Newsgroups: rec.scouting,rec.answers,news.answers
Path: bloom-beacon.mit.edu!spool.mu.edu!howland.reston.ans.net!pipex!uknet!EU.net!chsun!bernina!macman
From: macman@bernina.ethz.ch (Danny Schwendener)
Subject: rec.scouting FAQ  #0: Welcome to rec.scouting - General questions
Message-ID: <scouts-about_757134901@bernina.ethz.ch>
Followup-To: poster
Keywords: rec.scouting apo-l scouts-l scout wolf cub pack troop faq
Sender: macman@bernina.ethz.ch (Danny Schwendener)
Supersedes: <scouts-about_754542903@bernina.ethz.ch>
Organization: Pfadi Glockenhof, 8001 Zurich, Switzerland
Date: Wed, 29 Dec 1993 03:15:05 GMT
Approved: news-answers@uunet.uu.net
Expires: Fri, 11 Feb 1994 03:15:01 GMT
Lines: 272
Xref: bloom-beacon.mit.edu rec.scouting:5843 rec.answers:3479 news.answers:13404

Archive-name: scouting/0_introduction
Last-Modified: 1993/11/12

Welcome to rec.scouting, the newsgroup for boy and girl scouts, 
cub scouts, venturers, rovers, scout leaders and all people 
interested in scouting, worldwide.

In this group, we discuss issues relevant to scouting activities,
and the administration of scout units, sollicit advice from other 
netters on what to do in certain situations, and generally seek and 
provide support and encouragement with respect to scouting.

This is a group intended for both scouts and leaders. Although 
postings from leaders predominate, scouts and cub scout groups are 
encouraged to use this group to exchange ideas and to set up a 
contact with other groups in other places around the world.

This document introduces new readers to the prefered Etiquette 
for rec.scouting and to the compilation of files of Frequently Asked 
Questions (FAQ). It also contains references to two other scouting-
oriented discussion forums, APO-L and SCOUTS-L.

If you have a useful item that hasn't been included in this FAQ,
please do all of us the favour. Write it up and post it on 
rec.scouting. Drop me a copy too to make sure that I include it 
in this file.


This file is in digested format, like all rec.scouting FAQ files.
If you're using nn as newsreader, type 'G %" to split the digest into 
individual postings. In bn or rn, typing control-G should cause the 
reader to skip to the next posting within this file.

As the FAQ files are updated regularly, make sure that you have the 
latest copy in your hands. The release date of this FAQ is indicated
in the line starting with "Last-Modified:" at the top of this file.
Files older than three months should be considered as outdated.
 
This file or parts of it may be freely used, printed and re-distributed
as long as you enclose this paragraph and keep the references to the 
respective contributors and to the maintainer (listed below) intact.

-- Danny Schwendener         macman@bernina.ethz.ch
   Wolfsmeute Nidau/Glockenhof, Sihlstr. 33, CH-8001 Zurich, Switzerland
   m.h.c. Troop 14, San Francisco

--------------------------------------
From: macman@bernina.ethz.ch (Danny Schwendener)
Subject: Etiquette Guidelines

                *** ETIQUETTE GUIDELINES ***

Most of the guidelines here are taken from news.announce.newusers.  
However, they bear repeating from time to time.

o   Please do not "flame" (insult) anyone in this newsgroup.  
    Flames belong in private mail.  Discussions will naturally
    bring disagreements, however, rebuttals should always be made
    in a rational, logical and mature manner in public.  

o  rec.scouting has a strong worldwide scope. Many readers are 
   outside of your country and will not understand terms which are 
   proper to your own scouting organization. Please keep this in mind 
   when setting up an article or a reply and include some basic 
   background information so that everyone can understand.
   
o  Please limit the amount of material included from previous
   postings as much as possible, and try to be concise.  
   However, make sure that you include enough of the original
   post so as to make your follow-up sensible.  
   
o  Please re-edit your Subject and Newsgroup lines before sending
   a follow-up. Replies in the third round rarely have a direct
   relation to the original subject.

o  The rec.* hierarchy is widely available on most hosts carrying Usenet.
   Messages posted in these newsgroups stay visible for a fairly long
   period (usually 14-30 days). To prevent disk overflows, post 
   scouting-related GIFs and other pictures on alt.pictures.* (or upload
   them to ftp.imp.ch) and post a notice on rec.scouting. 
    

o  The bottom line: post intelligently, and make this newsgroup 
   worthwile to read through.

--------------------------------------
From: macman@bernina.ethz.ch (Danny Schwendener)
Subject: What are the rec.scouting FAQ files and where can I find them?


Rec.Scouting has a compendium of answers to frequently asked questions.
As for all FAQ files, the idea is to free Usenet from cyclic issues
and give room to new topics.

The answers have been grouped into different files according to their
topic. There are currently nine FAQ files available, with more in preparation:

#0 : Introduction to Rec.Scouting and to the FAQ files (this file)
#1 : Skits, Yells & Creative Campfires
#2 : Scouting around the World
#3 : Games (split into three parts for size reasons)
#4 : Unit Administration
#5 : Silk Screen Techniques
#6 : Cub Scout Leader Hints
#7 : Fund Raising Ideas
#8 : BSA/GSUSA official policies (gays in scouting)
#9 : Pinewood Derby Hints *                      * In preparation

The FAQ files are posted in regular intervals (one file every three or 
four days) on rec.scouting, rec.answers and news.answers. 

They are also available via anonymous ftp from ftp.ethz.ch [129.132.1.45]
(user name 'anonymous', your internet address as password) in the 
directory: rec.scouting/.

FTP is a way of copying files between networked computers.  If you
need help in using or getting started with FTP, send e-mail to
   mail-server@rtfm.mit.edu
with
   send usenet/news.answers/ftp-list/faq
in the message body.

