Eamonn

While I agree that being seen as cool has never been our goal or our purpose.It could be argued that without an attractive image the youth that we would hope to serve might not want to join. This could also lead us to ask who are we "Selling" Scouting too? The youth? The parents? or the Chartering Organizations? Eamonn

While I have over the past few weeks made reference to how cool I am. I do know in my heart of hearts that I'm about as cool as a bowl of oatmeal. In another thread someone said that a Scout Uniform would never be cool as long as it was associated with being a Scout Uniform. I happen to think that being a Scout can be very cool. I look at the activities that Scouts can do and in many troops do get to do and I think that is really cool. Of course I know that I'm biased. Maybe what I perceive to be cool just isn't. We do have an image. I like to think that it is a good one.Over my desk I have two very big prints of Boy Scouts, one with the Scout Law the other with the Scout Oath. The boys /Scouts are very good looking Lads, one blond and one with dark hair and a no nonsense look in his eye. I look at them and I look at my son. Yes he could be one of those two Lads, but maybe we might need to tweak it a little. The Scouts are pictured in the great outdoors. Well - maybe but OJ is more at home in his bedroom. When I was a kid we used the bedroom to sleep in and read the odd book. He has everything that he needs in his other then the fridge. One Lad in the picture has a Scout stave. We might need to change this. OJ got lost on a hike and text messaged a ASM on his cell phone. He rarely leaves the house without his Walkman and never without his cell phone.He has taken his laptop to camp - I have no idea why. I bought the two prints on e-bay I don't really know how old they are. I do know that I like them even if they are a little bit too "Rockwell" to show what my home grown Scout is really like. My Scout is a great kid, who is getting a lot out of this organization and has plans to get a lot more. He is as cool as he wants to be. The last thing he wants is a cool friend as a Dad. He just wants a Dad. Eamonn

I don't know if Mountainboarding will take off at ski resorts but it would seem to be a nice addition to summer camp activities. Having said that I have no idea what a board costs. Eamonn

A little while back I started getting my stuff ready for my return to the great outdoors. Back home the top of the line backpacking stoves were the primus stoves. I worked in a hardware store and the old fellow who owned it just loved these stoves and lamps. It was more of a hobby with him. Of course he fitted me out with a couple of stoves and I was ready to go. I used these stoves for many years as I worked on the hikes needed for my Queen Scout Award and the Duke Of Edinburgh's Award. When I became Scout Leader, the cost of primus stoves was a little steep and I wasn't that keen on the Scouts carrying paraffin in their packs. We went mostly to small camping gaz stoves. They were cheap and the refills were easy to find. Of course the Gaz worked out a lot more expensive then the paraffin did. I have just bought a MSR Whisper Lite Shaker stove it cost $58.00 and while I have yet to take it on it's maiden voyage I have tinkered with it. There isn't any real control of the heat but it does seem to boil water very quickly. I did look at the new Coleman line I think it's called Exponent. They have a small stove that looks good but over the past few years it seems to me that Coleman is not what it used to be. Eamonn

My Queen Scout is still on mine. Eamonn(This message has been edited by Eamonn)

Some wise person said Plan your work and work your plan. Most of us who have been around a while have had to deal with the "Deer in The Headlights Syndrome" Planning starts with the Annual Plan. There are lots of material and things to draw from to make this meeting work. Look inside this months Scouting Magazine. One of my favorite bits in the Disney Jungle Book is where the vultures who sound like they come from Liverpool are on the tree and one says"What shall we do? the other says "I don't know." The next says "What do you want to do?" The first says "I don't know" The next says "What shall we do?" This is just what an unplaned meeting sounds like.

I have to admit to being one of those real pains who thinks that the uniform no matter what it looks like is more then just cloth. The uniform and the wearing of the uniform are an outward sign that the person wearing it has accepted the ideals of Scouting. Other then the rare occasion when I don't wear the socks, if I'm in uniform it's the whole uniform. I tend to think that some leaders either don't see it that way or lack the skill to make the point. If the National Committee phoned me and said "Eamonn old boy we want you to research a uniform that will work now get working on it." (Not that they ever will.) I would start by asking the Scouting Moms about what materials. Then I would visit the troops that are wearing the uniform as it is now. My thinking being that the Lads that don't wear it now really can't improve upon something that they know nothing about. Then I would visit the uniformed Cub Scout packs and see what these little fellows think the Scout Uniform should be. Bob makes a good point that even with 90% of the people liking it there would still be a lot of unhappy campers. As it is now I am not sure if we need a uniform for the camp site or the meeting hall.As most Scouts get a little dirty at camp. I think that the meeting hall works better. But I would have to find that out. Eamonn

