Eamonn

I'm not over weight. In fact I weigh the same now as I did when I was sixteen. I walk about five miles a day with my dogs. But I have a bad back. Having had several back surgeries I don't see or consider myself as being physically strong. Working with younger Scouts isn't a problem, but I'm sure that when it comes to older Scouts I'm having a hard time keeping up when kayaking and canoing. Just when I think that I'm about ready to be put out to pasture I remember who it was that introduced them to this stuff to start with. - Then I think I'm good for at least another 50 miles. Ea.

Engineer61 Your post reminds me of a story that my wife loves to tell. While living in London we had a small dog. Taking the dog for a walk everyday in the park not far from where we lived was the high point of the day for both dog and wife. One day an elderly man asked my wife it it would be OK if his dog could take our dog for a walk. His black and white sheep dog took the leash in his mouth and took our little pup for a walk. Mean while the old fellow found out that HWMBO was an American. He couldn't resist telling her that during WW II he didn't have a very high opinion of "Y

A friend of mine is a moderator on another Scout Forum and they go to great lengths to avoid the 3 G's God. Gays. Girls. This is to my thinking a mistake. There have been forum members who have really stirred the pot. Not so much due to the subject, but more because of the way they stated their case. There have been members who have gone out of their way to upset others. However for the most part the people who are members now are a group that I wouldn't mind sitting around and talking with face to face. We don't always see eye to eye. But that's OK and maybe even a good t

I have witnessed people I know fall on hard times. The club I belong to has lost members who were down sized. People who thought and looked like they had the world by the tail. People who have had to dip into their retirement savings just to keep their head above water. Seeing and hearing of anyone falling on hard times is always sad. Because the membership of the club is down the club has had to let some of the staff who work there go. Waiters and cooks who were earning a little above minimum wage. These people were having a rough ride before things went south. They don't have t

"FUNDRAISING (hooray!)" Great answer. Still I can't help but think we covered that when I posted: "Look for ways to ensure that this never happens again. Either by have fund raising events or having parents maintain a set amount in their "Scout Account" at all times." Fund raising events are great and in some Packs for Some families are much needed. But when a parent doesn't turn in the amount raised, as with the parent who has stolen the $200.00 They do no good what so ever. Of course it is sad when a kid suffers because of what his parents do or don't do. But it's a fact

We do not have anything that might be called a Silver Beaver Association. Some years back my Lady Wife (HWMBO) Was the Chairperson of our annual recognition dinner. I sent out a begging letter to everyone that had received the Silver Beaver, asking if they would like to donate and help pay for the awards for the next class of Beavers. We used to present three awards a year, it went up to four but is now back down to three. Every year now the letter I wrote arrives back on my doorstep with the info about that years recognition dinner, only the signature at the bottom changes. Like ot

Of course worse than the frivolous rules are the people who want to make a big deal, fuss and quote this unneeded twaddle. Little Lad gets mustard on his hot dog. He hates mustard and discards the hot-dog in the fire. - Not a big deal until some twit decides this is against something that someone decided needed to be in the Cub Scout Leader Handbook. Patrol has build a mighty fine and good pioneering tower that's eight foot high. Along comes the man with the book and the book says it is over the allowed height. I have yet to drop a Scout from five foot or a Scout from eight foot. I'm sur

"Yeah, punish the kid because the parents don't have any money." I don't think anyone is saying anything about punishing any child. As I posted. I'm not against helping a family that needs help. However Packs have to pay their way. If everyone refused to pay for services and goods that they have received, where would the money come from? Somewhere there is either $200.00 or a lot of popcorn that needs to be paid for or returned. If and when a parent cheats the Pack surely they are guilty of punishing not only their own child but all the children in the Pack. Ea.

As a rule which isn't always true?? The people who make the most noise about rules are the people who don't care and wouldn't keep a rule in the first place. Many of us have both values and common sense. We know that there is a line and are aware how close we get get near it without crossing it and causing pain, embarrassment or harm to anyone. I don't need a "Guideline" To let me know that Cub Scouts singing rugby songs around the campfire isn't a good idea. I know that there's a big difference between the adult allowing someone to push his face into a pie for a good cause and a

Reading all this stuff about what can and what can't be done, what is and what isn't acceptable has got me shaking my head in disbelieve. At one time or another I now see that I've broken or gone against all these mighty fine regulations. I was around some years back when the list of what was and what wasn't allowable at Camp Fires raised its ugly head. Not long after the punch line and catch phrase for just about everything became: "That's a gray area!" You know if you want "That's a gray area can be used as a response for almost anything. Of course a lot of the time it doesn't ma

After paying the $400.00 fee you don't have to worry much about your wallet being too heavy. Ea.

Wow! Ea.

"sweaty feet...TMI, Eamonn, TMI" Yes maybe? But FFF (Foot Fetish Free.) It's strange in the jail where I work being gay or being accused of being gay is not cool or whatever the word for cool is. I have yet to meet a white guy who admits to being gay. I have met a few black men who are openly gay. I have never met a black man in jail for being a Pedophile. Most of the child molesters seem to older married white guys. This of course doesn't proof anything! Just thought that I'd mention it. Ea.

