Eamonn

Working where I do in a State Correctional facility, I get to meet and talk with all sorts of convicted criminals. While of course there are exceptions to every rule. So far all the pedophiles that I've met have been white married men. Most are doing time for what they did too kids that were related to them. While I don't have the qualifications to back it up, I do think that these guys are sick. I have worked with a good many men who are gay. While I might not see having or wanting to have sex with other men as normal,(They very well might not understand me having or wanting to have sex with a female.) These gay men are not sick. In fact most are very caring and very honest. Ea.

The hard truth is that there isn't a magic number. Boys will participate in the things that they enjoy. Sure a quality program is very much a big part of it all. But even with the best program in the world, different kids have different activities and all too often these activities lead to commitments that take up their time and take the time they have away from Scouts and Scouting. Many Troops have Scouts who play in the School Marching Band, this takes up a lot of their free time. I was always a very active Scout but I was involved in School plays and at times this got in the way of my Scouting time. Younger Scouts have a lot less commitments than older Scouts. All we can do is our best to ensure that the program is good and that when Scouts are free to attend the activities we welcome them back and don't hold them being busy against them. Ea.

moosetracker I tend to think that your right. Oak Tree From reading your last post, I think we are both on the same page. Still to be fair to everyone. I think that no one will know for sure what is going to happen down the road. Lord knows that the Roman Catholics have enough on their plate right now and them coming out in support of gay scouter's might not be in their best interest at this time. I really don't see the present Pope cutting homosexuals a break. I haven't checked out where the big money that funds the BSA comes from. So to say a change of policy will or will not have any effect on finances would be wrong. Ea.

Back in the day just slightly before my time, in the UK there was an 11 + Exam. Kids took this standard exam and those who did well went to the Grammar Schools and those who didn't went to the Secondary Schools. Grammar Schools groomed their students to follow a career in an academic field, while Secondary Schools groomed their students for a trade. Kids could leave school at 16 and become apprenticed to a trade, working with a qualified tradesman and attending a trade school or college on a part time basis. While it was unfair that a kids entire life might be determined by how well or how badly he did at an exam when he was 11 years old and it was a fact that the grammar schools had the best and better qualified teachers. A lot of the time it worked. A Lad who wanted to be a brick layer could work his way to become a Master Brick layer attend a school where he learned brick laying and got the practical skills from on the job training. While I do believe that every kid deserves a good and quality education, I don't believe that every kid deserves or needs a four year degree. I haven't been very impressed with my dealings with the American education system. That might be because I'm of an age when kids were seen and not heard and maybe there was a greater respect for teachers and adults? My son was never the type of kid that would ever be termed "Top of the class" Or an A student. In fact he was a lazy little toad who got away with doing as little as was needed just to get by. His senior year in High School was a joke, not only was he hardly ever required to be at the school, but the classes he had were what I call Mickey Mouse classes. His first year at college was more about redoing stuff that he had or should have done in H.S than anything else. While I do understand that the way we now teach kids has changed from back in the dark ages when I was teaching. I'm not as yet sold on the idea that not teaching kids to study and just entertaining them is such a good idea? Used to be that when the list of important jobs were listed, farmers were at the top. - Not sure if that's still the case? Truth is that I'm starting to think that no matter what job you have that there's a good chance that your big boss will find someone somewhere to do it for less. For about ten years Dell was a very big employer in Ireland, but when the Irish workers started to catch up in wages with the rest of the EEC, Dell pulled out and moved to Poland. Already we see what's happening in China, we think that India will be next and then of course there is Brazil. Ea.

