Eamonn

This is again something that I'm not going to lose any sleep over. As I have posted in the past. I'd be happy if we didn't have Wood Badges with more than two beads. (No 3's or 4's). But at the risk of falling into my "Groundhog Day way of thinking"! Wood Badge is about Adult Leader Training. Maybe the beads need to renamed "Leadership Training Beads"? I do have my 4th bead. I staffed a lot of courses and held many different positions on the Wood Badge Staff, before becoming or being offered the Course Director slot. I'm sorry, while I'm not sure if a recognition is or isn't in order? Handing out beads from a course that is aimed at adults shows lack of imagination on the part of who ever came up with it. It is also a smack in the face to all Cub Scouter's and Adult Venturer Advisors. Eamonn.

Did I mention that when I was a Scout and later as a Scout Leader the UK that I wore a green beret? (Green Berets were the official uniform) I think I should have one, somewhere. I have to admit to thinking that at that time I looked good in in it. Of course now days with so much snow on the roof. I'm thinking of a red hat with a white pompom on the end, which might help me secure seasonal employment at a mall during the holidays. Ea.

As many as the Lad earns! Ea

While this sounds very much like I'm coping out. I tend to think that the Jamboree is not a Troop event and the choice to go or not go is an individual thing -Yes the SM does have to approve the application. There are HA activities offered by Councils which are not as expensive and are closer to home than the National HA Bases. I enjoy the Jambo and every Scout I have taken has come home saying that he had the best-est time. I do see that the cost is going to be a big factor in 2010. If gas keeps going up we might well end up having to charge twice what we charged in 2005. When an event ends up costing over $200.00 a day? It does require a lot of thought. Some Scouts have parents or grandparents who have attended past Jamborees and are willing to pay up to ensure that junior gets as much as they got when they were a Scout. I thought I wanted to send OJ to the last World Jamboree, in the UK. But the price tag was just a bit too much for me. - It's not like it was someplace he'd never been or would never go!! The $5,000.00 I saved (Ten thousand, if I'd went with him!!) has gone a long way in getting him to and from college. (In the shape of a little Nissan) I think the Troop should provide all the details about the Jamboree, but as it's a Council /National event it should also go ahead and plan the Troop program. Eamonn.

"You and I might be, eh? I think it's an age thing" I resemble that remark Ea.

Send the Cub Scouts out and get them as muddy and dirty as is possible (Rory can give lessons in this) Wet the tarp, place on a not too steep hill and wet under supervision have the Cub Scouts slide down again and again making as much noise as they can until most of the mud is gone. Send them home half clean. (Leaving them half dirty lets their parents know that they had a great time.) Eamonn

Hi Bob White, I posted: "...who for some reason were presented with Eagle Scout badges on stage?? " I accept that they may well have met the requirements to receive the award. I just think that the time and place seemed odd. - At least to me. OGE If I were to post what the Scouts said about the Young Osmond's, I'd have to remove that. They did think that the girls were "Hot". Still 2001 and the Shows will for me be best remembered by the fellow with the white beard playing the saw. He was in full uniform, but I don't think he is ever going to make the cover of the Rolling Stone. (If he removes his uniform I think he might look good on that green bottle with "Rolling" in its name. -I wonder if he belongs to Troop 33?) Eamonn

