Troop

Around this time two summers ago, I was packing to go to Boy Scout camp. Not that I camp out. I am far too big a fan of beds, indoor plumbing and air conditioning; less so of bugs and bears. The last time I'd camped was during Ronald Reagan's presidency. Roughing it? A hotel with no room service. But parenthood leads people to do odd things. When my son's Scout troop issued a call for adults to help supervise, I took the week off from work, bought mosquito netting and packed my duffel.

The wrong lessons from Vietnam War It is understandable (but not excusable) that President Bush, having spent his Vietnam War-era military service stateside in the Texas Air National Guard, now thinks that the primary lesson from the Vietnam War is that U.S. soldiers have to keep killing and dying for a lost cause to prevent more killing and dying after they leave ("White House tries to reframe the war debate," Aug. 23). In fact, the key lesson from the war in Vietnam (and the war in Iraq)

WASHINGTON -- The Boy Scouts of America, already putting on a full defense in court of its ban on homosexuals, now finds it has to defend that policy within its own ranks, too -- especially among groups that sponsor Scout troops.The future of the ban depends heavily on the U.S. Supreme Court. The Scouts have appealed a New Jersey Supreme Court ruling that struck down the exclusion of gays as youth members or adult leaders.Signs of Scouting's internal debate over the ban are expected to emerge anew next week when a group of troop-sponsoring organizations reportedly plans to line up on the opposite side in that case.

OLYMPIC VICTORY has arrived early for 46 local Girl Scouts.The Scouts, who range in age from 10 to 17, started working in June and have earned enough money to travel to Georgia this summer for an eight-day trip that will include two Olympic events.The girls and their chaperones will be gone from July 21 through July 28. Their itinerary includes time in Savannah, where they will visit the childhood home of Girl Scout founder Juliet Gordon Lowe; pontoon boating on Okefenokee Swamp; the Olympic field hockey and track and field events in Atlanta; and an overnight stay on the aircraft carrier Yorktown at Fort Sumter, S.C.Research, planning and raising funds have consumed the girls for months, said Julie Cowell, the leader of Junior Troop 2117, where daughters Mary Kate and Beth Ann are members.

TAKING FULL ADVANTAGE of favorable developments in Bosnia, the administration is dribbling out acknowledgment that the U.S. troop presence there will extend well beyond the Dec. LTC 20 withdrawal deadline promised by President Clinton.This can hardly come as a surprise to anyone paying close attention to the situation. It has long been apparent that the Clinton timetable was too optimistic, that Bosnia could plunge back into war and our NATO allies would pull out entirely if the United States ended its military commitment.

THE COUNTY Department of Recreation and Parks is grateful to five young men who chose service projects along the B&A Trail Park to complete their work toward becoming Eagle Scouts.The new Eagle Scouts are Michael Bowen of Troop 955, Philip Duker of Troop 672, Andrew Johnston of Troop 993, Donald Lippy of Troop 822 and Andrew Messmore of Troop 446.The Scouts and others from their troops spent hundreds of hours designing, building and installing their projects.One of the projects resulted in the installation of three picnic tables beside the trail behind Severna Park Elementary School.

Few things matter more to George Baker than making a difference in the lives of boys."I believe we were put here for God's will," said the scoutmaster of Ellicott City's Troop 874. "To set a godly example and set them on the road to manhood."That dedication has earned the Owen Brown resident a Silver Beaver Award, the highest honor bestowed on adults in scouting."He's kind of the heart and soul of the group," said Donald Rascoe, Troop 874's committee chairman. "He works extremely well with boys."

Lee Levinson's troop gave him a boisterous cheer as Assistant Scoutmaster Jerry Grim welcomed him to the rank of second-class Boy Scout.The ceremony was a moment of triumph for the 16-year-old Scout, who has cerebral palsy and is visually impaired. It took him almost 2 1/2 years to move from tenderfoot status to the second-class rank -- a transition that takes six months for most Scouts.Such milestones are cause for celebration in Troop 730, where the Scouts are mentally and physically disabled.

The local Cub Scout troops invite old members and new friends to Back to School Night on Thursday. Leaders of the local dens will be available to sign up new members and renew old friendships that night at area schools.Dave Czaplicki is the contact person for Troop 62 at Forest Ridge. His number is (301) 725-1076. Lisa Maloney of Troop 345 out of Laurel Woods can be reached at (301) 725-4750. Tanya Lewis of Troop 513 at Guilford Elementary can be reached at (410) 381-5785. Joseph Owens of Troop 606 at Hammond Elementary can be reached at (301)

East Columbia Boy Scouts Kevin Lunney of Troop 601 and Explorer Search and Rescue Post 616, James Kennedy of Troop 613, James Crifasi of Troop 601 and Douglas Wheeler of Troop 361 will be among Scouts receiving recognition from Howard County Executive Charles I. Ecker on Monday in the Banneker Room of the George Howard Building, 3430 Courthouse Drive, Ellicott City.The annual awards evening honors young men and women who have achieved their respective organization's highest award: Girl Scout Gold and Boy Scout Eagle ranks.

