You've hiked through Philmont, sailed through the 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:
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.
For his Eagle Scout badge, Kevin Anderson, a 17-year-old junioar at Southern Lehigh High School, spent 250 hours over several weeks clearing a path at his local park so people could enjoy walking and biking along the river. What did he get for this good deed?
Little did the do-gooder know that his altruistic act would put him in the cross hairs of the city's largest municipal union.
Nick Balzano, president of the local Service Employees International Union, told Allentown City Council Tuesday that the union is considering filing a grievance against the city for allowing Anderson to clear a 1,000-foot walking and biking path at Kimmets Lock Park.
"We'll be looking into the Cub Scout or Boy Scout who did the trails," Balzano told the council.
Balzano said Saturday he isn't targeting Boy Scouts. But given the city's decision in July to lay off 39 SEIU members, Balzano said "there's to be no volunteers." No one except union members may pick up a hoe or shovel, plant a flower or clear a walking path.
"We would hope that the well-intentioned efforts of an Eagle Scout candidate would not be challenged by the union," said Mayor Ed Pawlowski in an e-mail Friday. "This young man is performing a great service to the community. His efforts should be recognized as such."
Link – via Michelle Malkin
"Six-year-old Zachary Christie was so excited to become a Cub Scout that he brought his camping utensil to school. The tool serves as a spoon, a fork and a knife, and Zachary wanted to use it at lunch.
What Zachary didn't know was that the gizmo violated his school's zero-tolerance policy on weapons. And now the Christina School District in Newark, Del., has suspended the first grader and ordered him to attend the district's reform school for 45 days."
Justin Talbot is an Eagle Scout. And so is his brother Jaden. And so is their brother, Jarron.
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The brothers becoming Eagle Scouts together is a rare subsection of an already rare designation - just 5 percent of the 905,879 Boy Scouts in the United States achieved the rank last year, according to the Boy Scouts of America."We almost never see that. For all three of them to achieve it, it's definitely very remarkable," said Ken Brunner, a spokesman for the local Dan Beard Council of the BSA.
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To become an Eagle Scout, one must earn 21 merit badges - Justin earned 29, Jaden has 27 and Jarron has 22. Among other prerequisites, Eagle Scouts also complete a leadership service project. They must be under age 18 while fulfilling the requirements.Justin helped improve recreational facilities for the Butler County Board of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities. Jaden built hardware that assisted workers from the Clermont County Board of MRDD who do work for Cintas. Jarron teamed up with Cincinnati Therapeutic Riding and Horsemanship to remove and replace a rotting fence.
