Eamonn

So I need to do an Internet search in order to find this National Study? I was very young when Vatican II was going on. I was a cute looking Alter Boy!! At the time. But even at that young age I remember a lot of excitement and a lot of talk about Church Unity. Could have been the Degree On Ecumenism that came out in 1964? The late Pope John Paul II in his writings and works did a lot to reach out to other churches and religions. I don't ever remember him telling anyone that if they wanted to get to Heaven, that they needed to convert? With Judaism, therefore, we have a relationship which we do not have with any other religion. You are our dearly beloved brothers, and in a certain way, it could be said that you are our elder brothers. Pope John Paul II (13 April 1986) So believe what you want, it is a free country! This is of course very true. But when someone posts: " For example RC priests are supposed to be celibate however several national studies showed that over 65% of priests interviewed admitted to being openly homosexual, while most of the rest admitted to having homosexual leanings" Then is unable to back it up with the study? I think I know what to believe. Or not believe. Eamonn.

" however several national studies showed that over 65% of priests interviewed admitted to being openly homosexual, while most of the rest admitted to having homosexual leanings." I seem to have not seen these National Studies. Could you tell me where I might find them? I have to admit that I find: " After all no one religion has an exclusive on getting to heaven, even though the Catholics like to think they do" Way over the top. As a Roman Catholic I don't see things the way you state? Is there a National Study on this as well ? Eamonn.

Many course have opted not to give the coin! So you might want to think yourself lucky? The CD has no control over the quality of the coin. The poor fellow is tasked with before the course coming up with a budget for the course. Strange as it might sound it is all these little "Add Ons" That make his or her life hard. I can't remember what the cost of the coin was, back when I was a CD? I'm sure that if needed a really wonderful coin could be made. But it would come at a cost. Most people I know either put the coin away somewhere safe?? Or just lose it! I'd hate to see the cost of the course go up just so we could present a coin that cost an arm and a leg. Maybe the thing to do is look at the coin for what it represents and not what it is? Eamonn.

I love the book Oliver Twist. (OJ? Not so much) Anyway.. Little Lad crosses over from the Pack in Feb. Or March. Soon he is off to summer camp. Summer camp is a busy time for a little fellow. Most camps offer some type of Pathfinder Program or something that will help the little guy on his way to becoming a First Class Scout. This doesn't leave a lot of time for the more involved Merit Badges. No time for Environmental Science or the hard badges. So chances are that he will return home with some odds and ends that his Mother will keep until he leaves for college. One of these odds and ends will be something that with a lot of imagination could pass as a foot stool. The basket has come in handy. It stores all the keys that no one is really sure open what, but are scared if they throw them out? Will one day be found to be important. The little fellow is happy that he now can have his Mum sew on the Basket MB. He never had any interest in Basket before the camp and chances are that if he lives to be 101 that he is never going to make another basket. If while at camp he starts to get on his SM's last nerve. The SM knows that he can send him away to the Finger Printing Merit Badge area. This will give the SM at least an hour of peace and quite.. Little Lad's Mum is not so happy as the new white t-shirt has nasty ink stains that even spray and wash can't remove. Of course if the little fellow decides in later life to opt for a life of crime, he is one step ahead of the game when it comes to having his finger prints taken. I've been on the planet for over half a century and it wasn't until I took a job working with criminals that I had to have my finger prints taken. We have a staff of 350 people where I work and two guys are in charge of finger printing. With this in mind I'm not so sure that Finger Printing is such a good career choice? I'm not sure if a Lad of 11 years old is even thinking about a career choice? But add MB #2 to the sash. By the end of the summer with good planning and a little luck, chances are that this little fellow will have four maybe even five badges that Mum can get busy sewing. He now has the Merit Badge Bug. He scours the Merit Badge list, talks with his pals and soon has come up with a list of all the easy ones. Fido the family dog does well out of this. He is walked, washed a groomed like never before. Until the MBC signs the card, then Fido is again forgotten about. The family learns quickly never to leave any lose change around, knowing that any coin will be scarfed up until the Coin collecting MB is added to the sash. While the little Lad researching his list of merit badges, some are just cast aside. They take too long, they are just too involved. His thinking is that he will get the easy ones done and out of the way first. Little does he know that when he is 17 and trying to add Eagle Scout to his college application that Personal Fitness and Family life will come back to haunt him. We the adults do seem to forget how a little guy or maybe even an older guy sees Merit Badges. We can go on about exposing Scouts to new interests, we can at times talk about them learning stuff. But for many younger Scouts it's not the badge or the requirements that count. it's the count of Merit Badges that counts. I'll bet my last dollar that if Snake Charming was to become a MB that a young Scout could earn in a couple of hours at summer camp and Councils could sell Snake Charming Flutes in the Camp Trading Post, within a couple of years the BSA would have more snake charmers that there are in India. Eamonn.

