Selective disobedience

The thread is sort of disturbing to me. I agree about thinking being a
part of the method implimenting any rule or regulation. I do wounder
though, if a person or group chooses to ignore a rule - for any reason,
is this just another way of saying that the rule should apply to others
and not me.

Also, one chooses to ignore this rule, another chooses to ignore a
different rule, someone else chooses to ignore, or modify a third. Where
does it end? At some point the question of why have any rules or
regulations begs asking. If anyone can choose to ignore or modify any
rule that they need to - why have rules and regulations.

In a larger view, where would this country be if anyone could ignore
rules and regulations as they choose? I realize that this is an extreme
example but ....

As for being "better" or "the best", a thought: If you think you are
important, try ordering someone elses dog to do something.

Hal Dudley
Killeen, Texas


Joseph Alessi wrote:

> Stephen Hoar wrote:
>
> >> Do you always slavishly follow the regs? Do you fail to
> give yourself the credit for being smart enough to know when
> to follow the rules and when it is better to set them aside?
>
> The bottom line, never use the regulations as a replacement
> for thinking! <<
>
> Your second post bothered me more than your first.
>
> I agree with your basic premise that we should apply the
> rules intelligently. However, your first post didn't give
> any "reason" for not following policy - you just justified
> it by stating that your unit was the best (my paraphrasing).
> It's my position that we should follow the rules whenever
> possible, and only violate them when we have a compelling
> reason. Now I'm not a member of the "uniform police", in
> that I'll never walk up to you and criticize your uniform.
> I'll even admit that I have an unauthorized district patch
> on my troop uniform shirt. However, I don't try to justify
> it by saying that it's ok because I'm somehow a better
> leader, or my scouts are somehow better, than the rest of
> BSA. If I were SM, I'd change the troop policy, but I'm not.
> I don't wear the district patch on my other uniforms.
>
> I agree that giving a patch to a boy is good, if it helps
> him become a better scout. However, if you give it to
> every scout in the unit, it simply becomes another part
> of the uniform to them. I would hope that you are not
> giving your scouts the message that they can wear this
> and no one else can because they are "better" than the
> rest of the scouts.
>
> I guess what I'm saying is that I'm troubled by your
> assertion that you are the best interpreter of the rules
> because your unit is somehow better than my unit, and
> not the issue that generated this thread in the first
> place. I agree with Russ that you should think twice,
> and then one more time about the possible messages you
> are sending to your scouts.
>
> YIS
>
> Joseph A. Alessi in Ozwin 2.20
> JosephAlessi@Compuserve.com
> Vice Chair - Program, Lafayette District
> ASM Troop 313
> I used to be an Owl

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