Rick Smith

Rick Smith

@smat.us

Posting on Scouting, genealogy (state SAR officer), and family. Probably on tech, too.

122 followers13 following28 posts

Rick Smith
@smat.us

Toolbox Article on Fishing The Inclusion Toolbox article on Fishing is now available. It was developed in conjunction with the Scouting America National Fishing Leadership Team. Here is a summary of the contents: PURPOSE OVERVIEW FIGURING OUT GENERAL RULES FOR EVERYONE HOSTING A CAMP ARRIVALS…

ablescouts.orgToolbox Article on FishingThe Inclusion Toolbox article on Fishing is now available. It was developed in conjunction with the Scouting America National Fishing Leadership Team. Here is a summary of the contents: PURPOSE OVERVIEW FIGURING OUT GENERAL RULES FOR EVERYONE HOSTING A CAMP ARRIVALS ORIENTATION ASSESSING SHORELINE SAFETY FOR DISABILITIES MOBILITY ACCESS TO THE WATER’S EDGE HAND AND ARM STRENGTH LIMITATIONS Gripping One-Handed…
Rick Smith
@smat.us

Obituary: Grum Deborah Blaylock Atwood, 92, of Topsfield, MA, formerly of Nashua, NH, died peacefully in her beloved home of 60 years. Her daughters, The Three B’s, Biscuit, Bear and Beany, dear friends, and her wonderful caregivers assisted her in her last days. Deb was predeceased by her husband…

smat.usObituary: GrumDeborah Blaylock Atwood, 92, of Topsfield, MA, formerly of Nashua, NH, died peacefully in her beloved home of 60 years. Her daughters, The Three B’s, Biscuit, Bear and Beany, dear friends, and her wonderful caregivers assisted her in her last days. Deb was predeceased by her husband of 46 years, Frederick Fairfield Atwood. They met as students at The University of New Hampshire.
Rick Smith
@smat.us

NorCal CCS Virtual Training 2026 The Northern California Commissioner College is scheduled for February 28, 2026. It offers a Special Needs Track (5 classes) will be hybrid, i.e., in person and via Zoom. Registration is open at norcalcommissioner.org.

ablescouts.orgNorCal CCS Virtual Training 2026The Northern California Commissioner College is scheduled for February 28, 2026. It offers a Special Needs Track (5 classes) will be hybrid, i.e., in person and via Zoom. Registration is open at norcalcommissioner.org.
Rick Smith
@smat.us

Abilities Digest Winter 2026 Here is the actual Winter 2026 issue of Abilities Digest, after a false start earlier. It includes: Safety Moment: Campfire Safety ToolBox Spotlight: Language Matters Making Advancement Clearer: Venturers and Sea Scouts Awareness Events: Jamboree 2026 and Philmont 2026…

ablescouts.orgAbilities Digest Winter 2026Here is the actual Winter 2026 issue of Abilities Digest, after a false start earlier. It includes: Safety Moment: Campfire Safety ToolBox Spotlight: Language Matters Making Advancement Clearer: Venturers and Sea Scouts Awareness Events: Jamboree 2026 and Philmont 2026 Conferences! Eagle Project Spotlight: Body Mapping Resources Recognizing Abilities: Torch of Gold, Woods Services deadline Abilities Digest Winter 2026Download
Rick Smith
@smat.us

MNSAR Newsletter Fall 2025 Here is the winter issue of the SAR Salute, our quarterly newsletter. Contents include: 2025 Constitution Day Luncheon Minnesota’s Involvement During World War II American Eagle C.A.R. Presentation Remembering Two Compatriots Previous issues of the SAR Salute are also…

minnesotasar.orgMNSAR Newsletter Fall 2025Here is the winter issue of the SAR Salute, our quarterly newsletter. Contents include: 2025 Constitution Day Luncheon Minnesota’s Involvement During World War II American Eagle C.A.R. Presentation Remembering Two Compatriots Previous issues of the SAR Salute are also available online. 2025-2-winterDownload
Rick Smith
@smat.us

Gene Smith, Veteran My dad Albert "Gene" Smith joined the US Naval Reserve in 1942. They put him to work teaching about radar, and eventually moved him over to the R&D side. Artifacts from his time in the Navy indicate he was mostly deployed in the Boston area. He worked in the "Fargo" building on…

smat.usGene Smith, VeteranMy dad Albert "Gene" Smith joined the US Naval Reserve in 1942. They put him to work teaching about radar, and eventually moved him over to the R&D side. Artifacts from his time in the Navy indicate he was mostly deployed in the Boston area. He worked in the "Fargo" building on the waterfront and collaborated with MIT's Radiation Lab. We found a couple 16mm films he salvaged from the Radiation Lab, including one…
Rick Smith
@smat.us

