Latest news with #ScoutsBSA
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Scholastic Superstars: Joseph Campbell IV, North Schuylkill
What accomplishments are you most proud of and why? I am most proud of my Eagle Scout Award. While earning it, I was able to help my local library that had supported me for years, and I helped so many other people along the way. While the award itself is pretty cool, I value the experience and outlook that the process of earning it gave me, and I will forever cherish it. What were your most rewarding school or community activities? My role in assisting the Spartan Games is by far the most rewarding thing I have ever done. This event gave me the chance to encourage the special-needs athletes to have an unforgettable day of fun and winning. Last year, I was assigned as a buddy to an elementary student, and he had the time of his life. He won countless events, and the smile never left his face. Although I've done fun things like win the County Quiz Bowl championship this year and march in the band for years, nothing I did has given me as much unparalleled joy as helping in the Spartan Games. Joseph Campbell IV (SUBMITTED) What do you do in your spare time? In my limited free time, I like to learn bizarre facts about historical events, play Minecraft, and collect national, state, and unique flags. I also participate in all three branches of Scouting America: ScoutsBSA, Sea Scouts, and Venturing. Alongside all of that I enjoy learning musical instruments and languages. What are your plans after high school graduation? I plan to attend The Pennsylvania State University to study International Politics, while participating in the Air Force ROTC program. I chose this because I love learning about other countries and helping people, so I found the career path that allows me to help people in other countries What do you see yourself doing and where do you see yourself living in 15 years? I see myself working as a diplomat for the United Nations, travelling the world, meeting new and exciting people, helping those people, and learning as much as possible about them on the way. Whom do you most admire and why? I admire my sisters, who at every inconvenience or struggle powered through and took control. At every opportunity for failure, they succeeded, and even now they continue to do things that everybody thought they couldn't, by being fearless and driven. In a sentence, what is your philosophy of life? Try everything you can, because why not? Finish this sentence: The most interesting thing about me is … that my favorite holiday is Flag Day. A little about Joseph Hometown: Ringtown, PA Parents: Amanda Campbell and Joseph Campbell III Some Honors Include: National Honor Society; Math, English, Science, Social Studies and Music Honor Societies Activities: Academic Team, Diversity Club, Friends Forever, Aevidum, STEM, Student Council, Theatre Arts, Robotics Team, Marching, Jazz and Competition bands, and Wind Ensemble. Athletics: Swimming & Diving Community Service: Eagle Scout Project, Spartan Games, Schuylkill Area Community Foundation, Friends of Tuscarora and Locust Lake, and NS Blood Drive His Nominator Said: 'He is a humble, intelligent, dependable young man and a leader amongst his peers. He is a dedicated, hardworking, and compassionate individual whose contributions to his school and community are nothing less than remarkable. His academic drive, leadership skills, and service-oriented mindset set him apart.' Sixteen students were chosen by judges from the community to represent the most accomplished of Schuylkill County's graduating classes as part of the Republican Herald's annual Scholastic Superstars.
Yahoo
30-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Three new Eagle Scouts recognized in Johnson City
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) — Only 6% of Scouts BSA (Boy Scouts of America) members earn the Eagle Scout title, according to the Scouts America Great Rivers Council. That percentage is even lower for scouts with disabilities. Scouts must earn at least 21 merit badges before earning the Eagle Scout title. Evan Brown, who has Down Syndrome, has met all the requirements without accommodations. West Greene's Weston Brown named 2025-2026 TN FFA state president 'Less than 1% of all Eagle Scouts who have met those requirements have done so with a disability,' Brown's aunt, Amy Townsend, said. 'We never refer to him as having a disability, though. He's an amazing young man who has worked extremely hard to accomplish this honor.' Townsend said Brown has even gone the extra mile to receive his title, earning more merit badges than needed. He is a member of the Order of the Arrow (OA) and Scouting's National Honor Society, where he has been recognized with Ordeal, Brotherhood, and Vigil honors. Seth Black and Eli Henry were also ranked as Eagle Scouts. Brown's scoutmaster, Larry Taylor, said he enjoyed celebrating his scouts' accomplishments. 'These these kids are really something,' he said. 'Because they came to me when they were 11 years old, and I have seen them to where they were down past my chest. Now I have to look up to two of them, and that is a big difference.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