I do own a campaign hat. Have only ever worn it back in the day for WB courses. I don't like hats, caps or most things that sit on top of my old white haired noggin. The hat is a pain. Transporting it, looking after it is just way too much work. Back when the new WB course first came along. I remember talking with a guy who was going to be the CD for the next course that our cluster offered. A great guy, wonderful Scouter. He stated that for "His" course he wanted "His" staff in the red wool jackets along with campaign hats. Sadly the course didn't get enough people signed up and the course never happened. I was the next CD. I looked long and hard at the uniforming for the staff. I was very worried as a couple of years before I'd sat through a two hour discussion at a staff development weekend about socks! The burning question of the day was if the staff should wear long socks or short socks! I might not lead a very exciting life? But two hours talking about socks? - Get a life! The Staff that ended up serving on NE-IV-53 came from all the program areas, Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts and Venturing. The Campaign hat was only ever the official head gear for Boy Scouting! So if we were going to be in correct uniform only the Boy Scouter's should have worn that hat. We went with a ball cap that everyone, both staff and participants wore. I think the campaign hat is about as relevant as the buggy whip! Mine sits in the what-ever-you-call-it? That cost about $15.00 that holds campaign hats. Inside of it are a pack of hat rain coats. Man oh man we don't want a hat that gets wet! It takes up more room than what I might pack for a weekend away. I don't want to throw it out because it cost way too much. I'll be happy when the day come that campaign hats are gone never to return. There was a thread up a week or so back about Scouter's uniforms and Scouter's egos? I'll say no more! Eamonn.

One thing more than anything else lands me in hot water with HWMBO. That thing being, me telling her to "Calm down"! As a rule it is greeted with "Don't you dare tell me to calm down!". With that in mind. I'm not going to mention it! I do think you need to take the time too take a long hard look at what is going on, in the Den, in the Pack and most importantly with you. Where do you see things going? I'm starting to think that all this stuff about Vision and Mission is being over used. But from reading what you posted it seems to me that you don't have a vision or a mission. You have a lot of ideas that seem to be flying around waiting for you to grab hold of and put to work. Without some idea of what you are doing and where you are going? Your never going to know when you have got there. Many of us do try and be Super Scouter, we take on more than we should, we feel pressured to keep on doing things that we might no longer want to do and feel if we ever stop? That the sky will indeed fall. You might want to think about what you can do to make things a little easier on yourself if you do decide to stay? Maybe a little less time with the Den and use the time saved to improve the meetings by being better planned and communicating ahead of time what help you need? Assigning or at least asking people to do specific tasks. Only you know if you are really burnt out. If this is the case? Do you think the youth members want to be around an adult who doesn't really want to be doing the job? Will these little guys still be your friends? Are you really being fair to them, by staying? If I were in your shoes. After I'd sat down and thought about both long term and short term plans, I'd make a list of my options. These options might be for the Pack if I decided to remain or maybe for the Crew if I decided to take that road. Set some goals, long term and short term and then set about working toward them. Eamonn.

Following SSScout Lad joins Scouts at 11 years old is there for 7 years. Needs to "Earn?" 17.28 MB's a year. About one every 3 weeks! I kinda like the idea that MB's can enhance the program. When they become the program? Something is not working! Ea.