WAKWIB I agree that at times things and topics in this forum do get blown up out of any real sense of reality. Still... I never served in the military. A week or so back that was a lot of media coverage about the end of the Don't Ask Don't Tell policy. I don't know what number or what percentage of people who do serve this change will affect? While I'm willing to admit that I might be wrong, my guess is that the number is going to be not that big. Still even though the number might be small it was felt that the policy was wrong and needed to be changed. While I'm not gay and not involved in any type of gay movement (And never have been.) I have to admire the way the gay community has over the years changed my views on gays. 30 years back if asked what I thought about gay men? I think I'd have said that they were either dirty old men who hung out at mens toilets or effeminate types that wore ladies underwear. - Yes I know it seems laughable now. Still back then it's what I thought. While maybe, because I'm the age that I am. There is still some feeling of being less than comfortable around gay men? I know from talking with younger people that they have a far greater acceptance that I might have. Breaking down barriers takes time. Who 40 years ago would have thought that we'd ever have a black President of the USA? Who 100 years back would ever have thought that a female would go down as a hard line right wing Prime Minister of the UK? The gay /BSA thing is not going to go away. In part because the those active in the gay community and gay rights are not going to let it and in part because the BSA is going to keep on not accepting or seeing that the policy is one of discrimination and will go to court to defend the policy. Locally? As you post 99.99% of the time this issue is a non-issue. I have had parents say how they admire the BSA for the policy and for defending the policy. I've also had younger people say that the BSA is just wrong and silly for the policy. While I of course don't have a crystal ball and am unable to see the future. I do however see the day when these young people will be the parents and there is a good chance that they will be unwilling to be part or have their kids be part of an organization which they believe is doing something that is wrong. Of course once they become parents they might have a change of heart and the fears that people have about gay men and women molesting young boys might play into how they feel? I really don't know. I tend to think that if the policy was changed that very little would change. While maybe some of the guys who have not come out, might be willing too? Maybe there might be some openly gay leaders? But I really don't see the day when Councils are unable to manage the rush of new leader apps because there has been a rush of gays who want to sign up for membership. It just ain't going happen. Ea.

"Often they make themselves look silly by carrying on hate campaigns against Scouting" At the risk of being wrong! To the best of my knowledge I can't remember any group trying to get rid of the BSA or say that it needs to be disbanded. I have been upset at the amount of money that the BSA has spent trying to have their cake and eat it too. As a private organization it can say who it will allow to be a member and who it isn't going to allow to be a member. While I think that this in a nut shell boils down to nothing but discrimination. Which I see as being a bad thing. Others seem to also think that it's a bad thing and want no part of it. Why should public money be allowed to be spent on or for an organization that refuses to allow all public to join and openly discriminates against certain groups? For some reason that I don't understand the BSA has spent a great deal of money trying to on one hand say "Hey we are a private organization and can discriminate because we are." While on the other hand say "Hey we are the BSA and because we are the BSA we need to be treated as a special case." While I am white and might fit into being a member of the middle class? The issue here isn't about gay or not gay, it's about discrimination. - Which I see as just being wrong. As a parent living in a very small rural community, where everyone seem to know what everyone else is doing or has done! I made choices as to where I was willing to send my kid. I knew that I would never send him to one unit where the adults spend as much time while at camp in the local bars as with the Scouts. I wasn't going to allow him to join the Troop where the SM was a known wife beater. These choices were mine. If a parent knows that a adult Scouter is gay? They can choose if they are willing to send their kid to that unit or not. Me? I hope I'd be more worried about how the leaders got along with the Scouts rather than what they got up to behind the closed bedroom door. Ea.

"Would you have been offended if the title were Emperor Bush?" While I was never a fan of George W. Bush, I respect the office that he held. I would hope that here on a site that very well might be visited by Boy Scouts that we the adults show that while it's OK to disagree with others including the President, we are able to respect the office that he holds and each other. Ea.

Just for the record. I have to say that I find the title of this thread to be in very poor taste. If it is supposed to be funny? Then it misses the mark by a long shot. If it is supposed to offend? Then well done. I'm offended. Ea.

