dsteele

Scouts who receive Boy's Life stay in the program longer than Scouts who do not receive the magazine. I don't have statistics to prove it, but it makes sense to me? Why? Because a kid who gets Boy's Life magazine, even if he doesn't open the cover, gets a monthly reminder that he's a Scout. Even if your pack isn't meeting in the summer, or he hasn't been to a pack meeting for a while, something about getting mail in his own name helps keep them in Scouting. If he does read it, and the parents encourage him to read it (which really isn't all that tough to do) he'll perhaps start a new

I thank Tysim for the above post. While I don't agree with everything, I found it to be well thought out. He presented his arguments well. There's too much stuff in the post for me to attempt to address everything, but I'd like to address this portion: "Turn the situation around a bit. Let's say the Federal Court House in DC decided that they were going to promote Pagan Holidays (And being a Pagan myself I can say these things without it being Pagan Bashing :-P) Suddenly you drive by and see a scene of a nude woman being chased by a Satyr, or worse yet, having sex with said S

Since when do I have a fan club? I can't even get the dog to like me. Unc.

Adapted? Interesting. Unc.

5 words: I stand by my friend, Eamonn. I'm not sure Eamonn is uglier than someone who doesnt post here anymore I haven't met Eamonn face-to-face yet. But I can assure you they are two different people. Unc. Of course, of the three of us, I'm the best looking UG (This message has been edited by a staff member.)

Eamonn: Exactly what I'm trying to say. If the individual shows interest in the job, then by all means let them say yes. If they aren't interested in the job, re-group and ask them for something else. Help find a spot where they're comfortable and can expect to be successful. To the others -- you can't just get someone to say "yes" to anything and walk away from it yourself. When I get a new Cubmaster or other position, that individual does not leave the room without a time and date set (before they start meeting with the kids) to get them either fast start trained and their firs

Ed: OGE is absolutely correct on this one. I thought I would answer before Merlyn did. I'm pretty sure he knows that as well. If Merlyn didn't know that, he might as well. Of course, if he didn't know that, then you and I aren't the only "idiots" in his mind. Unc.

Fuzzy: Thank you for the praise, but it's more experience than talent. I'd like to offer a few tips I've learned along the way. 1. Watch how the people fill out the applications and how they behave when you explain the program. The ones who are paying rapt attention to what the program is . . . i.e, you have their full attention when explaining Tigers, Wolves, etc. and what the camping opporutnities are. Those are the type of people who are naturally inclined to run dens and packs. The ones who are more concerned with getting the details of the application correct, i.e.

My dream job is to be a novelist and actually publish the series I began in college. I've got a 55,000 word fantasy novel in my closet that I wrote in college on an old IBM Selectric typewriter that I want to polish and the outlines for a few more novels that lie un-witten in the box. I'll start that as a second career when I retire in 18 years. Unc. Hey -- Michener started late, why can't I? UG

My apologies if it sounded like I was talking about the "one hour a week joke." I was not. I don't believe in under-selling the job. Of course I expect Cubmasters to attend Roundtable (or send a representative,) get trained, etc. I just don't use the term Cubmaster at first. I describe the job as "the main contact between the pack and the supporting volunteers." This comes after I tell the group about training, Program Helps, Roundtable, etc. I also tell them that the BSA has plans for meetings and will teach them to use them. I've never in my life uttered the phrase "one hour

There are shadows here? I'm disturbed. I can't believe I'm posting on a haunted forum. Unc.

I actually don't believe in bashing the ACLU, but I will bash the more "enthusiastic" members who seem to push their own agenda at every opportunity. I think the principle behind the ACLU stands up to what every conservative and liberal in America want . . . our rights. No more and no less. Like Republican vs. Democrat and Democrat vs. Republican, I think the goals are very, very similar (if not the same,) but the methodology and priority of which right is most important vary greatly. The other thing that varies greatly is "who does what to whom and when?" If I were the ACLU

They're not movies, but I remember seeing two episodes of TV shows from beyond my time (and probably yours) on Nick at Night in the late 1980's. One was an episode of "Car 54" where a troop led the cops to the bank robbers and helped capture them. Super episode. Another was one on "Make Room for Daddy" with the late Danny Thomas. He was the father of a Scout. The troop lost their Scoutmaster and he competed with the guy who played Mr. Mooney on the Lucy Show for the role of Scoutmaster. That was the only show I've ever seen that had a DE play a role in it. They're old and bl

