Table of Contents
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The State of the Crew!
PDF Version
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Our Principals
2) The difference between a winner and a loser is that the winner tried one more time. 3) K.I.S.M.I.F. 4) Y.C.D.B.S.O.Y.A. Our Web Page:
http://www.venturingbsa.com
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E-Mail Us!Our CreedExploring: Enthusiasm, Energy, & Excellence Venturing Crew 369Venturing Crew 369 was chartered on December 31, 1994 to the Reformation Luthern Church. Venturing Crew 369 specializes in UNIX for Programmers while emphasizing a deep theme of Engineering Computer Information & Science; Membership in Venturing Crew 369 is open to young men and women between the ages of 14 [and in high school] and not yet 20. Annual Membership fees are $25.00. |
Calendar of Events:VOA Elections and Banquet 11/02/01 Adventure Articles are due. 11/24/01 Christmas Party 12/18/01 Adventure Articles are due. 12/22/01 Scout Sunday Sleep Over 2/2-3/02 Klondike, Camp Falling Rocks 2/15-17/02 Tri-Creek Recognition Dinner 4/6/02 Spring Camporee, Camp Lazarus 4/26-28/02 Summer Camp 6/30-7/6/02 Fall Camporee, Camp Buckeye 10/18-20/02 Scout Sunday Sleep Over 2/1-2/03 Klondike, Camp Falling Rocks 2/14-16/03 Tri-Creek Recognition Dinner 4/5/03 Spring Camporee, Camp Chief Logan 4/25-27/03 Summer Camp 6/29-7/5/03 Fall Camporee, Camp Buckeye 10/17-19/03 |
Web Status, For October
-------------------- Kilobytes 4,149,715 Visits 33,829 Pages 82,442 Files 356,814 Hits 408,857 --------------------Web Status, For Past 12 Months --------------------- Kilobytes 60,034,704 Visits 354,821 Pages 1,760,476 Files 4,561,818 Hits 5,175,454 ---------------------Total Hits 7,751,559 |
| Our Money as of 10/30/2001 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fund | Needed | Debit/Credit | Total |
| The Adventure | $900.00 | - | $0.00 |
| Membership | $500.00 | - | $0.00 |
| Trailer | $3,800.00 | - | $0.00 |
| Camping Equipment | $5,500.00 | - | $0.00 |
| General Fund | $3,000.00 | - | $6,266.29 |
| Total On-Hand | $13,700.00 |
Petty Cash
$366.29
Adventure $0.00 Bank $5,900.00 |
$6,266.29 |
James D. Corder Adult
As mentioned in the last issue of "The Adventure" it was up in the air if Venturing Crew 369 was to continue or not.
Every year professional representatives of Learning for Life (Division of Boy Scouts) enters area high schools and preforms career interest surveys of the 14 and 15 year old students. This information is then collected, sorted, prepared, and returned to the guidance counselors. The school staff utilize this information to help the students choose their vocational and/or collegiate future.
Boy Scouts offers to its Crews and Posts access to this data base. Units can ask for youth that are in selected zip codes and/or school districts that have chosen particular fields of interests and/or hobbies. In the 80's and part of the 90's I helped prepair the CIS and Lables for the Coucnil.
This summer when we asked the Coucnile to use the CIS we were told that Crews were not alowed to use it, in Franklin County. Later we were told that this was a national policy. There are 300 Coucnils in the nation. All that responed to our inquireres encourage Crews to use the CIS, expect Simon Kenton Council.
Upon further examination we found that only 369 was not aloud to use the CIS for youth that choose Computers as a career or hobbies. The profesional staff stated that a Computer Post has refused our uses of the CIS until after their open house. The goal is to have your open house the week before schools starts or the first week of school. That way you have a chance to get the youth before they join band, football, drama club, etc. The professional staff said: "Be happy, they are going to let you have the left overs!" Continued page ##
Since we didn't have a choice, we agreed. September came and went. We were informed that we would not get the CIS until Mid to late October. They wanted to remove the youth that joined the Post so we wouldn't send them an invitation to our program. It seems that the Post's open house did not go so well so they were going to have a second open house in October. Now we have to wait until November. The professional staff member stated they are doing all that they can. That I should be happy that 369 gets to use the CIS at all. Rather than fight the issue, we decided to hold our second Open House in December. We understand that the Post in question is going to move their open house to January.
