"Let's Walk For Mike"

Mike Montoya of Troop 94 in Mariposa, CA has been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (A.L.S.), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. Mike is a life long "Good Scout" and could use our support in the form of a donation to the "Let's Walk For Mike" fund his cousin, Debby Marks has begun. Please make a donation to support the defeat of ALS. [ Let's Walk For Mike ]

Below is the text of an e-mail Mike sent out recently to his Scouting friends with a request for help.

Dear friends,

The word has been getting around, but it is possible that some of you may not have heard. I have been diagnosed with ALS after about a year of symptoms. It has affected me enough that I had to quit working at the beginning of June.

In amongst medical appts. I have managed to get involved with ALSA, an ALS advocacy group pushing to get us help. I participated in one of their "Walks to Defeat ALS" held in Fresno in May with my daughter Erica.

My cousin Debby has organized a team for another of these walks to be held in LA in October and she has nearly reached her goal of $2000! I will be making the trip down there to walk with her. Please visit the site below for more information on ALS and if you can see your way to make a small contribution, it would be appreciated.

[ Let's Walk For Mike ]

Thanks,
Mike

Mike Montoya is a pioneer in the use of the Internet to support Scouting. The October 1998 issue of Scouting Magazine featured an article titled "Scoutmaster to Webmaster" which generated much interest in using web sites to support Scouting. In this article Mike Montoya shared tips on how to build a web site to support Scouting and became a local celebrity. The web site of Troop 94 in Mariposa, CA was often used as an example in this article. [ http://www.troop94.org/ ] That was 10 years ago now and much has changed in how Scouting utilizes web sites to support our program.

Around this time Mike Montoya built the first council web site of the Greater Yosemite Council and served as the council webmaster. Shortly after building the web site Mike asked for a meeting of Scouters in the council interested in forming a committee to support the new council web site. Mike saw the value of having a team of Scouters to help in the ongoing support and maintenance of the council web site. From this meeting myself and a number of other Scouters began our involvement in supporting the council web site.

In addition to his pioneering work on web site development to support Scouting, Mike has also been a long time supporter of the Order of the Arrow and Troop 94 in Mariposa, CA. Now Mike could use our help as he faces the challenges of Lou Gehrig's Disease. Do your "Good Turn" today and please make a donation in support of [ Let's Walk For Mike ] ~Rick

Boy Scouts Connect Electronically via Social Network Site

Recently I ran across an article "Boy Scouts prepared to launch marketing campaign to connect with digital-era youth" published on the WFAA.com web site, the online home of WFAA-TV (Channel 8). The article was written by Scott Farwell of the Dallas Morning News.

In the article Chief Scout Executive, Bob Mazzuca is quoted, "We haven't been very innovative, creative or nimble. It's time to change that, and it's time to re-introduce the American people to the Boy Scouts." The article also points out a rather interesting development.

"The Boy Scouts will roll out a MySpace-type social network site later this month that will allow Scouts, volunteers and alumni to connect and share stories. There will be advertising – perhaps on MTV, YouTube and Facebook – that will dust off the 1950s image of the Scouts."

You can read the complete article on this web page [ http://www.wfaa.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/tv/stories/DN-boyscouts_12met.ART.State.Edition1.4d4d188.html ]

There is not much additional information currently available on this new high-band social network site. When more information becomes available I will share it with you. However, this seems to be part of a new emphasis on using the Internet to support Scouting being put into place by the new Chief Scout Executive, Bob Mazzuca. I like it.

Social network sites (SNS) like MySpace and FaceBook sites have become very popular. Because there are potential safety issues for our children within Internet usage, especially social network sites, we should proceed with caution before recommending them to our youth . With that being said, if you want to share a comment visit my MySpace account! [ http://www.myspace.com/rpushies ] I just set it up today, so be patient as I learn.

The new social network site about to be launched by the Boy Scouts of America should reflect the long standing tradition of youth protection in Scouting. This alone will make the the new site worth taking a very close look at when it becomes available. ~Rick

Boys’ Life — A Great Scouting Retention Tool

Boys' Life

Scouts who subscribe to Boys' Life stay in Scouting longer than non subscribers
— on average, two and a half times longer than non subscribers.

As you sign up new boys in your Scouting, remember to include Boys' Life magazine subscription as part of their sign-up fee. Boys’ Life encourages reading through exciting stories, informative articles, jokes and puzzles focused on Scouting. Statistics show Scouts who subscribe to Boys’ Life are stronger readers, advance in rank faster and stay in Scouting longer than non-subscribers. Boys’ Life is a great resource for Scouting families and is delivered to your Scouts monthly. Check out Boys' Life magazine online at http://www.boyslife.org.

Boys' Life magazine is a general-interest magazine published monthly in three demographic editions for boys from first grade through high school. Boys' Life is the flagship youth publication of the Boy Scouts of America—many stories and articles in Boys' Life reflect the program themes of Cub Scouting and program features of Boy Scouting.

Mission
The mission of Boys' Life magazine is to entertain and educate America's youth and to open their eyes to the joyous world of reading. This is accomplished through a proven mix of news, nature, sports, history, fiction, science, comics, and Scouting. A special edition is published for Cub Scouts, with age- and program-specific content and feature articles.

