The Goshen Scout Reservation in Virginia was closed Sunday due to an E. coli outbreak and will remain closed until further notice, the Boy Scouts of America said Sunday.

The National Capital Area Council, Boy Scouts of America, immediately decided to close Goshen and alerted the Virginia Department of Health after learning of the three most recent cases, according to Alan Lambert, the Council’s Scout Executive.

Health department officials confirmed Friday that at least 14 boys and one adult were infected with E. coli while attending the camp. All 14 boys were from Northern Virginia and nine were hospitalized.

The affected Scouts were at Goshen Scout Reservation during the camp’s fifth week, from July 28 through Saturday. At that time, there were 1,310 Scouts, adult leaders, and staff members residing at the more than 4,000-acre campground in the mountains.

Goshen will remain closed until further notice, Lambert said.

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Arthur Robert Hamilton, loving father, brother and husband, born May 4, 1926, in New Brunswick, N.J., passed away Monday, July 28, 2008, in Aztec.

Growing up in Albany, N.Y., Bob chose to support the United States and enlisted in the Navy where he was stationed at Great Lakes Navel Base in Illinois. After WWII, Bob went on to finish his education at the University of Maryland. After earning a BFA in accounting, he went on to dedicating his life to the Boy Scouts of America.

Bob was a lifelong scout, earning the distinction of Eagle at the age of 15. He was used as model for the Norman Rockwell painting, “We, Too, Have a Job to Do.” At the age of 17, he presented a lithograph of the painting to Henry A. Wallace, the vice president of the United States, on the White House steps.

After the war, his scoutmaster encouraged him to continue his service to others and enter the professional service of the Boy Scouts of America. Bob was a career fundraiser for the Scouts and has worked all over the United States, helping others throughout his life.

Bob was preceded in death by his father, John Hamilton; mother, Elizabeth Hauth; his wife, Suzanne; and brother, William Hamilton.

He is survived by his brother, Jack, and Walter Hamilton; his children, Christopher and his wife, Susanne, of Farmington, Drew and his wife, Genevieve, of Brier, Wash., Jennifer and her husband, Fred Lopez, of Farmington, and Alison and Kevin King of Chandler, Ariz. Bob has three grandsons, Tyler William, Colby Carter and Jordan Christopher Hamilton, of Farmington.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorials be made to the Boy Scouts of America.

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Leave No Trace(LNT), an educational program dedicated to responsible enjoyment and active stewardship of the outdoors be all people, is being integrated into all levels of the scouting program, Cubs, Boy Scouts and Venturing.

Earlier this year, the BSA National Task Force on Leave no Trace has asked all BSA Councils to begin a training process to develop at least one LNT Master Educator in each council and one LNT Trainer in each district.

The BSA Leave No Trace Task Force announced that the National Council is sponsoring a new, optional Council level position: “Council Outdoor Ethics Advocate”. According to the information received by Scouting News, the national organization has not yet finalized the position description.

Here is the DRAFT position description for the new position:

The Council Outdoor Ethics Advocate serves as the local council’s point person for facilitating Leave No Trace training and similar outdoor ethics programs for BSA youth and adults. This training enriches the Scouting experience for the members, reduces our impact on the land consistent with Scouting’s historic message, and will help ensure continuing access to public lands for Scouting purposes. The Council Outdoor Ethics Advocate should coordinate with the Council’s Training, Camping, Conservation and/or Program Committees. Where appropriate, the Council Outdoor Ethics Advocate may also serve on one or more of these committees. Prior training as a Leave No Trace Master Educator or Trainer is preferred, but not required, if the individual commits to obtaining the training.

As you can see, the Council Outdoor Ethics Advocate can play an important role in enriching the program experience–and hence member retention–for youth and adult members.

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