Users with no networked access to the Internet (such as UUCP sites) can
use the same procedure to get the individual FAQ files by writing
   send usenet/news.answers/scouting/<filename>
or
   send usenet/news.answers/scouting/index
in the message body to get a list of the available files.


If you think that an important topic has not been covered by the current
FAQ series yet, please let me know. 

As the FAQ files are updated regularly, make sure that you have the 
latest copy in your hands.


--------------------------------------
From: macman@bernina.ethz.ch (Danny Schwendener)
Subject: Are there archive sites for other scouting-related files?
Date: 12 Nov 1993

Yes. A couple of interesting binaries (songs, fonts, etc.) are stored
on ftp.ethz.ch in the directory: rec.scouting/ and can be retrieved there
by anonymous ftp. This archive also contains the latest versions of the
FAQ files and a collection of text files that are too large or too specific
to fit into a FAQ file. ftp.ethz.ch hosts the original FAQ files, so
you'll always find the newest versions here, often even before it
appears as posting on rec.scouting.

As an alternative to FTP, you can use gopher to access this ftp.ethz.ch
by using the following command on your local machine:
  gopher gopher.ethz.ch

Gopher is a way of accessing a growing number of databases and archive sites
on the internet. If you need help in using or getting started with gopher,
send e-mail to
   mail-server@rtfm.mit.edu
with
   send usenet/news.answers/gopher-faq
in the message body.

Another site worth mentioning is TCUBVM.bitnet, which has the BSA clipart
files on-line in PC (pcx) and Macintosh PICT (pix) formats. The PC files
are ZIP'ed and the Mac files are stuffed. To get started with this site,
send e-mail to
   listserv@tcubvm.bitnet
with
   index scouts-l
   help
in the message body.

The latest releases of the Scouting "MATE" demo series of troop
support software are available via MBAS, uucp, or BBS Dial-in to
slic.cts.com.  Also via FTP to crash.cts.com. For more info, send a blank 
letter to server-scouting@slic.cts.com. An informational file will be 
generated and sent out within an hour.

The info-mac FTP archives at sumex-aim.stanford.edu carry a couple of
scouting-related graphics.

The Cleveland Freenet has a new area (as of Oct 93) dedicated to Scouting.
To access the Cleveland Freenet. I haven't tested yet if FTP works, but
You can Telnet to:
		freenet-in-a.cwru.edu  
		freenet-in-b.cwru.edu  or
		freenet-in-c.cwru.edu

	Users from OUTSIDE Cleveland Freenet should mail files to:
		xx348@cleveland.freenet.edu

	Users WITHIN Cleveland Freenet should type:
		<Go Scouts> 
	at any 'Your Choice ====>' prompt.

--------------------------------------
From: macman@bernina.ethz.ch (Danny Schwendener)
Subject: What is SCOUTS-L and how do I subscribe?

From the info sheet:
   SCOUTS-L:  This list will provide an opportunity for members of
   youth groups world-wide to interact, compare notes on their programs,
   discuss organizational problems, and communicate with members in
   distant units.  The groups discussed may include, but will not be
   limited to the Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Boys' and Girls' Clubs, etc.

Although the mailing list's charter has no geographical or organizational
restrictions, the messages on SCOUTS-L have been almost exclusively
oriented on topics specific to the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) and the
Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) for the past few years.  Many subscribers
to this list are working at the BSA council and district levels, so if you 
have questions on BSA/GSUSA-internals, SCOUTS-L is a good choice.

To subscribe to this list, send a mail to LISTSERV@TCUBVM.BITNET and put
the following line in the mail body (replace your_full_name by your own
name):
	SUBSCRIBE SCOUTS-L "your_full_name"

To post a message on the list, send it to SCOUTS-L@TCUBVM.BITNET. You
don't need to be a subscriber of the list to send a message to it.

--------------------------------------
From: macman@bernina.ethz.ch (Danny Schwendener)
Subject: What is APO-L and how do I subscribe?

From the info sheet:
   APO-L: For Alpha Phi Omega, a service oriented fraternity which has
   chapters on many campuses world-wide.  The list will provide an
   opportunity for members to interact, compare notes on their chapters,
   learn organizational problems and communicate with members at distant
   chapters.

To subscribe to this list, send a mail to LISTSERV@PURCCVM.BITNET 
containing the following text (replace your_real_name by your own
name):
    SUBSCRIBE APO-L "your_full_name"

To get a list of APO Chapters, send a mail to the same address
and put one of the following lines in the mail body to get a list
sorted respectively by local chapter, by state or by university:
    GET APO-L BYCHAP
    GET APO-L BYSTATE
    GET APO-L BYUNIV

To post a message on the list, send it to APO-L@PURCCVM.BITNET. You
don't need to be a subscriber of the list to send a message to it.

--------------------------------------
From: macman@bernina.ethz.ch (Danny Schwendener)
Subject: Can I post messages to rec.scouting without access to Usenet?

Yes. All E-mail sent to rec-scouting@cs.utexas.edu is gatewayed
to rec.scouting. 

However, this is a one-way path only. To read messages posted on
rec.scouting, you need to have access to a machine which carries
Usenet. 

--------------------------------------
From: macman@bernina.ethz.ch (Danny Schwendener)
Subject: Can I receive the rec.scouting messages through a mailing list?

No. Very few Usenet newsgroups are tied to a mailing list. Rec.scouting
isn't one of them.

It isn't a technical problem - it is very easy to set up such a 
gateway. But it is a political issue. Usenet newsgroups are here to 
avoid the costs of mailing lists. Check your local BBS'es or ask the 
computing services of your local campus for an account with access
to Usenet.

-------------------------------- End of FAQ #0 --------------------------------