To have a Post tell a Crew that they can not use the CIS, in my opinion, is like Kentucky Fried Chicken telling Burger King that they can not open before 2:00pm. To have a Post convince a Council not to let a Crew use the CIS, in my opinion, is like Kentucky Fried Chicken convincing the City to pass an ordinance that Burger Restaurants can not open until after 2:00pm to give Chicken Restaurants first choice over the lunch crowd. Moreover, the Burger Restaurant should be happy that the Chicken Restaurant is even allowing the Burger joint in the city in the first place.
Now I have to commend the council big-wig for being honest. I made an appointment to see him. He started the meeting out by saying: "The decision of whom we let use the CIS is ours, not national's, and 369 is not getting it."
When the total truth came out, it was very said: If we were playing a game of chess, 369 is a pawn, the Post is the Queen, and United Way is the King, for they hold the money. The long and short of it is, 369 is expendable and the Post is not. Apparently, United Way agencies around the country are withdrawing their funding from Councils that do not have a pro-gay unit. Simon Kenton Council is protected from this onslot by using this Post as a poster child. An Associate Advisor of 369 had a meeting with the Advisor of said Post. The Advisor states that he has never requested that 369 be denied access to the CIS.
At this meeting it was agreed that 369 could have the youth that selected Computers that attended Whitehall Yearling High School and those youth interested in backpacking and/or camping in the Tri-Creek Area. Unfortunately, Crew 369 has never had a youth from Whitehall and less than 1% of its makeup is from Tri-Creek. Since I believe that God puts his hands when and where they need to be, then maybe this will be a blessing. Maybe this is a productive area we have never tapped. Only time will tell.
If Council delivers the CIS, or any part of it, to 369 in November, we will have an Open House in December. If not, this council is not worth dealing with and 369 will fold. We have several other non-profit organizations wanting to help:-) Since 369 is chartered until the end of the year, its fate will be decided by then.
James D. Corder Youth
Once again, like a phoenix, the UNIX technology market has come out of the black pit of despair. With the clasp of many dot-com businesses, the technology job market dried up. You would only see a few positions a month posted on job boards, and they were for such a dismal price tag that they were not worth the electrons, let alone, a stamp to mail a resume.
I was having a hard time understanding why business failures in California would have such a major impact on the job market around the country. In fact it shouldn't have. However, timid people around the world scampered with a doomsday mentality, while others took advantage of a wonderful opportunity to decrease the take-home-pay of System Administrators. It worked:-( Well, for employers at least.
This time last year it was not uncommon for a UNIX System Administrator to be asking $50.00 - $80.00hr with Senior SAs topping the $150.00hr market. When the bottom dropped out the hourly wage dropped to an abysmal $25.00 to $45.00 an hour.
One must always remember that sound business tactics and rules do not change in a recession. When a company begins layoffs, the best leaves first! Moreover, growing companies see such opportunities to devour their competitions' quality employees. This phenomenon will leave the timid employer with their low quality employees that are afraid to move, the exact opposite of their goal. Always remember that, during an economic down turn expansion is easiest for those with capital and guts.
Less than a year latter the job boards are once again full of openings. However, most of the employee positions have moved to contracting houses. The contracting houses are offering the employee between $50,000.00 and $90,000.00 a year. That means they are charging between $75.00 and $125.00 an hour. The employer's cost has not lowered for the employee. However, they do not have to worry about benefits or the stigma of laying off people. You don't lay off contractors, you simply do not renew their contract.
This year I gave myself a 17% cost of living raise, even during a technology recession, and got it. As an Executive IT Consultant I found that the demand is greater than it was before the dot-com failures.
Gordon Nussey DOD, Australia
It saddens me greatly to read in your Venturing Crew 369's The Adventure, that this may be the Penultimate addition.
The possible demise of the Corder Crew, will not only be a loss to Scouting in America, but will also be a loss to the world of Unix Programming and System Administration.