09-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Boy Scouts of America officially changes its name to be gender inclusive
Boy Scouts of America, as it has been known for 115 years, is now officially Scouting America. The name change went into effect on Saturday. The organization announced the name change last spring, almost exactly one year after emerging from a three-year bankruptcy tied to the largest child sex abuse case involving a national organization in U.S. history. The name change coincides with the organization's aim to be more inclusive − a little more than five years after girls were permitted to join Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts in 2018 and 2019, respectively. The Boy Scouts program, open to girls and boys ages 11-17, dropped "Boy" from its name in 2018, resulting in Scouts BSA. The most recent name change serves as a rebrand for the national umbrella organization, which has not been done since the organization's founding in 1910. While the name change may feel drastic to onlookers, Rhett Hillard, scoutmaster of Scouting America Troop 50 in Fulton, Missouri, said the new name doesn't appear to be on the minds of people he works with in the organization. It "doesn't rank highly" in comparison to the other changes the organization has made over the past six to seven years, he said. As new handbooks are printed, headquarters change signage and websites are updated, here's what to know about the Scouting America name change. "The board, executive committee and myself, we kind of looked at where we were and said, 'Probably now would be a good time,'" Scouting America President and CEO Roger Krone told USA TODAY of the name change, citing the organization's exit from bankruptcy and growth since allowing girls to join. The organization exited bankruptcy in 2023 after a federal judge approved Scouting America's plan to create a $4.6 billion trust fund for survivors of sexual assault related to the organization. The ruling came more than two years after the organization filed for bankruptcy protection, as ultimately 82,000-plus abuse claims were filed against it. In January, the organization reported that the fund had paid about $70 million to approximately 12,300 survivors of 58,000 claims submitted. As for membership, from 2023 to 2024, Scouting America saw a 1.43% increase, according to the organization's Membership Highlights, presented at the 2024 National Annual Meeting. Specifically, Cub Scouts saw a 4.68% increase, while Scouts BSA experienced a 3.15% decrease, the highlights say. Krone said co-ed scouting organizations also represent the "global model." Scouts Canada, Scouts Australia, Scouts UK, and The Singapore Scout Association are just a few of countless scouting organizations around the world that welcome both boys and girls. Largely, the changes associated with the new name are cosmetic. The organization's mission and programming is not changing. The iconic navy blue Cub Scout uniform and tan Scouts BSA uniform will "essentially be the same," Krone said. However, these uniforms do feature "Boy Scouts of America" or "BSA" sewn over the right shirt pocket. Krone said a new sew-on patch to cover the old name is available at Scout Shops and online. The patch is $2. A new Eagle Scout badge, earned when the highest rank in Scouting America is achieved, will also be released, Krone said, as the existing badge reads, "Boy Scouts of America." The Cub Scout and Scout BSA flags have also been updated to reflect the new name. A new handbook has been printed and the website has been updated to feature the new name and logo. Over the next year or two, Scouting America buildings will be updating their exterior signage, Krone said. Though the program formerly known as Boy Scouts, now Scouts BSA, includes the "Boy Scouts of America" acronym, it doesn't appear that this name will be changing, at least not right away. Scouts BSA is trademarked, so the name will remain for now, according to "Scouting," the official magazine published by Scouting America. Since Scouting America began allowing girls to join in 2018-2019, there has been pushback. "Now, I agree that scouting shouldn't be something that's just exclusive to boys, but isn't that the whole reason why there's Girl Scouts? When scouting exists for both boys and girls and the boys organization switches it to allow girls in it, it almost implies that if you're a Girl Scout, you're not a real scout," Ryan Quinlan, known as But That's My Opinion on social media, said in a TikTok video last year. In 2018, Girl Scouts of America filed a trademark infringement lawsuit against Scouting America, claiming the organization didn't have the right to use terms like "scout" or "scouting" by themselves when rebranding the Boy Scouts program to Scouts BSA. However ultimately, in 2022, the two organizations entered into an agreement to end the litigation. Girl Scouts of America declined comment on the Scouting America name change. Since its founding in 1912, Girl Scouts has only been open to girls. Men are allowed to be leaders within the organization. For girls who have been a part of the Scouting America organization, the recent name change is validating. Sara Rubelee. 