Asking me what effect a change of the gay policy would have on membership or finances? Is a waste of time. Truth is that I just don't know. I really don't know enough about the LDS Church to be able to say with any knowledge where they stand on homosexuals. Sure I've read and heard enough to kinda take it for granted that they are not in favor of homosexual behavior. As a practicing Roman Catholic I do know that homosexuality is a sin. While I can't talk for very many catholics, I have over the years met and dealt with a lot of very active church members who if they weren't gay? Sure seemed that way to me. The church at the local level seemed happy to allow these guys and girls to go about performing the work they did for the church and turn a blind eye too it all. There really doesn't seem to be any reliable numbers on how many (What percentage?) Of men are gay. I'm willing to bet that we have a fair number of homosexual men serving as members of the BSA. While most of them have not come out and are in the closet. They more than lightly fit the bill of being gay. (I have no idea what the bill is??) With this in mind I tend to think it blows the idea of gays being bad role models out of the water. I've been married for going on 30 years. All the youth I've worked with over this time have known that I'm married. I wear my wedding ring, call my wife on the phone, many kids have visited my home and seen my wife, many know my son and yes before leaving for the weekend or camp I've been known to give my wife a good-bye kiss (More of a peck than a real kiss.) I have never, ever, not once discussed my sex life with any youth members. What has and does happen when it comes to that area of our life is no one's business and not something that I would talk about with hardly anyone else let alone a youth member or group of youth members. I feel lucky that I don't feel that I have to hide the fact that I'm married and heterosexual from anyone. As I've posted before I don't understand gay sex. Maybe this is due to the fact that I'm not gay? I do understand how two people of the same sex can have deep feeling for each other and I suppose this is no different than the love I feel for my wife. I think it's unfair that anyone should have to hide who they are. I really don't think that a guy who is a good Scout Leader is going to be a bad Scout Leader just because he lives with another man? As for what they might get up to? Just like me that's no one's business. Do we really believe that Scouts seeing two guys saying farewell and maybe giving each other a quick peck is going to change the lives of the kids that we serve? I think not. We can beat around the bush as much as we like. But the truth is that we belong to an organization that has chosen to discriminate. As a private organization it is allowed to do so. Others who see this as wrong can of course opt to not support the organization. When it comes to membership? I'm sure that there are some parents who strongly support the BSA and the policy. There are some who because of the policy refuse to allow their kid to join. But there is also the group that very often seems to get forgotten about, those who just don't care one way or the other. In the District I serve we had a Den Leader, father of four boys who left his wife to move in with his gay friend, they eventually got married. He was a very good Den Leader when he was married to his wife. I fail to see how that might change just because he was no longer married to a woman? While some people did voice a lot of hate toward him and his "Kind". A lot of parents seen him as just being the guy hat he always was. They didn't quit because he quit, they said it just didn't matter. While I think the policy is wrong. I fail to see how discrimination against a group of people can ever be right. I also think that we as an organization do and can can do a lot of good. I'd like to see this issue become a local issue with CO's making their own choices. But until then I'm willing to stick around just because of the good. Ea.

While of course those of us who are on the right are not going to be swayed. They have their way of seeing things and think that what they believe to be best or right is just that. Others like myself who might be a little more to the left? Are also not going to change course, we think that we are in the right and our thinking and ways of dealing with things are for the best. I'm not saying this is a bad thing. To my mind offering a clear choice is a good thing. I'm a little fed up with this middle of the road course that elected politicians seem to want to take. Sure I'd hate to see an extreme right wing government gain power. But I'm willing to accept whatever the majority goes for. (Yes I'll whine, complain and moan a bit.) While I dislike the Tea Party and just about everything it stands for or thinks it might stand for?? Others see the guys and girls who are camping out and demonstrating in Wall Street as a group of left wing nutters who might riot at the drop of a check book. I think the one thing both groups have in common is that they came to be because people felt that they weren't being heard and that their needs weren't being addressed. Sure the needs might be completely different and at odds. But the fact that no one seemed to care or be listening is for me the big thing that both groups have in common. The last few elections seem to have been more about "Get rid of and kick the bums out!" Than anything else. Sad thing is that the bums who replaced the bums who got kicked out don't seem that much different. The buzz word the last time we had a presidential election was "Change". From where I sit while these has been a few changes, for the most part it's been the same old same old. Joe the plumber, John Doe and the average Joe are fed u with the way things get done or don't get done in Washington DC, Wall Street and in our State Capitals. If there is a common cry from the Tea Party and the OWS groups it has to be "Can You Hear Me Now?" Ea.

"These capitalists generally act harmoniously and in concert, to fleece the people With that in mind, maybe Wall Street should have been occupied a long time back? Sure many of us feel that we are obliged and obligated to help our neighbor's. We can donate to food banks, support local charities and so on. Still the truth is that unless things change and we as a nation start feeling that we are only as strong as our poorest and weakest instead of making these groups, the people who end up suffering the most when greedy banks and right wing twits mess up. Nothing is going to change. Could it be that the OWS are really taking all this talk about the ruling of the people, by the people... To heart?

There has been talk about this "New Rule" for a very long time. I remember it being talked about back in 1999. Other than people talking about it, I have yet to see the black and white. As for Pioneering becoming a lost art? I think part of the reason is that there seems to be fewer people who bother to learn about it, maybe because they are a little intimidated. While a lot of the needed equipment can be found for the asking a lot of it can be very expensive especially if it's not going to get a lot of use. There are a few nuts like myself who have a fair amount of their own gear, just because they are into it. A lot of these so called rules tend to get up my nose a bit. I have been an adult leader for a fair amount of time. I'm involved because I happen to like kids. Me doing anything that is lightly to harm them or hurt them? Just is silly. Scouting is all about having fun. The fun stops when someone gets hurt. A well built ten foot tower is a lot safer than a six foot one that is not built correctly or built with poor materials. I'm willing to put my knowledge and experience up against these so called rules any day of the week. Ea.

