Fat Old Guy

Our troop gives 50% of its share to the Scout that does the selling. There are a few boys who pay for due and summer camp as well as some equipment with their popcorn funds.

Of course we have the parents who whine, "I don't like to take that stuff into work" but oddly, the boys who do the big selling do it door to door.

"A uniform patch or simply a knot is fine. (There's a knot for everything else.)"

A knot for everything else? Other than the religious medal, about the only way that a Scout can earn something that has a knot is by saving a life. Horsey-back riding doesn't fall into that category.

Campaign hat = cavalry?

Baden-Powell, who had seen members of the Royal Canadian Field Artillery wearing Stetsons at the relief of Mafeking, ordered 10,000 directly from the American company to outfit his constabulary. This was also the style of hat that he approved for his Boy Scout movement in 1907. From http://www.civilization.ca/cwm/saw/equip/stetso_e.html

Sounds like the artillery introduced him to the hat.

" Try moving cross-country with obstacles in your path. (Like when the electrical systems shut down and the cars can't get gas, and the local BSA troop has to get a message to someone in the next town, but can't take the roads.)"

Should we also have an award (with medal and knot) for riding a bike, dirt bike, or running?

"4. Scouting? That's one of the two main functions of the cavalry, traditionally, the other being attacking/killing. "

Since Boy Scouts don't function as "scouts" and they don't attack or kill either, that connection is tenuous at best.

Consecrated ensign? Who or what does the blessing?

Thank you Dr. RuddBaron. Just for the record, what medical school did you attend and where did you complete your various doctorates?

"Because of the cavalry heritage of Scouting, for one thing."

Cavalry heritage of Scouting?

"Is there even a plumbing merit badge?"

Yes.

Sorry, I'm going to go with the others here. There's no medal and knot for BSA Life Saving, Paul Bunyan, etc..

Maybe a patch for BSA Horseman but I think that it would have to involve more than jumping or dressage. Maybe some useful skills like calf roping. :-)

It is too bad that no one can collect statistics on how many Eagles are self-motivated and how many are parent driven. How many 17.5 year Eagles are because Mom or Dad realized that Eagle would help with the Scholarship and how many 13.5 year Eagles are for the same reason.

I've had a number of parents tell me, "My son's not getting his license until he makes Eagle." I've heard, "he can't go on Spring break if he doesn't get his Eagle work done." The best one may be, "I'm making my son go back into Boy Scouts so he can get Eagle. It looks good on his college applications."

Is this any different than the poor kid who wants to play the flute but his dad makes him play basketball for ten years?

There's a Disney movie about the twins who played basketball and wound up in the WNBA. If the movie is accurate, the father was a wacko. Everything may have worked out for them but how many kids have wacky parents and don't make the NBA?

Some say that the wacky parents are trying to live vicariously through their kids because they didn't succeed in their own lives. That may be true for some but the others seem to want their offspring to follow in their footsteps instead of making their own path.

"But, I worked with him enough to know that he simply lacked discipline."

As my doctor explained it to me, ADHD (the Artist Formerly Known as ADD)with or without hyperactivity is caused by part A of the brain not communicating well with part B. Part B is the part that says, "hey let's go chase a squirrel" and Part A is the part that say, "no, we gotta do our homework now and we can chase squirrels later." In short, there is a lack of internal discipline. You can subject an ADHD afflicted person to all sorts of external discipline and even get him to do things promptly on command. However, without extensive counseling on coping strategies and possibly medication, just getting ready for school on time can be a great challenge for the ADHD afflicted child.

People with ADHD have done great things in science and engineering because their minds race unfettered. Einstein and Edison are both now beleived to have suffered from ADHD. Imagine what they might not have done if they had been medicated to behave normally.

Hey Last Beagle,

You're doing a marvelous job of leading by example. Now go back to the sandbox and let the adults continue to try to put me in my place.

As the stewardess said, "Buh-bye."

"What would happen if we all followed the program."

There'd be little to discuss here. :-)

While it would be nice if everyone followed the program, those who expand the requirements are probably doing more good than those stick to the letter but still find the shortcuts.

Like what? The guys who do knots by showing once, and then making the Scout tie it once, often while watching the instructor tie the knot and then signing off. How about the guys who sign off on First Aid requirements after just lecturing about first aid?

Neither is a good way to do things but given a choice, I'd rather my son be in a troop that required knots to be tied in a certain time than a troop where you don't have to learn anything.

"The answer to the Sea Scout question is in the insignia worn."

Interesting. So, if a Venturing Crew decided to adopt USMC dress blues and changed out the buttons and put some BSA stuff on the jacket, that would be okay?

Hey Merlyn, let's get rid of the Pledge altogether. It smacks of a loyalty oath which is un-American. First we have loyalty oaths and next thing you know, we'll have a House Un-American Activities Committee followed by a Department of Homeland Security to monitor our email and phone calls.

