base for recovery workers. (You can learn more on the Sea Base Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/BSASeaBase.)

ALUMNI NEWS Alumni Relations for Not-So-Dummies The Boy Scout Handbook gets a lot of attention (as well it should). So do the handbooks used in Cub Scouting and by adult leaders across the program as they learn how to do their jobs. But there’s one more important handbook you should know about: “The Scouting Alumni and Friends Guidebook.”

According to Devang Desai, who led the team that created it, the guidebook answers all the questions that any new alumni committee chair might have: What do I do? How do I get started? How do I work to reengage folks who may be away from Scouting for whatever reason?

Desai, who has been active in alumni affairs in both the South Florida Council and at his alma mater, the University of Miami, knows that people getting started in alumni work need plenty of support. “It can be a very overwhelming task,” he says. “We’ve identified a lot of resources we have available on the national level that we would certainly provide to local councils.”

“Devang and Donald Cunningham have done a great job pulling together a concise guidebook full of concrete actions every alumni group can take, whether it’s a council alumni committee or a Wood Badge association or camp staff group,” says Scouting Alumni and Friends Associate Director Ryan Larson, who supported the publication’s development. “The guidebook is only 25 pages long, but it really punches above its weight.”

The guidebook includes plenty of information on what a council alumni committee might look like, what benefits Scouting Alumni and Friends offers, and how alumni recognitions can be used. But the real focus is on helping active Scouters reengage those who’ve been touched by Scouting in the past. “The primary purpose of our book is to drive home the point that we want folks who’ve had positive experiences to get reengaged,” Devang says. “It’s not about your money. It’s about reconnecting and, over time, hopefully getting you involved.”

For example, a committee could hold “urban campfires” at local restaurants, organize service projects in the community, or schedule pizza parties when college students are home for

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the holidays. Or it could plan alumni activities in conjunction with council or district events, like pinewood derbies and Order of the Arrow fellowships, to let alumni see firsthand that Scouting is still alive and well.

So what’s Desai’s best advice to new alumni chairs? “Don’t bite off more than you can chew,” he says. “Keep it simple, and have fun.” If your committee can only manage one or two events a year, it’s better to do those — and do them well — than to do 20 events that are poorly planned and sparsely attended. “The people you’re trying to attract are already busy enough as it is,” he says. “The last thing they want to do is go to yet another event.”

To download a copy of the guide by visiting the alumni website (www.scoutingalumni.org) and click on the For Councils tab.

Affiliate Spotlight: Sommers Alumni Association Scouting Alumni and Friends is not the only group within the BSA that seeks to reconnect with and reengage alumni. In fact, the Scouting map is dotted with groups both large and small who share that mission. On occasion, Alumni Alive profiles these groups and the ways they serve members and Scouting alike.

Here’s a profile of the Charles L. Sommers Alumni Association.

For 94 years, Scouts have been exploring the Boundary Waters along the Minnesota-Canada border through what is now known as the Northern Tier National High Adventure Program. Over that time, a wealth of traditions have sprung up, from the hailing sign “Hol-Ry!” to favorite recipes for Hudson Bay bread.

The Charles L. Sommers Alumni Association was incorporated a quarter-century ago in 1992. Named for the oldest of Northern Tier’s bases (the others are Atikokan Base in Ontario and Bissett Base in Manitoba) the group seeks to “provide a continuing interest in and support for the mission and programs of the Charles L. Sommers National High Adventure Base and the Northern Tier National High Adventure Program.”

“We’re very passionate about the mission of the base, and we really appreciate that the Boy Scouts have property like this and a program like this,” says President Karl Huemiller. “We’re glad that we’re able to support it.”

Huemiller worked as an Interpreter (a staff member who guides crews during their trips) every summer from 2004 through 2008, but his Northern Tier roots run much deeper. His dad, Tim, was an Interpreter in the early 70s and brought Karl and his siblings, Erik and Adel, to alumni reunions in the 1990s. Erik and Adel have also served as Interpreters, and Adel served as Northern Tier’s trail staff director this past summer.

Much like Scouting Alumni and Friends, the Sommers Alumni Association (SAA) defines “alumni” fairly liberally. Membership is open to both current and former Northern Tier staff and committee members and to adult crew advisors and other adults who want to support the program. (Only staff and committee members may vote or hold office, but affiliate members enjoy all other rights.)

