Eagledad

>>It's not a life-changing experience for a boy. It's meant to get his feet wet and prepare him for the higher ranks, where the real fitness, character and citizenship learning happens.

>>If Leadership was not required for Advancement it would eliminate the constant turnover which undermines the Patrol Method with its natural youth-youth skill training.

>>At Philmont our guide said for the crew you only need 2 knives, the scouts had a real issue with this. I told them they could carry as many knives as they wanted. After the hike they understood why only 2 knives where needed, they where rarely used.

Find the name of the pinewood chairman and give him a call. Those guys are always cool, have lots of fun, and let anybody help. That is the best starting-out job and once your started anywhere, you're in. Glad to have ya in this Scouting Stuff. Barry

>>Folding knives (clasp and lockback) only on Scout activities. Others not necessary (except for perhaps kitchen knives for cooking use).

>>I here those up north have more of an emphasize on programing, not MB's and advancement.

It is not a national policy, but some councils have the policy. Call your DE and ask if the council has anything in writing. Barry

>>I'm in no way saying that what we have doesn't work or hasn't worked, but maybe it's time for a change of mindset?

>>Every time one makes a rule, something comes up to force an exception. Boys in our troop assume leadership when they make the effort to actually function in that position. If one has a firecracker of a scout who would do an excellent job as a SPL, they shouldn't have to sit on the sidelines until they earn their rank or have a birthday.

>>O'course, yeh can also use such a list backwards as well. A boy who makes a good JASM (you're treatin' him like an adult ASM) really should be (encouraged to finish) Eagle. He's "there." And a boy who isn't yet ready for a position like SPL or ASPL perhaps isn't yet ready for Life.

>>APL: Must be First Class. He needs to know the basics confidently before he can start tryin' to lead. PL: Must be Star and/or a former APL. He should have some leadership experience, deeper skill, and some troop-level service before gettin' the most important job in Scouting. SPL/ASPL/QM: Must be Life. JASM: Must be Eagle

Good Sunday All >>Moreover, I think those basics arise from simple application of logic and require nothing else.>Which is why I don't understand why anyone thinks morality MUST depend on religious faith and that without such faith there can be no such moral codes.

>>That the inclusion of female scouters disrupts that bonding atmosphere.

Hi Slochhat >>Your sexual orientation is not a matter of choice.

Honestly I dont know how to answer your questions. Im not one of those who needs to have the last word to feel satisfied that I got my point across. And your assumptions and questions are so off the mark that I dont have time to educate you on American culture, mainstream culture, BSA policy and so on. It would be the same as me accusing German beer makers of using backward practices in making beer because it doesnt taste Budweiser. Where would any German begin in trying to explain that? That you dont think the BSA represents the mainstream pretty much explains your ignorance about the BSA and

>>I find those values offensive, not valuable and regard mine as superior.

>>What's your point? We're just ten years short of 100, doing things very differently and scouting is very successful in this country without kicking people out because of their sexual orientation, etc.

I'm saying that we couldn't even begin to teach the skills required for good leadership at the SPL level, so we ran the course giving the expectation that the scouts would go back and teach the skills to the rest of the scouts. THey were still ASPL and SPLs, but the burden on them from us was passing those skills on to the rest of the troop. We of course hope they use the skills and we got letters saying they did, but we wanted to set the standard of expected leadership maturity high. I would say in reality, less then 50% of the units actually did use their scouts to teach JLT. It was a scoutm

>>It needs to be done in a large group to get the real benefit and needs to be implemented back in the unit. The boy needs a backup.

>>Monocultures sooner or later will not bear fruit anymore. BSA might be the biggest organisation of its kind in the US today, but the way it is run, it will, in the long shot, fail.

>>I agree that there is no sense in having the SPL/ASPL attend if he is half way through his tenure.

>>I don't believe you're hateful; I do believe your perspective is driven by a feeling, not an argument, and I believe you prejudge gay people based on those feelings.

Boy Eamonn, sometimes I wonder if we were at one time joined at the hips. My thoughts are almost word for word the same as you wrote. Just when I felt National was starting to understand the training needs of the adults, they seem to go the opposite direction on the youth side. National just seems to struggle with the big picture. Still, this scouting stuff is pretty tough in the trenches. I'm know it isn't any easier for the professionals in the basement. Barry Barry

>>John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. Oddly enough it doesnt say "unless your homosexual"

>>3. If the MBC or Summer Camp counselor doesn't deny the MB work because the kid has no blue card, but instead lets him continue, marks the MB complete, and provides the Council with some piece of paperwork saying the boy completed the MB, the Unit and the Council shouldn't allow it to go through because the boy and the MBC didn't ensure step #'s 1, 2, or 3 were done correctly.