I'm very much with Beavah on this. While of course each and every Scout at some point in time chooses what goals he wants to set and aim for. Which is fine and dandy. Some years back a Scout in the Troop I was Scout Leader of got into Plane Spotting in a big way. There was a badge for it in the UK. One year a company offered a two week pass with unlimited flights within the USA. There were some restrictions, which I don't remember. Steve (The Scout) before he went spent many happy hours planning and working out his route. The goal was to visit as many different airports as possible in the time allowed. He ate on the planes and at airports, slept in airports. He crisscrossed the USA, very nearly making it into the Guinness book of world records. Of all places he nearly got arrested at the old Pittsburgh airport! For getting to near the military planes that were there at that time. He had the best of times. He can say that he has been all over the USA. But what did he see? Only the Airports. This is how I feel about people trying to collect all the MB's. Sure they can say that they have them all, but what have the got from it all? Steve went on to become an Air Traffic Controller in the UK. His son is the SPL of a Troop in the UK. Eamonn

I think and I'm kinda sad that I have seemed to have lost the fight that I once had! Where as at one time I was willing to save the world, adopt a polar-bear and hug a tree. Today? Not so much. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America New Rule for Pastors? Hey! It's their church, their members, they will do what they think is right. Much the same can be said about the BSA. It's their organization, their members and they too will do what they think is right. The big difference for me is that I belong to the BSA and I'm not a member of The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. I know and have known for sometime that the BSA does discriminate. I'm sure that there are some who will think that I'm wrong for belonging to an organization that I know discriminates. I'm OK with that. I'm also OK with the penalties that go with the BSA being a private organization. I see why we can't have it both ways. If public funded what-ever open their doors to us? Then they should do the same for every other private organization. No matter if I find these other organizations to not be my cup of tea. I'm not anti-gay. More and more I'm not even sure if it's important. I really don't care or want to know what goes on in anyones bedroom. Gay or straight. A few years back I found out that the District Commissioner I had looked up to and admired back in the UK was gay. I never knew then. I'll admit to being a little shocked when I found out, but I can still look back at the good work he did and be thankful for the help and support he gave me. I have no idea if the BSA is ever going to make changes. Who knows maybe there is a Evangelical Lutheran Church rep on the National Board who can make a good argument that will change things? Maybe the Local option will be the way to go? While I'm not gay, I really don't think gay leaders are ever going to bring about an end to Scouting as we know it. Eamonn.

"We may disagree very strongly on a topic, but how far is too far, and how do we keep these discussions civil, no matter how contentious they may be?" I do try and visit the forum every day. I think that I used to have some sort of an opinion about most things and tended to post my thoughts. Lately I seem happy to not always use my two cents. I have at times allowed some people "Get to me". - Maybe at times even been guilty of trying to pick a fight? A little while back there was a forum member who had some ideas about Scouts and Scouting that to my way of thinking were past just being out there! I seen them as just being plain wrong and at times even dangerous. I, now as I look back, see that I wasn't very kind and maybe would have done better if I'd just ignored him. The forum has in the past had a few members who seem to have gone out of their way to push buttons. Sometimes just someone's buttons and sometimes everyones buttons. This is happening - not so (As) much!! I have to admit to being happy that we do have a few younger forum members. Having just old codgers like me exchanging ideas and views with other old codgers? Might be fine and dandy? But most of us are so set in our ways, that no matter what is posted is really not going to change very much. Communication, is a strange animal. We all think we have it mastered, but that isn't always the case. I work with a lot of younger adults, guys in their early twenties. Sadly a good many are African-American and from what we might call the projects and they might call the hood. I learn new terminology everyday. Some of that might not ever be acceptable in what we old folks used to call "Mixed Company". Some of it which is acceptable for them to use themselves but not acceptable for others to use. I was very surprised how very upset these guys get when foul language (Cussing) is used. Words and expressions do come and go. Back when I was younger "Neat" was the in word. Everything was "Neat" our word for good or great. I can't remember the word for bad. Sick. I think is still being used. Watching MTV the other day. The Ad Council is running an ad that is trying to get young people to not use the word "Gay" for something that is messed up. I have to admit that my 21 year old Eagle Scout son has and does use that word for things that he sees as being not right. I'm not 100% sure but I think just as years back in the UK people used the word "Bloody" without meaning or having anything to do with blood! His use of the word gay is just the word that right now is "In". - Of course this doesn't make it right. I like to think that the Moderators in the forum are doing their job. While at the same time not going over board. I will at times send someone who is maybe a little too close to the edge an Private Message asking that they turn it down a bit. When it seems that two forum members are out to get each other, I have been known to delete part of what they have posted -The nasty stuff! Sometimes even the entire posting. I hate it when Threads are closed. While reading two people beat up on each other might offer some entertainment? After a while it just gets boring and here on a forum about Scouts and Scouting, just makes us all look bad. I can't tell you how far, is too far. I do know it when I see it. But at times I'm happy for one of the other moderators to deal or not deal with it. Eamonn.

