Eamonn

Reading what SR540Beaver posted. He could have been describing OJ, when he was the same age. I of course don't know much about the program that is offered by the Troop that SR540Beaver's son is in? But the Troop OJ was in tended very much to tailor their program for the younger Scouts. Summer Camp was always at the Council camp, same site, same week. All this stuff about "Giving back"?? I just fail to understand. Where does it say that older Scouts owe anything? I don't think it's possible to come up with a set of rules or what-ever you want to call them that is able to cover all the variables of why a Scout might miss Scouting activities. We as a group of adults are as far as I can see very passionate about our Scouting. I think I have a hard time understanding the Lad who might be a great kid. A kid that enjoys Scouts and Scouting, but also enjoys a lot of other activities of which Scouting is just one. This doesn't make him a bad Scout. Maybe in some ways it might even make him a better Scout? I don't know. At the end of the day isn't it all about us making the program fit the boy and not so much about making the boy fit the program? Isn't part of what we do about providing a program that is just too good to miss? Ea.

I'm not sure if there is a right answer to this! Some thoughts. 1/ Ask yourself "Why are they doing this?" Is it because they (The parents) are so busy that it is easier for them to do it than spent the time to work with their son? Is it because they are afraid of failure? That is to say that they don't want to see their son fail? Or maybe look bad. 2/ Maybe at a Pack Meeting have the CM show everyone two "Whatevers??" One done by a Scout and one done by a parent (Maybe you?). Have him or her ask the parents which one was done by the young Lad? It more than lightly will be very clear! Then have him or her ask "Who learned the most from this project? The Scout who did the work? Or the Scout who watched his parent do the work?" What might follow could be an explanation that Cub Scouts don't fail, they do their best. But they need to be given the opportunity to do their best! 3/ When it becomes clear that a parent is doing all the stuff. Maybe it's time to take him or her aside and congratulate him on the wonderful job he is doing! While he is basking in the limelight hit him with the old "Hey your so great at this stuff you really ought to come and work with all the Scouts in the Den". If he agrees you have some help. If he backs away. Maybe he will get the message and be so scared that he is going to be the next adult that is selected to be a leader that he will just quit doing the stuff that his son will learn from? Sad to say there are some parents who are as thick as two short planks and all you can do is your best for their kid and hope that maybe, just maybe? They will give the Lad room to grow. Ea. (I have used Webelos Scout 1 and Webelos Scout 2. Kinda like the uniform "Class A" and "Class B" thing. At the end of the day as far as I'm concerned it something worth taking plenty of no notice of!)

Eagle92 I suppose you might call an American, someone who has never mastered English?? Ea.

The soldier who became the 100th UK fatality in Afghanistan this year has been named by the Ministry of Defence. L/Cpl Adam Drane, 23, from Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, of 1st Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment was shot in Helmand province on Monday. British troops arrived in Afghanistan in 2001 as part of a US-led invasion following the 9/11 attacks. The total number of UK troops killed since the start of operations in 2001 has now reached 237. My heart goes out to all the families of all the Troops, no matter where the come from. I hope and pray that we can find some way of bringing all of this to an end as soon as is possible. Eamonn

Some years back I had the bright idea that I'd retire to Ireland. At that time there was no property tax in Ireland and thanks to the clever people in Brussels who worked for the EEC, all sorts of grants and subsidizes were available for farmers not to grow anything. So I bought a small farm. We spent a few summers there. It rained a lot! You don't get 40 shades of green without a lot of rain. We weren't that far from the coast, so picnics on the beach were fun. A pal of mine was happy to allow his sheep to graze on the fields, which kept the grass down. Everything was great until one year I went over in late October. It was cold and very damp. The cold seemed to get into my bones. I was not a happy camper. When I got back to the States, I gave this retirement thing a little more thought. If I was cold and miserable over there in my 40's? What the heck would it be like when I was going to be in my 70's? I rented the farm out for a few years and then ended up selling it. Brent, I kinda like the area around where you are. Bad thing is that everyone talks funny. Ea.

