Eamonn

The problem with things like this is that at times (Not all the time or every time) They become a distraction and the adults forget the reason why they are at the camp in the first place. If the District Activities Committee feel that there is a need to involve more adults in the events that are planned? This is something that they need to deal with. I also have some reservations about any activity that ends up making an adult leader or volunteer seem foolish when there are youth members around.- But that might just be me? Eamonn.

I attended a District nominating committee meeting last week. Somehow we got onto the subject of Council Finances. I do have to admit to having an Axe to grind with our executive board. About four years back the board found out that the United Way had given us notice that we were going to lose the funding they provided. At this time the board said that they were going to explore and come up with new fund raisers. To date nothing has happened. I also have to admit that being as all this went down when my time on the board was up, I was happy to let them deal with it. The United Way did cut off our funding. From where I stand the way the board found to cover a very large debt was very "Creative". At this meeting it was stated that the Council was going to end the year with yet another big debt. The reason given was that because the income on the endowment fund was down, the amount that the Council can take from the interest is just not there. (There is in place a complicated formula for what percentage of this interest can be transfered from the fund to the operating budget) All of us who have tried to save any money for retirement or whatever are painfully aware of what has happened in the past couple of months. We have a new SE.I do like him and think he is going to take the bull by the horns and do what needs to be done. (Something that it seems SE's are not good at!) We are going to have to see some cuts. As yet no one seems to know or be talking about where these cuts will be made. Of course everyone has ideas, suggestions and opinions. Some of the one's I have heard are better than others. Some think that this is a good time to "Clean House" While others are just worried. No matter where this Axe falls, be it on the Office Staff or the Professional Staff, the work that was being done will be shifted to someone else. If we merge Districts the DE's will have larger areas and more units to look after. If we move some of the work that the office staff now do to the DE's they will need to spend more time in the Service Center and not be on the road doing what they should be doing. As I look at the District I serve, I'm worried. We seem to lack the number of well established strong units that can weather a storm. Our Commissioner Staff is almost non-existent. The District Committee is weak. So taking away the services of the DE is really going to hurt these weak units. On top of all this I'm not very optimistic about the financial outlook for next year. Most of us are still feeling the pain from this year. I'm not looking for any place for a tax write off. I also have to own up to being a little upset with the boards lack of action, which makes me hesitant to up my donations to the Council. Maybe the people who see this as an opportunity to clean house are right? But it is sad that at the end of the day someone is going to lose their job or be moved to some place they might not want to go. Smaller Councils like the one I serve were having a hard time making ends meet when times were good. I'm not sure how many will survive these days of economic turmoil? Eamonn

I know before I start that I'm totally unqualified to answer this. My problem being that I don't belong to any of these other groups and never have. But as ever I'm not going to let a silly thing like not knowing anything prevent me from adding my two cents. A few of the churches in our area do have youth groups. Looking at it as an outsider. It seems to cater for a very small select group of very nice very good kids. They do meet and play games like table tennis, they do go on outings which seem to be all planned by the adults, who go to great lengths to ensure that these good kids are very well chaperoned. For me these kids are just a lit bit too holy and a little too good. Back when I was a little fellow in London, my choice of after school activities came down to Scouts or the local boys club. The boys club was all about boxing and I didn't like getting hit. For his Eagle project OJ did a lot of stuff for the local YMCA. Our YMCA is now a Regional YMCA, it replaced our local small town YMCA. It is housed in a brand new facility. It seems to cater more for senior citizens than young people. The camps and activities that are offered are organized by paid professionals, with no real input from the youth. For me what makes Scouting and the BSA so very special is the passion and the effort that the volunteer leaders put in. Sure we have some real twits, but kids as a rule know how to avoid people like this and they (The twits) don't remain around for long. Eamonn.

A lot of good stuff comes from the Burg. Primanti Brothers, Sandwiches. Wholey's Seafood. We were kind enough to let you have our cast off SE! (He wasn't there long!) But this seems to be yet another one of them there things that someone with the very best of intentions has got very wrong. What is this "the scout must petition the board"? What board? While the District does approve Eagle Scout Leadership Service projects. This is normally done by a member of the District Advancement Committee. A Lad doesn't see the Board till he is done and the Eagle Scout Board of Review is the final requirement. Eamonn.

