Eamonn

Basementdweller

DE's are in many ways a lot like salesmen.

Much as we like the idea of some sort of Scouting Superman who at the drop of a hat will dash in and fix the Scouting wrongs of the world. The truth is that these guys while hired to support and help units are under constant pressure to bring home the bacon.

The bacon being membership and money.

Some DE's are lucky and work for bosses that do have a brain and understand that you can't get blood out of a stone.

Some work for people who think just because they have said that it is that it has to be.

It very well might be true that a DE who fails to meet the goals that he has been set might be let go.

But in these times of financial hardship having to find and hire a new DE is an expense that most Councils can do without.

The word mandatory in a volunteer upsets me when it has nothing to do with the safety and welfare of the Scouts we look after.

In the District where I live we have a couple of Troops and Packs that long ago made it clear that they wanted no part of the District or the Council

Sure the Troop attends summer camp and buys badges and whatever at the Scout Shop, they get their charters in on time each and every year.

But they never have sold popcorn or allowed a FOS person to darken their door.

They decided that they don't want and don't need the support of the District and there is nothing that anyone can do about it.

The goals set for Districts are strange animals.

Many come down from above.

The SE attends a conference where the new idea is unfolded. The real truth is that the new idea is just the same as the old idea but dressed up differently. -No matter how they dress it National needs membership and needs Councils to be financially sound.

What used to be Quality was the big thing, Councils and Districts bent over backward to get quality. SE's, DE's and all the other pros. Were under constant pressure, so much so that people started to cut corners and some untrustworthy sorts cheated. These cheats were caught and their cheating was a big embarrassment for us all. So quality had to go and the new idea is Journey to Excellence.

All these ideas are dependent on the people who serve at the grass roots level buying into them. Some people think that these act as a good thing giving them goals and recognition for the hard work that they are doing.

The District and the Council and the pros have a lot more riding on these than just a guide or a little recognition. So the real hard truth is that they need units to buy in and make them look good, meet their goals and shine when it comes time for promotion or a raise.Or in the case of your DE maybe keeping his job.

What is the consequence if a unit doesn't fork over the cash?

What can the Council do?

My thinking is that there is not a darn thing.

Sure some Councils try and sweeten the pot by offering a little carrot like free advancements. But for a Pack that's one small patch per year per Cub Scout. -Big deal!

If it was decided that this fee was unfair and that it wasn't going to be paid. I think a letter from the CO saying that at this time we are not going to pay it would bring this to an end.

As I said the $200 belongs to the CO.

While I'm not a lawyer but I'd check to see if it is even legal for a charity to donate to another charity? I remember reading somewhere that this was one of the reasons why the rules for fund raising for Eagle Scout projects were changed. - I'm not sure, but I'd check.

Eamonn

" charging each unit a couple of hundred dollars each to basically be a member of the district"

I have not heard of this and it's new to me.

But maybe if the funding isn't coming from elsewhere and the Council needs the money? Maybe this is something that they are trying.

I'm not sure what might happen to a unit that just says that they are not going to pay?

Things like this really do drive home the need for units to make sure that their COR does attend the District Committee meetings and be willing to ask questions.

I think if I were a volunteer in a unit, I might be tempted to have a word in the ear of the CO - After all it is technically, no change that! It is the CO's money.

Maybe they don't want to donate to the Council, it isn't in any of the papers that they signed when they came on board.

Ea.

Councils do have to pay a fee for members on top of what the member pays.

As others have posted Districts are an arm of the Council.

A few years back there was a recommendation from National that there should be a DE for every one thousand youth members. -In my neck of the woods that might mean we fire three of them!

The numbers that most Councils put out when they are trying to get FOS funds are almost laughable. That little pie chart really doesn't tell anyone anything.

The more Scouts and volunteers a Council has the more money it is lightly to bring in.

More youth mean more sales in the local Scout store, more Pine Wood Derby cars, more popcorn sellers, more people that might support the FOS more Scouts who will attend summer camp and the list goes on.

One cost that must be hurting Councils with rural Districts is the cost of petrol used in DE's cars.