“They conduct an annual work week in late May/early June each year, usually zeroing in on a specific project. This past year, among other things, they did a great job repairing and replacing the roof and exterior log walls of our Welcome Cabin.”

Members also help Scouts and staff members learn more about the cultural and natural history of the Boundary Waters. During staff training each year, they run workshops for Interpreters.

What’s more, Van Dreese says, “This past year, they took leadership of a project to create an Interpretive Center in our Lodge and raised a major part of the dollars necessary to fund it.

The Interpretive Center now provides thousands of Scouts and leaders with information about the rich history of the Boundary Waters area and its varied plant and animal life.”

Staff support is also important, and includes everything from scholarships to staff-area improvements to annual staff gifts.

“Their first year, we provide $35 to buy maps in the trading post,” says Huemiller. “Their second year, we provide a nice otter-tail paddle that most people use as decoration, but could be used out on the trail. Third year, we provide a backpack they can take out and use as their guide pack on the trail.”

The SAA doesn’t only focus on the “far northland,” however. In 1995, it created the Triple Crown of National High Adventure award to recognize those who complete trips to Northern Tier, Philmont Scout Ranch, and Florida Sea Base. Three years ago, the group added the Grand Slam of National High Adventure award for those who attend all four BSA high adventure programs, including the then-new Summit Bechtel Reserve in West Virginia.

For more information about the Sommers Alumni Association, visit www.holry.org.

“The SAA has been tremendously supportive of Northern Tier in a variety of ways,” says General Manager John Van Dreese.

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Letter to the Editor

The impact becoming an Eagle has had on my life ...

I became an Eagle Scout in 1968 at the age of 14.

I later learned from my old Scoutmaster that I was one of only two he had during his 30 years as a Scoutmaster, both occurring the same year. The other Eagle was my patrol leader, someone whom I admired and respected as a hard worker and emulated as a role model.

Being handicapped with only 1% hearing, I knew early on I would need to work hard to accomplish success in life.

Scouting provided me an opportunity I would not have had otherwise. Except for my parents, many were surprised I reached Eagle. The self-sacrifice, discipline, and physical and mental challenges experienced during becoming an Eagle Scout had an immeasurable impact on my life. It taught me that anything of value in life is worth the hard work.

credit card, and had little cash. My car broke down along the way, which I fixed on the side of the highway, but Scouting gave me the confidence to take a chance in a new adventure in my life. (My mother, however, was terrified!)

During one engineering project, chemical analyses indicated that inhaled tobacco smoke may be harmful. This was surprising at the time. After presenting my findings to management, I left the firm, as the product portfolio didn’t fit with the values I learned in Scouting. Afterwards I joined a pharmaceutical products company. While leading a team of engineers, we developed a new process to purify highvalue prescription medicines on a large scale. This process vastly improved drug purity, benefiting millions of those in need. After working in the industry for over 40 years, I retired early at 62.

While in high school, I left Scouting to focus on academics, sports, and part-time work. At the time, it seemed there was nothing left to reach for in Scouting, after all I was an Eagle. I don’t regret leaving Scouts, but in hindsight wish I made the time to participate in a limited fashion to be with other Scouts and enjoy the outdoor camping trips. I’ll never forget the challenges of long mountain hikes and winter camping in 10 degrees and 2 feet of snow. Wonderful!

After high school, I attended college and graduated with high honors with a degree in Chemical Engineering. I continued with graduate school in advanced chemical engineering, law, and eventually entered an MBA program.

I learned from Scouting that knowledge gained along the journey is most important, not the destination itself. This lesson proved invaluable in life.

During my career, I worked in two different industries.

After finishing college, I accepted a position to work in the tobacco industry. I drove thousands of miles across the country in my jalopy with just the clothes on my back and college textbooks. I was barely 21, without a cell phone or 5

Pictured above: Tom Dennen (left) as a young Scout and Tom’s troop during the ‘Deep Freeze’ camping trip (left). Pictured below: Tom as adult, enjoying a meal with friends.

Without the experience and confidence gained from Scouting, I doubt that I would have been successful in life.