Up until yesterday the weather in the area has been very un-winter like. Not that I'm complaining! Yesterday we had our first snow. Nothing to write home about. In fact when I took Dudley our new Goldie, now four months old, out for his morning constitutional it really wasn't that cold. However when I went to leave work about noon time I had to brush about two inches of snow off my car. I was kinda excited on the drive home, I couldn't wait to take Duddles out for a walk and see how he acted in the snow. It was wonderful! First off he wasn't sure why all this white stuff was everywhere. As we moved on to the grass he decided that he wanted to lie in it and try and eat as much of it as he could! He loves ice cubes and sits at the fridge before meal times waiting for his ice cube. He soon got bored eating the snow and along with Friday our terrier we stated on our walk. The two of them like to wrestle and rough-neck a lot. At one point he came running up to me. I wished I'd had my camera. His cute little face had bits of snow on it. He was a real picture. I couldn't resist making a few snow balls and throwing them, he chased after them and bit into them, of course they fell apart and he could find them. After about a mile he was having a problem with a build up of snow caught in his paws. I removed the snow, rubbed his paws and soon we were good too go. When we went for our big long walk today, he seemed to think that he was an old hand at this white stuff! He ate a little bit, but didn't really dwell on it. He did well running and playing with the other dogs, until he came to the pavilion. We had a concrete floor put in this year and there were patches of ice, which were a new challenge for him. I hate winter, I really dislike the cold, but watching him take on this white stuff was a lot of fun! I can now return to my normal "Bah Humbug" I hate winter frame of mind. Eamonn.

The more I read this thread the more worried I'm becoming. This Lad sounds a lot like I was when I was his age. Mule Headed? You bet! Strong sense of justice? Sure. Even when maybe I wasn't right, but there was no telling me that! My way or the highway? Of course and it was a one way street. Inflexible? Definitely. Autistic?? I hope not. Yes I was a real "PITA". I seen some adults as being "Them" while there were others who while maybe not one of "Us". Did seem to be not so much one of "Them". Rubbing people up the wrong way and seeing them not know what to do added to the score. I was winning! Still for all this there were times when I needed a friendly arm around my shoulder and to hear "Hey! You did agood job!" I chose the adults I wanted to be close with. I wanted people to take the time to explain the reason when I asked why? Not just tell me that it is that way because that's the way it is! Thankfully there were people who did take the time, people who were able to get past me being a real PITA. They were able to see through the long hair, the extra wide flared jeans. They didn't allow me to get into the stuff that would have done me real harm. God Bless them. Eamonn

John, I have in the past made donations to the Council endowment fund. The Council I serve has a very healthy fund. There is in place a very complicated formula for how much of the interest earned can be moved into the general fund. It's a percentage. Off hand I can't remember what percent is supposed to be allowed. I do not believe that there will ever be enough income from the fund to cover the cost of running the Council. Right now I think that cost is something like 1.3 or 1.5 million dollars a year. Like all of us the fund hasn't done that great over the past couple of years. That is OK with me! And is to be expected. Sadly a couple of years back, due to really bad management by the SE, where there was bank overdrafts that no one seemed to know about and years where the no audit was done or if it was done? It wasn't done very well! We ended up in a real mess. The only way to save the Council was by having the Council borrow money from the fund! This was in part covered up by having the endowment fund "Buy" a camp site that the Council owned. Talk about smoke and mirrors! Sure the guys who manage the fund are volunteers, but shenanigans and deals done in smoke filled rooms, under the cover of night. Do little to help build any sort of trust that I might have for the future. There are of course a lot of really great SE's just as there are a lot of wonderful volunteers. Ea.

As I have posted before. After finishing college for the first time!! My Dad thought I needed to find myself. - I didn't know I was lost. He paid for me to come to the States on the International Camp Counselor program. Back then in 1977, the deal was that participants paid their own return fare from where they were at, in my case London to New York. We had no say where we might end up. We spent the summer working at the camps with no pay! But when the summer was over the BSA provided a bus tour of East Coast. The final stop was at the then National Scout HQ. In New Jersey. The HQ was nothing to write home about, other than the Rockwell Collection was housed there. To be honest there were so many Rockwell's there that it was hard to take them all in. Maybe the fact that I was 21 and there were a few Scouts from Ireland on the tour who helped me pass the time, sampling the fruits of American breweries. Anyway I don't remember this particular picture. Ea.