I like training and training's. Scouting with no kids around? Is at times kinda nice. I enjoy spending time with the participants, learning about them and from them. I know nearly all of the people who present the training's in the area where I live. Just about all of them are really nice. Just about all of them have a passion for Scouting and really care about what they are doing and the reason why they do it. Sometimes when I'm really bored (Really bored!) I'll take an on-line course just to make sure that I'm up to date and not going to be caught with my pants down. Over the years, I've seen training syllabus for training's come and go. Some are better, some? Maybe not. For the most part training is in my book good fun and normally time well spent. I as a rule tend not to look on what I call the "Dark Side" of training. A week or so back there was in this forum some debate about "Following The Syllabuses" I can and do see at times when an experienced Scouter gets up and presents what he or she knows is the way that works and has worked for them. However back when I was our Council Training Chairman, I asked that all of the people presenting training's stuck to the syllabus. If they wanted to present other or different ways, they were welcome to do so during breaks and anytime, but not at "The Training." I'm not and never have been the type of fellow who looks over his shoulder and spends sleepless night worrying about liability. But I'm big enough and ugly enough to know that a lot of the stuff in the training's is not so much about just getting the job done, but just as much about the BSA being able to cover their tail when things go wrong. Of course when these things are not covered, because the presenter thought he knew better or decided that this bit wasn't important, Tail covering becomes far more difficult. The guys who attend National Camp School are as a rule a great bunch. Most go because they love whatever it is that they have gone to get the certification for. Over the time that they are certified they will see a lot more youth members than the average Scout Leader will in that amount of time. Most of the courses offered deal in areas where there is more risk involved than the average Scouter will have to deal with or is even allowed to deal with. I know that maybe I'm being unfair? But given the opportunity, I'd just love to be able to spend time at Camp School and then take the rest of the summer off to work at a Scout Camp. I can't because I have other commitments, I have a real job, a real family and a home to look after. So at times I ask myself "How can they do it?" Sure I can see the guys who are retired and the young guys who are at college. But a middle-aged guy? Why isn't he working? What is he going to do when the camp is done? Most of the people who attend National Camp School do so in order that they can fill a position on the camp staff for which they will get paid. Once they cross that line, they are no longer volunteers. I'm not sure we want or need professional trainers. Eamonn.

Couldn't get the link to work. But I have in my minds eye a picture of you standing in a boat made of cardboard, looking very much as George Washington did when he was crossing the Delaware. Of course in the light of recent threads, you are wearing every bead, knot and dingle-dangle that there is and has ever been. Glad you all had a good time. Ea.

" Where do you draw the line?" I think the question isn't so much where the line is drawn? But who draws it? We are an organization that talks about teaching choice. If the only choice is to obey or not obey? Is that a real choice? What will young people learn from it? Eamonn.

We could get into a lot of different "Gray Areas" with this. Why wouldn't we? As we have in the past. I have read what the "Good Book" states and our good Pal Twocubdad was kind enough to paste for us. My take on all of this. 1/ I'm not the kids parent. If they are OK with allowing their child to be responsible for taking his own meds. I'm happy to go along with that. I do have a couple of issues about where the meds are kept. As I really don't want any nitwit doing anything silly with pills that he knows nothing about. 2/ I'm not happy to take on the responsibility of dispensing the meds. I'm happy to take on the responsibility of storing them safely. If a parent wants to give me the meds that their son is taking in the containers that they came in clearly marked with the Lads name in something like a zip-lock bag with the Lads name on. I'm happy to look after it and keep it safe. But it is up to the Lad to come and see me when he wants to take his meds, then I will pass him the zip-lock bag and he takes what he has to take. While in the real world, I would remind him that he needs to come and see me. I'm unwilling to be responsible for him taking what he is supposed to take when he is supposed to take it. If a parent feels that their son can't be trusted to do this? Then they need to come with the boy or sad to say not send him. 3/ Whatever rules a Camp (Council facility) might have in place are between the parent, the camper and Camp. Parents can if they want refuse to follow these rules and Camps can deal with this as they see fit. As a volunteer leader I really don't want to get involved with any of this. 4/If for any reason and I don't care what the reason is! A child is unmanageable he needs to go home. The Troop Committee can decide what happens next. My role as a Leader is provide a program, if a Scouts behavior prevents me from doing this? He needs to be someplace else. I am of course sympathetic and feel sorry for the Lad, but I don't have the know how or the training to be able to deal with every situation. Eamonn

