The Train the Trainer Event excluded all Parochial School Students

In the mid 70's when I was still in High  School The Allegheny Trails Council Now the Laurel Highlands Council  after several mergers  sent out notices to all troops of an important meeting being held in down town at the  YMCA auditorium Green Bar Bill  was coming to town with an important message  for all.
GBB as some called him came and presented a new train the trainer program  known as TTT for both youth and adults  which was to present all kind of new concepts to scouters .
It included a  special one week camp for youths who where above first class and where senior patrol  level  that was 4 scouts in our troop
Among the items the course provided where a special white cloth jacket to show you attended the training and a wooden walking stick.
great everyone in the audience thought .
Till they announced the date for the 3rd week in June . This meant any one going to any type of  Roman Catholic or other parochial  school etc. could not attend this course  as typically they go 1-2 weeks longer than public schools . In essence this knocked out 90% of the  scouts who lived in the City of Pittsburgh because all most all the troops where sponsored by Catholic  or  other Christian based churches and the vast majority of scouts who where catholic or christian went to parochial based private schools  in the city .

There was a loud uproar at the event about the date and as usual the council executives   most of whom where not Catholic  could care less.
So a program where young men could benefit the most where left out.
That summer a couple of scouts I ran into had participated and told me how they wished they had not gone as it was totally bogus and they where extremely disappointed in the program which GBB hyped up. The modern fore runner of these so called company retreats and training programs .
 After that summer you never saw any of the jackets or walking sticks again and no one ever mentioned it again which pretty much proved the program was a bust. Which I think was the whole Ideal in first place council did not have the money to provide properly for all who wanted to be involved so they made sure just certain scouts who they liked attended.
 This is not the scouting way
but this has always been what scouting executives have pulled against city scouts . When we had camporees it was always to help fix up the camps or other work projects very rarely was it ever to actually enjoy a camporee and scouting craft no that was for the soft suburban scouts. It was always made clear to city scouts the suburban scouts where special and better  at events always getting best seating at council wide camporees when they had evening shows or any type of competition   etc.etc  and as far as I can determine it still goes on to this day. What a shame. But when you look at that Taj Mahal  office they call Flag Plaza  on Bedford Ave in Pittsburgh  you can see the whole Frick and Carnegie  days all over again the city scouts being the employees and suburban scouts the bosses. Because thats how they have always run scouting in Pittsburgh since Mr. Phillips  retired from scouting in the 50's  who was a city man and based scouting on not where you where from .
Mr. Phillips never would have allowed such a Taj Mahal to be built. He treated all scouts and adults equal and thats why he has been maligned by council .

Disgusting this was permitted to go on heads need to roll for this

Boy Scouts release 'perversion' files

October 19, 2012 12:01 am

By Jason Felch and Kim Christensen / Los Angeles Times

LOS ANGELES -- The veil was lifted Thursday on decades of confidential sexual abuse allegations in the ranks of the Boy Scouts of America with the court-ordered release of more than 1,200 of the organization's "perversion files."
The files offer the public an unprecedented look at how suspected molestations were handled by one of the nation's leading youth organizations from the early 1960s through 1985, a time when awareness of sexual abuse was evolving rapidly.
"The secrets are out," said Kelly Clark, one of the plaintiff's lawyers in an Oregon lawsuit that resulted in a nearly $20 million judgment against the Scouts in 2010. "Child abuse thrives in secrecy, and secret systems are where it breeds. And these secrets are out."
Mr. Clark's office made the files public -- minus the names of victims and others who reported suspected abuse -- after the Oregon Supreme Court ordered their release in June at the request of news organizations including the Oregonian newspaper of Portland, Oregon Public Broadcasting, The New York Times and The Associated Press.
The Los Angeles Times is incorporating the files into its own online database, which contains information on nearly 5,000 such cases spanning 1947 to January 2005. The database offers a complete record of files during that period, except for an unknown number of files that have been purged by the Scouts over the years. The Los Angeles Times database can be found at http://spreadsheets.latimes.com/boyscouts-cases/.
In a statement Thursday, the Boy Scouts' national president, Wayne Perry, underscored the organization's enhanced child-protection efforts in recent years, including beefed-up background checks and training of leaders and mandatory reporting of all suspected abuse. He also acknowledged that incidents of abuse have occurred, some mishandled by the Scouts.
"There have been instances where people misused their positions in Scouting to abuse children, and in certain cases, our response to these incidents and our efforts to protect youth were plainly insufficient, inappropriate or wrong," he said. "Where those involved in Scouting failed to protect -- or, worse, inflicted harm on children -- we extend our deepest and sincere apologies to victims and their families."
In recent months, the Times has published an investigation of those files and thousands of case summaries from 1940 to 2005. The files and summaries were obtained from Seattle attorney Timothy Kosnoff, who has sued the Scouts on behalf of dozens of abuse victims.
The Times investigation has revealed a broad range of patterns in the Scouts' handling of abuse allegations that echo similar revelations about the Catholic Church and, more recently, the Penn State University scandal involving assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky.
On Wednesday, the Times reported that the files revealed a clear pattern of grooming behavior, in which men seduced their young victims.
In September, the Times reported that the Boy Scouts of America failed to report hundreds of alleged child molesters to police and often hid the allegations from parents and the public. Scouting officials frequently urged admitted offenders to quietly resign and helped many to cover their tracks, allowing the molesters to cite bogus reasons for their departure.
In 80 percent of the 500 cases where the Scouts were the first to learn about abuse, there is no record of Scouting officials reporting the allegations to police.
In more than 100 of the cases, officials actively sought to conceal the alleged abuse or allowed the suspects to hide it, the Times found.
Nine days after the September report, the Boy Scouts announced that the organization would conduct a comprehensive review of some 5,000 files, going back to the 1940s, and would report to law enforcement any cases it had not previously disclosed.
In August, the Times reported that the blacklist -- for years the primary line of defense against child molesters -- was repeatedly breached.