I’m not famous by any means, but this story may be similar to many other Eagle Scouts. Perhaps these Scouts could be better recognized by Scouting to help illustrate how becoming an Eagle positively impacted their lives and the lives of many others.

I learned from Scouting that knowledge gained along the journey is most important, not the destination itself. This lesson proved invaluable in life.

The Boy Scouts has had an immeasurable positive effect on society. Many of those who became Eagle Scouts possess a unique and positive sense of character, and instill this sense of character in others to help them become better individuals. This is undoubtedly illustrated when reviewing the “who’s who” list of fellow Eagles. I wish, however, that this could be better communicated in some way to note how the strength and character of this organization is instilled in the lives of so many.

I believe it’s important that today’s parents encourage their sons and daughters to join Scouting and to embrace the Scout Law to the best of their ability. To be a Boy Scout and fully experience and engage in all it offers is not easy.

But, nothing that comes easy results in life-long lasting memories. Even after nearly 55 years, I have many fond memories of the events and challenges experienced with other Scouts, many of whom I keep in touch with today.

The challenge of becoming an Eagle is one of very few and rare opportunities young men will truly have in their youth. Only a few will reach this goal. But the path taken to become an Eagle will benefit all those who travel it, no matter how far they go. The benefit of becoming an Eagle will undoubtedly positively affect not only their life but the lives of others. There have been many times in my life where the skills learned in Scouting benefited others during times of need.

I loved being an Eagle Scout and continue to share my experiences often with others around the world. Imagine the fascination and awe to those living in warm climates to go on a ‘Deep Freeze’ winter camping trip when only 12 years old!

In writing this letter, I wanted to spread the word by sharing my thoughts and experiences to encourage those considering joining this wonderful organization. And, to those already in Scouting… take up the challenge to fly like an Eagle. You will be forever grateful you did.

Best Regards, Thomas Dennen Eagle Scout Order of the Arrow Troop 606 Minuteman Council Malden, MA

Do you have an amazing Scouter story you would like to share with Scouting Alumni and Friends? We want to hear it!

Send your story and pictures to bsaalumni@scouting.org.

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Alumni Spelling Bee Champions Cong ratulations to this qu ar te r ’s winne rs!

The re are a quite a few. Lo oks like we c an’ t get any thing passe d you ! If you would like to b e featu re d in a fu tu re e dition of Alu mni Alive , c he c k you r inb ox for details . You may just f ind what we re lo oking for !

Rob Chaney

Robert Clay

Andrew Collins

Julie Hilton

Committee Member Crew 6, Tecumseh Council Pack 318, Simon Keaton Council

Committee Member, Troop 684 Lenexa, KS

Cubmaster, Pack 365 Round Rock, TX

Den Leader, Pack 93 WestArk Council

Scout, Troop 65 Round Rock, TX

Pack and Troop 79 Grand Canyon Council

Eagle Scout, Troop 94 Simon Keaton Council

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Member International Relations Committee Heart of America Council

Leigh LaChine

Carl Mistretta

Ron Plunkett

Nancy Ratliff

Eagle Scout, Troop 151 Toledo, OH

Committee Chairman Troop 155, First Presbyterian Church North Palm Beach, FL

Charter Organization Representative Pack 519 and Troop 519 Holy Cross Church Daniel Island, SC Coastal Carolina Council

53 Years of Cub Scouting Tall Pine District & Twin River District Pine Burr Council

One Eagle Scout and one soon-to-be Eagle Scout sons

Editor’s Note

John Sullivan

Armand Weiss

Scoutmaster, Troop 255 Lion Coach, Pack 255 Newark, DE

Former Scout Master Richmond, VA; Norfolk, VA; Falls Church, VA; and Sasebo, Japan

In the summer 2017 issue of Alumni Alive, published on July 8, 2017, we erroneously featured an incorrect image of Paul Lawlor.

We sincerely apologize to Mr. Lawlor for this error and all links to the story have been corrected. The correct image of Mr. Lawlor is to the right.

Eagle Scout, 1947 With Palms

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HAPPENINGS Reflecting on the 2017 National Scout Jamboree Somebody once told Scouting founder Robert Baden-Powell that a decision he’d made was against the rules. “Damn the rules,” Baden-Powell thundered. “Call it an experiment.”