For sometime now I have been doing some estate planning. Like many, the economic crisis didn't do me any good. It was easy to watch with horror as some of my investments went south. Not so easy to know what was or what might happen with the real estate I own. Truth is that I never really bought this with any real plan to sell it anytime soon. A lot of it is income property that pays its own way. I have met with different Investment and Retirement Advisers. Some who I just didn't get! Or just didn't trust. Over all, I don't see myself as being wealthy. I prefer to call myself comfortable. I don't have a large family. I have a son who will when the time comes do OK from my passing. I do want to leave some money to the things (People, organizations and that sort of thing.) That have brought me pleasure over the years. When we were first married we adopted a dog from Battersea Dogs Home in London. Woofter was a great dog. It cost me more to fly her over from England to the USA than it cost to fly HWMBO over! She lived until she was almost 17 years old. So Battersea Dogs Home is on my list. At one time I thought that I might have a calling to be a priest! I know that might seem odd now!! Back then I wanted to join the White Fathers. (Now The Missionaries of Africa. I think at that time I seen myself as some sort of religious Lawrence of Arabia! I still think that the work they do is worth while and have over the years supported it with donations. I feel much the same way about the The Monks of Moyross who are doing some great work with troubled Irish youth in Ireland. I admit to have being very upset with my Church (The Roman Catholic Church) about the way it went about handling child abuse by members of the clergy. But I seem to have been able to move on. Then there is the Boy Scouts. I have spent a very long time in Scouting, it has been a very big part of my life and played a lot in making me the person that I am today. Yet, the truth is I just don't trust the people at the top of the organization. Locally, SE's seem to come and go. Where as right now we have a really nice good guy. The past two left a lot to be desired. A Council near to us has just hired a guy as SE that I wouldn't trust as far as I'd throw him and I'd be scared to pick him up! National? It seems to me that they have more money than they will ever need. What with over 3 million members paying $15.00 a head a year along with the other big donations they receive. At work we have for State employees a yearly campaign, much like the United Way. While it seems that every other Council I know of is listed, the Council I'm in isn't. I brought this to the attention of our SE and provided him with all the details of how to get on the list. So far in three years he has done nothing. So for three years my $2,600 donation has gone to an English Setter Rescue. Hey if they want my hard earned money more than the Council does? That's fine with me. I do believe that Scouting can do a lot for a lot of kids. But more and more I see it's the people at the ground level who are doing this, many times in spite of what is coming down from the top. It somehow seems unfair that I'm able to get past all the bad stuff that my church allowed to happen and I'm still willing to support and forgive them, yet I just don't trust the organization that I've been a member of for nearly my entire life. Eamonn.

Great Stuff! Ea.

It's always great to read about a kid that has made good. Even better when the Lad has made really hard choices to do so. Kinda strange that as I read. "He said it wasn't hard to disassociate from friends" I couldn't help but think how very different this was to the early days of Scouting in London and other big cities in the UK. The birth and successes of Scouting relied mainly on groups of kids (What might today be called Street Gangs.) Coming together and wanting to copy the actions of the then hero of the day -Baden Powell. I'm really pleased to read that in some places Scoutreach is really working. Sadly this isn't the case in the area where I live. While it might be said that I live in a "Nice Area". There are areas within the Council that are not so nice. We don't seem to be willing to take the bull by the horns and do what it takes to try and deliver a Scouting program in these areas. Instead Scoutreach has been used as yet another way to boost numbers, ensure that the Council makes Quality Council and helps feed he egos of people who may or may not know what is being done is not 100% right. My deep felt congratulations go out to Jordan Roberts. Still on the other side of the coin, we have to feel that we failed the kids that he had to ditch when he was in seventh grade. Eamonn

At the end of the day, doesn't it all come down to what is in or was in the glass? I'm happy to say that for the most part I'm happy that my cup runs over. Unless of course it's my coffee cup and then I have to suffer the wrath of HWMBO. Eamonn.

