Eamonn

Her Who Must Be Obeyed does at times mention the fact that Scouting is not cheap. There is a never ending amount of dinners to attend some with big price tags. With over 20 shirts the CSP's at $3.50 each is $70.00. But She would kill me if I had more money in my Scout stuff then I had in my retirement account. Still to each his own. Eamonn

Dave You need to start reading the works of the great Irish writers. Brendan Behan. Wrote Borstal Boy. In the book, which is about the time that he spend in an English Borstal (Juvenile Detention Center) All the Boys had one really good best friend, who is their "China" If you get the chance read the book. Sad to say Brendan drunk himself to an early grave. He is best known for his play "The Quare Fellow" Some of his more famous quotes: " I'm a daylight atheist" "I saw a sign that "Drink Canada Dry" and I've just started" He died in 1964. Eamonn.

Some years back we did a 1907 Camp. Only using things that were around in 1907 !! Washing dishes in soda - Is hard on the hands. Back woods is always fun. So is just having the Patrol do what ever. Let them plan everything and follow the plan. Works best if you can try really hard to not stick your nose in!! In fact works best if you are not there. By the way Truman and Hazelwood wrote some great stuff. Eamonn. So did Green Bar Bill.

The loss of any young life is always tragic. Please accept my deepest heartfelt condolences. Only last month we had a young lad from our council pass on. Like the others I too would like to know more about the award. This past weekend I was talking to the SPL of our Wood Badge course, his "Real Job"is a minister. We somehow got onto the topic of grieve and grieving. I said that it took me a long time to get over the death of my Dad and how even now there are things that"Set me off." For example my Dad was a great Jim Reeves fan. I went to do a diet for a elderly man the other day and he was sat next to his record player listening to Jim Reeves. I have to admit that my eyes were getting really heavy. Gene, the minister said that he thought that because of his job and being around grieve so much that he thought that he was almost immune. His sister had passed away at the age of 50. At the time he managed it very well. Then one day this spring he was driving his car and it just hit him. He said that he had to pull the car off the road. I feel sure that whatever you do that you will go with the wishes of the family. It might be that at this time they are not ready for something like this. No matter what I like to think that there is a Scout up in heaven looking down on us and doing what he can to help us do what we can to do a better job living the Scout Law and Promise. I will keep Troop 91 in my prayers. Eamonn

Bob White I would like to hear your take on this. Eamonn

Dave my old china (That is a good one for a nice fellow.) Please know that this page has been E-mailed to Pam. My DE. As you know I am not having a lot of fun with this years membership goal. In fact Pam and yours truly spent almost an hour on the phone brainstroming. We have signed up a center for disturbed youth, but while it is a unit we are only getting 15 youth members. We will send out a letter to all the local fire companies. They have a Junior fireman program that serves almost the same age group as Venturing does. We met with a local golf pro, yesterday and that might be something to look at in the spring. Needless to say at this time I am open to all and any ideas. Eamonn

There is a Troop in our district that whenever I have paid them a visit are always in the same place. It is as if time has stood still. Everytime I have been there they are in the Church basement. Sitting around the same table. They don't attend summer camp. Reports show little or no advancement. But there they sit the leaders and five or six Scouts. There is no evidence or any indication of a program. I know that this seems a long way off from where you are. However I feel the best thing that the boys in this troop and you could do is ----- GO ELSEWHERE. Packs and Troops ought to be like restaurants, you shop around till you find one that you like and serves the stuff that you want. Just like these lads in the troop that does nothing, I would think that what is happening hasn't happened overnight. The real difference is that it seems that you know what the program ought to be. Maybe they don't? Welcome to the forums. Eamonn