First Published October 19, 2012 12:00 am

Eagle Scout Who Became a Corporate Puke

Back in 1980's when Mall's where all the cool thing I was called as President of a local mineral collectors  The Pittsburgh Mineral and Lapidary society group  a now defunct group and asked if we could put on a display at the mall while a large vendor who put on mineral shows was  there. Sure no problem I arranged to get stuff there and told them I would be there after I finished my work shift as a guard that morning as I had a pick up truck and could bring all the cases over. So members could fill them. I needed to be there set up and out by 9:00 am when mall opened which should have been no problem but guard who was suppose to relive me never showed up.
So I had to wait for replacement to show up and I was late getting there ad at 9:00 am I am on the top floor
of Century III Mall  no ones around and finishing things up. At 9:00 am the malls 3rd level is empty at the time many of the spaces where empty as well. But no matter one of the guards comes up and asks how long I will be I said about 20 more minutes, OK he says since there was no public on floor . but this was not good enough for a corporate puke for the mall  Dave who was a manager of the mall and fellow Eagle Scout he starts his horse shit I need off the floor period never mind I spent my time my gas to come put this display on and I had been delayed setting up being loyal to my job theirs no one on floor and I would be done in 20 minutes.
So I packed up and left and told big Man Dave to F-off  I don't Bowell down to corporate pukes .

So as I am on my way out the door on my last trip some bigger bosses come on floor and want to know whats going on I said ask your boy Dave and left. I get a call about 2 hours later asking me to come back the higher ups said Dave exceeded his authority.  So I did go back and they even had a mall janitor who helped me bring things in  and it was a good show for Mr. Freeland and all vendors he invited to show their gems and minerals.
for sale. the mall has been thru several owners and management company's and Dave is long gone .
 to e an Eagle Scout and act in such a manner you get disciplined by higher ups in unconscionable he is one of many eagles I have run across who need to turn their badges back in.

Boy Scouts and the Nazi's symbol on there badge

Yes that is a Swastika you see behind a Boyscout badge but do not let it throw you.
before the swastika became a  the universal sign of NAZI hatred
it was used as sign of good luck . Even Buddhas can be found with Swastikas on there heads .
This medal in particular was given to citizens who helped do good for scouting.
As far as any NAZI connection and scouting there are none to be found in fact Hitler wanted Baden Powell very dead as with the Boy Scouts movement  .
Many say the Hitler youth where modeled after the boy scouts this is not true either. Nor is the boyscout salute a Hitler salute that was used well before the Nazis ever did a Seig Heil yet there are those who would have you believe otherwise.
You will also find rhetoric to the fact Baden Powell was a homo sexual and pedophile again no truth found to this as well.
Lots of rumors and inuenda but no solid proof I could find anywhere. just those who can not stand right from wrong and being a good citizen trying to smudge the boy scout name.

How The Boy Scouts contributed to a major Environmental Disaster when Pine Creek Flooded in 2014 during Hurricane Ivan

The Best of Intentions lead to the Worst Decision.

How The BSA thought it was doing something good but in 2004 caused a Major Disaster when Ivan the Terrible came calling.

Around 30 + years ago in North Park one of the Allegheny County system of parks located in South Western Pa.

A group of scouts from the Silver Tip District held a Stream/Environment Improvement Camporee weekend . Camped appropriately next to a new Waste Transfer Station to help the environment In an effort to improve the condition of a well known Trout stream called Pine Creek which runs thru the park and all the way to the Allegheny River in Etna Pa.

The scouts under the direction of a Pa. Fish Commissioner and local Sportsman Assoc. from Allison Park Twp area with help from the local Navy Reserve Construction Battalion who brought in heavy operating equipment. got to work to help save the stream and make it better for fishing. So we thought.

One of the first areas to receive attention was behind a privately owned Babcock Swimming pool along the creek where the North Park Lake Spill way empties into the creek the whole area along this section of the creek was eroded and needed rebuilt it was decide to build a massive 100 plus foot wall 6 foot high with truck and car tires filled with rocks which provided a formidable barrier and did stop the erosion.

