Eamonn

Some really neat stuff - Thanks Matu. I echo the Man Of Steele. Keep Safe.

In the Staff Guide for the Wood Badge for the 21ST Century in the Wood Badge Game Show. The question is asked: What is the proper way for a Boy Scout to salute the flag when he is out of uniform? The answer in the book reads: The Scout sign made with the right hand, held over his heart, three fingers parallel to the ground. None of our staff and none of the participants on our course had ever heard of this. But as it is in the book we went with it. Eamonn Nice to see another Brit join us- Welcome.

I'm glad that I sat this one out. Someone might have wanted to take me behind the Scout and : Paint Ball, Laser, Shoot or Squirt me. As a kid my Mum said it was rude to point - What a wise Lady she was. Eamonn

Along with: Paul Mc Cartney Prince Philip Neil Armstrong Jim Loveell Bill Gates Henry Ford Lord Baden Powell Horatio Nelson RamsesII Winston Churchill And OJ my son I'm a very proud left-hander. Sister Mary- Matthew, tried to "Cure me" But even with her connections - She failed. Some people say that I eat left handed, I say that Americans eat wrong handed. I can count on either hand and am ambidextrous when it comes to holding a good pint. Eamonn

We had a chap from our council who worked in this area last time out. I will try and find out what he did and let you know. The Jamboree is a lot of fun. I feel sure that you are in for a grat time. Welcome to the forums. Eamonn

I really like the analogy of the Stepchild fitting into the well established family. As a district we are moving ahead. We have a ADC Venturing. As far as I know we are the only district to have one. There are four districts in the council. Again as a district we are pushing for all of our units to offer the Full Family of Scouting. The problem with this is small crews. We hope to overcome this by getting them to network activities and plan super activities as a district activity until such a time as this is no longer needed. There is talk of a trip to Europe. We will see what happens on that one. We only have one Crew that is a "Stand alone" Crew these guys were an Explorer post in Greater Pitt. Council. They are into Nero and attract a lot of youth from all over the place. As a Council we are slowly getting our act in order. Sad to say there was a little bit of messing around with numbers in the early days, but that is now behind us. We did have a Council Venture Activity Day a few weeks back. There were about 50 or so Crew members. Which wasn't too bad as there was a lot of other School activities going on that day, a lot to do with some kind of band whatever. We had a Council Program meeting on Monday and for the first time there was a Venture group. We have a long way to go but at long last we are starting to take steps along the right road. Eamonn ( OGE-I tried to reply to your message, but it came back? So I send it to the address that you gave me. Let me know if you have it.)

A letter arrived from my sons Scoutmaster."Attend the next three Scout meetings and earn the Nature Merit Badge." OJ, has no interest in earning the Nature Merit Badge. So he didn't attend the meeting. I wonder how many other Scouts of the 30+ in his troop had a real interest in the Nature Merit Badge? Or was it just an Adult who knew better then everyone else? This kind of stuff is not what Scouting is about. Where was the PLC? Where was the yearly plan? I could see it if the letter had read "All those interested in ..." But it didn't. By the way he did attend the Venturing meeting that was after the troop meeting, and the SM asked why he wasn't at Scouts and OJ expressed his feelings. Eamonn

This November I will reach the 40 years in Scouting. Thanks to having a big brother who was 4 years older, I was taken behind the Scout Hut and given some very high handed advice. But so far everyone has resisted the temptation to shoot me!! As for the National and the World Jamboree. We will see over 30,000 Scouts at the National Jamboree, most of them from the USA. At the 2007 Jamboree we will see about the same number from all over the world. This is going to be really neat for me. In 1975 I was the Assistant Scout Leader to the London (GLC) contingent and now to go back as an American. Still I really enjoyed my stint as Training Chair. We seen so many changes in training. Most if not all were needed and have improved the training that all the adults have taken back to their units. I think my heart will always be in and with training. But I said that about being a Scout Leader. Dave, as you know from our phone chats. They can pick on me all they like, when I answer them they won't understand a word that I say. Isn't it strange that kids never have that problem. The kids say that I sound like Austin Powers (I have yet to see the movies) Older folks tell me it's more like the Beatles.

Is it just me or do we spent too much time on advancement? Summer camp is in a lot of troops evaluated by the number of Merit Badges earned. Some parents are looking at the "Eagle Scout Count" When it comes time for their son to move from pack to troop. If this is the case and Advancement has got out of hand? What can we do to put things back in perspective? Eamonn

I see no reason for anyone who is working behind the scenes to wear a uniform. Most of the members of our district committee are not uniform wearing members of the BSA. They are however working away for the benifit of the youth in the BSA. At most of the Eagle Scout BOR's the board is made up with people from the community who do not wear a uniform. As to the Male/ Female role in Scouting? I have worked with really good males and really good females. I like to think that we all bring a little something to the program and the program works all the better for All of us doing so. At this time we have a female DE.In her seventh year serving our district. I will admit that there were a few comments made when she first took the job. She was the first female ever in our council. She has done and is doing a first class job. The District Commissioner before me, was an outstanding Scouter, again a female. By the way I'm left handed and by accident I bought the "wrong" shirt at Philmont. I did try to wear it but ended up giving it to the DE. Eamonn

I have had to smile reading the thread about shoulder loops. I have been asked to join the North East Region area 4 Committee, with a view to organizing the two troops that will attend the World Jamboree in England in 2007. As a member of this committee I get to wear the gold loops. I have to admit that this is a job that I wanted. However I'm not sure what the area committee really does. My only real contact with these guys has been meetings to go over our Council rechartering. I will vacate the Council Training Chair. position at the end of this year and have only two more years to go as District Chair. So by 2005 I will be free to give this new position a lot of my time. By the way I think until I give up being District Chair. I will only wear the silver loops.