14, has been a member of Scouting America Troop 235G in Springfield, Missouri since 2017, when the organization opened an early adopters program for girls. Now, Sara is working on her Eagle Scout Project − collecting musical instruments for an under-privileged school in her community. Troop 235G is an all girls unit. At the Cub Scout level, packs are co-ed, but at the Scouts BSA level, troops are separated by gender. Joining the organization when she was in the second grade, Rubelee said she enjoys "every second" of it, from attending summer camp and earning merit badges − Oceanography is her favorite − to competing in the annual Pinewood Derby and getting started on her Eagle Scout Project. "All these events, and so many more, have absolutely changed the way I view the world, and the way I can help make it a better place," she said. "This organization has led me to having so many friends and gaining new ones almost everywhere I go. As scouting as evolved, so have the scouts, but the morals have always stayed the same: helping youth grow into successful young adults and prepare them for the promising future ahead of them." Krone said the changes the organization has made over the past few years are in attempt to keep up with the "youth of today." "I am much, much more interested in what a 35-year-old parent thinks about child development and what their youth needs than perhaps someone who was a Boy Scout with me," said Krone, who joined the organization in the third grade in 1967. But not everyone in the organization feels the name change is for the best reasons. Scoutmaster Hillard said he thinks it's "a money issue." "They're mostly dwindling numbers, wanting to bolster enrollment numbers in the organization. I never really heard a great reason," he said. In 2018, Scouting America reported that about 2.3 million members made up the organization, down from 2.6 million in 2013, USA TODAY previously reported. It's been a bit longer than just the past decade that girls have been able to join Boy Scouts, now Scouting America. Girls were first welcomed to join the organization in 1969, with the advent of the Exploring, a career-readying program. Girls were then permitted to join Venturing, a co-ed program centered around outdoor adventuring, in 1998. Adult women have been able to be a part of the organization for even longer, with the creation of the Den Mother position in 1936, according to the Scouting America website. The Den Mother position, originally only open to women, is a leadership role within a Cub Scout den. Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at USA TODAY. Follow her on X and Instagram @gretalcross. Story idea? Email her at gcross@ This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Boy Scouts name change official: How program became Scouting America
Yahoo
30-01-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Homestyle Food
There are spoilers ahead. You might want to solve today's puzzle before reading further! Homestyle Food Constructor: Dylan Schiff Editor: Jared Goudsmit ALLIE (15A: Activist ___ Redhorse Young) ALLIE Redhorse Young is a writer and the founder of Protect the Sacred, a grassroots organization focused on educating and empowering Navajo leaders and allies. She is a member of the Diné (Navajo) Nation in northern New Mexico. SODA (68A: Drink such as Inca Kola) Inca Kola, also known as Golden Kola, is a SODA that originates from Peru. Its main ingredient is lemon verbena, giving it a sweet, fruity flavor. Outside of Peru, the Coca-Cola company owns the Inca Kola trademark. TROOP (13A: Scouts BSA group) Scouts BSA is the division of BSA (Boy Scouts of America) that has programming for kids between the ages of 11 and 17. Scouts BSA participants are organized into TROOPs. Here's a heads up for you: On February 8, 2025, the organization's 115 anniversary, BSA will officially change its name to Scouting America. The name change reflects the organization's 2019 policy change that allows girls to join. WAFFLE HOUSE (17A: Restaurant chain that serves the All-Star Special) Founded in 1955 in Georgia, WAFFLE HOUSE now has locations in 25 U.S. States. (Those states do not include Iowa, sadly.) The WAFFLE HOUSE All-Star Special includes eggs, toast, a WAFFLE, choice of bacon, sausage, or ham, and choice of grits, hash browns, or sliced tomatoes. A TON (22A: Oodles) and A LOT (6D: Oodles) Oodles of oodles clues! Okay, two is not exactly oodles, but I couldn't resist. MISO (27A: Soup made with dashi) Homemade dashi is made by heating water containing edible