Think I'm missing something?? Sure of course you don't have to fill every position that is in the book. But having just got here by doing two backspins. It seems to me that no one is talking about the Troop growing? While there might only be 17 Scouts this year, next year that number could well be 30 or 50. Eamonn.

"Lets not hear more war stories. Do you have any concrete ideas that you would implement if you were the National Commissioner?" Back home in the UK we didn't have DE's. Scouting was very much more volunteer led. Most District Chairmen tended to be very much in the background. More or less a nice name to have on the letterhead. This meant that the District Commissioner was the Kahuna. I'd never heard of a Unit Commissioner before coming to the USA. The District Commissioner worked with the Assistant District Commissioners, namely ADC Cub Scouts, Scouts and Venture Scouts. These people were not supposed to be members of any one unit! They acted as EMT's for units having problems and good will ambassadors for everyone else. I think BadenP makes a lot of good and valid points. Unit Service as we might like to see it, just isn't going to work. We just don't seem to have the manpower. Adding more Chiefs at the front end seems to me to a waste of time. The fellow who serves as Council Commissioner, for the Council I'm in is a very nice fellow. At one time a very long time ago he was a very good SM. He has served for about 20 years. He rarely misses a board meeting. He has a hard time even getting he 4 District Commissioners to attend a meeting. A few years back it was mentioned that we didn't have enough Assistant Council Commissioners, so he appointed a few. I think we have an ACC Training, a ACC Camping and maybe a few others. These guys are not part of the Council Committees (Training and so on.) So other than a title? I have no idea what they do or are supposed to do? The main goal of the Council Commissioner seems to be keeping the guys at the Regional and National level happy. Back when I was a District Commissioner, I was at times; shall we say prodded? To make sure that on paper we had enough names on paper so as to look like Commissioner Service was alive and well. At the Area level (Area Committee)Where of course the only thing the Committee sees in reports, everything is about numbers. Somehow it seems that Commissioners are supposed to be involved with membership. While of course healthy units will retain members and Commissioner Service when and where available will help with this, but for the most part membership and things that pertain to membership are left to the District and Council Membership Committees. Given the chance and the right leadership District Committees can do a good job. Or if they are not working? These committees can be fixed. They can involve groups of people who come from outside of scouting. Many Districts have people who are experts or specialize in certain areas. (Training, Camping, Finance, Membership.) These people are good at what they do and given the chance do a good job. They don't want to be Commissioners. Many see the training's offered to Commissioners as being a waste of their time and way out of date. As for ideas that I'd would implement if I were the National Commissioner? Insist that DE's meet with the Executive Officer of each CO every year and the COR for each unit. A report from this meeting be given to the District Commissioner. Units that are fine and dandy could be left alone. Units that need help? Should receive a visit or maybe visits from the Assistant District Commissioner, who would report what help the unit needs to the District Committee and the District Committee would come up with a plan of action for that unit. This plan would be in writing and shared with the COR of the unit. I'd also take a long hard look at the training's that we now have in place for Commissioners and see what could be done to bring them out of the dark ages. Maybe it's time to take a long hard look at how we go about rechartering? It seems that no one is really following the way it is supposed to be done. Commissioners seem to waste a lot of time trying to get these charters in on time. So why not have a handful of volunteers who would manage rechartering. When I was a District Commissioner I had one ADC who I asked to take care of rechartering. It works! As things are right now everything is about numbers. Numbers are of course easy to report and do give a good idea of what is going on. But we need to look for some way of evaluating the program that is offered to the kids we serve. I'm not sure how to go about this. Lord knows we don't need any more little boxes that just need checked off by unit leaders. Maybe before the DE meets with the CO he or she should get a report from the District Commissioner that outlines the program that has been offered? Things like how many camping trips, Den size, advancement. There has to be a move that makes the CO more involved in what is going on in the units that they are supposed to be involved with. RE: " . Most Commissioners would rather see a successful pack of 30 boys instead of 2 packs of 15 boys with mixed dens. One reason that we have membership issues is that we lose boys when these weak packs fold." I don't know what mixed Dens are? But especially in Cub Scouting, Packs seem to really go through the peaks and valley thing depending on who the adults are in that Pack at that time. Being as the adults only are around for a very little while, we need to take a long hard look at the CO not the Pack. Most of us know that a Pack Chartered by the Friends of Pack 123 is not going to around for very long after the Friends of Pack 123 go their own ways. Where as the Church that has chartered a Pack for the last 50 years is more than lightly going to around for the next 50 years. Sometimes we just have to wait until the leadership that is in place today moves on and the next group moves in. We might not like to admit it, but Commissioner Service doesn't do very much to improve the program that our kids receive. It could do a lot to help the relationships that we are supposed to have with our chartered partners, helping build strong foundations for the future. My main goal if I were the National Commissioner would be to try and get away from the "Us and Them". Make the CO's aware that the unit that meets in the basement each week really is part of their organization. Eamonn.