Hi Frank, You have been missed!! It goes without saying that I'm glad to hear that you are on the mend. You have been in my thoughts and prayers. In fact over theweekend I opened the big pot of jam that you sent me. So it might be said you were on the table?? Please do what the Doctor tells you. Scouting has been around for 100 years, it can wait for you to get well and will still be there when you are ready. As you know my cure for stress is walking the dogs. Maybe you should get a dog? Great to see you back Eamonn.

I didn't stay up to watch the results. As I posted before, I think both men are both good men. My opinion is that Barack Obama will be very much like Bill Clinton; very much a middle of the road president. A few years back I hired a mini cab to drive me from outside of London to the airport. The driver was a Pakistani, who for the entire journey did nothing but complain about President Bush. About the same time there had been demonstrations all over Europe against the war in Iraq. America and Americans were seen as being bullies. While I did see some reports in the papers and some news coverage about this in the USA. the coverage in Europe was front page news. From what I'm now hearing and reading, a lot of people outside of the USA think that the election of Barack Obama is a good thing. It shows that diversity is not just a nice idea, but is something we believe in and make work. I did catch some of the coverage of the big gathering of people in Chicago's Grant Park, I was waiting for someone to start chanting "The whole world is watching" but maybe I went to bed too early? Things are a real mess at the moment. We do need to remember that this mess is world wide and it seems that there is no easy fix. We still have people who for one reason or another don't like us and don't like what we stand for. Sad to say it seems that some of the people want to cause havoc and harm. These people it seems are not going to go away and will need to be dealt with. This morning an African- American inmate who is doing a lot of time asked me if I voted? I explained that I'm not a citizen. We talked for a while and he said" There are no red states, no blue states just the United States. I said how I consider myself lucky and fortunate to live here and how much I love the USA. He said "You know, your right. If a guy with more than a dozen years left to serve before he gets out of prison can feel that way. This truly must be a great country. Eamonn.

In a few hours the calls will all stop. Everyone can spend the next 4 years (Minus 21 months!) Learning how to play cricket. I do think whoever wins will be a one term President. But I said that about Ronald Reagan. We of course will hear for the rest of the week from the media why people voted the way they did and where whoever went wrong, did so. Eamonn

Should we limit leadership to one type of person? No I don't think we should. I do however see that some people might think that is is a little odd that someone with no kids might be involved in a youth organization. I would hope that we do find ways to help these people overcome their fears. I don't know how good the check that National does is? While I'm sure that someone is going to post that Chartering Organizations should be selecting quality adults and all that good stuff. The fact is that in the area where I live the main qualification to be a adult leader is to have a warm body. The paperwork involved is most of the time seen as just a hassle. While serving at the District level I did at times have people come up to me saying that a new volunteer who didn't have any kids seemed a little too interested and we needed to keep an eye on him or her. I was 27 years old before I married HWMBO. I had been a SM (Scout Leader in the UK) for a number of years before getting married. During that time and up till the present I have really enjoyed the company and working with young people. Sure I like to think that along the way I have done some good. But the truth is that I have very selfish reasons -I just enjoy working with the youth. I have never seen myself as being in any way creepy. When OJ did get involved in Scouting I like to think that I went out of my way, not to get in his way and made a special effort to not come off as an interfering parent. Sadly some of the Den Leaders and a few of the Scouter's I have worked with do seem to be involved mainly because they want to ensure that their kids do well. Of course some might get involved to ensure the safety of their children. We all need to do what we can to ensure the safety and well being of all the youth that we know. Sadly people who are determined to do something do find ways of doing it. Our job is to do what we can to prevent it and train the youth to take care not to become victims. Eamonn.

As ever I'm confused. Is the Father who is an adult leader the Father of the Lad who had his ipod taken or the Father of the Lad who stole it? Eamonn.

Wearing My Moderator Hat!! I'm really OK with Threads taking on a life of their own. I do really understand that one thing said can lead us down a very different path. But..... (Hey !! You knew it was coming!) I do ask that if we are going to discuss who might make suitable or not so suitable adult leaders that someone spins off or starts a new topic. Thanks. Eamonn.