Subscribers
Boys' Life magazine reaches 1.1 million Scout subscribers and 200,000 non-Scout subscribers. Pass-along readership means that over 6 million people read Boys' Life each month.

Demographic editions
Boys' Life publishes three demographic editions to meet the reading-level needs of subscribers from first grade through high school. The covers are the same, but each edition has its own 16 to 20 age-specific pages.

Ages 6 Through 8 - This edition goes to all Tiger Cubs and Cub Scout subscribers through age 8.
Ages 9 and 10 - This edition goes to all Cub Scouts and Webelos Scouts 9 and older and to all Cub Scout leaders who subscribe.
Ages 11 and Up - This edition goes to all Boy Scout-age subscribers and to all other Boys' Life subscribers.

Why Scouts (and Parents and Leaders) Like Boys' Life

• Good reading. Boys' Life is an entertaining mix of exciting stories and valuable information. Boys like reading Boys' Life. Parents can always be confident that the content of the magazine is wholesome, entertaining, and educational.
• Faster advancement. Boys' Life follows the Cub Scouting-recommended program themes each month. Boys' Life subscribers achieve rank advancements faster and more often than non subscribers.
• Increased family support. Leaders appreciate that Boys' Life goes into the home and stimulates support for Scouting from parents and brothers and sisters. Many family members read all or part of Boys' Life.
• Longer tenure. Scouts who subscribe to Boys' Life stay in Scouting longer than non subscribers—on average, two and a half times longer than non subscribers.
• "Just part of Scouting." Boys' Life is an essential element, helping leaders and parents foster the development of young people in Scouting. Boys' Life shows the outcomes of the BSA's values-based programs. It brings a positive Scouting image to readers and alumni.

Personal Comment:
In my humble opinion, every family in Scouting should subscribe to Boys' Life. For only $12 dollars a year this is a great magazine for everyone in the family. In addition to Boys' Life magazine being a great Scouting resource, the [ http://www.boyslife.org/ ] web site is evolving into a very interesting resource site. There is too much available on the Boys' Life web site to discuss in this short article - go visit the site for yourself. Just "Be Prepared" to spend some time as there is much to do! ~ Rick

Lifeguard Training Revised

Scouting Magazine, May-June 2008

Learning how to save lives at BSA-operated facilities like summer camps just got a bit less complicated.

Over the past 25 years, the lifeguard program had grown to include many other specialized skills such as swimming, lifesaving, canoeing, rowing, first aid, and even spinal-injury management. It had become difficult for Scouting to meet the needs of both unit leaders and summer-camp lifeguards in a single course of doable length.

Now, though, the BSA Lifeguard program will focus solely on teaching the necessary requirements for professional lifeguards at BSA aquatic venues.

The basic skills presented closely match those of the revised training that the Red Cross introduced in 2007. However, the BSA’s program will feature operating procedures not offered in detail in the Red Cross course, including focus on specialized needs for waterfront facilities and clientele.

Approved by the National Health and Safety Committee and the National Program Committee, the BSA Lifeguard program is recommended for youth seeking positions on camp aquatic staffs and for unit leaders who want to expand their water-safety skills.

For unit leaders, two new Aquatics Supervision Programs, ”Swimming & Water Rescue” and “Paddle Craft Safety,” will provide the information and skills to support unit aquatics activities. A new “Aquatics Supervision” manual has been designed as the primary resource guide for unit aquatic activities.

Information about the prerequisites, requirements for training and course completion, and training and resource materials were scheduled to be posted on www.scouting.org in mid-April.

World War II icon dies at 82

Norman Rockwell painting of Bob Hamilton, "We, Too, Have a Job to do"

This WW II Norman Rockwell painting, "We,... (Courtesy Boy Scouts of America for The Daily Times) — Boy Scouts of America lost its poster face last week when Arthur Robert Hamilton died in Aztec at the age of 82.

Bob Hamilton was best known for his iconic image as the saluting scout in Norman Rockwell's 1944 painting, "We, too, have a job to do," which rallied Boy Scouts to collect cans and rubber, volunteer in the community and raise victory gardens for food during World War II.

But Hamilton, who died July 28, was more than a teen in the right place at the right time when Rockwell put his brush in the paint for the World War II-era image: Hamilton was a life-long scout, family members said.

"He was very much defined by being a Boy Scout," said Alison H. H. King, Hamilton's daughter. "I think he influenced us to be all individuals, do the right thing, go above and beyond, make the right choices and life will pay you back."

In addition to becoming an Eagle Scout at the age of 15, Hamilton became a career fundraiser with the Boy Scouts of America National Council after serving in the U.S. Navy and graduating from the University of Maryland with a degree in accounting.

Hamilton, who grew up in Albany, N. Y., worked with Boy Scouts of America professionally through 1989, when he retired.

Read the complete story at [ http://www.daily-times.com/news/ci_10089289 ]

My Granddaughter Isabel Arrived!

On Saturday, August 9, 2008 my son, Peyton and his wife, Renee brought Isabel into the family. She arrived at Memorial Hospital in Modesto, CA about 9 a.m. and weighed 5 lbs. 11 oz. and is just about as perfect a baby as God has ever sent to earth. Here are a couple of pictures I would like to share.

Grandpa sharing a yawn!