California Inland Empire Council                      Monday Memo

Welcome to our December 27th, 2010 Monday Memo

Christmas Eve Prayer Give us, O God, the vision which can see Your love in the world in spite of human failure. Give us the faith to trust Your goodness in spite of our ignorance and weakness. Give us the knowledge that we may continue to pray with understanding hearts. And show us what each one of us can do to set forward the coming of the day of universal peace. -- Frank Borman, Apollo 8 space mission, 1968 Frank was a boy scout in his hometown of Tucson, Arizona

Greetings From Our Council President 

When I said yes to being a Webelos Leader I never thought that some 35 years later I would still be involved in Scouting, but here I am and would never give back one day of the Scouting I have done with my boys, my wife and you.

The last couple of years have been a real challenge for all of us and especially our professionals. I would like to say thank you to all of you for what you do for Scouting and our Council in particular. Without the hard driving effort that you have made in the last couple of years we would never have gotten as far as we have in such a short period of time.

But now the challenge is to get us all trained so we can do a better job in our current position. I hope you will also say yes the next time you are asked as well!

 Whether we like it or not we need to continue to increase our Friends of Scouting more from those that have donated and increase the number of families that donate to our council. Another challenge will be to retain more and more of the young people we serve. With a quality program in all our units, we will be able to recruit more youth in our units from Cub Scouts on up.

2011 looks like the year to break out and make California Inland Empire Council shine as we know it can and will.

Again thank you for what you do for Scouting. 

Cub Scouts Spreading Christmas Cheer Pack 222 from Mt. Rubidoux District, did something very special for their very first event as a new Pack. The Scouts and Adult leaders went caroling to the Country Village Senior Apartments, where they caroled for the adults and their grand children. Once they were done bringing a smile to everyone with their caroling, the scouts were invited to join in the craft fair, share cup cakes, drinks and meet the Jolly One from the north pole, Santa Clause.

A Wonderful Christmas Story...Honoring Our Wounded Warriors...Thanks to Past Council President Mike Goldware

Here's a 'today' Yule story that occurred 3 weeks ago ~ AND NOW, in time for the holidays, I bring you the best Christmas story you never heard.

It started last Christmas, when Bennett and Vivian Levin were overwhelmed by sadness while listening to radio reports of injured American troops. "We have to let them know we care," Vivian told Bennett. So they organized a trip to bring soldiers from Walter Reed Army Medical Center and Bethesda Naval Hospital to the annual Army-Navy football game in Philly, on Dec. 3.

The cool part is, they created their own train line to do it. Yes, there are people in this country who actually own real trains. Bennett Levin - native Philly guy, self-made millionaire and irascible former L&I commish - is one of them.

He has three luxury rail cars. Think mahogany paneling, plush seating and white-linen dining areas. He also has two locomotives, which he stores at his Juniata Park train yard. One car, the elegant Pennsylvania , carried John F. Kennedy to the Army-Navy game in 1961 and '62. Later, it carried his brother Bobby's body to D. C. for burial. "That's a lot of history for one car," says Bennett.

He and Vivian wanted to revive a tradition that endured from 1936 to 1975, during which trains carried Army-Navy spectators from around the country directly to the stadium where the annual game is played. The Levins could think of no better passengers to reinstate the ceremonial ride than the wounded men and women recovering at Walter Reed in D. C. and Bethesda , in Maryland . "We wanted to give them a first-class experience," says Bennett. "Gourmet meals on board, private transportation from the train to the stadium, perfect seats - real hero treatment."

Through the Army War College Foundation, of which he is a trustee, Bennett met with Walter Reed's commanding general, who loved the idea. But Bennett had some ground rules first, all designed to keep the focus on the troops alone:

No press on the trip, lest the soldiers' day of pampering devolve into a media circus.

No politicians either, because, says Bennett, "I didn't want some idiot making this trip into a campaign photo op"

And no Pentagon suits on board, otherwise the soldiers would be too busy saluting superiors to relax.

The general agreed to the conditions, and Bennett realized he had a problem on his hands. "I had to actually make this thing happen," he laughs.

Over the next months, he recruited owners of 15 other sumptuous rail cars from around the country - these people tend to know each other - into lending their vehicles for the day. The name of their temporary train? The Liberty Limited.

Amtrak volunteered to transport the cars to D. C. - where they'd be coupled together for the round-trip ride to Philly - then back to their owners later.

Conrail offered to service the Liberty while it was in Philly. And SEPTA drivers would bus the disabled soldiers 200 yards from the train to Lincoln Financial Field, for the game.