While no member of my family seems to have any real musical talent. Looking back to when I as a Lad, music was always around me. Dad had his "Irish Records". My brother who is four years older than me had the Rolling Stones, the Beatles. I had the 1970's Rod Stewart, T-Rex, Queen. Time has passed. I found myself stuck in a time warp. The radio stations I set my car stereo at were all Oldies stations. I have a collection of Irish music, mainly recordings by the Wolftones, The Dubliners, The Clancy Brothers. I stopped buying any more CD's as it seemed the same songs were repeated so often and it became a waste of money. Thanks to River Dance, Celtic Woman and more intrest in Irish music I started looking to see what was out there. I did buy a few CD's but again it seemed they were just the same old same old songs only sung by people who were not drawing their retirement pay. Of course if it seemed that the group or the person singing wasn't Irish - I wanted no part of it. I was in a store buying a book that I wanted to give a Scout who graduates this year and I just looked in at the music department. I picked up two CD's of Celtic music. One by Big Sea and one by the Wicked Tinkers. I left them in the car and wen I did open them (Why is opening a CD such hard work?) I didn't read the covers just played them. Both were really outstanding. A few days later I took them in the house to download them onto my computer and I found out that Big Sea is from Canada (Newfoundland) and the Wicked Tinkers are from Scotland!! This got me thinking about the way I have been thinking. I do at times tend to box myself in and seem not to be good at accepting change or new ideas or things. While of course the old stuff from the Dubliners and the Wolftones will always be great, there is room for the new. I went to Amazon and while looking at Irish music seen that the Dubliners have a CD that celebrates 40 years of the Dubliners!! If it wasn't for new groups coming along and doing this sort of music in time the music would die. I worry that at times we Scouter's seem unwilling to accept things that have changed or are changing. I'm not saying that all the good stuff BP and Green Bar Bill needs to go out with the dishwater. But some of the Scouts I has in the Troop when I was a new SM close to becoming Grandparents!! Kids and their parents see things differently than maybe I do. While it's not a bad thing to look back and see what was said and done 100 years ago. It is however worth remembering it was said and done 100 years ago!! Things have changed a lot in that time, values have undergone a rethink!! We do need to be aware of these changes and be willing to look at these and maybe accept them. Eamonn

gkcobb Hi and welcome to the forums. While as I posted, I'm not sure if, where, or when this new uniform was tested? I do think National Supply did ask for our input when they had the on-line questionnaire. Of course it might be said that most Scouts don't spend a lot of time visiting the site!! I have a lot of clothes that have the Colombia label on them. Most of them I picked up when they were on sale at Gander Mountain. When you look at the recommended retail price for these clothes, you really get a dose of sticker shock!! I'm not in the retail clothing business and don't know very much about it. Gander Mountain sells a lot of seasonal items, they need to move inventory to make room for what comes next. Colombia can discontinue any line if it fails to make money, that is if the cost of manufacturing becomes to high. The BSA as a rule doesn't have that luxury, once they come up with a uniform they are stuck with it and need to ensure that it is going to be available for sometime to come. Yes I know the switchback pants don't seem to follow this!! As a parent I have at times been upset at the high cost of uniforms. Sure I moaned and groaned about spending $76.00 on two pair of shorts, so my kid could wear them to NOAC. Far be it from me to tell anyone how they should spend their hard earned cash. But, I have been trying to think about how many uniforms I did buy for my son while he was a youth member. I do remember that he wore the same blue Cub Scout Shirt all through Cub Scouting until he became a Second Year Webelos Scout. (Don't tell anyone but we bought he pants at K-mart when they were on sale!!) He wore the tan shirt for a couple of years and I seem to remember that he got two new full uniforms for the 2001 Jamboree. My point is that we really didn't buy that many uniforms. When you take into account that he was a youth member for ten years. We certainly didn't spend $1,000.00, which would only be $100.00 a year. While I have been called "Cheap" (I hate parting with my cash!!) I think the money I spent on him and his Scouting was and is the best use of my cash ever. This includes the money spent on uniforms. Eamonn.

