The Troop 1954
Wednesday Newsletter

Wednesday, January 5, 2005

Announcements

1) Please remember that, if you have no money in your account, you need to pay $25 by January 11 to continue on our troop roster ($15 without Boy's Life or Scouting).

2) Our Canyon of the Eagles camp out is coming up next weekend, January 15-17.  This should be a good one.  Assuming it's not raining too much (when was the last time it didn't rain on a campout?) we'll have lots of activities.  Saturday night there is a star gazing party (the park has an excellent observatory...and if anyone has their own telescope, they can bring it and set it up as well.  We'll also be taking the Vanishing Texas River Cruise to look for eagles.  All of this is fairly expensive ($10 for food, about $15 for the river cruise, and $7 per person to get into the park, plus the camping fee...so about $35 per person).  However, the troop will subsidize the price.  We'll be charging $18 per scout and $23 per adult for the trip.  Please be absolutely sure to bring your money to the next meeting.

3) Merit Badge University.  Did you remember to pay?  If not, get that check in really fast!

Well, there is lots of good stuff in the news this week, and plenty of not so good too.  However, I thought the article below, from the AP, might be of interest to some of the adults in the group.

December 30, 2004, Thursday

Report: FBI investigating Boy Scout membership in north Alabama

Officials with the Boy Scouts of America say the FBI is investigating whether the organization has inflated its membership numbers in north Alabama, a move that could lead to greater financial support.

Randy Haines, vice chairman of the Greater Alabama Council of the Boy Scouts, confirmed the review but denied any wrongdoing.

"We take the allegations seriously," Haines told The Birmingham News in a story published Thursday. "We are a highly principled organization, and irregularities are totally out of character."

But another board member, Tom Willis, said the charges of discrepancies in membership numbers were not only accurate but widespread across the country. So-called "ghost units" are encouraged by the national Boy Scouts of America organization's pressure on district leaders to keep increasing the number of scouting groups, he said.

FBI spokesman Ray Zicarelli said the agency could neither confirm nor deny any investigation of the group.

Haines said the FBI contacted the council two weeks ago about allegations of possible inaccuracies in membership figures. About the same time, Haines said he and other scout officials began hearing similar word-of-mouth reports.

The United Way, which helps fund the Boy Scouts, also is familiar with the investigation, said spokeswoman Samuetta Nesbitt. Scouting has asked for $940,855 from the charity for 2005, she said.

"United Way's leadership is aware that the FBI has made an inquiry into the reporting procedures of the Greater Birmingham Council of Boy Scouts of America," she said. "We do not have any details about the inquiry."

The council is said to serve 50,000 youngsters in 22 counties in central and northern Alabama. This includes 30,000 enrolled in traditional scout units and 20,000 elementary school students receiving in-class character education using resources provided by the Boy Scouts, said Haines.

Willis said he recently saw a roster of 135 units in his home district, which includes Morgan, Lawrence and Limestone counties. Only about half the groups were real, traditional groups, he contends. "I pretty much know what units are out there," he said.

He said donations garnered through inflated numbers go to funding the central administration and not individual troops or programs for children.

Willis said the FBI investigation follows a growing distrust by some volunteers of the paid leadership of the council. That distrust was magnified by the recent debate over whether to spend $5.6 million to acquire land for a "super camp" to replace smaller, regional camps, he said.

While looking into the camp, the council and scouting leaders discussed waning attendance at scouting camps and questions about the number of reported scouts arose among scout troop leaders. When they tried to get answers, they were denied information, Willis said.

Haines said the Boy Scouts are doing an internal audit.
 

September 9-11 Pedernales Falls Camp Out