That’s a pretty good description of Scouting Alumni and Friends’ presence at the 2017 National Scout Jamboree. According to Shane Miller, who led the SAF efforts at the jamboree, some activities were great and some didn’t work as well, but all taught valuable lessons that both SAF and local alumni groups can learn from.

Perhaps not surprisingly, patches were popular at the SAF booth, which was located in the Summit Center (an area open to jamboree participants and day visitors alike). There, visitors could buy replica patches for every jamboree, each with an added border reading “Scouting Alumni & Friends 2017 Jamboree Reunion.” “The patches were incredibly successful,” Miller says. “People really got into that; we’re all about keeping that for the next jamboree.”

Many people bought the 2017 patch, but others bought the patch commemorating the jamboree they had attended a generation ago. “There were a couple of kids who bought a patch to give to their home Scoutmaster as a souvenir,” Miller says. “That was pretty cool.” (Note: the patches are still available at http:// bsaalumnistore.com, although the limited-edition numbered set of all the patches sold out quickly.)

Beyond selling patches and enrolling new members, volunteers had the chance to spread the word about SAF’s new name — it was formerly the Scouting Alumni Association — and new logo.

Many visitors who are active in alumni activities back home received one-on-one coaching on how to better engage alumni and other BSA supporters. “When people wanted to engage with us, we were really able to engage,” Miller says.

Somewhat less successful were the decade reunions SAF sponsored. Alumni from specific decades were invited to stop by the booth at 4:30 p.m. on various days for fellowship and ice cream. Miller says it was tough to get the word out and find times that made sense for both participants and staff members. “It’s very difficult to include both participants and staff at the same

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time because of their disparate schedules,” he says. “Any time the participants are available, the staff are working.” Those reunions may be replaced in the future by activities in the base camps where staff and participants live.

All in all, Miller says, “we learned a lot that we’re going to take into 2021 [the next national jamboree] but also into future events.

We’re looking at what, if anything, we’re going to do at NOAC [the 2018 National Order of the Arrow Conference] and the 2019 World Jamboree [which will be held at the Summit Bechtel Reserve]. Both of those event opportunities are interesting in that they’re not necessarily our target market,” he says.

Questions like those are important for local council alumni committees and other alumni groups to consider. Does it make sense to have a major presence at your council camporee, which is an inward-focused event? Or should you put more energy into reunions and other outreach events? Who is your target market?

Scouts and Scouters Rally for Those in Need The summer of 2017 has brought some of the worst weather in recent memory. Thousands of Scouting units have been affected in some way, and the recovery process is ongoing.

You, alumni member, were asked to make a financial contribution to the recovery effort, and the enormity of your support in response is overwhelming. But there is another side to the support response. Scouting units and families from all over the country have stepped up to do a Good Turn and lend a helping hand to those in need.

Sam Houston Area Council, a council severely impacted by Hurricane Harvey, reported that Troop 1772 in the Woodlands had over 40 percent of its members help in the aftermath.

Members cooked meals for first responders, assembled care bags for the Red Cross, assisted in food drives, cleaned up the community, and pulled debris out of flooded homes.

And there were more stories like these. Some volunteers went with their churches, like our own director, Dustin Farris (pictured top left). Scouts and Scouters were out in full force, fulfilling their duty to country and providing aid to local communities.

Scouts and Scouters have a long history of being prepared to help others at all times. If you are still searching for a way to help, you can reach out directly to a unit in need. There are some Scouting units who are ready to resume activities as normal but are lacking certain equipment or other items.

• To help a Texas/Louisiana Scouting unit in need, click here.

• To help a Florida Scouting unit in need, click here.

Sea Scouts of Ship 93 ran a food distribution center that delivered over 4,700 meals a day in a matter of days to nine affected neighborhoods. The parents and Scouts also created a tent that became a resting place and served as a food and water station for the neighborhood. As volunteers came in to help, Ship 93 paired families with families. “Our hope was that each family matched with volunteers would build relationships and further the growth of the spirit of the tent, ‘Neighbors Helping Neighbors,’” says Kevin Plante, father of Sea Scout Bennett.