Maybe I just have too much time on my hands. Every now and then I visit E-bay. I have bought a few things. In fact only today the copy of Scout Pioneering that I won arrived in the mail. I paid $12.00. Someone had borrowed my old copy and forgot to give it back. It seems to me that some of the prices have gone wild. Far be it for me to tell anyone how to spend their money. I also think that if the seller can make a few bucks, - Good luck to him. Last week I saw a 1975 World Jamboree Subcamp 6 Neckerchief selling for $230.00 Then there was the Scoutmaster Ring from the last National Jambo selling for $153.00. I have both of these items. I never gave any thought to selling them. In fact the neckerchief has lived in an old tupperware box for the last 28 years and the patch is on my Jamboree Shirt. I have no idea what other items I have that someone might be willing to pay big bucks for. I have never been a what you might call a collector, more of a tupperware box type. Eamonn

Many Thanks for all your prayers. NE-IV-153 Ended this past Sunday. Camp Conestoga, in Somerset Pa.Was where the action took place. A week before the weather conditions were really nasty. One staff member E-mailed me that he had been at the camp and it was snowing!! However, the Good Lord smiled upon us and gave us three nice warm Fall days. It was great we saw the leaves change before our very eyes. The Staff did an outstanding job. The participants, a very lively bunch were great. While I don't want to blow my own kudu horn? It was a moving experiance to see so many people that are committed to this organization, working together, learning and having fun. I do firmly believe that Scouting is for our youth members. Still Wood Badge does somehow seem to showcase Scouting at it's best. At the closing luncheon we had Course Directors from our council going back over 40 years. They stayed for the final presentations and while they all had to admit that the course was nothing like the old one. Each and everyone of them said how much they liked the changes. Maybe it would be nice to do it again and maybe improve a few things. Still under the rules, I'm only going to get one bite of this cherry. So that will be up to the next Director. Who knows maybe one day someone will ask me to be a mentor? My term as Council Training Chair. Comes to an end at the end of this year. So this was me going out with a bang. Strange thing was that the District Training Chair got called away the day before the course and he asked if I could cover for him doing the New Leader Essentials. I arrived to find 37 new leaders. Mostly new Cub Scout parents, all keen, eager and ready to face the challenges that Scouting offers. Hopefully they will be attending a course in the not distant future. Again Thanks for your kind words, thoughts and prayers. Eamonn

While no one has to be "Uniformed." Uniform is one of the methods of Scouting for both Packs and troops. This being the case, one might hope that the leaders of packs and troops would try and set the example. The District Commissioner is in contact with the packs and troops and it is hoped that he or she will also set the example. The District Chairman really does not need to have contact with any of the units. So there is no need for him/her to wear a uniform. Eamonn

I had one but mine had bells on. Eamonn

We just ended our course this past weekend. I of course hope in the months to come that all the participants will be in need of "Beading." As course director, they can tell me when where and if they have found a ceremony that they want to go with. If not. There is a ceremony in the Wood Badge Staff guide and I have found others on the web. In the past there have been people who have requested that someone who is close to them be the presenter. My feelings are that it was their ticket and they have earned their Wood Badge beads. If they want another Wood Badge holder to be the presenter, that is fine and dandy with me. Eamonn

While it does sound like you have your work cut out for you. I wish you all the best. The District Commissioner role is vital for the health of the district. He or she needs to try and not be tempted to take on everything that needs doing in the district. That is why we have a district committee. The District Chairman does not have to be a uniformed member, so you are the top uniformed volunteer in the district. Working along side the DE and the District Chair. You are the "Management Team." I do think that two years is not long enough. I think that you need three years. One to get to know the job. One to recruit your replacement and one to train that person. I was District Commissioner for five years. While I enjoyed my term and really enjoyed leading a great team of adults, there were times when the going was a little rough. I found one of the really hard things was recruiting Unit Commissioners that could do the job. Still again the best of luck. Eamonn

Wise Words from Bob White and johnsned. I would add - Great Job on having worked the Ticket. Eamonn

Left Wing? Right Wing? My Father was a member of the English Labour Pary and mt Mother was a true blue Conservative. Dinner was a lot of fun in our house. As a student I joined the Young Socialists. Yes we were going to change the world. Sad to say for a long time nothing seemed to fit. The Conservatives and Maggie Thatcher became more and more right wing. The Labour Party became the Looney Left. Yes I want a more caring, loving society. No I don't want the government sticking its nose into everything. I look at todays Labour Party under Tony Blair and I see that the left wing is moving more to the center. I am not at all taken by George W. So at the end of the day I think that I'm a bit like that old Cash song. Eamonn