Our DE's have been informed to work out of their homes and only come to the Service Center for meetings.

Where does the money come from?

Councils get funds from all sorts of places. Some get grant monies from the United Way and other foundations, some have wealthy people who give so much a year or leave a big sum when they die.

We know about the sales and the FOS.

But there are also windfall things such as the sale of timber from Council owned properties and the sale of Council owned properties sometimes camps but sometimes someone will leave a house or parcel of land that isn't going to be used and this is sold.

Strange how this type of thing never makes that little pie chart?

Eamonn

I have served on the selection Committees of both the DAM and the SB.

The forms for these awards are made available to any and everyone who wishes to nominate who ever they might like.

The selection committee for the District award is made up of people from the District.

Each year we present two DAM.

Where possible last years recipients sit on the committee, along with the District Commissioner, District Chairman and the District Training Chair.

The meeting doesn't as a rule take that long. - About an hour tops!

The District Award is for service to the District.

I've sat on this committee when the only thing that people have looked at are those who have ran things like Day Camp, Camporee and that sort of thing. While there have been years where the committee has said that people who have served units above and beyond should be the people who are recognized.

What always surprises me is how few nominating we receive.

After sitting on both committees I've had people ask why so and so wasn't recognized and when I say that no one nominated him or her, you can almost see the light bulb click on.

The selection Committee for the SB has reps from all the Districts, A rep from the Executive Board (Normally a vice president and a chair that is appointed by the Council president.

The Certificate for the Silver Beaver reads:

"For Distinguished Service To Youth".

Again as I just said the lack of nominations always seems odd to me.

The Silver Beaver is the highest award that a Council can award.

There have been times when a person who isn't that active in Scouting but has donated a great deal of money time and time again has got the award.

The problem lies with the fact that the money has been given to the Council.

Unless there is a way and if there is I don't know of it to donate to a Region the person will never get the Silver Antelope and if the money isn't going to the National coffers he will never get a Buffalo.

But by donating he has given Distinguished Service To Youth.

The same can be said about people who serve on the Board, just because they are not serving at the unit or District level doesn't mean that they are not serving the youth in the Council. Also some of these people sit on other boards that work for youth, the Silver Beaver makes no mention of services to Scouts or Scouting, just youth.

The District doesn't tell who got the award.

The Council does just to ensure that that person will attend the Council Recognition dinner.

So far I've not been invited to sit on the selection committee for the Antelope and as far as I can guess I only know two people who have.

Eamonn

"I already live in fear of my kids being expelled for leaving a pocket knife in their jacket or backpack."

I can't remember how old my son was, I'm thinking 15.

He won a pie eating contest that was held at an OA weekend in October.

The prize was a small knife. The blade was less than 3 inches.

He forgot to remove the knife from his jacket pocket.

Went to school found the offending weapon and was putting it in his locker. A girl seen the knife and reported it.

I was called in for a meeting and the outcome was a 3 day suspension. He also wasn't allowed to attend a dance that the school was having.

Maybe Zero Tolerance is a good thing and does keep everyone safe.

But just as we have seen in some of the threads that are running surely there must be a case made for good old plain common sense.

Ea.

SeattlePioneer

Looking at your reply.

Back when I was serving as a District Commissioner, the U/C's rated their units:

Green: No problems.

Yellow: Things aren't that great but with some help things should be OK.

Red: This unit is in danger of folding.

It seems to me that this Pack which is "Yellow" at the moment runs the risk of slipping into the "Red' If something or someone doesn't try to do something.

You might want to talk with the COR if there is one and that person is doing the job.

Hopefully the members of the Key 3 know what the situation is? If not you need to tell the District Commissioner.

My feeling is that maybe the DE might want to meet with the CO and discuss the future of the Pack.

The District Chair. might want to ask the Training Committee to see what they can do to help.

If it looks like the Pack Committee Chair is not going to remain maybe the District Membership Committee might want to see if they can help with advising on how to select a new Chair?

I know this sounds like there is a lot of people involved but saving the Pack is vital and from the District Chairmans point of view giving these District Committees members something to do is always a good idea.