Not wanting to hijack the thread. But... Sometime back I was asked to be the Chair for the local Republican Committee. Putting aside the fact that I have for a very long time been what might be called "Left Wing" (Have voted for the Labour Party in every UK election.) I'm not a citizen of the USA. Seems someone didn't do their homework? I did meet with Lynn Swann. He is a very nice fellow. But just as I don't understand American Football, I don't understand the Republican (Right Wing) doctrine. Ea.

""homosexuality is a complex disorder and something not to be promoted." And that's a load of hogwash, right there." I'm not saying it is or it isn't. -My problem is that I don't know what a "complex disorder" is. I'm thankful that I live in SW PA where it looks like the next referendum will be about a drinks tax! Of course I don't support that one!! Ea.

Yesterday I received the email that I'm copying. I do have to admit to not really understanding what it really means!! Fellow Sea Scouter's: We mentioned a couple of weeks ago that BSA has undergone a reorganization at the national level, and that Sea Scouting is no longer being administered under a unified Venturing Division. We have posted on the Sea Scouts BSA website a graphic that shows what the new national BSA organization is. If you will point your web browsers as the Sea Scout Support Committee page and click on the link to BSA Organization Chart (as of October 2008). Please note that this is a large file and may take a few extra moments for your web browser to display it. You will note that Sea Scouts has its own spot under the Outdoor Adventures Committee. We are administratively on par with the Order of the Arrow, the Florida Sea Base, and the National Jamborees (among others). The consensus of the Sea Scout Support Committee (what the National Sea Scouting Committee is now called) is that this is a good thing, and should give us if anything more control to get the job done. So the short answer is, no, we haven't gone away and we have not been overlooked. It's going to take a little time to see what this all means in terms of delivering the goods, but the initial changes in the BSA organization are very encouraging. Does this mean that Sea Scouts are no longer part of Venturing? Or was no one really sure where to place Sea Scouting on a new Organizational Chart? Does anyone know what it means? Or what it means for Sea Scouting in the days /years to come? Help!! Eamonn.

I seem to remember that this has been posted before. Eamonn

While I'm not proud to admit it, I have over the years allowed myself to be a victim of the "Pressure"? That has made me buy into the hype of it all. Yes I have stood outside Toys-R-Us in the rain trying to get the Pokmon cards. I did visit every toy store in seven counties before I got found the Game Boy, the year that the Game Boy warehouse in New Jersey burnt down. I have "Up-Graded the game systems. - Why? Looking back I'm not really sure why. I think I'm very fortunate that I have been able to afford this stuff and buying it never caused any financial hardship. Last week I was talking with a single mother who just started where I work. She doesn't earn that much -Less than $40,000 a year. She has two little girls, one 7 years old and one 10 years old. This Lady was complaining about how she was going to pay for all the stuff she had to buy the girls for Christmas. (She did say what. But I only remember that there was a lap-top and a Wi game system on the list.) She went on to say that she owed over $18,000 on her credit cards. I know when she started work she bought a new Jeep, which she is making payments on. I can't imagine what she goes through each month trying to make ends meet and make all these payments. I think she needs to get some help in order to slow down, but she seems to think that this is just the way things are done. I couldn't help thinking of a jacket that I have in my cupboard. It is a double breasted school blazer that my mother bought me for school when I was 12. (Part of the uniform I needed for school.) The jacket is still too big for me! I remember hearing my Mother tell me that I'd grow into it! It was my Christmas present that year. My parents were fairly well off, but they became that way by being very frugal. At times both HWMBO and OJ inform me that I'm cheap! Maybe I am? But spending money you don't have on anything that isn't going to make money just seems very daffy to me. Eamonn.

I did notice that we seemed to be off course. I'm unsure how we got from there to here? But now it would seem we are changing course again. Talking about how we got off course. Where the heck is a moderator when you need one? Ea.