I wear my uniform whenever there are going to be Scouts around. Yes I have worn it to work. Everyone knows that I'm involved. We do not wear uniform to the District Committee meeting, as not everyone is a uniformed Scouter. Same goes for the Council Executive Board meetings. I don't always wear it to roundtables as the Chairman in training is not a uniformed member, and I can't see him wearing one. When I was District Commissioner we did wear the uniform to our meetings - Not sure why. I do tend to wear it when we visit the executive officers of our units. I know that I will get in hot water for this one, but I wear it because we have a female DE, who rarely wears the field uniform, so I try to "Look the part." Eamonn

Queen have a few songs that would knock the socks off a few and might fit in. The Scouts would really enjoy the change. Eamonn

I close my eyes and hear kids laughing and having fun. Eamonn

Some Thoughts. Baden Powell said "It is better to do good, then be good" Baden Went on to say about Scouts Own, that any leader who couldn't make his point in ten minutes ought to be shot!! Boys don't join Scouts for any other reason then to have fun. It is the job of the clever leader to seize the opportunity to get the God and Country into the Scout. A Scout makes an Oath to "Do My Best" It his Oath, His best. We do not have the right to judge. As to why does Scouts and Scouting take second place? Maybe it is because we are so good that we give our youth Roots and Wings. They know that we care for them and will be here for them when the season is over, they are aware that on our team no one sits on the bench. As I say just a few thoughts. Eamonn

OldGreyEagle, I think that is what I said. But you did it better then I ever could. Thanks. Eamonn

Her Who Must Be Obeyed, is a great iced tea drinker. Myself coming from an Irish family who drank "Real" tea by the mug full, I could never get used to the tea this side of the pond. So for the past 20 years have been a coffee drinker. There are few things as nice as a good hunk of aged English Chedder on top of a good rich fruit cake served with a nice glass of Black Bush. Not to be eaten around the Scouts and all that happy stuff. Then again a nice Dover Sole, grilled with a half a dozen oysters to start is really good. Then again roast beef and Yorkshire pudding is really good. But so is roast spring lamb. Then again I just love good fruit pies. Or then there is a not killer hot curry. Come to think of it, we Scout people are a diverse bunch. Maybe that is what needs to go into the report that was mentioned - How many pages back? Eamonn(This message has been edited by Eamonn)

Ok, I'll bite and show how dumb I am. What is VLSC?

Yes OGE You are right. I was talking out of my hat. Eamonn

Have to admit to sometimes falling into the "My Trap" I really try not to, but it happens. When it does, I remind myself that I only serve in whatever position for a little while. My district is not mine, I have the great honor to serve the District Chair from year to year and then only for three years. The end of this year my service term as the Council Training Chair. Will be over and then it will in the hands of someone else. I do have to admit that when I was a young Scout Leader, I did think of the troop as being mine. My ego was such that everything the Scouts did was a reflection of me. If we won something, it was me - I trained them. I picked the team. When we didn't do well the Scouts felt that they had let me down. How wrong I was. I think back to boys crying and I feel like a real louse. One great thing about this program is that it gives us all the opportunity to grow. I hope that I have grown. I know that I can never undo the harm that I caused. But I have grown. As many of you know I am very goal oriented. Still as I age the way that I perceive the goals is different. As to Whose Troop is it? It is our Troop. We all each and every one of us have a stake in the youth we serve. We all are aware of the mission of the BSA,we are all working towards the same goal. Get on a bus at the Jamboree and chat with the Scout sitting next to you. That Lad is no different then the Scouts in your unit, district or council. Just like you -He is a Scout. Eamonn

While I can respect the idea that the Crew sets the standard for uniform. I'm not so sure that for a female crew member it is impossible to be a member of the lodge. If this Lss was a member of the District Committee at age 18 or 19, she could be elected in. Yes I know that I'm splitting hairs. To date I have not seen a female Crew Advisor wearing the green shirt. I have seen a lot of male Advisors wear the greem shirt along with all the OA insignia. My thinking is that if he can, so can she. As for the Lads wearing stuff that the Lassies can't. There is no way a girl can wear all the stuff that the boys are allowed to wear. I'm thinking of the Arrow Of Light and the Eagle.

Ensure that the program you offer is such that they will not want to miss a meeting.

Please don't give me the "Book Answer" What goes through your mind when you place your Wood Badge over your head? What do you think? What does it really mean to you as as "Wood Badger" ?

Yipes!! I think I have got it all wrong?? I thought that: Once you were "Legally Elected" into the Order, you were in. No matter where you went in the organization. I also thought that a crew could wear the green uniform or opt for any outfit that they wanted too be their uniform. This being so could they wear the tan shirt? If they can, is it not possible that as members of the Order, that they wear any and all the insignia of the Order and the Lodge? Oh No!! Another sleepless night. Eamonn

Many Thanks. Have not long ago got home after part one(3 days) It is going really well. Will update when I have got caught up on a little sleep. Eamonn