Also it ensure that the pack is mentioned at the District Committee meetings so that way there is less chance of it falling by the way side.

Eamonn

I love the small town where I live.

It's a great little town. A place that when you drive you have to leave one hand free to wave at others and if you don't wave they let you know that you have hurt their feelings.

Back in the day, the town did well. It is said by some that we have the best examples of Edwardian Architecture in the US. Big mansions that look like small cathedrals.

The population is about 4,700. It was a lot more and was steadily dropping until the economy started doing down.

The biggest employees in the area are the local hospital and the company that collects garbage and manages the landfill.

Things must have been goos as I've never lived in a place with so many churches. For our small population we have 14 churches.

It's kinda like back then they woke up and said "What shall we do today?"

"I know, let's build a church"

I've visited nearly all the churches at one time or another.

My Church the local R/C church is standing room only. In part because they have cut down the number of masses. Claiming not having enough Priests.

There is a school that is part of the parish. So on a Sunday or Saturday there is a lot of young families and a lot of older folks.

The priest is a really nice fellow. Very active in Scouting and the OA.

Still it's hard not to notice the lack of younger people at the services.

There is a big Pentecostal Church just outside of the town (I didn't count that one!) It's a newer building. It seems very busy catering to a diverse group. It has youth Ministers and an active youth group. Seems that every Sunday they all bring covered dishes and spent the entire day on the church grounds.

I tried a lot of times to get them to start a Scouting unit, but they weren't interested.

The other Churches are kinda sad.

I'm not sure how they manage to remain open? When I have visited most have less than 30 people for Sunday services. Older people who sit in the same pew week after week. Their preachers seem to spend their time visiting older people who are sick and performing burial services.

The town has a full list of Service Organizations.

The Rotary is a super nice group of guys. Their membership peaked about 15 years back and has been going down every year. I'm not sure why they don't have any females? I never asked.

They meet in local restaurants as they don't own any property. When asked they will support local Scouts and Scouting. A long time ago the were a CO back when my Father-in-law was SM. But since then they have not got involved.

The local American Legion, has a very big and impressive building, with a Doe-Boy statue and a big gun outside.Much as they have tried over the years, they never seem to get out of trouble. They elect a new committee and someone runs off with the cash or the place is run badly and the reputation gets tarnished. I don't think that it will be that long till they will close the doors for good.

The Elks is the biggest and best run service club in the town. They make a lot of money at their bar, serve decent food and really want to go out of their way to serve the community. They are the CO for the ship. They are involved with youth soccer and seem to be attracting a fair number of young and middle aged new members.

The building that the FOE (The Eagles.) owned is for sale.

Some of the other clubs have had to join with clubs in surrounding towns to remain open.

Ten years or so the town had over 300 boys on the books as Scouts.

Today we have less then 40.

The Elks and the R/C are the last remaining CO's.

The churches are open to the idea of being a CO but they just don't have any younger people to take leadership positions or kids to serve.

I haven't checked the numbers to see how the Service Clubs are doing.

This year the Rotary Club for the first time wasn't able to fill a table at the Council Fund raising dinner.

Locally there is a movement by some who want the churches to lose there property tax exemption status. I don't see it going anywhere soon. But it's sad when churches don't have the community support behind them.

If the organizations that "Own" Scouting units are on the decline, what does this mean for the Scouting units?

Eamonn

In a forum like this, sometimes there isn't enough details given.

Dealing with volunteer can be difficult more so when the volunteer your dealing with is being difficult.

I would not have handled this the way you did. - This doesn't make what you did wrong, just not the way I'd have done it.

My thinking is that it seems that you have taken sides. - Most times this is not a good idea for the U/C.

I'm wondering why it took so long before you tried to fix the problem?

As U/C if you didn't know there was a problem? Then you should have.

If you did why did you wait till after the C/M went ahead with a meeting that is lightly to cause friction within the unit?