kelp and other ingredients, and then straining the liquid. Dashi powder may be used instead of making homemade stock. Dashi is used as a base for MISO soup. PIZZA HUT (36A: Restaurant chain that once served the P'Zone) Founded in 1958 in Wichita, Kansas, PIZZA HUT now has locations around the world, including in all 50 U.S. states (even Iowa!). The P'zone was a calzone-style PIZZA launched by PIZZA HUT in 2002. It is currently discontinued, although the chain briefly brought it back in 2019. EVAN (42A: "Westworld" actress ___ Rachel Wood) The TV series Westworld (2016-2022) is based on a 1973 movie of the same name. The TV show's story began in a Wild-West-themed amusement park. The hosts in the technologically advanced park are droids. The show's setting eventually expanded to the "real world," where people's lives are controlled by artificial intelligence. EVAN Rachel Wood portrays Dolores Abernathy, a host working at the amusement park. She won a Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Actress in a Drama Series for the role. ASPENS (47A: "Quaking" trees) Quaking ASPENS are named because their leaves appear to tremble in even the slightest breeze. A fun fact about ASPENS is they propagate through their roots, so when you see a grove of ASPENS, it is often one organism sharing a common root system. UNIT (50A: Mile or mole) A mile is a UNIT of length. As you might have learned at some point, a mile is equal to 5,280 feet. A mole is a UNIT used to measure the amount of a substance, particularly the number of particles. One mole is equal to 6.02214076 x 1023 entities, whether that's atoms, molecules, ions, or other particles. That number (approximately 602 sextillion) is referred to as the Avogadro number. INDIRA (53A: Indian prime minister Gandhi) INDIRA Gandhi (1917-1984) was the prime minister of India from 1966 to 1977 and again from 1980 until her assassination in 1984. She is the only female prime minister India has had to date. Although they share a last name (which for INDIRA Gandhi was her married name), INDIRA Gandhi and Mahatma Gandhi (who led India to independence and whose likeness is featured on their currency) were not related. EAT (55A: Chow down) This is a nice bonus answer in this restaurant-theme puzzle. MAC ( 59A: ___ and cheese burger) A MAC and cheese burger is exactly what it sounds like, a hamburger with MAC and cheese as one of the toppings. SHAKE SHACK (62A: Restaurant chain that serves 'Shroom Burgers) Founded in 2004 in New York City, and starting out as a hot dog cart in Madison Square Park, SHAKE SHACK now has 262 locations in the United States (but none in Iowa, sadly), as well as locations around the world. SHAKE SHACK's 'Shroom Burger is a veggie burger that consists of a fried portobello mushroom filled with melted cheddar cheese. CLUES (7D: Crossword hints) I'm a fan of self-referential CLUES. OKRA (58D: Veggie in some maque choux) Maque choux is a traditional dish of Louisiana. It consists of corn, green pepper, onion, and sometimes other vegetables, which are braised with bacon grease. OKRA is one of the vegetables that is sometimes included in the dish. A few other CLUES I especially enjoyed: PEEVES (31A: "Pet" frustrations) NPR TOTE (41D: Iconic bag from a D.C. broadcaster) HID (63D: Avoided the seeker, in a kids' game) WAFFLE HOUSE (17A: Restaurant chain that serves the All-Star Special) PIZZA HUT (36A: Restaurant chain that once served the P'Zone) SHAKE SHACK (62A: Restaurant chain that serves 'Shroom Burgers) HOMESTYLE FOOD: Each theme answer is a restaurant chain whose name is comprised of a FOOD (first word) and a STYLE of HOME (second word). This is a clever theme. It's fun that the theme uses both parts of each theme answer. I also appreciated the choice to clue each theme answer in a parallel manner, [Restaurant chain that serves (or once served) "menu item"]. The only problem I see with this theme is that it has made me hungry. Thank you, Dylan, for this delightful puzzle. One more thing: Occasionally I like to mention things that are happening in the broader crossword world, and today I have two things to share with you. The first one is the Boswords Winter Wondersolve, an online crossword tournament that will happen this coming Sunday from 1:00-4:30 pm Eastern Time. It's not too late to sign up, and I highly recommend it. Boswords holds four events a year – one each season – and they are always worthwhile and extremely enjoyable. Secondly, some folks in the crossword community put together the ORCA Awards each year, to honor great puzzles and clues from the previous year. Voting is currently open for the 13th ORCA Awards. I always enjoy looking at the ballot as a way to marvel at the many crosswords available. The ORCA awards ceremony will be online on February 24 at 9:00 pm Eastern time. USA TODAY's Daily Crossword Puzzles Sudoku & Crossword Puzzle Answers This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Crossword Blog & Answers for January 30, 2025 by Sally Hoelscher
