Eagledad

>>I'm saying we need to discuss all of it, guns, video games, movies, family, mental health, schools - the whole kit-and-kaboodle, and stop treating guns like the 1,200 pound gorilla in the room that everyone tiptoes around.

>>Until the NRA and gun owners understand that guns are part of the real problem and that guns have got to be part of the discussion, then we aren't going to really get anywhere.

I work in a job where we build teams a lot to accomplish task. Ive become pretty good at building and managing productive teams, but it wasn't without a lot of maturing on my part. I learned over the years that we are who we are and that instead of trying to change a person, it is a lot easier to just place that person where their skills have the most impact and their baggage has the least. That doesnt mean those who have the been there done that shirt shouldnt pass along hard earn wisdom like skipping a campout or two and take the wife out to dinner. But sometimes its best to just let folks keep themselves busy their way. I admit that busybodies can sometimes make our job more difficult. We get programmerswho come in and write computer programs to do this or that for the troop. Great program until the next adult has to takeover the responsibility and use it. I learned over the years to restrict these noble task to within the limits of scouts testing the system. If the scouts likes it, go with it, but if he scratches his head, scrap it. Scouts are lazy by nature and like simplicity to the Nth degree. Barry

>>What's more, it's a horrifying precedent to allow any special interest group to do that. Imagine the auto makers blocking research on transportation safety, drug makers blocking independent research on the long-term effects of their drugs, teachers' unions blocking research on teacher effectiveness - all because they want to preserve the status quo and their profits.

>> Some points to bring up: 1) No one is taking the SM signature away

>> If you disagree with the approval of MBCs, take it up with the district committee chair or the district advancement coordinator.

>>Should not the focus be on removing the adults who are not to be trusted with the program rather than to figure out ways around the bad egg?

Two news articles on the same day. White House eying 19 executive actions on guns http://www.politico.com/story/2013/01/biden-guns-executive-actions-86187.html?hp=t1_3 NRA: Membership Has Grown by 250,000 in One Month http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2013/01/15/nra-membership-has-grown-by-250000-in-one-month

>>If a District approves a person or even a married couple for all 126 merit badges, isnt that a problem that should be addressed somewhere along the line?

>>If a Scoutmaster wants to keep Mom and Dad from signing 126 MB apps and turning them in (ok, shooting sports and aquatics are harder now that self-selection is no longer the standard), then he makes sure to assign Counselors to youth.

There have been some discussions in the past of the blue card being a way for Scoutmasters to control advancement or even road block scouts from advancing. I think the idea is that by taking the unit signature off the blue card, the scouts control their advancement without any unit adult check along the way. I don't know the details but the intent is noble. Barry

>>Such ecletic renaissance individuals exist, I just don't think there are that many to worry about. SHould really fuel discussions at the Star and Life Boards of Review, wouldnt it?

I sorry, I wasn't very clear. I'm talking about the abuse of one person (usually a parent) being a counselor for all the badges for the purpose of speeding up advancement. I had this problem myself with a couple families. How would you discourage that abuse with a no checks or balance MB process? Barry

I remember back in the days when my two sons started to playing combat video games. That was back when those kinds of games were still new and crude, but they eventually were playing these games for hours. After a few months, their mom and I notice that our sons general mood after became more hostle. So we put limits on the games and the time they played. They balked at first but even they saw what we were talking about once we start pointing out their behavior after too much video gaming. So yes, I think we as a society are some of the cause and can make some changes to help our youth. By the way, this isn't a guns discussion. It's a mental health discussion. Barry

Thinking about the alternative you guys have been discussing here, I was wondering what you guys were thinking on scouts who would let their parents be the counselor of all badges? I'm not challenging the suggestion of taking the SM out of the MB process, I actually like it. But what is your thinking on the issue of a scout using just one counselor for all the badges. Just curious. Thanks or Mahalo Barry

Saw this and thought finally somebody wants to attack the source of the real problem. I know it's not a solution at all, but I think it is step in the right direction of talking about causes of some of these attacks. ""(Dolan) If they were to take away all of these things, itd still be bad people doing bad things. But in our small nook, we can maybe foster some real discussion and some action on our violent society cause we know somethings broken."" Source:http://radio.foxnews.com/2013/01/13/towns-buy-back-violent-video-games/ Barry

Strong responses from a very small sampling of scouters in this forum. Road block? If they are road blocks, it's only from the way they were trained or a misunderstanding. Not a passionate desire to control. I think I'm the most boy run member on this forum and I dont see any conspiracy. It's just a process that has been part of the program since I can remember. Next to aged based patrols, this policy has .01 negative affect on boy run. But hey, I'm open to a personal poll of leaders at your next Round Table. Let us know. Barry

>>Alot of scoutmasters need their egos deflated.

The problem Beav is you are asking a gray area question in a black and white pretense with a slightly emotional condescending tone. >>Not allowing guns in courthouses and such seems remarkably sane.

>>Eagledad, When I had children, I parked the bike. When they finished college, I started riding again.

>>I went and took the course with the guys from work met for breakfast, out to lunch and beers afterward.....I had a good time. We all went down to the sheriffs office as a group and applied for the permit together.

>> But maybe I am a softie...

>>Beavah, c'mon. That has to be a joke. No one is wacko enough to believe something like that. The rest of you guys need to stop baiting the furry guy.

>>More proof that humans are irrational. A surge in folks buying up guns thinking that will protect themselves and a refusal to go out and get a flu shot.

>>Does any other church have similar programs, other than to declare it a sin and move on? I don't see any orphanages around any more...