I'm not a member of the LDS Church. I have to admit to not really knowing very much about the way they do things. I did have a boss who was married to a fellow who was a Bishop in the LDS Church. She was /is a really nice person. I was invited to attend the Eagle Scout COH for their son which was held in their church. I was really impressed with what I seen to be a wonderful feeling of family and family love. At times it does seem to me that many BSA members of the do want to look down on LDS units. I'm not sure why? I would think that we should relish in the fact that a religion thought so highly of our value based program that they were happy to embrace it and use it. Mixing politics and peoples personal beliefs can be a dangerous path. Just this morning I was talking with a co-worker of HWMBO. She was going on about all the phone calls, political junk mail that she had received. She went on to say that she was upset that she was forced to belong to a union that she didn't want to belong to and that this union had the audacity to tell her who to vote for. Some years back I went to mass in a small village church in Ireland. The Priest saying the mass was about 80 years old. At the time Ireland was having a referendum on abortion. This old fellow was getting himself worked up into a real state as he talked about this in his sermon. HWMBO was with me. She is not a Roman Catholic, when we got out of the church she said that he had no business getting so upset and that the church shouldn't be telling people how to vote. She of course is welcome to have her own opinion. But the church does see abortion as being wrong and as such telling people who belong to the church where the church stands on this is to my mind not out of line. Many of us do get upset when outsiders invade our space. Be it the phone call at supper time from one of the political candidates, the Jehovah's Witnesses knocking on our door with copies of the Watchtower in hand. Or the guy who has broken down and wants to use the phone. How each of us deals with each situation is up to each of us. I'm happy most of the time to not get upset. In fact a lot of the time I'm impressed that some people do take what they believe in so much to heart and are willing to work at it. So what if they disturb my watching Law and Order? I know it's going to be on at least ten more times. I wish when it came to recruiting more youth members Scouter's had the same commitment! Eamonn.

About a month back I had to visit Sam's Club as we were running low on dog biscuits. I was a little taken back to see all the Christmas Trees and decorations on display. I enjoy Christmas but I'm not sure that I want it to last for 3 months. Over the years I have started to appreciate Thanksgiving more. It is nice that we have a holiday which everyone can enjoy and join in without any real barriers. Last year I worked Thanksgiving in the jail. I wished a Muslin inmate a happy Thanksgiving. He said that for him it was just another day. I went on to inform him how lucky he was by telling him how bad things could be and how much worse off he might be. I'm not sure if he agreed with me because I was right or if he agreed with me in order to get rid of me? But for a minute I felt I'd made an impression. Sometimes around Christmas time I feel that I have failed as a parent. A lot of the things that make Christmas special for me; the music, the renewed feeling of hope for us all and the idea that we can be nice to each other. Just doesn't seem to have rubbed off on my son. For him it seems to be a time when the most important thing is "What's in it for me?" Rumor has it that the stores are getting ready for a slow Christmas. A co-worker told me the other day that he is waiting for Christmas, as he expects to buy a 32" LCD TV for less than $300.00. I have more than enough TV's. In fact I don't need anything. (Maybe this might be the reason why people tell me I'm so hard to buy stuff for?) Her Who Must Be Obeyed thinks that I'm just being silly and gets a little annoyed when she asks e what I want for Christmas? And I reply Peace on earth and joy to all. The truth is that I'm not joking. Her Who Must Be Obeyed does get into making the house look like Santa's Grotto for the holiday. We have to have a real tree that is twice the size that is needed, we have thousands and thousands of lights. Decorating the tree is a big thing. (A day or so after we have had our annual Christmas Tree fight. I get upset that the tree is too big and keeps falling over and blame her for buying such a big tree.) Each and every ornament is unwrapped and we talk about when it was bought and who it was bought for. Some have special spots on the tree. I used to think all of this really was Humbug, but since she got sick I'm happy to buy into it all. My way of being thankful that she is still here to share another Christmas with me. We have over the years managed to merge her American Christmas traditions along with my Anglo-Irish Christmas traditions. This merger of traditions has become OJ's Christmas. Hopefully in time he will find the right girl and in time they will have their own way of celebrating the holiday. The true message of Christmas can be found in the Scout Law. It has nothing to do with a 32" LCD TV for $300.00. Times might be a little tougher this Christmas, people might not have as much money to spend as in past years. But maybe this isn't really a bad thing? Eamonn.