This was also done in several other areas along the creek as well. The tire walls worked where cheap and held back the hill sides and stopped the erosion. Only one problem no one thought thru what they where doing. Tires float and this was before all the environmental regulations of streams where in place. Today the scouts would have been forbidden from doing it.

Well for almost 30 years these walls held solid and caused no problems. But then in 2004 a Tropical storm which grew in to a horrendous Hurricane Ivan came up the East Coast and it visited the Western Pa. area bringing with it massive flooding in some areas worse than what was seen in 1936 during the St. Patrick Days flood. Pine Creek was decimated

Dozens of homes and business where badly flooded some so bad they where condemned.

Several Millions in damage,

And one of the big reasons why Pine Creek flooded so badly was because of all the thousands of tire used to make walls which broke loose and formed dams blocking the water.

There where plenty of township and state officials extremely mad about who put those tires in the creek all those years ago. Because it took big bucks to get them all rounded up taken out and properly disposed of. But is seems everyone has selective memory and no one dare point the finger at a Fish Commissioner who was a scoutmaster and who has since passed away or the Boy Scouts or the Sportsman assoc. whose insurance should have paid for this as they have activities insurance should they cause harm to a property. In fact no one wants to talk about what how and why to prevent some thing like this from ever happening again and yes it will happen.

But since the Boy Scouts can do no wrong and no one was willing to file actions or investigate a wrong has been allowed to go on.With no apology or review. So tell what exactly does the scout oath stand for.

Everyone is like well we did not know and there where no regulations and all the other bull crap that goes with it. But I know what happened and now you do.

How one of the founders of BSA and Carrick resident was disprespected By a Local Council

John M. Phillips along with William Boyce both men from the Pittsburgh Pa. area where instrumental in starting the scouting program in the United states and both knew Baden Powell who started the Boy Scouts in the UK
and while the name Boyce is prominently remembered John M. Philips has been totally disrespected and forgotten. But why?

http://wiki.carrick-overbrook.org/John_M._Phillips

So who is John M. Phillips

He was a prominent Pittsburgh Industrialist involved in the manufacture of coal mining machinery and was one of the country's first recognized Conservationists who would go on to form the Pa. Game commission which has been the model of such programs and followed by almost all states in there managing of wildlife

He lived in Carrick Pa. which is now part of the City of Pittsburgh being its 29th ward.

Carrick always was a rough and tumble town your father either worked for the city of Pittsburgh as fire/police/garbage man etc. or they worked in one of the many Steel mills in Pittsburgh area or they where a local tradesman or business man.

Mr. Phillips very much loved the natural outdoors and became so concerned by it he looked to local youth to help save the states many natural resources including its trees, which Mr. Phillips spent many thousands of his own money having scouts plant trees all over Pa. including chestnut trees which where almost totally destroyed due to over use in wagon wheel axles.

He started the first scout troop in Carrick which at one time had several and now has none his original troop 1 was renumbered and still exists in neighboring Brentwood Pa. the original council name for the area Allegheny was changed in the 1950's to Allegheny trails council and after several mergers is now called Greater Pittsburgh Council and the local district which was part of his original troop was called " Silver Tip " his Indian name given to him by western Indians he made friends with while hunting out west. But it is my understanding silver Tip district is no more its name being changed.

I found out about Mr. Phillips thru the late Russel Beaver a Scoutmaster and silver tip committeeman and Silver Beaver recipient who lived by his home and knew him and he lead me on a life long journey of research on him as part of my Overall eagle scout Project on the history of Carrick a History I would find out some did not want known and written.

Mr. Beaver said to me there should be a Statue of Mr. Phillips for all he has done at Phillips park in Carrick which is named after him and though at the time of my Eagle scout Project I could not get any traction or help in doing so I did file to get him a state historical plaque in 1976 and finally thru the efforts of myself and a new group of residents who helped form the Carrick-Overbrook historical society in 2010 It was finally done and a stat historical plague sits where his home once did. But no thanks to the Boy Scouts of America and the Greater Pittsburgh council now known as Laurel highlands council   who would not help in any way or manner celebrate there founder. One of the few Silver Buffalo recipient

They where asked several times to help confirm research we had done so we could file for the state marker saying he was instrumental in starting the Boy Scouts they refused to help and even after the marker was approved refused to send a representative from council. or a Order of the Arrow dance team exhibit there dance skills as a tribute due to Mr. Phillips strong Indian ties and refused to help us find and locate his Indian outfit to display at the ceremony . I saw the outfit in 1977 at Camp Guyasuta and it has since disapeared on purpose.

Luckily we found out the Brentwood troop still existed and they came and did a flag ceremony and they helped fill in some of the holes in our research , but we never got any cooperation at all from council. But the state Game commission that was a whole different matter 2 local Game Wardens came and gave a state proclamation and gave a short speech on Mr. Phillips and answered the crowds questions about him and the commission . There are several state plaques on game commission lands in honor of Mr. Philips . But not one mention of him in history of scouting and his part. But why?

This I will explore in part 2 and it will shock you.