I've recruited a lot of people over the years in my role as an active (not old guy) unit commissioner. It's not that tough to get someone to say "yes" to a job. Getting them to do it is another matter, but I'll get to that in a moment or three. Getting the yes is as simple as making sure you match interest, ability, and desire into one person in one role. Some are more comfortable on the administrative side of unit Scouting (commitee members) and some are more comfortable on the program side of unit scouting (Cubmasters, Den Leaders, Assistant Scoutmasters, etc.) Some

I'm glad I hit the back button rather than posting my submission at about 6:00 last evening (which would be just beore this morning which is 32 minutes or so old . . . ) Merlyn presents the name of Robert Sherman earlier on this thread. However, he's holding some information back. A search on the Daily Herald newspaper (suburban Chicago's premier newspaper) for Robert Sherman should reveal some things. I heard/read that he went to jail for assaulting his son to "put the fear of god in him." Interesting. Not exactly role model stuff. Unc.

Fscouter: I appreciate the compliment, but have to tell you that the name Unc and the word perfect very rarely collide in the same sentence! Hat's off to the movie Tin Cup for the theft of the punch line I just stole. Unc.

Try this link: http://www.danbeard.org/finance/finance_unit.php It will lead you to a capture of the BSA publication regarding unit budgets. That document is very accurate and I used to follow it myself when I was working closely with the committee as a Scoutmaster. Or, call the Council Service Center and ask for a copy of the unit budget plan worksheet. You can also (in most councils) find it in your recharter packet. It's generally a yellow sheet that is largely ignored by units. The form even predicts how much to build into the budget for advancements and awards for e

Not to answer for "Always ready," but I can sum up the why in a sentence. To make the unit what it's supposed to be . . . part of the chartered organization's organization. Unc.

Guess I've got to be a little contrarian here. Velcro will work, but IMHO, it's not worth the trouble. Here are my thoughts . . . The Cub Scouts aren't going to look at, remember, read, or recognize the position patch on your sleeve. They will know who's in charge (at the Boy's and Girl's Club) because you'll tell them. And because you'll be in charge. In your current pack, the boy's don't really care what wording the blue patch on your sleeve says you are, they care about what you're doing. The parents in the pack don't (mostly) know how to read your uniform, so the

I spun this off only because I like to examine questions/problems/opportunities from more than one angle. What do you do to engage your chartered organization? For example, when I became a Scoutmaster, I was the first one in years who was actually a member of the church. The relationship between the troop and the church was pretty weak. One of the first things we did was to get a new Chartered Organization Rep who was an Eagle Scout and a member of the Board of Christian Education, which oversaw all youth programs involved in that church. Through his help, we had the churc

Although I have no gut myself, let's all sing the Scoutmaster Version of "Head, shoulders, knees and toes," in co-miseration. It goes like this: "Head, Shoulders, belly, belt. Head, shoulders, belly, belt . . . etc. Unc.

In answer to this inquiry: "I was inquiring about it because my son wanted to know why his Tae-kwon-do black belt doesn't earn him a belt loop." Tell your son that I think it's because the belt loop won't fit on teh black belt! hee-hee Unc.

I don't need any more shirts I've got plenty of socks. I have all the electronics I want and the DVD's that I need. What I really want for Christmas will come from all the world . . . Peace on the earth and to all a good night! Bless you all. I apologize for the lousy attempt at poetry, but I really do have enough stuff. Unc.

You and I will never agree Merlyn. One should never call another names, like stupid, on these boards. I won't call you a name. I'm done baiting you. Good luck in the afterlife, pal. Unc.

Sir: I firmly believe that atheists have the same civil rights I have. I also believe that you and your cause have come into conflict and have fought to take away some of my civil rights. I speak particularly of the right of free speech. I also know that you will disagree with me on this one. When an athiest yells at a neighbor for putting up Christmas lights on his home alone with a statue of the Virgin Mary in his lawn because the atheist feels discriminated against by the man's statue and lights on his own property, the atheist has crossed the line. I've seen it ha