I would never have sent emails. The best choice would be a face to face meeting, failing that a phone call where there would be active two way communication. You could if you had phoned offered to help and send agenda and the like. Just sending the stuff that your pack uses might be seen as you gloating that things are done better in"My Pack".

I'm not sure what you mean when you post:

"So I e-mailed the Committee Chair today, congratulating her on the excellent meeting a month ago".

I hope that I'm reading this wrong.

It sounds like you sent this congratulatory email for meeting, knowing very well that the Chair wasn't there.

As a friend to the unit this doesn't seem a friendly way of going about things.

If you were trying to shame or lay some sort of a guilt trip on this person there is a very good chance that you might have upset them.

Upsetting the Committee Chair of a unit that your supposed to be helping and supporting? Is never a good idea.

You ask "Was I too bold?"

Just by you asking kinda makes me think that you knew and that you were aware that you crossed the line.

Ea.

The BSA is ruled by the National Council, the National Council is made up of people who represent the Chartering Organizations.

As things stand right now some of the biggest players are Churches that make no bones about being 100% against homosexuals.

I really can not see the R/C Church or the Mormon Church changing any time soon.

Until they do? The only way I see the BSA changing is if all the other smaller Chartering Organizations start to put pressure on the BSA. Even then I'm not so sure that the BSA would want to jeopardize the relationships that it has had for so long with the R/C's or the Mormon Church.

So far the BSA seems to not care about the out cry from people who are upset and I don't think a on-line petition is going to make any difference.

Maybe working on the churches to change where they stand might be a better move?

But I wouldn't hold my breath.

Pint,

Just as many countries have female Scouts who attend Jamborees and the like, I think that the BSA would welcome all international Scouts regardless of their sexual orientation.

Ea.

I have no idea what the feelings of the great majority of American Scouter's might be.

I'm guessing that almost all of the professionals who work for the BSA know and are aware that the stance taken on homosexuals is not very popular with a lot of people. How many people? I really have no idea.

I've met and talked with people who are with the BSA on this one and people who are not.

The BSA has spent a lot of money defending this policy and has over the years lost a lot of good will.

Not so long ago Kentucky Fried Chicken came out with that wasn't fried.

Have to admit that I don't know that much about the workings of the Kentucky Fried Chicken company. So while I might guess why they would want to mess with something that seemed to work is beyond me.

The Kentucky Fried Chicken company started a big ad campaign selling this new not fried chicken.

A lot of the people who owned franchises were not happy and ended up starting their own ads selling the fried birds.

I feel if someone or some group wants the BSA to change they need to work on the organizations that make up the membership of the BSA.

I don't see some groups ever wanting to come out and support a change, but maybe if enough of the not so big organizations were to make a fuss the bigger organizations might reluctantly just follow.

Ea.

Sorry Beavah while I agree that quoting from anonymous sources is never a good idea.

I don't agree that the requirements for Eagle Scout rank are local.

Of course there are right ways and wrong ways of letting someone know that they are not right. But the fact remains the same. - They are not right.

Winston,

You are between a rock and a hard place.

It is important that you don't allow your feelings to get in the way of the relationship that your son has with his Scoutmaster.

While I'd like to think that any Lad who is starting to work on his Eagle Service Project is able to stand on his own two feet. I'm thinking maybe in this case that you having a quite informal meeting with the Scoutmaster where you share what you know with him and listen to what he has to say.

Might be the best thing to do.

I'm not in favor of you having your son telling his Scoutmaster that he has messed up.

I of course would hope that once the Scoutmaster finds out that he isn't right, that he will do the right thing and follow the requirements.

I also think that no matter what? This can all be sorted out within the Troop and if need be with the Troop Committee, without involving any outside people.

Beavah does make a very good point when he talks about Scoutmasters caring and taking care of the Scouts in their charge. As you go through this keep this in mind and try very hard not to put down or say any harsh words about this person who really does have your son's best interests at heart.

Eamonn.

I never heard of these.

But I'm happy to hear of something that works and people are happy with.

Me not liking popcorn? Just might also play a part?

Ea.

This thread got the little gray cells in movement.

I started thinking about Tough Love.