How many are too many? I don't know! Each and every unit is different. With this in mind, trying to set a specific number is not possible. While of course it can be said that the CO has the last word about approving adults who will serve and when needed there is a Nominating Committee who can be used to select adults. Of course before you go about selecting people it's a good idea that you know what you want them to do. The Troop Management Committee should be big enough to get what is needed done, but not so big that it gets bogged down and ends up getting nothing done. While some positions do need to be covered to ensure the Troop is running correctly, some members can be invited to serve to maybe just serve in one area or just one event. I have to admit that I'm not for having more adults than are needed at Troop meetings and Camp outs. Adults who have nothing to do just get in the way! The Troop my son was in tended to have too many people hanging around shooting the breeze at Troop meetings and were a distraction to what the Scouts were trying to get done. A few summers back they went to the Council Summer Camp with I think 28 Scouts and more than 15 adults. Many of these adults only ever left the Troop camp site to go to the bathroom or go and eat. They added nothing to the program and to my mind a lot of them were only there to in some way keep an eye on their kid. (Which is hard when the kids are not in the Troop Camp site!) While there isn't a magic number. I'd say that when you get more than 6 or 8 adults at an event you have too many. When the SM ends up baby sitting parents, you have real problem. Eamonn.

Stosh, While maybe a "Dress Uniform" might seem like a good idea. I'm not sure if in these days of Wash and wear it would ever really look like a "Dress Uniform" The Scouts in the Ship look really good in their white uniform. But the pants are now made of some type of polyester. They don't hold a crease and we have had a couple of Moms who have tried to remove stains using bleach. This turned the pants a yucky yellow color. I have a uniform that I have to wear for work. I don't like shirts that have not been ironed (I think because my Mother ironed everything - Even my underwear!!)Her Who Must Be Obeyed used to iron all my shirts. They looked OK. Most of my co-workers tell me that they take their shirts out of the dryer before they are fully dry and hang them on a hanger. Since HWMBO became ill,she isn't able to manage the ironing. I now send my shirts to a shirt service ($1.85 per shirt) They do a great job, they offer 3 different levels of starch. (I get the medium). It seems that everyone has noticed my shirts asking if the shirt is a new one? Eamonn (I'm ironing impaired!!)

Kudu You bring up something that is worth looking at and talking about. But to do so I think to be fair to gilski and the questioned asked the fair thing to do would be to spin off. I'm not sure how the Ordeal is done in other Lodges? Wagion Lodge 6, has the Scouts sleep out under the stars without building a shelter. This might be because as a rule there is a lot of Scouts doing their Ordeal? While I'm not for these "Troop Rules". Which to my way of thinking never seem to work. I'm also a little worried that in some ways we become "Bean Counters". While of course having Scouts set worthwhile goals and allowing them and supporting them as they work toward their goals is not a bad thing. But when the goal is to seek out short cuts or fast track advancement? I'm not so sure it's a good thing. The best use of the advancement method comes from having a well balanced, well thought out program. This at times can be a little difficult when a unit (Troop or maybe a Ship?) is youth run. At times the SM or person at the PLC does need to plant a few "Seeds" and maybe give a little nudge where needed. Having Scouts work on wilderness survival skills as part of the Troop program and recording (Take a few photos?) of what they did, so if someone does decide that they want to work on the other requirements?There is a record. Would to me seem a better way of going about this than trying to look for a short cut? While we should help and support the Scouts who want to work on a particular merit badge, the aim of the Troop should be to provide the best all round Scouting program as is possible. Heck we have seven years with the Scouts if we can do a good job! Eamonn

I'd really like to see this new uniform before I'd go out on a limb. It isn't what I was expecting. - Which is a good thing!! I thought it was going to look something along the lines of the uniforms worn by Fast Food employees. A long time back I did complete the questionnaire that was on the Scout Stuff web page. It was a long time back and I can't remember what the questions were!! But, at least I can't say that I wasn't asked!! I do wonder if this uniform was Field Tested? The PA Department of Corrections is at present field testing a new raincoat. Three facilities were selected to do the test. I got some strange looks when I asked what would happen if it didn't rain? As it turns out the coats are getting a really good test. Eamonn.

Am I the only person on the planet who has never ever played Paintball and Laser Tag? Of course having never played these games I can't comment on how safe or un-safe they are. But.. I have attended a few Scouting events where video games are part of the program. (I'm not saying this is a bad thing!) Many of these games seem to be about in some way blowing up and killing your "Enemy". I can't help thinking that if the argument is about Character? These games fall under the same heading. I'm not into video games. So again maybe I shouldn't go there? OJ has a lot. I quit when the wire on the control of the Nintendo broke before I finished Zelda!! Eamonn.

