Patch Trading Central

I wasn't trying to say that you or your kids are lying or that people buying it are being lied to.  I was only saying that calling it a "product sale" really isn't accurate anymore (it was once) and that it's ironic for an organization with written rules mandating that troop fundraisers must sell products in line with their value to exempt itself from it's own rules.  (I'm also not arguing that they don't have the right to exempt themselves from their own rule) That's why when National Public Radio does it's seasonal fundraiser it doesn't talk about how people can "Call now to purchase this NPR Coffee mug for $120"; they solicit a $120 donation and offer the coffee mug as a gift.

Our CO does a background check every year on every adult that goes to any event with scouts other than a meeting. This is just the way it's going. So, I really hope the number of background checks one gets doesn't add up and raise some flag somewhere. Then I'd be in a lot of trouble.

I was lucky, in both my youth experience, and as a leader, our scouts had the freedom to screw up.  Oh, I cringed as I watched the guardian adults stand next to their youth leaders during their activities in other Troops, youth leadership courses, AND OA. I have passion and their ignorance of what they were doing hurt a lot. Many of these adults are friends, and I didn't know how to change them. This is a romantic article of what scouting can be for boys growing into young adults. I do struggle a little on how the adults are still credited with the nobility of allowing the scouts to learn. Oh, I shouldn't be that way, I know we adults struggle a lot with how far is too far. But, I remember reading a Boys Life article a long time ago from a middle aged author reflecting back on the Beaver patrol of his youth. While a SM was probably implied somewhere, he wasn't given any credit, directly. The Beaver patrol had to scurry up any gear they used for camp outs and figure out how acquire food. They weren't poor, they just had to figure it out because that was how it was. The  article talked of surviving the rainiest backpacking hikes and cooking in the hardest conditions. The article didn't say it specifically, but because the Beaver Patrol watched other patrols at a very rainy Camporee, they realized that the  hardest conditions might not had been so hard for them in a different troop. And that made the Beaver Patrol all the more proud of being a Boy Scouts in their troop with their Scoutmaster. I know, the Scoutmaster wasn't mentioned directly, but, well, you know.  It's a good article. Thanks.  Barry

My but I love an optimist!

@Eagle94-A1  The photo idea is brilliant!