A Harford County boy might earn Scouting's highest honor with a community project thousands of miles from his home in Jarrettsville. Life Scout Alex Griffith, 15, knows the criteria for the rank of Eagle involve service to the community, a school or church. Alex, adopted in 1994 by Dwight and Jenny Griffith, lived the first year of his life at a hospital for abandoned children in Krasnoyarsk, a city in the Siberian region of Russia. He wants to give the children living at Hospital No. 20 a playground.

Word of the triplet Eagle Scouts has been percolating through the community for a couple of months now - three brothers, born within minutes of each other 18 years ago this spring, who will achieve the highest rank attainable in the Boys Scouts of America. These things don't happen every day - in fact, it appears to have happened only once in nearly 100 years of Scouting - so attention must be paid. It's finally official, which means we get to tell you about the Podhorniak boys today, and we could not have a more perfect moment for the story - Mother's Day 2008.

The wrong lessons from Vietnam War It is understandable (but not excusable) that President Bush, having spent his Vietnam War-era military service stateside in the Texas Air National Guard, now thinks that the primary lesson from the Vietnam War is that U.S. soldiers have to keep killing and dying for a lost cause to prevent more killing and dying after they leave ("White House tries to reframe the war debate," Aug. 23). In fact, the key lesson from the war in Vietnam (and the war in Iraq)

Around this time two summers ago, I was packing to go to Boy Scout camp. Not that I camp out. I am far too big a fan of beds, indoor plumbing and air conditioning; less so of bugs and bears. The last time I'd camped was during Ronald Reagan's presidency. Roughing it? A hotel with no room service. But parenthood leads people to do odd things. When my son's Scout troop issued a call for adults to help supervise, I took the week off from work, bought mosquito netting and packed my duffel.

Monsignor James P. Farmer of St. Ursula Catholic Church may have done right by his church, but he has done a disservice to the Boy Scouts who are members of the troop sponsored by his Parkville parish. He has barred from Boy Scout functions politicians who oppose Catholic teachings, notably on embryonic stem cell research, for no other reason than the view they hold. That surely wouldn't pass a Scout's test of courtesy, respect for others or, for that matter, good citizenship. As an organization, the Boy Scouts of America tries to keep politics out; Monsignor Farmer's edict has needlessly politicized an aspect of scouting life.

The idea of retirement usually calls to mind relaxation, naps and maybe an occasional night out. But for Robert Scarburgh, 78, his retirement in 1989 ushered in long days spent volunteering at organizations throughout Howard County. "I have a lot of nervous energy," said Scarburgh, who worked 43 years for the Chesapeake & Potomac Telephone Co. "I like to be on the go a lot." Typically, Scarburgh volunteers at least three days a week. Although he keeps a flexible schedule, he usually volunteers at the Ellicott City Kiwanis Club on Mondays, with the state police in Jessup on Thursdays and with a Boy Scout troop once a week.

Seven Carroll County girls recently earned the Girl Scouts' highest honor, the Gold Award, for outstanding accomplishments in leadership, community service, career planning and personal development. Senior Girl Scouts working toward the Gold Award must complete five requirements related to the above areas, including spending at least 50 hours planning and implementing a Girl Scout service project that has a positive and lasting effect on the community. The Carroll recipients are: Laura Ciborowski: Troop 509. A graduate of Glenelg High School, she did her project on "Bringing Kids Together."

Eight girls in Harford County recently received the Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest honor given in the Girl Scouts program. Allison Daniels, Melanie Houlihan, Erin Linnan, Kathleen McCaig, Ashley Mellott, Jaime Myers, Lauren Snyder and Pamela Staso were honored at a ceremony in Westminster, joining more than 3,000 young women across the country to earn the award this year. In order to be eligible for the award, a Girl Scout must be 15 to 17 years old. She must also complete a project, designed to help "a community, a school or a faith-based institution."

Brian Csernak became a Boy Scout for one reason: his brother. "I always looked up to him," he said. "When David became an Eagle Scout, that's all I wanted to do." Csernak turned his goals into reality recently when he received the Eagle rank at an Eagle Scout Court of Honor in Bradshaw. He started Scouting in 1993 and has since earned 42 merit badges. Csernak relocated from Pennsylvania to Bel Air six years ago and joined Boy Scout Troop 877 at St. Stephen's Parish. Csernak has held many leadership positions, including assistant patrol leader, patrol leader, troop bugler and troop guide.

A 12-year-old Sykesville Boy Scout was recovering yesterday in a Pittsburgh hospital after a seven-hour rescue from a southwestern Pennsylvania cavern, a hospital spokeswoman said. John Graybeal was in good condition, according to the spokeswoman for Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh. The Mountview Middle School sixth-grader said he entered Laurel Caverns in Hopwood, Pa., about 50 miles south of Pittsburgh, with his troop and a professional guide Saturday. The troop was exploring an area called "the Beach," when John slipped and fell between rocks, said David Cale, who owns the land and buildings at Laurel Caverns.