Packs just can not and should not ever have to support parents. Send the person who owes for the popcorn a registered letter saying that you demand payment within thirty days or you will turn this into a collection agency and or the local magistrate. If someone stole $200.00 off me I'd be upset - So why would a pack be any different? At the next Pack meeting make an announcement asking that all unpaid items be paid for ASAP, Follow up with phone calls and letters. Look for ways to ensure that this never happens again. Either by have fund raising events or having parents maintain a

There is a Chinese proverb that says: Respect the Gods and respect the devils -But keep them at a distance. One of the qualities I most admire about myself is that I'm a very lazy little fellow. Born and raised in an Irish R/C home I never took the time or was bothered to seek enlightenment elsewhere. For a little while while at college I did question my religion but it was hard work so I played it safe and started going to Mass again. I don't think that I'm gay. Again I really have never wanted to take the time to find out. I understand how two people of the same sex can have

Most of the time we set up a base camp and Scouts going hiking leave from there. At the base we set up Patrol cooking, but the Scouts going on the hike draw the equipment that they need depending on how many of them there are, how long they will be gone and what they are cooking. A lot depends on the size of the Troop and how many adults are available. With a large Troop and limited adult support taking the time for just a small number of Scouts just didn't seem fair. Of course if the Troop is small then this isn't a problem. Ea.

Why is it when I look at this thread that I can't help thinking about the thread that active not so long back on setting the example? Isn't "Zero Tolerance" Very much like some of us insisting that because something is written down someplace that we have to stick to it. With no exemptions? I'm thinking about the requirements for Den Leader Cub Scouting awards? We now return you to the talk about knives. Ea.

SR540Beaver Now your showing off! All our people get is the patch! Ea.

We don't have a forum song leader. As a rule I hang around and wait for OGE to burst into song and take the lead. I think it was the Kinks that sung: It's a mixed up, muddled up, shook up world. Or something like that! This Scouting gig is a strange one. Strange because it's all about people and people are sometimes strange, little people are no exception. Still the one big qualification that is needed to be successful in Scouting is that you need to get on well with people. If you can get along with little people their parents and other members of this organization you are 99%

emb021 You are correct about the awards but all of these that you mention go into an endowment and some of the larger amounts do not have to be in cash. Someone could buy an life insurance policy, naming a Council as the beneficiary and qualify for the award. There are ways of taking a tax advantage by deferring donations of stocks and bonds and qualifying for these awards. As far as I'm aware there isn't any award that is available for a person who donates money or goods to a Council that doesn't go into endowment. As it is now someone could donate a very large amount toward FOS, wh

Can't help thinking that I'm missing something? DS - What do you want me to tell you? Seems to me that you know what and where the problems are. So the $64,000 question is what are you willing to do or not do? When faced with things like this I write down my options. Number one on my list is always the same: Do nothing! Most times doing nothing doesn't work because if it did then there is a good chance that there wouldn't be a problem to start with. Saying to heck with it and leaving is also an option. Take my word for it there have been times when I've really wanted to do this

Welcome to the forums. I hate to say it but I can only echo what packsaddle posted. You can as a parent ensure that your son does have a wonderful scouting experience, by supporting him. If you want to become a BSA member? You might want to talk with the organization that charters the Troop /Pack? That your son has joined. See what they say and then maybe fill out an application which will be checked out by the company that does the checking for the BSA. After that? I'm not sure if they say no, I have heard of people meeting with the Council Scout Executive and being allowed to joi

Many if not not of us in this forum are parents of Scouts. All of us want what we think is best for our kid. I'm not sure what someone else's definition of a helicopter parent is. I think it has a lot to do with the way things are done. If you force your son to attend and be active in things that he doesn't want to do? If what he does is never good enough? If you Lord over everything he does and try to make sure that he is better than everyone else? Then in my book you might qualify as a helicopter parent. I have in this forum talked about how important it is for us to give our kid

Districts just like any other Pack, Troop or Crew are only as good as the volunteers who are involved. Just like Packs, Troops and Crews, Districts work well when all the adults are team players and do their best to get along together. A big part of this is the selection of the right people for the right job. Sometimes it is a chore to fill the positions, sometimes positions are handed out because someone feels that the person has earned it, even when everyone knows that it's a square peg in a round hole. To my mind the harm caused to Districts by the lack of any real Commissioner Serv

Never heard of anyone asking for FOS reports when it comes to these awards. The Silver Beaver that was awarded to the business person in the Council I'm with was for his several donations of over $250,000. I wasn't on the selection committee that year. So I didn't get involved. Some people thought it was wrong, while others thought it was just the way things go. Still I think that the fact that he has never made or taken the time to be presented with the award speaks volumes. Maybe he just doesn't want the award and never did? Maybe the selection committee felt it was a nice thing that