At the 2001 Jamboree Arena Show there was a Girl Rock Group, I think they were called the Ace of Hearts? (I never heard of them before or after the Jambo!!) Any way they came on stage wearing Boy Scout Uniform Shirts tied in a knot (Overhand knot!!) at the waist area. The girls were very attractive and the Boy Scouts I was with seemed to like them!! In fact they went over a lot better than the "Young Osmond's" who for some reason were presented with Eagle Scout badges on stage?? I of course don't know if the powers that be. - Whoever they are? Were aware that these girls were going to be dressed as they were? I'm guessing someone at the jamboree gave them the shirts? Maybe this was before all the new or are they old rules? Started being looked at? I wonder if the BSA could ask for compensation from the magazine for the use of their material? My thinking is that no one is going to do anything. It's kinda fitting that it's the Eagles!! Just imagine if the Sex Pistols and Johnny Rotten were on the cover? (Not that it's possible!) Eamonn.

The real "Test" will be what the Scouts and their parents think of the changed uniform. I know a lot of Lads who will want to be the first one in the Troop to have one. Kinda like when one Lad arrives at the Webelos Scout Den meeting with a tan shirt. After that it seems in no time the entire Den is wearing tan shirts. Eamonn

"Eamonn writes: A time long before I ever heard mention of Vision and Mission statements or maybe they just weren't trendy at that time? If someone asked me the purpose of Scouting? The only "purpose of Scouting" that counts is the Congressional Charter which mandates that the BSA use the Scoutcraft methods "in common use by Boy Scouts" in 1915. " As ever I must have rambled a bit!! The purpose of Scouting that I was talking about was the one used back in the early 1970's back in the UK. Sorry if I confused anyone. Ea.

Tokala I of course welcome different points of view! You are of course right about the skills that were covered in the pre 21st Century course. (You forgot the pioneering projects!!) But ... ((hey you knew there would be a but!) Given that the course was a full week, the time spent on skills wasn't that much. I have staffed a few pre 21 courses (Nine courses) and it seems /seemed to me that most Patrols had one or two guys who were really good and the rest of the Patrol kinda sorta hung onto the coattails of these guys. These were to guys who when it came time for the over-night hike were the guys who had map and compass in hand and while the good Scouter's did spend time passing on their knowledge to the rest of the Patrol many were just happy to be "Super-Scout". I didn't in any way mean or intend to put down NYLT. It would be very unfair of me -Being as I don't know very much about it!! My "Gripe" is I think we are (The BSA)going a little overboard on "Leadership" If we were to spend as much time on say - Physical Fitness? I think we would be accused of over doing that. For a while our District Advancement Chair was unavailable. Me being the nice fellow that I am took over his duties while he was away. One task (Which I admit I really enjoyed) was approving Eagle Scout Leadership Service Projects. I should add that this wasn't very long back. A couple of years. While maybe the project book isn't the greatest? A lot of Scouts seemed to have no idea about the Leadership part of the project. After thinking about it for a while, trying to find a good way of helping them. I went back and used the good old 11 Leadership Skills and the planning process from the Pre 21 Course. While I do believe that I have got something from every course that I ever attended. The new WB course is a vast improvement on the old Cub Scout Trainer WB Course. I have heard that the BSA Training is being looked at. Rumor is that the New Leader Essentials is no longer going to be Essential! Cub Scout Training is being changed. I don't as yet have the details on the rumor!! At this stage of my Scouting career, I'm about ready to be put out to pasture. Which at times is a little painful for me!! But it's right that I get out of the way and make room for the next generation of "Movers and Grovers". Yes I'm fast becoming one of the suits!! With that in mind I don't think I'll be invited to staff a NYLT. But when I start putting things down that I don't know very much about? I do hope that someone will give me a friendly kick in the pants. Ea. (This message has been edited by Eamonn)