"all of us need to sacrifice and cut back now in order to make tomorrow better." OK, I'll bite. "All of us"? How about the guys who earn millions and don't pay their fair share of taxes? Are they going to cut back by paying more? What "Sacrifice" are they making? "in order to make tomorrow better." I fail to see how making cuts in education will help this. I fail to see how having millions of people face old age with little or no money will make tomorrow better? I fail to see how any civilized country can even think about let alone state on national TV that they would be willing to leave any uninsured person to just die. Yes, for sure something needs to be done to address the National Debt. It was just plain fool hardy not to allow the Bush Tax Cuts to just run out. There is waste and a lot of pork that needs to looked at and dealt with. There is a couple of wars that need to be ended. If a better tomorrow is all about a generation of under or un-educated adults who don't have the skills to compete in the global market place, along with millions of people who have no retirement benefits, no health care and who have lost their savings? I have to think that my idea of a better tomorrow is a lot different.

I think it's fair to say that the demands of the people are not clear. I don't know if I'm being fair when I say that this is also true of what happened in the past couple of elections. People felt that their elected officials weren't representing them and more than electing someone or a party the vote was more about getting those who were in, out. Anyone with half a brain can see the havoc the elected Tea Party members have caused and the harm they caused to everyone. Why did they do this? As far as I can see they did it just because they could. It's easy for me to pretend not to see or know what's going on. I live in a part of the country where housing didn't sky rocket and not too many people got trapped in paying for a house that they can no longer afford and are unable to sell. Both myself and HWMBO have good jobs that at the moment seem to be fairly stable. Still we have friends who not that long ago seemed to be living the good life. Good jobs, nice homes, nice cars and a kid or two in college. Their good jobs are gone, they struggle to pay their mortgage payment, the cost of sending their kids to a good college have gone through the roof. They have been forced to dip into their retirement savings or whats left of their savings. Thanks to the meddling of the Tea Party members. These people never asked, wanted or took a hand out of any kind from anyone. Worse still is when the time does come for these people to retire, the chances are that they will have no benefits, no money and from what I'm hearing from some of the Republican candidates that are running for president, there is no chance of any help should they win. The time for the people to take back the real power is now and I'm glad and happy to see some people doing their bit and doing what they think is right. Ea.

I can't say how pleased I am to see the unions, students and other everyday ordinary people support and join those who are demonstrating in Wall Street. With any luck all of these groups will come together and with a united front give the twits in the Tea Party a kick in the backside. Ea.

Things like this are always tough. Even though I believe that sticking a kid in a uniform doesn't by any means make him into a saint. I do like to think that Scouts behave a little better than the expected norm. When they don't live up to our expectations, it hurts us and hurt the way we view Scouting. A very long time ago I was on the Service Team at Walton Firs a UK National Scout Camp at that time. Cleaning the latrines was a part of the job. We used to term it "Cleaning the bogs". While I never witnessed anything as bad as moxieman has posted. Cleaning the toilets after other people is not something that can ever be called fun. Kids are kids and kids do have accidents. This is especially true at camp where some kids hold off, not wanting to use a bathroom which is strange to them. My son did his damn est never to use the bathrooms at school or at camp unless he was there (At camp) for a extended amount of time or he really had to go. At camp kids eat a different diet than maybe they do at home. (Just today I had an inmate a big fellow come to me and almost whisper that he was embarrassed that he'd pooped himself. He blamed it on drinking too much Orange juice.) I have no idea why anyone would want to vandalize a bathroom or shower that they more than lightly are going to have to use. It can't be that they are seeking attention? Maybe they want to see how much it upsets others? Truth is, I really don't know. The list of options of what might or could be done to try and prevent this from happening again is a very long list. Many of the options have pros and cons. My big thing is that a Scout is Trustworthy. If we believe this we have to place our trust in our Scouts and allow them them to live up to the trust we place on them. If I were the guy in charge, The District Camping Chair or whatever you call the guy who looks after District Camporees. On the Friday night when everyone arrives at the next event I'd meet with all the youth leaders (SPL's, PL's) I'd explain what happened last time and let them know that this isn't acceptable. Asking them to talk to the Scouts, telling them that it just can't be allowed. I might be very tempted to tell them if it did happen that photos would be taken and each and every parent would be receiving an email from me with photos of the damage. (I'd have to be really upset to do that!) Ea.

