Being Prepared and Staying Connected: Scouting’s Influence on Social Capital and Community Involvement

Objectives In recent years, scholars have become concerned about the effects that declining levels of social capital are having on community life in the United States. Data suggest that Americans are less likely to interact with neighbors and less likely to participate in community groups than they were in the past. Nevertheless, researchers have found that participation in some types of organizations has a positive impact on social capital and civic involvement. Each year, millions of American youth participate in programs designed to promote positive youth development. Here, we examine the effect that participation in one of the largest youth organizations, the Boy Scouts of America (BSA), has on adult social capital and community involvement. Methods Utilizing a national survey of adult males, we compare measures of social capital and community involvement for former Scouts and non‐Scouts. Results Our findings suggest that level of involvement in the Boy Scouts is significantly related to measures of adult social capital and community engagement. Conclusion Scouting tends to have a significant impact on the lives of its most committed members. Future research must continue to explore the long‐term effects of participation in youth organizations

Symplectic geometry of rationally connected threefolds

We study symplectic geometry of rationally connected $3$-folds. The first result shows that rationally connectedness is a symplectic deformation invariant in dimension $3$. If a rationally connected $3$-fold $X$ is Fano or $b_2(X)=2$, we prove that it is symplectic rationally connected, i.e. there is a non-zero Gromov-Witten invariant with two insertions being the class of a point. Finally we prove that many rationally connected $3$-folds are birational to a symplectic rationally connected variety.Comment: 25 pages. Preliminary version. Comments are welcom

Forbidden subgraphs that imply Hamiltonian-connectedness

It is proven that if $G$ is a $3$-connected claw-free graph which is also $Z_3$-free (where $Z_3$ is a triangle with a path of length $3$ attached), $P_6$-free (where $P_6$ is a path with $6$ vertices) or $H_1$-free (where $H_1$ consists of two disjoint triangles connected by an edge), then $G$ is Hamiltonian-connected. Also, examples will be described that determine a finite family of graphs $\cal{L}$ such that if a 3-connected graph being claw-free and $L$-free implies $G$ is Hamiltonian-connected, then $L\in\cal{L}$. \u

Beam connector apparatus and assembly

An apparatus and assembly for connecting beams and like structural members is disclosed which is particularly advantageous for connecting two members which are moved laterally into place. The connector apparatus requires no relative longitudinal movement between the ends of the beams or members being connected to make a connection joint. The apparatus includes a receptacle member and a connector housing carried by opposed ends of the structural member being connected. A spring-loaded connector member is carried by the connector housing which may be released for extension and engagement into the receptacle member