Their efforts received attention from local restaurants as well as individuals from as far as San Antonio and Tyler, Texas, who sent in prepared meals and supplies to the ship.

Pack 199 from Pasadena, Texas, is a group of seven Scouts, ranging from ages 7 to age 10. Though these Scouts’ homes were not affected by Harvey, they felt a strong call to get out in their community to help others in any way possible – from sorting donations and clothing for Harvey victims to handing out hot meals at several different shelters and at Golden Acres Baptist Church. “We want to raise our boys into strong men who serve their communities and know what it means to show compassion.

We got lucky in the storm, and the first thing our Scouts wanted to do was help,” says Holly Monroe, mother of Cub Scout Liam.

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Survival Hacks with

Former President Theodore Roosevelt once said, “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” This is precisely what Creek Stewart, our contributor to this new series, had in mind for Survival Hacks with CR///EK. Creek gives the definition as: Sur-VIV-al Hack-ing: (v) The act of using what you have to get what you need to stay alive in any situation. He continues to say that “hacking” is making due with what you’ve got. It has three aspects: using knowledge of basic survival principles; innovative thinking; and exploiting available resources.

We think he is right! Scouts are resourceful and prepared. And, they are always open to learning new things. So take a look and maybe you will learn a new trick or two!

About Creek Stewart CR///EK Stewart: Survival Instructor, Author, Host.

Creek’s survival knowledge comes from experience. His life-long study of outdoor living and survival skills is backed by thousands of man-hours in the field. Creek is a frequent guest survival expert in the media and has been featured in/on magazines, talk shows, and countless radio and online events. He is a regular contributing author to the hugely popular men’s interest blog ArtofManliness. com, and his survival writings have been featured on thousands of websites. Creek is a published author of many titles, including Survival Hacks available here.

In 2015, Creek was presented with the NESA Outstanding Eagle Scout Award (NOESA) by the Boy Scouts of America. The NOESA is a prestigious recognition granted to Eagle Scouts who have demonstrated outstanding achievement at the local, state, or regional level. Creek recognizes his experiences while earning the Wilderness Survival Merit Badge in the Boy Scouts of America as the fuel for a lifelong passion in learning and teaching self-reliant skills.

Creek is the owner of and lead instructor at Willow Haven Outdoor Survival School in Central Indiana. He is also the owner and curator of APOCABOX, a bimonthly subscription survival box. Currently, Creek is the lead survival instructor for the traveling survival training and competition series, ESCAPE THE WOODS.

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Cr///ek Stewart here! I am extremely excited to be a contributor to Alumni Alive and share some more of my favorite survival hacks!

This first hack will ensure you’re never without light.

The second is a two-fer! Catch dinner or the attention of rescue crews.

Enjoy! And remember, it’s not IF but WHEN.

Crisco Candle If your childhood was anything like mine, then you grew up with a big can of Crisco in the pantry. My mom used Crisco for frying and making homemade biscuits, but it wasn’t until recently that she learned a new use: a 30-day candle.

Crisco is solid-state vegetable oil that also happens to burn incredibly well. A Crisco candle is best made with the long strands of a cotton mop head. Cut 1 strand off and cram it down into the can of Crisco using a thin, forked stick. Cut the end that sticks out about 1” above the top and slather it with a little Crisco before lighting. One can of Crisco can burn up to 30 days.

You’ll have to replace the wick several times, but it works as an amazing emergency candle. For more light and heat, burn 3 wicks at once - simply insert the wicks several inches apart.

Credit Card Lure Let’s face it, a credit card will do you little good in a survival scenario. Or will it? A rigid PVC credit card can be hacked into several useful items. One of my favorites is a fishing lure. You can cut a mini fish-shaped lure from a credit card (or loyalty card or hotel key) with a knife or pair of scissors. At the tail end of the mini-fish, carve 2 hook-shaped curls, one on top and one on bottom. Though these little plastic hooks aren’t as effective as their metal counterparts, they are rigid enough to get a stubborn fish to shore. Many credit cards are colorful and have small reflective holograms, which help to get the attention of a hungry fish.

Note: The reflective holograms can also be used as signal mirror to reflect the sun’s rays and flash a signal to rescue crews.