To go along with what emb021 posted. Back when we had the old Boy Scout Course, I never staffed a course where there were anymore than four new staff members. Being as we are part of a cluster with six other Councils it seemed to be that two new guys were from the home Council and I'm not sure how the other two got selected? There did seem to be more new faces at the Cub Scout Course, I think this was due to it being a Regional Course? Not everything was all bad about the "Olde Boy" Course. Most times the guys knew the course and knew each other which made things work better. But I staffed a few courses where the "Add Ons" Had taken over and the course really was more about "Hey look at us staffers and how good we are!!" More than anything else. I will stand by the idea of having the best Person do the job that they are best suited for over than trying to have some kind of progression or promotion of staff members. Clearly having do what they do best is the best for the participants. As for TG in the "Real World" Being what happens? I'd bet that over 90% of the Troops in the area where I'm at don't use TG. I don't like the idea and will never use a New Scout Patrol. My thinking is that Patrols where the ages are mixed just works out better. But if I were ever forced to use this silly idea I'd want my best ASM to work with the new guys. After all they have the future of the Troop in their hands. Having a new ex-den leader look after these guys? I don't think so. Ea.

Over the years, many years!! I've had some really wonderful times at Wood Badge courses. While there are times when I do feel a little upset and maybe resentful that I've been put out to pasture because of the rule that doesn't allow anyone who has served as CD to return unless there is dire reasons. I of course feel that I still have a lot to offer. But... I do see that one of the things that happened with the old course was that Wood Badge was very much a place for the good old boys and very few new faces were ever seen. I welcomed the rule that set a percentage of new staff members for each course. To my mind the most important position is the Troop Guide. The TG has the most interaction with the participants and has the final word on tickets. While the CD sets the tone for the course, this if it's done right?? Is all done long before the participants ever arrive. To be very honest during the time the course I was CD was going on. I felt very much like I had nothing to do. When it came to selecting who was going to do what? I chose the people I knew who would do the best job. My SPL had served on one course as a staff member, but the guy is very charismatic, is a knowledgeable scouter, but my main reason for selecting him was his ability to communicate. In the real world he is a Lutheran Minister, with a PhD in theology (From Oxford!!) I'd seen the great job the person I selected as Scribe was doing as a R/T Commissioner and having her serve as Scribe was a no brainer as far as I was concerned. One big problem I faced was that our course is a cluster course, which means that inviting people from other Councils is expected and as a rule if the person is going to be the CD for the next course offered the expectation is that a position of "Rank" will be offered. 99% of the time the person is well suited and a good choice. The guy I got from another Council mustn't have liked me very much? After one meeting he emailed me and said that he didn't think it was going to work out. I was happy that he was that up front. The most important thing a CD can do is install in ALL the people on staff the idea that they really are there to serve the participants. The course isn't about them, extra beads or any sort of power or ego. Having the right person doing the right job is very important. My mentor was big on having everyone do at least one presentation. The truth was that I had some great people working in positions like QM doing an outstanding job, but ask them to cover a presentation was asking for a disaster. The time to develop a Wood Badge course has been cut back a lot, having new people makes the developing task a lot harder so having and selecting people do jobs that you know that they can do and are good at rather than moving them out of their comfort zone seems silly and just as in real scouting no rank or title out ranks or is more important than any other. Ea.

