Re: 'unapproved book'

At 04:48 PM 6/30/98 -0500, you wrote:
>At 11:09 AM 6/30/98 -0400, Stephen Hoar wrote:
>
>Russ Jones <csrtj@ttuhsc.edu>
>

Russ,

No rule is absolute. I spent a career in the military and the
only place where I absolutely lived by the regulations is
when I was dealing with nuclear weapons or issues affecting human life.
Rules and regulations
are guidelines and when they are meaningless, stupid, or there
is a better way, we are fools to blindly follow the rules.
In every job I had and every place I was stationed I led the
unit to excellence and top performance through the application
of common sense and knowing when to throw out the regs.


Even in scouting, the organization is constantly evolving
and the applications of the rules vary from district to district
and council to council. In all honesty I think that you will
admit that. Next time you go to summer camp see if you can
find any uniforms that conform with the regulation. In light of
serious issues impacting on the raising up of our next generation
of leaders I am not going to become a uniform nitpicker. I can
think of 99 issues more imporant that a patch placement. And, if
the patch will help that young man to become a better man and
adult I will throw out the regs. Guess what, I did that in the
uniformed services too!

All that other nonsense used to try to nit pick is a fools device
in arguing. I seriously doubt, despite your play, if you
adhere absolutely to the speed limit 100% of the time. If you
came to an intersection where the light was stuck on red how long
would you sit there before you gathered up the nerve to decide
it was stupid to sit there and drove on?

The issues you raise are red herrings. Look at them.
"wearing this patch where we do - are a superior group with a superior program
cheating on an exam - had better things to do than study
pirating a copy of a buddy's computer game - am only doing what everybody
else does
driving 50 mph in a 40 mph zone - am a much better driver than most bozos
out there
smoking marijuana - only use it recreationally, and I can handle it
falsifying income tax returns - don't agree with where the money is being
spent"

Remember, these are all issues you raised.

You know the answers as do the boys. In your own life, reflect
on the the organizations you have belonged to. 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! Another thought to go along with this is that scouting
is a game...not a religion!






Stephen Hoar
shoar@infinet.com
Newark OH

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