Terry, I'll bite on that last one. Here are some things I personally really enjoy about this forum and some of our "gang:"

Eamonn, I love your stories about Rory and your Big Walks! I appreciate your input as someone who has seen the business side of district and council matters. And if it weren't for your posts about the Ship, I am pretty sure I would still not even know that Sea Scouting exists, despite living in a Great Lakes State where you'd think there might be a higher profile for Sea Scouts.

Beavah, I appreciate that you want to take a look at things from a practical perspective, even though we may differ with regard to prescriptions. Getting down to brass tacks (how does this work in your troop/pack/crew/ship) is important and in my experience that gets glossed over too much. Oh and I'm glad to see that your Minnesota rodent accent appears to be fading a bit! Give it another year and we'll have you completely cured o' that, eh? (joking...)

Eagledad and SR540Beaver, your advice from the perspective of folks who have been there and tried that over the years is extremely helpful to me and probably to others too who (like me) are still stumbling through and trying to figure things out for the first time.

GWD, I appreciate your perspective as an SM for a small troop. Personally, I'm always happy to hear about the many successes you have had with the troop in the last year or so. But it is also helpful to me to understand the variety of experiences that fellow scouts and scouters have, rather than only having my own experiences to rely upon when dealing with a problem or situation.

Oops, I've exceeded my quota of three...sorry. But really, sappy as it might sound, I view all of you many regulars who make up this forum as some of my most valuable scouting resources. I really don't have anywhere else where I can post a question or thought about scout-related issues and expect to get thoughtful and often helpful responses. Our area roundtable doesn't cut it, and sometimes it is hard to discuss unit-level issues with other Scouters in the unit - just too close to have any perspective and there's always a worry about hurt feelings having bad long-term consequences. So, I'm very glad to have found this forum and thanks to Terry and the rest of you for the time and resources you put into it.

Ok, there are certainly more than three members that I appreciate having in the community, but here are three:

Lisabob - I like your common sense advice, the fact that you stay calm and polite and don't take the bait, and for your detailed stories about what all's going on in your troop.

Fuzzy Bear - I love the perspective, the humor, the sense that we can all take the long view and enjoy the ride.

Hunt - I find your posts to be smart, practical, sometimes clever.

And I'd like to thank OGE for the puns, Beavah for the here's-how-it-really-works perspective, Eamonn for the ramblings. And I'd like to thank the Academy, my producer, my director, ... [music starts playing to get me off the stage]

Oak Tree

So many people on this forum have helped me. I don't want to name anyone specifically because I'm afraid I'd leave someone out.

I have learned much from all the postings and debates. Many times I've read a post that is contrary to my way of thinking. These have been especially helpful to me as I broaden my perspective of Scouting and try to assess situations and difficulties from many angles - not just from my own limited experience and sometimes myopic viewpoint. Posts that describe personal experiences (been there, this is what we did) are always helpful, even if sometimes what was done was not "by the book."

The statement "feedback is a gift" is used a lot here and I have learned to put on a thicker skin when someone writes something I perceive as scathing and/or questioning my abilities as a SM (hasn't happened very often, but it has happened). I will also admit I have at times been discourteous and will keep Scouter-Terry's #2 item in mind.

On a personal level, I have always been grateful for the kind words and encouragement I've received from so many forum members.

This is one of the better Scouting communities on the internet. There is a wealth of knowledge to be had here. I have learned much & would like to thank all those who contribute.

As to #2, I wouldn't hesitate to have anyone read anything I have ever posted here or any other forum. I know some people in my district have read my posts. I would not post anything in any forum I wouldn't say in person. And I post in a lot of forums on a variety of topics. I'm one of those "what you see is what you get" people.

Ed Mori
1 Peter 4:10

Excellent thoughts from the founder of the feast.

1. That reminds me of something my own dad taught me: "Having the last word in an argument isn't all it's cracked up to be".

2. Despite our nom de plumes, I have always assumed that anything I post here can be printed out and handed over given to my SPL, the CC, my UC, or my DE. Not to mention my mother.

3. I appreciate packsaddle's dry wit and good sense. I appreciate Merlyn's impeccably reasoned positions as Devil's Avocate. I enjoy SemperParatus' puns. I appreciate OGE's calm influence and steadying aura. I admire LisaBob's infallibly polite and thoughtful posts. I'm glad for the diversity provided by DanKroh. I always admire the detailed historical contributions of Miki. I And you know what, I even miss Rooster's entertainly fundamentalist notions. I could go on like this but you get the idea. Dang, I wish we could all meet around a real campfire one day ...

There are at times things that are worth repeating and merit another look.
SCOUTER-Terry, didn't ask or request that I reopen this thread.

I do however think some of us (Me included!!) Could take a look at what SCOUTER-Terry posted and maybe use it to work toward making the forum a happier and more Scout-like environment.

Being "Right" is all well and good.
But being right and showing respect to others is a lot better.
All of us are doing what we can to help the young people we serve.
We may have different ways of reaching the goal, but the goal remains the same.
Eamonn.

"3. Name the (usual) characteristics of three members of the Forum that you really appreciate having in your community."

Most of all, I really appreciate having the characteristics of trustworthiness, helpfulness, and courtesy in Forum community members. In addition to those, I appreciate humor .

I've got a lot of Ohio humor that I can share with you. Living in Michigan, provides me with much fodder.

Ya know Acco, given you took you 2 months to reply, pardon me if i am not awed by the aclarity of your razor sharp wit

Thanks, Eamonn, for reviving this thread. This has been the best place I have found to get both sides of a subject without always falling into individual attacks. I don't have endless time to search all over for the info I am looking for. Here you ask and you politely get the info pro and con and links to placeswhere more can be found. There are also the hijacks which ramble off and lead to the obsurd and give us all a break from the serious and many time a well needed laugh.
As to 3 members I do not think I could keep it that short. All in their way have added a lot to the site. Best of all is that most times all try to live by the scout laws.

...and I have some recent moderator humor I'd be happy to share with you when appropriate.