juggerwubba Hi, I had to look through your past posts to get what you were talking about when it came to cricket! Nice to have another displaced Limy along for the ride. I wasn't on the team that put together the 21st Century course. Many of us knew that it was coming, some participated in the trials that were held. If I remember correctly there was a delay before it was rolled out. In the area where I live we have a lot of old time Scouter's who live and die for Wood Badge. Some of these guys at the time did little else other than Staff courses. They didn't want anything to change and seen as changes as just being plain wrong. I'd staffed a good many courses with these guys. They are all great guys and did their best to do what they thought was the right thing. The problem was that over the years so much had been added to the course that no two courses were ever the same. I seen a lot of the sillieness that was added. While some of it was great fun, for the most part it was a waste of time. In the UK when they changed the course they didn't try to keep or preserve most of the traditions that many held so dearly. - No patrols, no singing silly songs, no lovable critters. It was rolled out for what it was. A leadership course. Here in the USA the team that did put the course together seem to have had differences of opinions. This can be seen if you closely read and examine the syllabus. I was on staff for one of the last Cub Scout courses that was held here in the US. Some of the team that were working on the new course came and watched the Cub Scout course to see what could or what worked that might be part of the 21st Century course. If the truth be told the Cub Scout Leader Trainer Course never really was close to what a Wood Badge course was. When the new course did come along. There was in the area where I live a rush of old time Wood Badge Staff members to be on staff. The first 21st Century course I staffed had only three new faces on staff and five or six guys who had served as SM for the old course. After they had served on the new course a good many just called it a day. They didn't like it and wanted no part of it. Many felt that the new syllabus was too restrictive and didn't allow them to do their own thing as they had in the past. I was selected to serve as the CD for the first new course in our Council. I think it was the 3rd year that the new course was available. My mentor was a guy who I think the world of and is my best friend, a truly wonderful guy and outstanding Scouter. I had a free hand in selecting my staff, other than one guy. The guy who was being groomed to be the next CD. I really had to fight and stand my ground when it came to light that I'd only selected four returning staff members to serve on staff. I was told that it couldn't be done. Things got worse when I let the guy who was being groomed as the next CD go! I let him go because he just didn't get the new course. He hadn't bothered to read the syllabus. He wanted the course to be more about the staff and the staff being held up as being special than it being about the participants and meeting their needs. The guy is a very big supporter of the Council and you can imagine my great surprise when four years later he served as CD and a lot of the old sillieness was allowed back into the course. -Yes the Scoutmaster's Chair was back, Staff carried staves and wore campaign hats!! I wish that the course could be presented for what it is. - A Leadership Course. Without the need to try and include all the sectional stuff and the old traditions. I think there is a need for a in-depth skill based course, where participants can immerse themselves in the workings of being a Den Leader, Cub Master or Boy Scouter. (The training's for Commissioners needs a good look at as well!) Most of the problems that seem to arise from the 21st Century course come from people in a section feeling that their needs have not been met. Ea.

Maybe, just maybe trying to explain Wood Badge is like trying to explain the game of cricket to an American? There are times when I look at the course and the course syllabus and it does seem that in an effort to try and include everyone (All sections) and keep everyone happy, that the end result misses the mark by a long shot. This "New Course" really isn't new any more. It's been around for almost ten years. (Maybe eleven? I need to check.) This is long enough that some of the stuff that wasn't working could be taken out and stuff that wasn't maybe in the right place could be moved. It's also long enough that some things that shouldn't be there, never were intended to be there and have no place being there have at the local level managed to creep in and become part of the course. A lot of this kind of stuff starts out as great fun and is enjoyable ad over time gets added too until somehow it just gets expected to be there even though it may have lost the edge it might have once had. It's also worth remembering that when it comes down to the delivery of the course a lot depends on the Course Director. Sure he or she signs a pledge that he is going to stick to the syllabus, but even with that his interpretation of the syllabus can alter the course. What Wood Badge means to you? I have no idea. What did you want to come away with? Most people, no matter how they end up at the course want to think that after it they will be more prepared and better able to do the job that they are doing already. If you are not doing such a great job and are totally overwhelmed you might come away with a new outlook and feel that you got just what you needed. If on the other hand you are doing an outstanding job, have got some time in and have developed a good understanding of the program and how it works, then maybe your not going to take home as much as the guy who isn't as fortunate as you? Back in the day when I was staffing the old Boy Scout Wood Badge course, we'd cover the leadership skills and I had a handout which only had a headline printed on it that read. "I'm going to use the skill of ....... Blank fill in the skill. To better my Troop by ......" Maybe if as you go through the course you look at the presentations with an eye as how you will use the tools/skills that are being presented to do your job better or improve what your doing. The course will start to make more sense. Of course on the other hand you can sit there and pick everything apart saying that this is a load of old cods wallop and come away a couple of hundred bucks worse off, having got nothing and your grass will still mowed! You only ever get out of anything, what you put into it. The more you try to understand it the better you will. Ea