I pray that those last loyal "troops" can muster the support and membership required to keep the Crew and its mission going.
Good Luck in the future, and may God always be with you.
YIS, Gordon.
I received `The Adventure' I was disappointed to see that the Crew was being faced with the prospect of disbanding. I have been in this same situation several times before. Especially when I was the Unit Chairman of Whitehorse Venturer Scout Unit. We often found ourselves with only 4 or 5 members. I believe it has a lot to do with the demographic your members come from. 14-20 year olds have after school jobs or are in sports or think Scouting may be `un-cool'. The sport and the jobs are the tough ones. For that I have no ready answers. For the `un cool' bit, I may be able to offer a little advice.
(Far be it from me to sit here and tell you this like I know what I am doing, Mr. Corder. I could learn more from you in a second than you from me in a year! ;o) )
My advice is this: Plan a FANTASTIC activity. Something like White water rafting, or repelling (absailing), or an extreme something that most American teens would NEVER normally get a chance to do. Then, once everything is in place, make up invitations for members of the crew to give to friends. Friends are the key, as they will be more willing to listen and have a go at it. Then, if at all possible, have the cost for the guests as heavily subsidized as possible. This is like the carrot for the donkey. If it is a FANTASTIC exercise, it may very well cost a pretty penny. This would be seen as a negative by your prospective `newbies', so cutting the cost a little may help.
Once this has been undertaken (and a fun time had by all), go in with the follow up programme: have a few `fun' nights organized at your den/hall (I am not sure of the terminology for BSA here) to keep the ball rolling. Over a three week period these people have been introduced slowly into the world of Scouting. From the extremes of adventurous activity to the moral and practical training. If they decide to leave, so be it. However, if you have shown them a fun time, and they have made new friends, odds are they will stay.
We used this technique very successfully when I was a Venturer Scout (not so long ago, either!). Now as a Rover, and also a Cub Scout Leader, the same idea on different levels is still successfully working. My cub pack often runs a `double vision' night where all the Cub Scouts bring a friend and we have a fun filled evening. We often get a 60% turnover in new cubs from a night like that. Mind you, we haven't had to run one for a while now, as we have 34 Cub Scouts!! ;o)
Give it some thought. Pass it on to Heather (she's the President/Chairman, right?). If you or any of your guys and gals wanna pick my brains, PICK AWAY! I'd be only too happy to do a good turn for you guys.
The point I am trying to get at is, you once told me that NO ONE and NOTHING can get in the way of your dreams and goals. The Corder Kids and this Crew are one of your big ones, from the way I have been lead to see it. So - time for a dose of your own medicine, Jim. I want you to take 100cc's STAT of this medicine. It's called - NEVER THROW AWAY YOUR DREAMS!!! (*big cheesy grin*). Then of course, it's the same dose for every day of the rest of your life.
Even though Mega 10 was years behind me, I NEVER forgot what you taught me during my time with you. I have told you in the past that you were a big motivator for my QS. You are still a big motivator for my woodbadge and my Baden Powell Award. But not only that, you awoke a little part of me that I denied existed. I have always tinkered with computers, but I always told myself that I was no good, and I'd only break it if I tinkered more. Well, I stood up, and decided I wanted to be counted. I tinkered, I played, I kept going until I worked it out. I have taught myself HTML and a little of JAVA and UNIX. I have kept at it and at it. Eventually, I was `headhunted' for the job I now have. I am responsible for the administration of the entire student computer facilities for Deakin University's Warrnambool Campus. I also maintain the labs pages for the University web site. ME! I do that. I don't have an accreditation to my name, but I made an impression. All because you said "Yes, you can" and frowned at me. It was a frown that said - what a stupid thing to say... of course you can. It's that whole acorn into a big Oak story all over again.
If 369 closes, no more youth will benefit from all this stuff. What a tragedy.
My advice may not be worth much, but I felt that perhaps I had to try and help. Let me know either way. I hope these words on a screen can in fact do something.
James D. Corder Adult
A new technical wave is just around the corner. The death of the Notebook Computer, as we know it, is in sight.