OK I know I'm biased!! But Camp Conestoga is a nice little camp. A good camp for younger Scouts. The Staff are wonderful and very good looking!! (Well some were in their day!) OJ worked on Staff for 3 years and this is the camp that I staffed when I came over as an International Camp Counselor. This is where I met Her Who Must Be Obeyed. She was so taken with my very sexy knees that I took her breath away. So if you are young, good looking and have sexy knees? Be afraid, e very afraid -Look at the trouble I got myself in!! Ea.

I know this comes off sounding very un-helpful!! But when you are asked this question the best answer is that people should ask a local attorney (Maybe who is a tax specialist?) or tax adviser in the state where they live. Many Councils are not willing to allow units the use of their tax ID number. In the Council I serve here in PA, the Council requires a tax ID to be on file. If there isn't one they collect the PA 6% sales tax. Scout units are not in most cases what might be called "Stand Alone Units" Most are part of another organization. The Organization that charters the unit. Some units (A lot of Sea Scout Ships) do form for 501©(3) Non-profit corporation. We did, with the help of my accountant. (We did it in order to be able to accept large donations (Boats) which the donor could claim as a donation when tax time rolled around.) Even with the help of my accountant, with all the different fees it ended up costing me about $1,500.00 Now even though the Ship is chartered by a local VFW Post there is in place a Friends of Sea Scout Ship in place. My view is that in the case of most Scout units the expense just isn't worth it. Eamonn.

Eagle 90 You are of course right. Thinking maybe I need to retake them classes? Or do a better job of reading what I'm posting? Strange thing is that Sister Mary Matthew who taught me catechism classes and math, used the rhythm method. She used a ruler to beat out a rhythm on a desk for the multiplication tables (Once two is two, two twos are four.) And much the same beat for the catechism. Needless to say when we needed discipline, she found another use for the ruler. Eamonn.

My main complaint about these Group Merit Badges is that very often as in OJ's case the Scout has little or no say in what is being offered. I have visited Troops and seen SM's call out lists of names directing Scouts to go see So and So for one class and someone else for another. The choice of which badge a Scout wants to do or not do (Yes even the Eagle Scout required ones!) Should lie with the Scout. Some Scouts might be interested in an activity but not want to do the MB. So what happens when the Troop is doing the canoeing MB and the Lad who enjoys canoeing says that he doesn't want to participate with the group or take the class? Eamonn. (This isn't my only gripe about doing this in groups, but it is my big one.)

I think I might not be talking about the same ribbon? The one I was talking about was one that Den Leaders/ Cub Scouts wore with the Cub Scout Rank pins that their sons had earned. Sorry!! Eamonn.

Congrats to both you and your pal. I'm sure this "Pat on the back" is well deserved. You will of course now have to splash out and buy a new uniform. I really am very happy to hear this. As you know I do very much appreciate your wise words and the humor that you provide us with here in the forum. Well Done. Eamonn.

Turned on the TV last night for the Amazing Race. Most of the ads were political ads. Kinda sad how nasty these people are. Kinda funny that in a week or so each will pat the other on the back and have nice things to say about the winner and the loser. I have listened to all the stuff that both Presidential candidates say they are going to do when they get in the White House. Some of it sounds good, some not so good. I'm not sure who is going to win. In our area there seems to more signs out for the Republicans than for the Democrats, it might be that the Republican supporters have bigger front yards? Last election most of the people I talked with just wanted to get rid of the politicians that were in office. It didn't really matter who got in as long as those that were in were booted out. All in all very little seems to have changed. The wars are still going on. The economy is in the toilet. Education, illegal immigration, gay marriage seem to be on hold. All I'm hearing is this call for change. I'm not sure if this call for change is the same call that we heard last election when the mood was very much "Boot them all out"? I wouldn't mind a change myself. I'd like a new car that gets better gas mileage. I'd like to make some improvements to the house. A house near the beach would be nice. I could go on. But I'm running into a slight problem. I really can't afford to spent all this money. If I did Her Who Must Be Obeyed would not be very happy. With things as they are I'm not sure how we can afford all the promises that both candidates have promised. I'm not sure if the new president will be able to push his agenda through? I suppose I'll just have to wait till net June or July and see what's happening. Eamonn