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Program Lions Are Roaring Across the Country Nearly 80 years after Dorothy Gale fretted about “lions and tigers and bears — oh my” in The Wizard of Oz, Cub Scout families around the country are saying, “Lions and Tigers and Bears — oh yes!”

This fall marks the first anniversary of the BSA’s pilot Lion program, which is testing a Cub Scout program for kindergarteners. (Alumni of a certain age will remember Lion as being the top Cub Scout rank, but the new iteration is completely different.) Roughly 90 percent of BSA councils are using the new program in select packs this fall, even more than tried it last year.

The Lion program is designed to offer a low-key, low-cost introduction to Cub Scouting. Boys wear T-shirts instead of uniforms, earn stickers instead of patches, and attend only select pack activities. An experienced den leader guides each Lion den to give Lion parents the chance to participate in shared leadership, an important concept in Tiger Cubs (the program for first-graders) without having to take on too much responsibility too soon.

The program is also designed to be age-appropriate. At pack pinewood derbies, for example, Lions are encouraged to enter a wedge car (which doesn’t require carving) or to participate in a “veggie derby” instead, where cars are made of decorated carrots and celery stalks. Participation in fundraisers is discouraged — at least until the spring, when the proceeds can help boys pay for Cub Scout day camp.

During the 2016-2017 program year, more than 30,000 boys participated in Lions across 4,373 Cub Scout packs in 204 councils. Just under 12 percent of packs hosted Lion dens.

Participation was small enough to be manageable — packs had to apply to participate — and large enough to let the BSA gather useful data. As the school year wrapped up, the BSA held focus groups in all four regions with leaders, parents, and boys, and surveyed 24,000 parents and leaders via email.

So what did people say? “What they told us was everything was wonderful,” says Janice Downey, the BSA’s senior program innovation manager who oversees the program. “It couldn’t have gone better for the first year for that many councils.”

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Feedback bears Downey out. One leader said, “The program content is really good. It’s the right length and hits the sweet spot of this age group very well.” Another said, “This is the best idea the BSA has come up with, next to allowing girls to join Venturing.”

All told, 90 percent of respondents said they were satisfied with the program — and most causes of dissatisfaction have been addressed with program tweaks this year. Moreover, 91 percent of parents said their Lions would be moving up to Tigers as first-graders.

But another number is perhaps even more impressive. Just over 60 percent of Lion parents last year said they have no other children in Scouting. That means Lions is reaching new families — families that might otherwise have started down the path toward sports or another activity in kindergarten.

Whether Lions becomes a permanent program depends on the BSA’s National Executive Board, which will review results of the pilot. “If feedback continues to be as positive as it has been, which we anticipate it will, then the executive board will consider approving it for 2018 to be a part of Cub Scouting,” Downey says.

Scout Recruiting Goes Digital How did you learn about Scouting? Perhaps you brought a Cub Scout flyer home from elementary school. Perhaps a friend told you how much fun his Boy Scout troop was having. Or perhaps a parent who’d been a Scout looked up the local council in the Yellow Pages and placed a phone call.

Those are still good ways to learn about Scouting — assuming you can find a copy of the Yellow Pages — but the BSA is also relying on more up-to-date methods to reach potential members.

Perhaps the most impressive of these is the Be A Scout website (www.beascout.org).

Be A Scout uses Google Maps technology to help potential members find Scouting units in their communities. All someone has to do is pick a program (Cub Scouting, Boy Scouting, or Venturing/Sea Scouting) and enter their ZIP code. When they do, a list of units pops up, conveniently sorted by proximity. An accompanying map shows where each unit is located.

And that’s not even the best part. When a person clicks “Show Unit,” a box pops up with details about the unit, including contact information and a brief program description. There’s even a link to send a message to the unit (which appears in an online Be A Scout dashboard that key leaders have access to).

from their PC or mobile device. Potential leaders can also authorize required background checks online. The unit receives notification of new applications and can review and approve them electronically — no more chasing down signatures. Once an application has been approved, the BSA National Service Center emails a customized welcome message from the Chief Scout Executive.

Online registration is separate from, but linked to, Be A Scout, allowing units to enable an “Apply Now” button on their pins. But they can also send out email invitations or even generate QR (quick response) codes that take potential members straight to their registration page.