I used to belong to an organization that had leased country property for 50 years for $1 year. The county decided to raiser our rent to $100 a month. Then they decided that they wanted the property for themselves because of the improvements that we had made so they wouldn't renew the lease.

Being spiteful, we dismantled everything that we had installed at our expense. Club house, fence, sprinkler system, lighting. All gone. Boy was the county pissed. The county stomped it's legal feet. We stomped ours. They left us alone and have an empty lot.

Close order drill is a no-no even though BSA used to have drill teams. I understand that this went away in the late 60's or early 70's because the military went out of fashion.

What's so bad about close order drill? Anyone who has been in any of the armed services knows that drill serves a variety of purposes. One is to get from here to there in an orderly fashion. Scouts in parades usually look like gaggles and not units.

Our Scoutmaster broke the rules and decided to teach a bit of simple drill. The Scouts now know how to stand in a line, come to attention, and walk in an orderly fashion. I'm sure that he's considered evil by many but most of the Scouts think that it is neat to have an "official" way to line up.

I would like a clarification of something, the rules say, "imitation of US Army, Navy or Marine Corps uniforms is prohibited". Oddly, the Sea Scouts buy their uniforms directly from the Naval Uniform Shop. What gives?

Forget it, kwc57, you've demonstrated that you suffer from bad judgement and are an evil person. Consider your Wood Badge payment as a donation to BSA and never wear your uniform again. On second thought, mail your uniform to BSA so you won't be tempted to wear it. ;-)

"In the mean time I find your insinuations totally lacking in scouting values and unbecoming of a leader in the BSA."

Insinuations? Whatever do you mean?

"special." If you deign to make any snide remarks about Bobby, he runs off to "Terry", the operator of this site and whines. However, Bob, who complains about others not following the Scout Law, makes all the snide comments that he wants with impunity.

Maybe Bob and Terry have a "special" relationship?

OGE, as acco40 pointed out, your dogs are suffering from hip dysplasia. Bronze was the second place medal, not gold.

I do find it interesting that anyone would consider silver to be "more pure" than gold when silver tarnishes and gold doesn't.

"According to the above, silver (argent or white) "outranks" gold (yellow or or) just as hope "outranks" faith"

Where does bronze fall into this?

"It may be all well and got to have facts and history on your side OGE, but what does that have to do with the Gold Mother's Star?"

Simple. If the military considered silver to be a higher honor than gold, Gold Star Mothers would be Silver Star mothers.

The current Army jacket doesn't match the green of the uniform. The USMC jacket might be a closer match both in color and style of the old jacket. However, that wouldn't be authorized and we know how terrible it is to wear unauthorized clothing. Right Bob?

Another option would be to buy a safari jacket liks Abercrombie and Fitch sold before they were part of the Gap. I then thought of Willis & Geiger but it turns out that they don't exist as such anymore. Anyway, find a nice belted safari jacket in a tan close to the uniform shirt. Of course, this is also an evil thing to do since it isn't authorized.

It used to be, "better a dozen guilty men go free than one innocent man hang" but now we have "better to ruin the lives of a dozen innocent men . . . "

"The modern uniform isn't just limited to professionals, but we're the ones for the most part who buy the ugly things. I know a few volunteers that have them, but not very many."

Ugly? The outfit looks like just about every blue blazer that I've seen. I'm sure that it isn't Brooks Brother's quality but what BSA uniform is (other than the Woolrich jacket)?

Here's a question. Are you required to wear the official jacket and trousers or can you go to Brooks Brothers and buy a blue blazer and grey slacks?

I checked with the Army's Institute of Heraldry, the information on the page that linked regarding the colors of insignis is accurate. Also they have no that shows that silver was more special than gold. However, I did find a heraldry web site (http://www.curransheraldry.com/heraldry.html) that mentions that in coats of arms, when a helmet is included royalty get a gold helm.

Many people believe that there stripes of the flag represent bandages and blood and this is presented as fact in schools, scouts and elsewhere. However, George Washington himself said that the red reprsented the British and the white represented secession.

The simple answer is that the rules of evidence don't apply to anyone but the government. BSA is a private organization and may do as they please.

Is this right? Not hardly.

We live in a witchhunt world today, especially when it comes to "child safety" or "office relationships". Innocent actions get turned into sexual harrassment, just look at Clarence Thomas. His nomination process stopped being about how good of a judge he'd be and became a contest of "did he do it?"

I know a boy who when in kindergarten was "counseled" for "sexually touching another boy." The transgression? They were playing some sort of game that had them walking on all fours. Boy A was behind Boy B and Boy B was going to slowly for Boy A so Boy A reached out and pushed Boy B on the butt. The teacher went ballistic, parents were called but, oddly enough, no one spoke to Boy B about what happened until long after every was over.

It will only get worse before it gets better.

I know a couple Scouters who wear a kilt in the McLaren tarten on formal occasions. It may not be regulation but it looks neat and looks much better than those who are wearing regulation trousers that are two sizes too small.