So 2010 is gone! 

It didn’t turn out quite like I had expected for Scouting News.  Personal commitments including returing from Iraq, working at a new Boy Scout Camp, moving two hours away from my “home base”, and starting a “real job” kept me pretty distracted this past year.  Hopefully I can get back on track for 2011!

The top five posts of 2010: 

1. Geocaching Merit Badge Requirements

2. Historic Merit Badge Program on Hold

3. 2010 Centennial Rank Advancement Badges

4. 2010 Dremel Pinewood Derby Days Program

5. Members of Congress Call on BSA to End Its Discrimination against Gays and Lesbians

Top 5 Referring Sites:

1. Facebook.com (Become a Fan of ScoutingNews)

2. HalfEagle.com

3. en.wikipedia.org

4. blog.geocaching.com

5. BoyandGirlScouts.com - Even though Joshua has been hiding since July, his site is still sending lots of traffic.

Top Search Engine Keywords:

1. Geocaching Merit Badge 

2. New Merit Badges

3. Robotics Merit Badge

4. Scouting Heritage Merit Badge

5. Mike Rowe Eagle Scout Letter

Well thats a brief look at 2010.  I wonder what 2011 will bring?  Thoughts?

James H. May, a Boy Scouts of America volunteer for almost 50 years, was recognized by the Greater St. Louis Area Council as its representative in the 2010 National Hall of Leadership. A presentation was made at the council’s Executive Board meeting on Thursday, Dec. 9, 2010. The National Hall of Leadership was part of the BSAs’ 100th anniversary celebration during 2010.

Mr. May and 12 other Scouting volunteers were submitted by a local committee for the national award. Mr. May was selected as the council’s honoree by a national selection committee. He was one of approximately 300 inductees into the Hall of Leadership from throughout the United States.

For the past 44 years, Mr. May led a team of volunteers that taught more than 18,000 Scouts from throughout north St. Louis County how to swim or reviewed them on Swimming or Lifesaving Merit Badge. Advanced lifesaving skills also were taught. Not one serious injury occurred during the program’s history. More than a dozen incidents were documented where Scouts or leaders used lifesaving or CPR skills they learned from this program to save a life.

The other nominees for the award were:
?Albert E. “Rick” Bender, Neal Mercille, ?Barry J. Bingham, Dennis Nicholas, ??Daniel J. Decker, Robert Schwedtmann, Blase W. Boettcher, Sanford A. Silverstein, ?Steven J. Gruendler, ?Robert E. Vogt, ?Kenneth A. Kleinberg

 The Boy Scouts of Schweinfurt Troop 55 and two Cub Scouts from Pack 630 spent the day with the 12th Chemical Company, 18th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, on Conn Kaserne here recently learning how to be a chemical soldier.

All the Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts are children of soldiers currently living in Germany, and they participated in a number of activities set up by the 12th Chem. Co. platoons.

One station was learning about the Biological Integrated Detection System. The scouts saw how a BIDS is set up and run. They each had a chance to sit in the captain’s chairs, use the video surveillance system, hear what the system does and see its features.

Another station highlighted the Fox vehicle and the 12th Chem. Co.’s reconnaissance robot, the PackBot 510.

“I really liked going into the Fox vehicle and being in the driver’s seat,” said 9-year-old Tyr Eriksson, a native of Cape Coral, Fla.

The scouts saw firsthand what it would take to be a Fox crew member. They tried on helmets and talked through the headsets’ communication systems, which was a hit with the scouts.

Learning about the robot was also popular. The scouts said they enjoyed watching the robot’s uses and capabilities.

The final station was decontamination, which consisted of two parts. First the decontamination platoon Soldiers showed the scouts how to wash and spray the chemical contamination off of vehicles with the M12 Pump. The system is used to pressurize and heat the water coming out of the decontamination system and into hoses. The scouts were shown how to give hand movements to safely position the water flow and vehicle movement. The second half of the station had the scouts mopping down the vehicles, which is the application process of a decontamination detergent.

“It was nice to have the Families there to see what the Soldiers do at work,” said 1st Lt. Jennifer Montgomery, a native of Rock Falls, Ill., and the platoon leader for the 12th Chem. Co.’s reconnaissance platoon.

Story by: Spc. Randi Diggs
Photo by: Aislinn Amig