I kinda think that here in the forum, we have already spend lot of time on his subject. But for the record. My feelings are that: I believe that there is a time and a place for just about everything. I would think a Scout using his cell phone when something else that he was involved in or supposed to be doing, puts him in the wrong. - But, so would him reading the newspaper or his Scout Handbook. Rules that ban these don't teach the Scouts anything, them learning what to do and when to do it. Is an important life lesson. Cell phones and other electronic devises are no doubt a big distraction. Not just for kids! I teach a couple of classes at work, mainly to younger guys (25 -35) Before we can get started we have to wait until they have finished showing each other whatever is on their phone. (A lot of which is stuff that I'm sure they wouldn't show their wives or girlfriends.) I'd be happy to have the PLC discuss the use of phones and games and go along with what they come up with. Eamonn.

A little while back there was a thread about Wood Badge. Seems some people think I may have only ever gone in order to get the beads. Others used the term "Elitist" I did go, I do wear the beads. Color me Elitist. I have a couple of uniforms that are full of knots and stuff. I thought I was sometimes wearing them as a way to encourage others to take the training's and get trained. I thought I sometimes wore them as a way to communicate to others, that this Dude here has been around for a while and will if pushed? Push back. (I posted a long winded thing about what happened at one of the Jambos.) I don't wear any knots or beads on my Sea Scout uniforms? Not sure what color that makes me? Does it mean when I'm in a Sea Scout uniform that my ego is intact? But when in the field uniform I need a boost? Knot envier? Bead envier? Elitist? Egotistical? Left handed. Skinny. White haired? Strange accented? Man oh man! I'm glad that the dogs like me! Eamonn.

Of course I will keep Josh in my prayers. The story of how well the Sea Scouts acted is great. Eamonn

As a rule I keep $100.00 "Mad Money" tucked away in my wallet just for occasions like this. Apart from subscriptions for magazines any kid selling just about anything is sure of a sale when he pounds on my door. Think that big neon light flashing "Sucker" might have something to do with it? I really don't like popcorn and end up giving it away (That's what Mother-In-Laws are for!) My big weakness is Girl Scout Cookies. A box of these is just like a candy bar. - Open and then gone. HWMBO works with a lot of women who have daughters and she now just orders them in case lots. Eamonn.

Chug I don't know how things were in Kent? When I first joined a Troop. Pre-Advanced Party! The P/L's all had Scout Staves. - Real ones!! Made from good quality ash. Marked off in feet with inches on the top -Heck some of the P/L's even knew too mark 12 of these inches on the top. Of course more often then not, boys being boys and England being England, these youngsters all thought that they were Robin Hood and Little John! I had a couple of hundred of these stashed away. We used them for indoor pioneering projects, bean bag hockey, floating flag poles. Sure by the time I became a Scout Leader, Robin Hood and Little John weren't as popular and had been replaced by Bruce Lee and some guy called Grasshopper. I remember seeing some Morris Dancers who did a wonderful dance with these staves, I'll bet before they perfected the routine there had been a good many grazed knuckles and the odd broken finger. Back in them dark days a P/L armed with a six foot piece of ash gave real meaning to "Forming, Storming, Norming and Performing" He needed very little in the way of leadership training. (My brother who is 4 years older than myself who was a P/L when I first joined Scouts was always armed and ready. Maybe he was taking this Be Prepared thing to a whole new level?) Most of the things they sell over here are little more than broom handles, made of pine. Ea.