I feel sure that we all love and care very much about our kids, in my case just the one.

From day one when that little person wearing a silly hat was placed in my arms, I knew that part of my role as a Dad was to protect him from harm.

This protection business isn't always as easy as it sounds.

A very big and important part of growing up is being able to look at things and decide if you can manage the risk.

As a parent the hard part is being able to allow that person you care so much about and love so dearly to take the risk.

Looking back, I remember Child-proofing the house so he wouldn't get into things and places where he might get harmed.

When he was two years old the word I remember saying the most was "No!"

A lot of the smaller risks, now that he is in his twenties are forgotten. The big ones like learning to swim, riding his bike without the training wheels, him having his own knife are and I think will remain with me forever.

Seems that we only talk about tough love when it has to do addiction.

I can't remember the reasons but I do remember my mother saying "As long as you live under my roof, you'll do as I say." I made a vow to myself that I'd never say that. I did well up until he reached sixteen. There were times when both he and I were able to sit down and discuss why he wasn't going to do something or why he should do something. There were also times when there wasn't any negotiations I just said what he was or wasn't going to do.

Much as I wanted and maybe even yearned for him to be my best friend, I wasn't able to push aside the fact that I was his parent. The parent card trumped the friend card each and every time. Even though it hurt me.

I never had any laid down ambitions as to what he might become.

To be honest I thought that the education he received wasn't as good as the one I'd received. But not having been educated here in the USA , I was willing to just tag along. While ensuring that he was able to read, write and understand basic math.

More importantly I wanted to be sure that he knew right from wrong and was able to work this out for himself. I wanted him to grow up to be someone who cared. Cared for himself and cared for others.

He was a normal everyday boy. He got into his share of fights and his share of mischief.

When he was about fourteen him and his mother seemed find fault in anything and everything each other did. They argued all the time.

Me? I'm far too lazy to argue and way to self-righteous, I think the word might be smug? While his mother made all sorts of idle threats. I was as good as my word. When I said that you are then he knew he was. He didn't know how much it hurt me.

My parenting has now moved on to another level a level I have to admit that I'm unsure of. I was hoping that the day would come when I would be able to say that I was done. But I'm starting to see that no matter what I'm going to be his Dad until I'm no longer here.

Most days I leave the jail where I work at about lunch time. A lot of times there are people in the waiting area waiting to get in to see their loved ones. As I leave I look at the older people as a rule dressed in their Sunday best. I don't know for sure but I suppose that they are the parents of inmates. My heart goes out to these people. Sitting waiting to get into a jail to see their kid. It must be tough to love a kid that has let the side down. I also see the young kids. I'm not sure if these kids know where they are? It must be tough to grow up loving a Dad that isn't around.

I have a new vow. One I hope that I'll keep. It is that no matter what one where every-time I leave or part from my son I say "I love you."

Maybe I'm just an old wimp?

Ea.

Each and every generation looks at the next generation as having it too easy.

I look at my Grandparents farm in Ireland and how my Grandparents lived and wonder how the heck did they raise eight children? All too often when I'm looking at them I forget that is also the childhood home of my mother.

Many of the people around my age, the tail end of the baby boomer's go on about kids doing nothing, playing video games and never leaving their rooms. Yet we seem unwilling to accept responsibility for buying the kids all this stuff in the first place.

Some parents have got caught up in the quest for the best. They want or maybe even need for their kid to be the best. He needs to be on the traveling soccer team, he needs to be an A student, he needs to be on the track for Eagle. The sad thing is that when it looks like he isn't the best then it becomes OK to no longer try and OK to drop out.

We complain that our son is holed up in his room and not doing anything. But part of us likes it that way. If he is in his room we know where he is and we like to think that nothing bad is going to happen.

We buy our kids cell phones, not just because they pester the living daylights out of us, but for emergencies.I don't believe that there are that many more emergencies today that we didn't have twenty years back. The truth is that we parents feel better knowing that our kid is on this electronic leash.

"Are We Raising a Generation of Wimps?"

Maybe truth be told we older folks are the wimps,

Ea.