A benefactor from the War College ponied up 100 seats to the game - on the 50-yard line - and lunch in a hospitality suite.

And corporate donors filled, for free and without asking for publicity, goodie bags for attendees:

From Woolrich, stadium blankets. From Wal-Mart, digital cameras. From Nikon, field glasses. From GEAR, down jackets.

There was booty not just for the soldiers, but for their guests, too, since each was allowed to bring a friend or family member.

The Marines, though, declined the offer. "They voted not to take guests with them, so they could take more Marines," says Levin, choking up at the memory.

Bennett's an emotional guy, so he was worried about how he'd react to meeting the 88 troops and guests at D. C.'s Union Station, where the trip originated. Some GIs were missing limbs. Others were wheelchair-bound or accompanied by medical personnel for the day. "They made it easy to be with them," he says. "They were all smiles on the ride to Philly. Not an ounce of self-pity from any of them. They're so full of life and determination."

At the stadium, the troops reveled in the game, recalls Bennett. Not even Army's lopsided loss to Navy could deflate the group's rollicking mood.

Afterward, it was back to the train and yet another gourmet meal - heroes get hungry, says Levin - before returning to Walter Reed and Bethesda . "The day was spectacular," says Levin. "It was all about these kids. It was awesome to be part of it."

The most poignant moment for the Levins was when 11 Marines hugged them goodbye, then sang them the Marine Hymn on the platform at Union Station.

"One of the guys was blind, but he said, 'I can't see you, but man, you must be  beautiful!' " says Bennett. "I got a lump so big in my throat, I couldn't even answer him."

It's been three weeks, but the Levins and their guests are still feeling the day's love. "My Christmas came early," says Levin, who is Jewish and who loves the Christmas season. "I can't describe the feeling in the air." Maybe it was hope.

As one guest wrote in a thank-you note to Bennett and Vivian, "The fond memories generated last Saturday will sustain us all - whatever the future may bring."

God bless the Levins. And bless the troops, every one.

Boys’ Life: 100 Years of Good Reading

Written by John Ingram, Marketing

Boys’ Life magazine celebrates its 100th anniversary next year. The first edition of Boys’ Life came off the press March 1, 1911. The cost was five cents an issue, where it remained until December 1912, when it jumped to a dime.

George S. Barton of Somerville, Massachusetts, was the founder, publisher, and first editor of Boys’ Life. Barton called his magazine, “The Boys’ and Boy Scouts’ Magazine.” In 1911 he hoped Boys’ Life would appeal to members of several Scouting organizations, including the American Boy Scouts, the New England Boy Scouts, and the Boy Scouts of America.

Every issue published during the 2011 anniversary year will be highly collectible, especially the March 2011 issue—the official Boys’ Life 100th Anniversary issue.

Because the Boy Scouts of America saw the value of publishing an official magazine to “bind closer together the thousands of boys and men interested in Scouting,” the BSA purchased Boys’ Life from the George S. Barton Company on June 10, 1912, for $6,100. The first Boys’ Life issue edited and published by the BSA was the July 1912 issue; it appeared as Volume II, Number 5, no change being made in the numbering set by the previous ownership. Dr. James E. West, Chief Scout Executive, was the first BSA editor of Boys’ Life.

Follow the 100th anniversary celebration in the pages of Boys’ Life and at www.boyslife.org

BSA Alumni Newsletter

Dear BSA Alumni,

Below is a link to your December 2010 BSA alumni newsletter -- AlumniAlive!

You will receive a newsletter link four times a year.

Thank you for registering as a BSA alumni. Please encourage your Scouting friends to do the same.

http://www.scouting.org/alumnialive.aspx.

District Nominating Committees and District Annual Meetings

The district nominating committee has the important responsibility of selecting a slate of district members at large and district leaders  who will be responsible for achieving district objectives and by so doing increase the effectiveness of Scouting.

If you have suggestions for anyone to serve on your district committee, please contact your district nominating committee chair listed on the chart below.

The annual district business meetings are also listed on the chart.

Positive Quote
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"God grant you the light in Christmas, which is faith; the warmth of Christmas, which is love; the radiance of Christmas, which is purity; the righteousness of Christmas, which is justice; the belief in Christmas, which is truth."
[Wilda English]

 May the the light of Christmas burn bright, this Holiday Season and all year!

Have a great Scouting week!
Yours in the Spirit of Scouting,

Joe Daniszewski Scout Executive/CEO California Inland Empire Council, BSA 1230 Indiana Court Redlands, CA 92374 909.793.2463, Ext. 120 877.732.1450 909.793.0306 Fax