PM works fine!! Just me not at my computer. (Having my tea) Ea

BrentAllen, Prunes Hot Cereal Boiled Eggs Bread & Butter Cocoa I'll take that over corn feed any day! Ea

Back home we call a rummage sale a Jumble Sale. The Scouts did enjoy collecting the stuff. But parents did a far better job of sorting and pricing the Jumble. This at times led to some confusion as to who was in charge. "A Scout is Brave" But taking on Mothers at a sale? Wow that takes guts!! Maybe establishing clear guide lines of who is in charge (The Troop Committee? The Youth Leaders? -I'm more in favor of the committee.) I never heard of a Troop motto. But if there is going to be one? I think it should come from the Scouts. Maybe having a youth only competition to who comes up with the best one might help put a stop to the e-mails. Training Parents how we do things the way we do is a tough task. Finding the few who do get it and pushing them to lead the others works best. Your role is with the youth. Sometimes calling someone to one side and in a firm way explaining to them what is what is the for best. Better yet if the Troop Committee person does it. Yes I know I'm passing the buck!! Ea.

I think right now I'm going through one of my phases!! While I don't think the old course did a good job of teaching traditional Scouting skills. (It was never intended to do so.) I just seem to have a bit of a down on what I see as maybe too much time and too much importance being spent and made of Leadership. While I have not been involved in the new youth courses that replaced JLTC, from what I have heard the new course is again a mini Wood Badge course. OJ went to a Regional OA Officers training and I seen the stuff he came home with!! It again was a mini-WB course down to having to do something that was very much like a Ticket. Of course Leadership plays a very big and vital role in what we do. But we also need to know what to do and how to do it before we can lead others. My idea of Scouting (Which might well be very different from others!!) Is not a bunch of youth members sitting around watching movies, talking about the works of Ken Blanchard or Bruce Tuckman. Scouts learn leadership in small ways like cleaning up after a meal. They can build upon these ways with the help of knowledgeable and caring adults. But before you can lead the clean up -Someone has to know how to cook the meal. It's just a phase!! I'll get over it. Eamonn.

I hope I got everyone!! Please let me know if I missed you! Thanks Ea.

I really like our camp. I have a lot of things to be thankful for, because of the camp. It was the camp that first brought me to the USA. It was there I met my wife and also met a lot of super people who are my friends today. I'm not very handy!! At one time I thought you needed a PhD in construction to be an active Lodge member! The Lodge does a great job of looking after and maintaining the camp. We don't have a Ranger. Over the years I kinda suppose some of the money I have donated might have made its way to the camp. We have had staffs that were really great. As a rule these guys are on the staff for about 3-4 years and then move on to bigger and better paying jobs. Sometimes the replacements are not as good. We have had problems with the food. But these were looked at and corrected. Yes I love the camp. But... I do see how a Lad who has attended camp for 3 or more summers does feel the need to go someplace else and try new activities or just see how things are done elsewhere. Nearly all the Troops in the Council do support the camp by going each and every year. They sign up for the same week, same site year after year. I really think that the Scouts have no say in it. The sad thing is that what should be the high-light or high-point of the Scouting year, becomes the same old same old for the older Scouts and they just quit. We do depend on out of council campers/Troops to help the camp break even. I think that not going to the camp because the Scouts have opted to go elsewhere is fine and dandy. But not going because of some personal whatever that happened in the past is something that the person needs to reflect upon. Councils can't do a thing to a unit that doesn't go to their camp. I did hear a few comments when a pal of mine who decided to camp for several years at the camp down the road ran by the Council down the road received a Silver Beaver. Some said that it didn't seem right that someone who didn't support the camp should receive the award. Of course the fact that he got it only goes to show this wasn't everyone's opinion. Eamonn.

I just bought the DVD from the 10 hour PBS show: Carrier. I really enjoyed the series and bits of it do show some great leadership along with showing how when everyone does their job things go well. I got it from Amazon (sp?) It was a lot cheaper than from PBS!! Ea.