Tablet - BroadBand - PDAs are the future! (TBP)
I recall being invited to a research park in New Jersey where the prototype of the wireless network card was being developed. This card was 2'x3'x6". The card was placed on a cart so you they wheel around the batteries. It took two people to push the cart and a third to carry the note book computer. But they could go anywhere within the building and still be on the lan at 1mb, except for the elevator. A year later, the card fit inside the notebook and even worked in the elevator.
We must always remember that the residential consumer market (for computers) is secondary to the business market. Companies develop for business and people port for home. Moreover, though there are more personal computers than business computers there is more profit in the business computer market than the home computer market. Home owners are looking for the cheapest solution possible, and therefore, they buy on price. While the business community is looking for the best solution.
When the "Palm Pilot" came out, it was first introduced to the Business Arena. It success can best be described by the number of knock off copies. Last time I looked at PDAs there were over 20 brands to choose from. Moreover, I have began to see people that have stoped carring their note book computers in favor of PDAs.
Very few people need portable computing power. They only need access to data. In fact, most employees don't need access to their data outside of the work enviroment. Therefore TBPs will first be sold for use within office parks and campuses
In short, take a note book computer with a 15" screen. Open it up, break it in half, and throw away everything but the lid. Put the screen in a leather, zippered, tablet. On the right hand side, where the paper would be, is your 8.5"x15" screen. On the left, is your stylist, pin, business cards, cell phone, etc.
The TBP, has no hard drive, no CD, no floppy, no memory. It simply has a wireless network card, sound, and video. Each and every TBP has a unique TBP-ID number and a 1024k public/private encryption key stored on a removable flash ram chip, as used in digital cameras. The chip belongs to the employee, the TBP could belong to either the employee or the employer. The data belongs to the employer and is stored on either a server or the employee's desk top in their cubical.
Above the ceiling tiles in ever room, and scattered on light poles in an office park and on campuses, is a broad band wireless hub. Many air ports and business already have this in place. Therefore, when a person walks into a room with their TBP it receives an IP address through DHCP. This IP address is only utilized for data routing and not data authorizing. The TBP-ID number is used to tell the network where the TBP's home system is. A secure, encrypted tunnel is opened between the TBP and the server and/or desk top. If the TBP-ID is unknown to the network, DHCP is told to expire the license. Companies can decide if they wish to route unknown TBPs through their firewall via the Internet to the TBP's home system based on its TBP-ID. Since this is a single encrypted virtual private network (VPN), security risks are low. The TBP's actual connection to the Internet is not the wireless broad band connection but the physical connection of its home system.
Data Snooping would be almost eliminated since all TBP network traffic would be encrypted and the Wireless hubs would be on a physically separated network. It would be the routers job to determine what data is transferred to the corporate backbone. Therefore, if someone entered your TBP wireless network to snoop, all they would receive is encrypted data.
The TBP would have all the power of a full desk top computer since it has a VPN connection to a work station. In fact, if you have a wide enough network, you would be able to X-display the screen of your system to your TBP. In essence, you TBP is your work station's monitor.
You would use your TBP just as you use your PDA but with the power of the network. You could use the stylist to write on your screen or an infrared keyboard to type. In fact, these unit could be plugged into docking stations that are permanently left in conference and hotel rooms.
Executives would have full access to information on their desk tops in the board rooms. Video projectors could also be connected into the wireless network. Their utilization token could be passed between the systesm in the room so different people could display upon it.
This technology exists today. It simply has to be shrunk to fit a paper note book. The wireless networks exists today. We simply have to change the way we think about computing. As Sun Microsystems says: "The network is the computer!". Moreover, we can not think of TBPs as note book computers. They should not have compute power. They are simply network devices to the work station.
What is most intriguing is that wireless broad band connection to the internet is available today. For around $300.00 month you can put the internet in your semi-trucks. Yes, truckers are now mobile on the internet. The dilemma is that this technology doesn't fit on a card (yet!)
The technology does exist in TODAY's office environment!!!
For the TBP to strive in the office community we must change the way we think about network computing, network connectivity, and network security.
As for the home market, simply pop out the flash ram and put in your personal one... You are now connected to your home system...
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