On a related topic . . .
I have felt for years that we UM clergy Scouters need a way to stay connected and informed: some way where the Office of CYSA/Scouting can find us when they need us, too. I wondered about the Office of CYSA/Scouting creating a Corps of Chaplains, but then I thought, they'd probably have to clear the concept with the Division of Chaplains. The Div/Chaps is part of the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry, and that's another bag of cats from the General Commission on United Methodist Men, which houses the Office of CYSA/S.
But then, I thought, we could create a NAUMS Chapter just for clergy: The National Association of UM Scouters Corps of Chaplains. Clergy Scouters could join in directly, as people join other chapters; those who already belong to NAUMS one way or another could join our group for a mere $5 a year more. We would send them two newsletters a year filled with Scouting stuff of particular interest to our clergy. They would also receive the NAUMS newsletter and all the GCUMM mailings. And when we went looking for Philmont and Jamboree Chaplains, well, we'd have a built-in bunch of people already talking about it and recruiting for us.
Other stuff I learned at the meeting . . .
The next World Jamboree will be in 2007 -- the 100th Anniversary of Baden-Powell's original Brownsea Island test-launch of Scouting. That's a year later than the normal cycle. AND, the next National Jamboree will be in 2010 (also a year later than usual) -- the 100th Anniversary of BSA.