Been thinking about the stuff that was said about judging. I'm not wise enough or clever enough to quote from any good or religious books. So please feel free to carry on that side of things without any input from me. When it comes to judging. I'm very much guilty as charged. I do judge the things that people do. Sometimes, wrong as it might be I do judge the person because of the things that they have done. I know that at times I'm not being very fair, as there are times when I know that I don't have all the details. A drunk driver gets in his car while drunk and kills someone. I know for a fact that he was drunk, he was driving and the person he hit with his car is dead. I don't know the reason he was drinking? I don't know if he made a habit of driving while drunk? I've had talks with guys who have killed (Murdered) people. They admit that they did shoot the people they killed. Many accept responsibility for their actions. They go on to talk about how they did this while a member of a gang and that coming from where they come from gang membership is a way of life. The up side to me being a judge is that it allows me to forgive. I'm not the worlds greatest when it comes to forgiveness. I don't hold grudges, but there are some things I'm just able to get past or forgive. Even still I do treat people with the respect I want to be given in return. -But there is a part of me that just doesn't allow me to be as open with them as I am with others. If we never judge? Then how can we ever hope to forgive? Or does forgiveness belong to some higher power? Just asking. Ea.

"Which of these "lifestyles" are acceptable for BSA?" First thing that comes to my mind, which is a strange place! Is "BSA"? What and who is the BSA? A long time ago I worked out that the guys who sit in their offices in Texas are not the BSA. These guys are a group of people who are being paid to do a job. When they do their job well, they are supporting the volunteers and the youth members who really are the BSA. Next thing that hits me is "Acceptable". Acceptable to who (Whom?)? A lot of stuff flows out of the offices in Texas, some of it is good, some of it is needed, some of it is just a load of bunk or hog-wash. For the most part I do my best to play this game within the guide lines that are set. There are times when I don't. When I don't? I'm not going out of my way to be a real pain in the neck. I'm doing so because I believe that what I'm doing is right. I take a lot of comfort in being right! The main comfort being that when I'm right, I'm not ever wrong!! Nothing that comes out of Texas will ever or can ever override the Scout Oath and Law. Which brings me back to what is and what isn't "Acceptable". Acceptable fall back on my interpretation of the Oath and Law. My values. These values of mine might not be the same as someone else's. For most of us they are similar, some of us might have them listed in a different order of importance. I happen to think that it'd more important to be trustworthy than to be brave. God for me might not come before being kind? At the end of the day the only person I really have control over, the only person who I can really dictate to is myself. When I look at little list that is posted, my values tell me what is acceptable to me and what isn't. Very often, like it or not I can't help but to allow my values to shine through and influence how I do things, how I deal with others and what sort of leader I am for both the youth members and the adult volunteers that I come into contact with. It then becomes up to them to decide if the agree or disagree with me and if I'm the sort of person that they want as a leader, a friend, a person they like or don't like. I can't force them to buy into my values. We are supposed to be in the business of trying to help guide young people to make their own ethical choices. I'm willing to put my values out there in the open and allow others to examine them and see if the choices I've made are a good choice and one that they might want to follow. Most times they aren't going to buy the entire package, but my hope is that there will be something, some part that is worthy of them holding on to and making better. Ea.

Our District covers 3 school Districts. I live almost dead center of the Scout District, which has the smallest School District. Only one elementary school, one Jr.-High and one Senior High. The School District next door has one more elementary School. The other District covers a very large area, going up into the mountains it has more schools, but the schools tend to be smaller, being as it's very rural. I've had Sea Scouts join the Ship from this large district and it's not unusual for kids to be on the bus for two hours each way! That makes for a very long day!! Where I live we used to have as many as 5 Packs recruiting from the same elementary school, now it's down to just two. We had a really good percentage of the available youth from this school, almost 28% Ea.

When I tried to get in, I kept being redirected to some site that was all about celebrity scandals. Looked like it was a little too hot for an old fellow like myself! When I tried just now to enter by the link that leads to what has been posted in the last 24 hours, I got an Server Error message. Everyone is busy watching the new season on TV or posting pics on the Troop web site from summer camp! Ea.

Back when I came over to the USA to work at Camp Conestoga summer camp was eight weeks. We are down to six weeks and talking about going to five as both the first week and the last week are only as a rule only half full. "Presumably operating more weeks per camp helps reduce costs by spreading fixed costs over more weeks." Might be true if the camp is full, but with less than 50% the camp is operating at a loss. The cut backs make working at camp less attractive to the older youth who need more weeks in order to save enough for school the next year. Ea