The BSA has come a long way from the days of Yellow Pages listings and three-part applications. With Be A Scout and online registration, Scouting is making it easier than ever for families to find and join packs, troops, crews, and ships in their communities.

Every search also lists contact information for the local council (which is also the default option for units that haven’t populated their pins). This gives potential families another point of contact, and lets potential district and council volunteers know where to go to get started.

Be A Scout is also a great tool for those who have been a Scout. If you’re wondering whether your old Scout troop is still in operation, you can look it up on the site and make contact. If you’re ready to renew your connection to Scouting, you can quickly find the local council that serves your community.

Be A Scout is not the BSA’s only online engagement tool. This fall, the BSA is rolling out an online registration system that allows potential Scouts and leaders to register and pay fees online.

Now, rather than complete paper applications and turn in checks — remember those? — families can register and pay online 14

Scouts: Then and Now If we look at photos from those two phases of life, the visible changes will be obvious. The non-visible changes — more confidence, better character, stronger leadership skills — are there, too. This life-changing power of Scouting inspired Scouts Then and Now, a Bryan on Scouting (blog.scoutingmagazine.org/) blog series. The premise is simple. He shares two photos of the same Scout or Venturer: once in their early Scouting years, and again in their later Scouting years. We are continuing his project here in AlumniAlive!

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Aiden from New Mexico

Brennen, Paul, and Kevin from Pennsylvania

Emily from Massachusetts

Kit, former Sea Scout and current Sea Scout Leader

We are excited to see our alumni and friends as they have progressed in Scouting! If you would like to feature your young Scout, or even yourself, in Bryan on Scouting’s blog, here’s how. Send two photos of your Scout(s) or yourself: one in their early years and one in their later years - and include their name and home state. The photos will be combined as a side-byside, so no need to fret about that. Send the images as attachments in an email to scoutingmag@gmail.com with the subject line “Scouts Then and Now.”

Carter and Nathan from North Carolina

Charlie from Indiana

Michael from New Jersey

Ryan and Sean from California

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Profiles One Camp — Countless Outstanding Alumni This summer, famed journalist Ray Suarez visited New York’s Camp Keowa as Ten Mile River Scout Camps (TMR) celebrated 90 years of service to the youth of the Greater New York Councils. Keynoting the weekend’s celebration banquet on August 5, he recalled the opportunity that camp had given him to escape the blacktop of Brooklyn for the sprawling Scout reservation — roughly the size of Manhattan — along the Delaware River.

In his speech, Suarez put the camp experience into context.

“Two weeks in the woods didn’t shake the world; it wasn’t magic,” he said. “It wasn’t some amazing hard-to-imagine, hard-to-accomplish thing. It didn’t cost a fortune (though I know at the time it seemed that way for a lot of our families). It was the simple genius of the program that put boys in charge, made cooperation the only way that things were going to get done, and in a very sneaky, almost-not-realizing-it kind of way taught lessons that really do last a lifetime.”

We might beg to differ with Suarez’s statement that two weeks in the woods isn’t magic. A quick review of TMR’s alumni reveals an impressive array of accomplished Americans, not the least of which is Suarez himself.

President Franklin Delano Roosevelt (1882-1945) The list must start with Franklin Roosevelt. America’s 32nd president was born in 1882, too early to be a Scout, but he had several important interactions with TMR. As Scouting grew rapidly in the Big Apple during the 1920s, Roosevelt led the camp’s creation in his role as president of the New York City Boy Scout Foundation. Under his leadership, the foundation selected the site, oversaw land acquisition, and raised the money needed to build the camp.

Roosevelt returned to the camp as governor of New York in 1930 to receive the Silver Buffalo, the BSA’s highest adult honor. Three years later, he was back again, this time to be inducted into the Order of the Arrow (the only U.S. president to be so honored).

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Justice Antonin Scalia (1936-2016) A member of Troop 17 in Elmhurst, N.Y., “Nino” Scalia attended TMR twice, then went to the National Scout Jamboree in 1950 (which was held not much farther away in Valley Forge, Pa.).