BSA in the Mideast I just spent an evening sharing stories with a fellow Scouter who has served as scoutmaster to an enclave of American boys in the Mideast. Their troop is a "direct service" troop, which means they don't have a normal district or council. Instead, they work directly with a…

smat.usBSA in the MideastI just spent an evening sharing stories with a fellow Scouter who has served as scoutmaster to an enclave of American boys in the Mideast. Their troop is a "direct service" troop, which means they don't have a normal district or council. Instead, they work directly with a representative at the National Council office in Texas. Scouting is a bit different out there.
Rick Smith
@smat.us

2026 Renewals Here are guidelines for completing your 2026 renewal. Contact the state treasurer at pmt@minnesotasar.org if you have questions. Who needs to renew Renewal notices: paper versus email Fees to renew Self renewal Renewing two or more members Payments: mail or online Deadline and late…

minnesotasar.org2026 RenewalsHere are guidelines for completing your 2026 renewal. Contact the state treasurer at pmt@minnesotasar.org if you have questions. Who needs to renew Renewal notices: paper versus email Fees to renew Self renewal Renewing two or more members Payments: mail or online Deadline and late renewals Life membership Who needs to renew Regular and junior members must pay renewal fees every year, unless they have purchased a life membership.
Rick Smith
@smat.us

2025 SAR Congress Report I attended the 2025 NSSAR annual congress as our state's National Trustee and as a state delegate to the Congress. This year's congress was hosted by the Connecticut Society. It took place at the Mohegan Sun Resort and Casino in Uncasville, operated by the Mohegan Tribe.…

minnesotasar.org2025 SAR Congress ReportI attended the 2025 NSSAR annual congress as our state's National Trustee and as a state delegate to the Congress. This year's congress was hosted by the Connecticut Society. It took place at the Mohegan Sun Resort and Casino in Uncasville, operated by the Mohegan Tribe. This congress took place in mid-July, which is typical for NSSAR congresses. There is one National Trustee to represent each SAR state society or overseas society, plus others defined in the Bylaws.
Rick Smith
@smat.us

Revised MNSAR Web Site The MNSAR web site now takes advantage of the latest Wordpress upgrades. We can now adapt the home page to highlight different aspects of the MNSAR. The latest version highlights the national SAR mission statement and logo, as encouraged by the national society. We also have…

minnesotasar.orgRevised MNSAR Web SiteThe MNSAR web site now takes advantage of the latest Wordpress upgrades. We can now adapt the home page to highlight different aspects of the MNSAR. The latest version highlights the national SAR mission statement and logo, as encouraged by the national society. We also have two boxes to highlight our youth awards programs and activities in colonial uniforms. Two more highlight boxes will soon appear on the home page.
Rick Smith
@smat.us

Lehrer coauthored a paper submitted to the NSA and later published in SIAM. The SIAM version omitted the Lobachevsky citation. Opal’s thread here includes a link to the paper. As noted, the joke waited for 60 years for his fans to see it. ❤️

Opal@opalescentopal.bsky.social

See, entry 3 in the bibliography is "Analytic and Algebraic Topology of Locally Euclidean Metrizations of Infinitely Differentiable Riemannian Manifolds" by one N. Lobachevsky. And if you've ever heard Leher's song "Lobachevsky", you may have just finished that title with "Bozhe moi!"

Rick Smith
@smat.us

Obituary: Allen Dean Shepersky We regret to report that our compatriot LtCol Allen "Dean" Shepersky, 97, passed away on June 20, 2025. According to his online obituary, Dean was born in 1928. He joined the SAR in 2009. Visitation takes place 2-5 pm on June 29 at Wulff Funeral Home, 2195 Woodlane…

minnesotasar.orgObituary: Allen Dean SheperskyWe regret to report that our compatriot LtCol Allen "Dean" Shepersky, 97, passed away on June 20, 2025. According to his online obituary, Dean was born in 1928. He joined the SAR in 2009. Visitation takes place 2-5 pm on June 29 at Wulff Funeral Home, 2195 Woodlane Dr, Woodbury. The memorial service is Monday, June 30, at 3:00 pm at The Grove United Methodist Church in Woodbury. At the family's request, the Color Guard will provide one or two compatriots in colonial uniforms for the service.
Rick Smith
@smat.us

CAR/DAR July 4th Pancake Breakfast As usual, members of the MNSAR will play a role in July 4th celebrations by at the Wayzata Depot. The Color Guard will perform flag ceremonies and demonstrate musket firing. The event is open to the public from 8am to noon and we urge MNSAR members to attend.…

minnesotasar.orgCAR/DAR July 4th Pancake BreakfastAs usual, members of the MNSAR will play a role in July 4th celebrations by at the Wayzata Depot. The Color Guard will perform flag ceremonies and demonstrate musket firing. The event is open to the public from 8am to noon and we urge MNSAR members to attend. There is an admission fee, which provides you with a plate for pancakes. Income from the event goes towards supporting veterans activities in our area. Review the flier below for further information.
Rick Smith
@smat.us