Thanks for the "Heads Up" I gave it the old GOOGLE search and found a low cost place for Web Sites in the UK and a site with jokes that Sunday School kids tell. I now have a lot of new jokes to tell until Boy's Life Think and Grin hits the mail box. Could be that my cool Dude image needs work. Eamonn

? Eamonn

OK fotoscout Now we know who you wouldn't ask. We are back to the question. Who Would You Ask? Eamonn

The PLC may be the first time that anyone has ever asked these Lads what they think. You might want to meet with your SPL and plan the Agenda. Have him pass out the Agenda a week or so before the meeting to the Patrol Leaders, allow the patrols to discuss it at their Patrol Meeting. That way the Patrol Leader will be representing his patrol. You might want to do more at your PLC then just sit and discuss things. You could with the SPL teach the Patrol Leaders a new skill which they could then pass on to the patrol members. You could as a PLC make a chariot, go over the Japanese and Square lashings. Then have Patrol Chariot Races at the next troop meeting. At the business end of the PLC make plans for a pioneering weekend. Eamonn

My New Boots Story. While I'm well known for my sexy knees. I can't say the same about my feet. Shoe and Boot sizes mean nothing. I have size 8's that fit great and have size 9 1/2 that are too small. I really like Timberland Shoes and have been buying the 100% waterproof Gore-tex. But they are shoes not boots. While a pair of boots were on the wish list I wasn't in any real hurry to rush out and buy a pair. Gander Mountain has a store not far from the office.Her That Must Be Obeyed, tells me that I spend way to much in the store. I don't know why but Gander Mountain seems to have a lot of sales that if you don't go in the store you never know anything about. I have found so many great buys that it's just not true. I pop in once a week or so and check it out. I was in the store and came across a pair of Columbia Titanium boots on a clearance rack. Every other pair had a price tag either $29 or $39.00. I tried them on size 9 1/2 and the fit was good. But no price tag. I called a young Lad who works there over to find out the price. We both knew that even the $39.00 was way too low. But we couldn't find anything that looked even like them. He asked if I really wanted them I said yes so he called the manager over. We looked at all the other boots and still nothing like them. The manager who knows me to see me says that they were all on clearance over the weekend with an extra 25% off. So What did I think about $30.00 I agreed and went to the check out. Again the guy at the check out knows me and gave me the 10% Scout discount. I got home and looked up my boots on the net and there they were selling for $183.00 I paid $27.00. Next time I was in the store I looked in to see the manager and informed him that he had made a mistake. He said not to worry about it. So far I haven't really got to wear them. But already I really like them. Eamonn

OGE Lot of people in the "Burg" will agree about Barry Bonds. Safety gear and the right prep for Mountainboarding seem like a must. Eamonn

Train Them. Trust Them . Let Them Lead. The Scoutmaster is in charge of Training the Patrol Leaders to do their job, to the best of their ability. He then has to trust them to do it.He supports them by showing that he has confidence in them and with the expectation that they will do their best. The Scoutmaster needs to adopt the answer: "Ask your Patrol Leader."The Scoutmaster needs to develop a belief that the Patrol Leader is the only one who knows what is going on so that the Scouts do turn to the Patrol Leader for vital facts and guidance. When the Scouts go to the Patrol Leader this is a sign of true leadership. Of course it only works if the Patrol Leader has been given all the vital information to start with. The Scoutmaster needs to know his Patrol Leaders. He needs to know the wants and needs of his Patrol Leaders. In turn the Scoutmaster needs to install in the Patrol Leader the need to know the members of his Patrol. Effective Leadership can only be managed if the Patrol knows the wants and needs of the Patrol members. To build the confidence of the Patrol Leaders they need to put out front as much as possible and given every opportunity to lead . They also need to be commended publicly when they show signs of taking responsibility. Scoutmasters should refrain from criticizing the Patrol Leader in front of his Patrol. This will reverse all the good that has been done in building up the confidence of the Patrol Leader. The Scoutmaster and other adults must allow the Patrol Leader to lead and not jump in to solve every problem or hand out discipline. Scoutmasters must remember that they are to be training the Patrol Leader and this is ongoing, so while providing every opportunity to lead he should be available to guide the Patrol Leader and be someone that the Patrol Leader can count on for advise and to talk to about things without getting in the way. The true Boy Run Troop, is one where the Scoutmaster is training the Patrol Leaders to lead. In the old Boy Scout Wood Badge there was a session "Representing The Group." It started with the Patrol meeting and coming up with what they wanted to cook for the feast. When they met with the SPL he looked over the menu and if needed had the Patrol Leaders make changes. There may have been six patrols that wanted to make the mashed potatoes when only one patrol making mashed potatoes would be enough. Now we have five patrols that have to change. Each Patrol Leader knows that his Patrol wants to make the mashed potatoes, but he will more then lightly not get his way. He goes back to his Patrol and informs them that they are not making mashed potatoes and are cooking spaghetti. This is still a Boy Led Troop, but there has been give and take on both sides. Yes there will still be the mashed potatoes, but not every patrol will be making them and better yet we have added the spaghetti. Sometimes Leadership is not so much about what we end up doing but how we got there. Eamonn