"but is kind of (almost) insulting to pay to go instruct. Now if it includes some nice camping downtime that lessens the sting a little but in reality most of the time Instructors shouldn't have to pay to attend the event they're training." Sorry Gunny, I'm not with you on this one. As I see it Trainers don't pay for the training (Kinda, sorta, well most of the time!!) Trainers pay for things that they would have to pay for anyway. The big item being food. It used to be that Wood Badge Staff didn't pay anything when staffing a course. Now the guidelines say that they should. I don't have a problem paying my own way. I'm happy to pay for food, shirts and the like as long as it doesn't get out of hand. I'm not happy having to pay the money to cover the fees for watching movies and the like. I would think that National could have made a deal with the copyright people to cover everyone. I would hate to really see how much of my own money I have spent on training over the years. I should add that me spending it was my choice. I used to be able to get by with a flip chart stand and a couple of flip chart pads. That became a TV/ VCR combo, that became a laptop with a LCD projector. Even the replacement bulbs for that thing costs about $300.00! I choose to buy this stuff as trying to get it from the Council Service Center was always a pain and half the time when I did get it, something didn't work. Then I had to make time to bring it all back. The CD on every WB I staffed always gave his /her staff a little something for being on staff as a way of saying thank you. I gave the staff that worked with me a table top flip chart stand that I had made in a local wood shop. These of course were not a budget item and I paid for them out of my pocket. As you can imagine paying for 25 of these things wasn't a small amount. But here again it was my choice. I didn't have to do it. At the end of the day, Trainers get the same real recognition that youth leaders do. They get the satisfaction of knowing that they have done a job well done. They don't know, just as a SM never knows where he training that they have provided will take someone. I've seen people who were participants on courses I presented years back go on to present other training's for lots of other Scouter's who very well might in time do the same thing. Truth is that we just never know. Not knowing is sometimes nice as we can think that we really have made a difference! Ea.

I'm not a patch collector. I'm not sure that I really understand some patch collectors. We have a guy in our area who will spend mega bucks and try to buy up as many if not all the special type patches just so he can drive the price up. Scouts see this and it just grows and grows. I do like the OA. I think as an organization they do a lot of good. I love the way that the youth do really lead and I feel sure that if it wasn't for my kid being in the OA and being deeply involved in it that he would have quit Scouting. OJ attended NOAC twice and very nearly went again this year. He was working up at camp with his good pal who had served as NE- Region Chief, someone canceled and OJ was offered the spot. The crafty old Reservation Director let it be known that he'd divvy up all the money that the camp staff who were going to NOAC and missing tear down, between the remaining camp staff. OJ wanted to go, but wanted the money more! He was send some photos from NOAC last night. I looked at them very quickly. Seemed like everyone was having a good time. Eamonn.

Sadly I have sat on the Area Committee and have voted for Councils to be given a provisional charter, when it became clear that they were under performing. As I'm sure you know a provisional charter is supposed to be a "Wake-Up Call" To the Council and a warning for that Council to get things heading in the right direction. With holding money that a Council expects to have harms the Council. Of course if 100 or 200 Councils were to fold the BSA would be harmed and harmed maybe to such an extent that it might never be able to make a come back. But the likelihood of that happening? I'm guessing is about zero. My guess is that we are going to see a lot more mergers, especially here in the NE. Where we have so many of the smaller Councils. The money that Councils send to National are based on membership, not income. I haven't kept up with the membership numbers, but someone here in the forum posted recently that over the past, I'm not sure if they said five or ten years? We had seen a decline of over 15%. I think the number they said was 17%. The number of people working in the National Office has been cut back. A good friend of mine who used to work there is now working as a SE. Most of us will never have a job where we get paid $400,000. But we only have to look at what some SE's are getting, to see that the guy at the top should be paid more. Each of us has some idea what we think is fair. Is it fair that a new DE in the area where I live starts out earning more that a new teacher working in the school district? Is it fair that the Chemo Doctor who sees my wife charges $180.00 for an office visit (Sure the insurance company only pays $120.00) and he schedules a visit every 15 minutes? As far as I know I don't think I have ever met Mr. Mazucca, even though for a while he worked just down the road. My hope is that he can do something to stop the decline in membership. I know that some people think that he is going to mess up and will end up throwing the baby out with the bath water. I pray that this just isn't so. Eamonn.