I had to work today. The joy of working in the Department of Corrections. HWMBO had to work today. The joy of working in a hospital. OJ also had to work. Joy of being an EMT. An inmate asked me what I was cooking for Thanksgiving? I said "Nothing." Then explained why. I went on to say that we would go out for dinner. He was shocked. " No way!" He said "You need to have dinner with the works!" This inmate is a really big guy. About 6'-7" and over 300 pounds. I like him, he makes me laugh! "The works?" I asked and I went on to say that his works might be very different than mine. I asked if he had color-greens? He said "Yes". "How about blacked eyed peas?" I asked. "Sure! Along with mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, macaroni and cheese. The Works!" He said. His face lit up and he had a wonderful smile. It wasn't until I was driving home that I remembered that this guy is serving a life sentence and it hit me that he will never again have a Thanksgiving dinner with the works. The only place open today near to where we live, that was still serving dinner was Crack-A-Barrel. (Not one of my favorites, but it was open!) I ordered the Turkey special it came with a bunch of stuff but also with the choice of a side dish. I ordered the mac and cheese! I've never had turkey and macaroni and cheese before. Maybe not the works! But not bad! Happy Thanksgiving! Hear it might snow around here tomorrow. Strange having a white Black Friday! Ea.

Hi, To the best of my knowledge there really are no specific BSA training's for dealing with kids who have problems. I'm not in any way an expert on this and don't claim to have any special knowledge or know how in the area. In fact I might be seen by some as being a bit of a dummy. While there are kids who do need special care and maybe even treatment, which is way beyond the skills of most Scouter's. There are also kids who just need what might be called a port in a storm. A place where they feel safe and to be with people who they know care about them. I like to think that Scouts and Scouting can provide both. I really don't think that we need to go overboard on this. I'm not in any way a touchy feely sort of fellow! Still introducing a kid with problems to a bunch of other kids who are having fun and who feel good about themselves and what they are doing can and does act like a tonic. Some of these kids feel that all the adults they know have let them down. Parents have their own problems, teachers at school are upset about failing grades and are on at them all the time. Sometimes just having an adult who acts like an adult is enough. Eamonn

I'm not a lawyer. It seems to me that the city has a very strong case. I don't like having to say that! But I think it's the truth. Yes at the end of all of this the city will win. On an emotional level. Everyday I go to work in a Pa Department of Pennsylvania Correctional facility. I'm saddened when I see the number of young African-American men who are from Philadelphia who are locked up. The city has a lot of problems. For it to spend so much time and energy fighting with an organization which I admit might not be perfect, but is trying to help fix some of the problems. I do think is not very bright. Then again maybe the time has come for the BSA to look at the things it is doing that are not that bright? It's a mad, mad , mad world. Eamonn.