My Lazy-boy -zzzzz Have to admit to falling in love with Jump Drives, and Digital cameras. Still like my old Pentax 35mm. After many years we have found a can opener that works Her That Must Be Obeyed got it at a "Party" Chef something or other. Still the ring pull dog food cans work well. So do ring pull soda cans. What did we do before Cling film and photo-copiers? Eamonn Have just noticed that I have been posting for a year. Thanks to everyone for your help,ideas and input. I hope that maybe once or twice I have been of help to someone.

My teeth are fine. Well almost. The dentist says that I a scaling. Seems that every year we have a new dental plan. While I think of it there are states here in the U.S. That a lot of Americans think need a dental check up. Of course I wouldn't be as rude as to say which state. Eamonn

I was brought up under/with the English National Health Care. Yes there were waiting lists and maybe things could have been done better. Have been in the USA for 20 years and always had a job that had healthcare as a benifit. I really don't know how it works for the "Working Poor." My employer is UPMC, they offer us a HMO. Which most of the time works out fairly well. Last year they wanted us to use only UPMC owned centers, which is fine if you live in the big city. Sad to say I don't. They do offer an open access plan. It now costs me almost twice as much as I was paying under the old plan. Eamonn

The Chief Scout Exec does seem to get very well paid. Last I saw it was over $300k. This is high for a non-profit organization. From some of the stuff that I have read Baden Powell and James E. West didn't get on too well. Seems that when BP crossed the pond he wanted to see Scouts in action. James E. West wanted him to raise money. Eamonn

Let us for a minute forget what the book is saying. A man from Mars wants to know the membership of the BSA. Where would be the best place to look? 1/ A total of those listed on the charter? 2/ The year end total, without any ajustments? Eamonn

Dave, I hope that you would know that I don't pull my punches. Hence: Dear Boy Dear Lad Dear Old Boy, My Dear Boy Old Lad. My Dear Fellow And a lot more are indeed terms of endearment. I think that most unit leaders tend to think that the number of boys/ youth on the charter that they turn in is the number. All the Troops in our Council recharter in Jan and the Packs in Feb. A lot of things happen in the meantime. Webeblos Scouts cross over or in some sad cases quit.The number of Cub Scouts is never in Feb. What it was in Dec. Of course any snapshot will only give the membership as of the time that it was taken. Eamonn

When I was a kid there were a lot of Steamed Puddings, many had suet in them. In fact the Spotted Dick is a steamed pudding these seem like they might/could work in a mason jar. Eamonn Come to think of it so is a Christmas Pudding

Dave old Chap, I like to think that we are all aware how important membership is. We would all love to see every youth that could join be a member. There are no ifs ands or buts. It is not the why that is getting to me it is the how. Maybe it is time that we move out of the dark ages and take a long hard look at the entire rechartering procedure. In this day and age of computers and high speed exchange of information why can't we just go with a date that will be the membership total date. It really doesn't matter what the date is. On this date everyone in the entire BSA recharters and is counted. This would be the same date every year. Having two sets of dates for counting is unfair. Please let me know if you can think of a good reason why we have to have two sets of numbers. Eamonn

OregonScouter Welcome to the forums. Just wondering was there a World Conservation Award 25 years ago? Eamonn

There are some really hot topics going on in some of the other threads. Just thought that we might lighten things up a little. In the past we have looked at what is in the trunk(Boot.) Of your car, Movies and music. I thought that we might put together a list of things that work. This is just for fun and need not be taken to heart or too seriously. Please feel free to come back and add to the list as you think of or find other things that work. I'll get the list going with: Zippo Lighters. There is an old Frigidaire refigerator in the basement that was here when we bought the house, the previous owner said that she bought it in the early 50's. It does need to be defrosted every year or so but it is still going strong and we are on our second Maytag. Eamonn