In “Scalia: A Court of One”, Scalia told biographer Bruce Allen Murphy that his mother made sure he “hung out with the right people, joined the right organizations … [and] associated with young people that would not get me into trouble, but rather would make me a better person.”

A strict constructionist during his 30 years on the Supreme Court, Scalia nevertheless formed a collegial relationship with fellow Scouting alumnus Stephen Breyer, with whom he often disagreed. In covering a 2006 debate between the two jurists, ABC News’ Jan Crawford Greenburg said, “The two have served together on the bench for 12 years now, and they share the easy familiarity of old friends, playing off one another and poking fun to score points.” After their 90-minute debate, Greenburg reported, they went out for a burger.

Actor Alexander Scourby (1913-1985) Alexander Scourby grew up in Brooklyn, the son of Greek immigrants. He discovered acting while attending Brooklyn Manual Training High School. After a brief stint at West Virginia University — it ended when his father died — he returned to New York, where he became an apprentice with the Civic Repertory Theatre in Manhattan.

He first appeared on Broadway in 1936 and went on to a long career as a stage, radio, television, and movie actor. Perhaps his best-known film role came in 1953, when he played a ruthless mob boss in “The Big Heat.”

But Scourby’s favorite gig — “the one work that really means something to me,” he once said — was as a reader for the American Foundation for the Blind’s Talking Books program.

All told, he recorded hundreds books for legally blind people, including the Holy Bible.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt

Antonin Scalia

Alexander Scourby

The Bible project brought him fame far beyond the blind community when the American Bible Society began distributing recordings on long-playing albums. “Although I have narrated more than 500 books, I consider the Bible my most important work. Why? Because it is the one book that has the power to inspire, encourage, comfort, and change the life of the person who hears it,” Scourby later wrote.

Tito Puente, Sr. (1923-2000) Since Tito Puente was widely acknowledged as the king of Latin music, many people assume he hailed from Cuba or another Latin American country. In fact, he grew up in Spanish Harlem, where he participated in Scouting.

A born percussionist — the neighbors complained when 7-yearold Tito starting banging on pots and pans — he drew inspiration from legendary drummer Gene Krupa. Naval service in World War II interrupted his career, but the GI Bill allowed him to attend the Julliard School of Music after the war.

Puente became famous in the 1950s, helping to popularize AfroCuban and Caribbean music. He later branched out into bossa nova, pop, and other genres. He won five Grammy Awards, the James Smithson Bicentennial Medal, the National Medal of Arts, and the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.

His youngest son, Tito Puente, Jr. (also a Scouting alumnus and jazz musician), was on hand for TMR’s 90th anniversary celebration.

Ray Suarez (1957- )

Tito Puente Sr.

Ray Suarez

the Nation,” Public Radio International’s “America Abroad,” and Al Jazeera America’s “Inside Story,” and served as a special correspondent for PBS’s “NewsHour.” Earlier in his career, he worked for the Associated Press in London, CBS Radio in Rome, and CNN in Los Angeles.

But it was Scouting that first broadened his horizons. Scouting got him out of the neighborhood — to TMR, neighboring states, and two national jamborees — but it also exposed him to cultures closer to home in his religiously and culturally diverse neighborhood. In an interview with Eagles’ Call magazine for a forthcoming profile, he said, “It was a part of our life and a shared part of our existence that we understood and made room for each other.”

Suarez has received numerous journalism awards, including Alfred I. duPont–Columbia Awards for NPR’s on-site coverage of the first multiracial elections in South Africa and of the first 100 days of the 104th Congress. Other honors include the Ruben Salazar Award from the National Council of La Raza, the Distinguished Policy Leadership Award from UCLA’s School of Public Policy, and the Studs Terkel Award from the Community Media Workshop. He was inducted into the National Association of Hispanic Journalists Hall of Fame in 2010.

In his remarks at the TMR anniversary event, Suarez made a statement every other TMR and Scouting alumnus would probably echo: “I know I wasn’t going to be some washout if I wasn’t a Scout, but I do know I’m a better father, a better husband, a better man than I would have been without Scouting,” he said. “And that’s good enough for me.”

Over a journalism career that has spanned four decades, Ray Suarez has been called the thinking man’s talk show host and a national treasure. Most recently, he hosted NPR’s “Talk of

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