I should state that I do wear my four bead WB. But, I would be just as happy to wear two beads or no beads. Training Staff do a good job and a worthwhile job. But so do members of the Camping Committee, Membership Committee, Finance Committee. - You get the idea. I do think that with Commissioners fading away (IMHO.) Having a Team of Trainers to replace them. Might be a good idea. While these guys could wear a District Committee Patch, having a District Trainer patch might not be a bad idea. Eamonn.

In the other thread that is now running about changing one thing a forum member mentions about the strange (My word) way things are set up in the BSA. I'm not that happy with the way we vote people into office. Having COR as the people with the votes, sounds great on paper. Kinda puts me in mind of the old joke about the Doctor saying that the operation was a success but the patient died?? I do believe that the most important people (After the youth of course!) Are the youth leaders. I hold firm to the idea that these people should lead the youth members aided and supported by Unit Committees, along with the District and the Council. When Districts and Councils turn this around (Units doing the supporting.) Volunteers should find ways of telling the District and the Council, in as nice a way as possible to go take a hike. Of course we the volunteers are the District and the Council. If the truth be told we do share the same goals. We all want to see more and more youth benefit from the good works that are done at the unit level. We want to see Districts and Councils work toward helping improve the programs that units can offer, by offering quality training's, events and camps that the youth will participate in and enjoy. With this in mind, it's not what is done as much as how it's done. Some years back I got a note from the DE in our Council who was looking after Cub Scout Camping telling me that there was a mandatory meeting. I seen the word mandatory and it was like a red rag to a bull. I sent a five page letter back explaining that I was a volunteer and the word mandatory wasn't in my vocabulary. But because I was at that time the District Rep. On the Cub Camping Committee, I attended the meeting anyway! As both District Commissioner and Chair. I went out of my way to get people to buy into and take ownership of what we were trying to do. Membership for me has never been about numbers. It is about bringing more kids in to have fun and hopefully learn some good stuff. Money is always tight, having people donate or sell stuff is more about the program than having extra cash to put in endowment. Is the money always spend wisely? No! But most of it is. Eamonn.

A couple of weeks back HWMBO and self went to see Les Miserables. I really enjoyed it. Not so sure about HWMBO. She was upset that I hadn't wanted to spend almost $400.00 to see Barry Manilow, not that I have anything against Barry Manilow! I'm just not willing to spend that much to go and see him live. Seems that more and more in the forum I'm reading how we need to go back to "Traditional Scouting". We need to return to woodcraft and Scout-craft. Then of course there is the "Need" for Patrols to camp 100 yards apart. I don't have a problem with any of this. My problem is with the idea that someone? Anyone? Has said that we can't do this! No one said I had to not go see Barry Manilow. I choose not to go. No one said that I had to go and see Les Miserables. Again this was my choice. While I would agree that maybe some of the things that we used to do are maybe not done as much. - Cooking over a wood fire is not as big now as it was when I was a Scout, but any Troop that feels the need is more than welcome to cook over a wood fire at any one of our Council sites. Maybe some pioneering projects are not seen as being earth-friendly, but there are ways around this. If we are not delivering the program? Who is to blame? I would say that we are. I have yet to see the memo that requires we all do something that we don't want to do. I know that I'm big enough and ugly enough so as not to care what the "Other" Troop down the road is doing. I've been around long enough to know that, not every Troop has always done things the same way as I have or I might think is the way that things should be done. If I can sell the idea of Patrols camping 100 yards or 250 yards apart. I'm OK with it, if the Troop down the road wants to camp on top of each other? Do I care? Does it matter to me that BP didn't have the Patrols cook their own meals at Brownsea Island? One of the songs from Les Miserables is At The End Of The Day. At the end of the day if Traditional Scouting is not being done? Surely the blame lies with the unit leader. No one said he or she had to do it the way it's being done. At the end of the day there's another day dawning And the sun in the morning is waiting to rise Like the waves crash on the sand Like a storm that'll break any second There's a hunger in the land There's a reckoning still to be reckoned and There's gonna be hell to pay At the end of the day! Eamonn