Eagle92 Most of the time it's a little warmer where you live than where I do! I've lost count of the times that we have had an early snow in October and then not long after the Council summer camp site is snowed in until spring. (The site is a stones throw from Hidden Valley and Seven Springs ski resorts. Have to admit that I'm not all for these type of rules. I know that the people who made the rule at the time really did have the good of the Scouts at heart. My hope would be that common sense would prevail, if not from the Scout Leaders, then from the parents. My big fear is that little guys go to camp with "El Cheapo" gear, end up being cold and unhappy then never want to go again. I agree that leaders who know what they are doing will do everything they can to ensure that this doesn't happen. Not trying to hijack the thread. But... Being as this is a Scouting Forum if something isn't meant to kind? Then it isn't in keeping with the Scout Oath and Law. While I know that I have at times been guilty of the "I'll show him" type posting. Maybe as Scouter's we need to try and hold ourselves (And myself!) To a higher standard? Eamonn.

It's been a long time since I was involved with BALOO Training. I'm sure the 40 deg thingy wasn't there. But our Council Camping Committee has said that Cub Scouts camping from October till May is not allowed. To prevent packs from camping during this time Tour Permits are not supposed to be issued. Packs are also supposed to camp at sites from a list that has been approved by the committee. I'm not sure if this Tour permit thing works or not? But then again maybe I just don't want to know? Might be better that way! Ea. (Wearing my Moderator Hat! While it might be OK to question what another Forum Member has posted. Calling them out by name in the title of a thread?? Might by some be seen as not really being that kind. Just a thought!)(This message has been edited by Eamonn)

I own some property near the new site. In some ways having the Jambo site so close to home (We are Westmoreland Fayette Council.)Is going to take something away from the Jamboree experiences that our Scouts have. Kinda like camping in your own back yard. Ea.

I have asked the very same question. So far I have never been able to get a good answer from the people who should know this sort of thing. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_Scout Has the number as being 15,000. But I don't know how they came up with it? Eamonn

Hey Ed, I'm free on Mondays. I have about 13 weeks vacation saved up. How about you not working on Mondays and you taking the next 13 weeks off? Without pay! While I volunteer to do your job. Heck we have a lot of forum members from around the Pittsburgh area, we might be able to just lay you off! I am of course joking. But these things take on a lot more meaning when they hit close to home. I'm inclined to think (I don't know.) That the 39 SEIU members who are laid off are not people who are at the top of the pay scale. They may or may not have the skills needed to find jobs elsewhere? I don't think that I have ever been to Allentown. The Lehigh Valley has had a very rough time since Bethlehem Steel went under. We are fortunate living in and around Pittsburgh that we have so many big health care facilities, along with colleges and universities (Not to mention banks!)That have helped the people in our area find new areas of employment. Eamonn

I'm not an American,I do however stand when the pledge of allegiance is being recited or when the American National Anthem is played. I would expect anyone and everyone to show the same respect when God Save The Queen is played in the UK. I would have a word with this fellow and ask if there is a reason why he is doing this? I would point out that this really is not a good time or the place to be making some sort of statement, if that is what he is trying to do? I also think I'd let him know that this is setting a bad example for the young men in the room and ask him to remain outside until the ceremonies are completed. I'm sorry but I find this sort of thing to be just rude. Eamonn.

While I don't know what Nick Balzano, president of the local Service Employees International Union, has in mind or is thinking. I do know that if I was him I'd go ahead and file the grievance against the city. It really doesn't matter what group of volunteers did the work. The city should have discussed this with the union before the work was started. Filing the grievance is one way of telling the city that the union is not going to allow volunteers to take away jobs from union members. I'll bet that when it comes to the work that has been done on this walking path, nothing will be done or more than lightly could be done. But sending a message to the city council that lets them know that this sort of thing is not going to be tolerated without some kind of negotiation. If the city can use volunteers to fix the walking path, why not have volunteers fix the plumbing in the Town Hall or go out and salt the roads when the snow comes? Before anyone chimes in saying that there are lots of volunteers ready and waiting to take on this sort of work, take a long hard look at the unit you belong too. Is there a waiting list in the unit you serve of people who want to volunteer? Ea.