I hate to have to say it, but I think that you missed the bus.

The correct information is readably available and in my book your claim that you didn't know and or that you were given the wrong information just doesn't cut it.

You might want to appeal and try to find a Crew near where you are going to school where you can if elected fill a POR.

Sorry,

Eamonn.

Eamonn is going to the store with his wife says "Come on lets go"

Son is playing his what he calls music a little to loud Eamonn says "Turn it down a bit!"

This isn't discipline as I meant it.

I of course didn't mean it as the following of a course of study.

I didn't mean it as the effect of experience.

But we don't want to quibble over a word. - Do we?

I was talking about punishment inflicted by way of correction.

I really do not think that Scouts should be inflicting punishment on any one.

Ea.

Allowing youth members to discipline other youth members?

I think is not a good idea.

We have youth members who hold positions of responsibility but I've yet to see any-place where disciplining other youth members is written.

In a lot if not most cases even the SM shouldn't be deeply involved.

His role is to deliver the program.

From what has been posted this incident never really got past the planning stage.

I of course wasn't there and don't know what went down.

It very well might be that even the threat of a thing like this might be a real case of hazing?

From what I've read I really think if I was the SM I'd be meeting with these Lads and the little chat we would have would make it very clear to them that this sort of behavior is not ever going to be tolerated.

If one of them or all of them seemed not to be getting the message (Which I very much doubt would happen!) Or thought it was in some way "Funny". I'd also meet with their parents. It very well might be that these Lads need more help than I'm qualified to give.

Of course had what they had planned, had happened it would be a different kettle of fish.

Ea.

Some years back, a friend who at the time was a very high ranking policeman and myself were bored. So we planned the perfect robbery. We knew the best time to set about such an endeavor. The Lookout guy was going to be someone walking a dog. - No one ever thinks that a dog walk is up to no good.

We of course never had the slightest intention of robbing anyone.

Could it be that this "Planned Hazing Ritual" Is what Sister Mary Matthew was talking about when she warned us of evil thoughts?

It does like like there is a problem, but before we clap anyone in irons and throw away the key. Lets try and remember that nothing did in fact happen. Who knows? Maybe when the time came the group might have got cold feet?

I'd be happy to report this to the SM and let him deal with it as he thinks best.

He has a lot of options.

If I'm willing to trust my kid into his care then I think that I should be able to trust his judgment.

Ea.

Life really shouldn't be this hard!

There does seem to a big cast in this production.

Current SM who is OK with allowing things to slide.

Ex-SM who is running things from the side lines.

Unit commissioner who is close Friend of Ex- SM.

Advancement Chair who is a newbie who wants to see things done right.

I can't remember seeing what position the Ex-SM holds? If any.

There is more things wrong with this Troop than just a problem with advancement.

If I were advising the Advancement Chair, I think I'd advise him to have a meeting with the District Commissioner, with a view to in as nice a way as is possible removing and replacing the UC with a strong Commissioner who understands how a Troop Committee should work.

At the same time maybe someone from the District Training Team might be able to help the Troop Committee by offering them some training.

My thinking is that once the Committee really understands what their job is a lot of this silliness will be put to bed.

This still leaves the what to do about the EX-SM's son?

While the Lad very well may be a lazy little toad? It's not his fault that the MB's have been mishandled. It is his fault that he hasn't performed the duties that are /were expected of him in a POR.

The Advancement Chair and the SM need to work on a list of what is expected and present it to this Lad. If he really hasn't done the job maybe he can be given a Mulligan, the opportunity to redo the job. This very well might upset his Dad, but maybe this will help let him know that EX-SM's don't rule the roost.

Ea.

I agree that when young people give up their time and are willing to spend it with us it really is a privilege.

This privilege doesn't in any way vacate our responsibility and in many ways makes it even more important.

Eamonn.

As a little fellow it was drilled into me that I should tell the truth and not tell lies.

I was also told not to tell Uncle Paddy that his breath was terrible, even though it was.

I wasn't allowed to make mention of or about the silly hats that some women wore to church.