Abilities Digest Spring 2025 Here is the Spring 2025 issue of Abilities Digest, which includes: Awareness Events: Zia Trek; Adaptive Outdoor Conference Spotlight: Special Needs Prepared Camps Pilot Recognizing Abilities: 2025 Woods Services Award Winners Making Advancement Clearer: Accommodation…

ablescouts.orgAbilities Digest Spring 2025Here is the Spring 2025 issue of Abilities Digest, which includes: Awareness Events: Zia Trek; Adaptive Outdoor Conference Spotlight: Special Needs Prepared Camps Pilot Recognizing Abilities: 2025 Woods Services Award Winners Making Advancement Clearer: Accommodation vs. Modification Best Practices: Promoting Positive Communication; Enhancing Camp Nutrition. abd v12n2Download
Rick Smith
@smat.us

MNSAR Newsletter Spring 2025 Here is the spring issue of the SAR Salute, our quarterly newsletter. Contents include: 2025 Annual Meeting MNSAR 2025 Officers Washington's Birthday Luncheon When is George Washington’s Birthday? Minnesota Eagle Scout Winner Previous issues of the SAR Salute are also…

minnesotasar.orgMNSAR Newsletter Spring 2025Here is the spring issue of the SAR Salute, our quarterly newsletter. Contents include: 2025 Annual Meeting MNSAR 2025 Officers Washington's Birthday Luncheon When is George Washington’s Birthday? Minnesota Eagle Scout Winner Previous issues of the SAR Salute are also available online. 2025-1-springDownload
Rick Smith
@smat.us

New Member Discount in April In celebration of the 250th anniversary of the Battle of Lexington and Concord, the National SAR is offering a 50% discount ($75) on application fees for new members. This is a perfect time to join. If you are already a member and have eligible relatives, this is a…

minnesotasar.orgNew Member Discount in AprilIn celebration of the 250th anniversary of the Battle of Lexington and Concord, the National SAR is offering a 50% discount ($75) on application fees for new members. This is a perfect time to join. If you are already a member and have eligible relatives, this is a perfect time to recruit them, or to buy them gift memberships. …
Rick Smith
@smat.us

SAR Spring ’25 Trustees Meeting The National SAR has a leadership meeting twice a year in Louisville, KY: spring and fall. The SAR trustees have a regular meeting during these times, and I attend those meetings as the state trustee for Minnesota. Here is my report for the spring meeting, which…

minnesotasar.orgSAR Spring ’25 Trustees MeetingThe National SAR has a leadership meeting twice a year in Louisville, KY: spring and fall. The SAR trustees have a regular meeting during these times, and I attend those meetings as the state trustee for Minnesota. Here is my report for the spring meeting, which took place earlier in March. I will skip over the traditional rituals and greetings that open a trustees meeting.
Rick Smith
@smat.us

NorCal CCS Virtual Training The Northern California Commissioner College is coming on February 22nd.  It is offering a virtual track with five classes on Special Needs and Disabilities. One class will address the newly revised Guide to Advancement SECTION 10 on advancement for special needs and…

ablescouts.orgNorCal CCS Virtual TrainingThe Northern California Commissioner College is coming on February 22nd.  It is offering a virtual track with five classes on Special Needs and Disabilities. One class will address the newly revised Guide to Advancement SECTION 10 on advancement for special needs and disabilities.  Registration is open at norcalcommissioner.org
Rick Smith
@smat.us

Washington’s Birthday Luncheon Members of the Sons of the Revolution in Minnesota, Compatriots of the Minnesota Society of the Sons of the American Revolution, and members of the general public are hereby invited to a meeting of these societies in honor of George Washington's birthday. When:…

minnesotasar.orgWashington’s Birthday LuncheonMembers of the Sons of the Revolution in Minnesota, Compatriots of the Minnesota Society of the Sons of the American Revolution, and members of the general public are hereby invited to a meeting of these societies in honor of George Washington's birthday. When: Saturday, February 15, 2025, 10:30 amWhere: Lowell Inn, Stillwater MN Click Here to Register Online…
Rick Smith
@smat.us

MNSAR Life Membership Current members of the Minnesota Society of the Sons of the American Revolution may sign up for life memberships. This is a complete life membership package that includes chapter, state, and national membership. We fund the state and chapter life memberships at the state…

minnesotasar.orgMNSAR Life MembershipCurrent members of the Minnesota Society of the Sons of the American Revolution may sign up for life memberships. This is a complete life membership package that includes chapter, state, and national membership. We fund the state and chapter life memberships at the state level. The national memberships are arranged through the national life membership program. The program originated with our late compatriot, …
Rick Smith
@smat.us

I’m hacking my way through the jungle of LibreOffice’s “Base” database. I used to teach MS Access. They’re the same except when they’re not.

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