Thanks Ed, Will do and maybe if they are offering it this summer I might look in. I was talking to a District Director from your Council a few weeks back. They were planning a District Camporee at Camp Tenersherison. Eamonn

Have to admit that Neil and Pounder have got me thinking. I am 100% for us being as diverse as possible. I never really thought about at what cost? I am very aware of how I spend my money, maybe not as careful as other people who post in these forums. But I spend it as I want. I do support a charity that brings kids from Northern Ireland to the USA for part of the summer, placing them in the homes of Protestants if they are Catholic and vise versa. I don't do any thing to bring kids from Palestine and put them with Jewish families. I suppose that I could donate money to some sort of fund and stipulate that it could be used what ever my want might be. I could say it can only be used for Cub Scout camping. Does this mean that there are no poor Boy Scouts? No. - But it's my money. So I think if someone wants to put money into a fund for whatever their want is, that's fine as long as I can do the same. My 2 cents.( For now.) Eamonn

One of the things that I have heard that causes problems in the larger councils is that they seem to go over through DE's faster then the smaller councils. Of course not having been in one I don't really know. Of course on the other side of the coin, being from a small district we have a smaller pool to draw from when we start selecting quality people to serve on some of our committees. Eamonn

One of the new activities at the next Jamboree will be Mountainbording. I never heard of it. It seems to be a cross between Snow Boarding and Skate Boarding. Has anyone tried it? Eamonn

Her That Must Be Obeyed works at the local ER.She informs me that the ER will treat without permission if it is a life threatening emergency. In all other cases they do need permission to treat. Before the last Jamboree we had a permission form made that went a little further then the BSA forms, we included dental work. Eamonn

Ozemu informs us that when the Australian Scout Association were making changes to the uniform they asked people who were not Scouts what they thought. Phil said that when the English Scout Association were making changes they asked Scouts who were in the program. Who would you ask? And what input should Adults who are in the Association / Organization have if any? Eamonn

I have said at grrrreat length what I think of the LFL program. The LFL program that the Council offers for children of Elementary school age is ran in the schools. I like the two Ladies who the Council pays to run the program. I just hate the idea that my money is used to do it. Kind of like taking the car into the garage to be repaired and finding out they aren't using the right parts. When the LFL program starts using the promises and oaths that the traditional program uses I will get down off my high horse. I must have got out of the wrong side of the bed. Where is that other posting?? Eamonn

I have said at grrrreat length what I think of the LFL program. The LFL program that the Council offers for children of Elementary school age is ran in the schools. I like the two Ladies who the Council pays to run the program. I just hate the idea that my money is used to do it. Kind of like taking the car into the garage to be repaired and finding out they aren't using the right parts. When the LFL program starts using the promises and oaths that the traditional program uses I will get down off my high horse. I must have got out of the wrong side of the bed. Where is that other posting?? Eamonn

I have said at grrrreat length what I think of the LFL program. The LFL program that the Council offers for children of Elementary school age is ran in the schools. I like the two Ladies who the Council pays to run the program. I just hate the idea that my money is used to do it. Kind of like taking the car into the garage to be repaired and finding out they aren't using the right parts. When the LFL program starts using the promises and oaths that the traditional program uses I will get down off my high horse. I must have got out of the wrong side of the bed. Where is that other posting?? Eamonn

I thought it was me!! I was looking at the E. Eamonn

While I agree with you whole heartedly. I would add that all those who are over there putting their lives on the line are hero's. Pray for our Troops. Eamonn