Any comment about how we were treated by the nuns would most certainly land us on the highway to hell.

I'm older now and am still learning.

I found out when asked "How does this look?" That "Fine" isn't an acceptable answer and Lord help me when the "Does this make my butt look fat?" Is asked.

When a Lad joins a Troop 99.9% of the time he gets as a SM, someone who is an upstanding and normal person.

In my case I know that I'm not fault free, I know that I have my failings. While I wish I was that shining light on the hill I'm not. The best I can be and try to be is fair. I try to treat people fairly and try to treat people the way that I like to be treated.

Most of the time there are no rules about fairness.

I look at what needs to be done and dealt with and I decide what's fair.

This falls under the heading of Ethics.

I'm not going out of my way to hurt someone if a little white lie prevents the hurt.

Given enough time I suppose I could come up with a long list of ethical situations where not following the letter of the law /rule does for me seem the right thing to do but again for me seems the ethical thing to do.

Life might be a lot easier if all the rules and all the laws covered each and every possible and conceivable situation.

Sure the speed limit is set at whatever but it's OK to break it if your rushing to get the squirrel out of your Mother-in-laws living room or when you get news that your kid has been hurt someplace. Or if your the SM with the keys to the meeting place and there is 30 Scouts standing outside waiting to get in and the list could go on and on.

Most of us most of the time want to or think that we are doing what we think is right.

I'm far to lazy to save a few dollars by registering my trailers in another State. But maybe if I had lots of trailers and I knew for sure that it was legal and I'd save a lot of money by doing so? I might.

But here again my ethics kick in. Is it ethical for me to do this? Even if it is legal?

A little fellow waiting nervously for his BOR without his Handbook?

Hopefully there is a record of his advancement close to hand and the need for the book isn't that great, but if the only place where his advancement has been recorded is in the book? Maybe not having the book means that the board can't do the job at hand.

If the board has the needed information and the only reason for saying no to the Lad is that the rule says "Have your book." - Then in my view the board isn't being fair even if the Lad isn't following the rule.

Even with all the rules and laws there is still times when we are faced with what we think is right. Other might not agree with us but in my book if you really follow your heart and do what you think and know to be right,while people might disagree with you they can't really fault you.

Eamonn

Talking with my wife today.

I said that the four most dangerous words in the English language are "I've been thinking."

You can be sure what follows is never good and as a rule means me spending money or more money than I want.

When I see "and there is an executive committee that meets in between, I get the same kinda feeling.

Ea.

Doesn't time fly.

It seems just like the other day when he got the job.

I'm not sure if five years is really long enough in a job as to have much of an impact?

The Summit Bechtel Reserve is what I'll remember him for.

I was hoping that he would be able to really turn the declines that we have seen in membership around. But that very well might take a lot longer than five years.

Ea.

I like food, I love to eat.

But Breakfast?

As a rule other than just coffee I don't eat breakfast.

When our son was younger he might woof down a bowl of cereal, but that was about it.

While I of course understand that being at camp might mean for some that they are more active than maybe they are at home. But for most kids the big breakfast doesn't happen at home

Ea.

Not sure about other parts of the country.

But here in PA try to register things like boats, trailers in the name of a Scout unit can be a real pain.

Seems to be and I'm 100% sure on this one. That a Troop not real in the eyes of the State. It doesn't have the ID that will go through the system.

A church or an organization has the needed qualifications, but a Troop doesn't.

So very often things like trailers are registered in the name of a person.

Trailers in PA do need a yearly inspection, which normally isn't a big problem, once they are registered.

Insurance can be bothersome.

There are so many half truths and misunderstandings it really is worth the time to talk to someone who really knows what they are talking about.

There was a terrible tragedy in our area a few years back the details? I'm a little fuzzy about! But I think it was a truck towing a wood chipper. The chipper wasn't connected properly and got lose which caused an accident that killed 3 people two of them very young kids.

When it comes down to anything that involves the law or the state it just isn't worth playing games as there is a chance that it will come back and very might might bite you on the tail.

Talk to people who know what they are talking about and follow their advice.

Ea.