Fat Old Guy

All it takes is a ring leader to say, "What if we did .. . ."

" But for the most part, the "men" of the troop are their own son's fathers first, leaders second." When I'm wearing my official BSA Expedition hat, I am no longer my son's father, I'm a Scouter. Well, most of the time with the exception of when a Scout who lives in my house released my parking brake and let my car roll across the parking lot.

Competition is great. Most people enjoy competition at some level, even if they don't win. Look at the people that enter the Boston Marathon and don't have a snowballs chance in hell of finishing in the top 1000. People play bridge, shoot darts, throw coits, and do all sorts of activities that are competitive. The problem arises when the drive to win becomes a need and overwhelms the joy of the activity. We see that in youth sports all of the time. A team can go to the national championships, come home second and the coach tells them that they are losers. Where's the joy in that? They beat out thousands of teams and despite their best effort, the are told that they suck. They don't hear, "we'll work harder and try again." They are told that they suck and they'll be reminded of it for the next year, "If you don't work harder, you'll stay losers." I know a youth soccer coach who will abide no "happy talk" in his car if the team loses. The radio is off. There are no jokes. Only discussion of why they lost. This could be on a three hour drive from a tournement. Insane. Our society has lost perspective on many things and for some reason, the knee jerk reaction is to say that if an example is bad the entire set is bad. Some take competition too far so all competition is bad. 500 miles away, a boy used a pocket knife in a bad manner so all pocket knives are bad. Some guys wore trench coats to school and did bad things so trench coats are banned. Neither competition nor trench coats nor pocket knives are bad by themselves.

Proud Eagle, you should have learned by now that Bob White will never go beyond the current BSA writings. They said it and that is good enough. That is with the exception of medical forms and the instructions in G2SS.

"formal bidding process was not necessary to satisfy constitutional requirements." I didn't know that bidding was covered in the Constitution.

"So now I know why Bush does not watch the news.... if he remains uniformed ...then he can't be held accountable!!!" So you think that the President should spend his time watching CNN? That's a productive use of his time.

"Also in BS, maybe I'm unusual, but I'm not necessarily looking for male role models in BS but rather for the reinforcement of high morals and faith-based values to my boys." Do you want your son(s) to have male role models at all?

As most know, I have a collection of old and EVIL Scout Handbooks. Whilst browsing on ebay, I came across this one http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=13887&item=3911767008&rd=1 Makes me wish that I had and extra $1,500 just laying around with nothing better to do. I did read in US News and World Report that BP's original "Scouting for Boys" has been re-released. I checked Books-a-Million and they have it for less than $20. I recently found a web site that hooks you up with hundreds of used book shops around the country and I was astonished to see what they were asking for old Scout Handbooks. $45 was not unusual for a 4th edition. For point of reference, I picked up my 4th edition on ebay for about $10 including shipping.

I'd like to see if there is a significant increase in the number of black Scouts in Richmond over the next couple of years. I'd be willing to be a buck or two that any increase will be insignifcant or closely related to an increase in Scouts of races.

"As I stated before, my objection is during check-in when I (a 50 year old adult) am subjected to being questioned in front of a group by a 14 y.o. CIT" Maybe I got used to it with sports physicals and military physicals with 100 naked guys standing in a line but it really doesn't bother me. They make sure the contact information is correct. That I have my meds with me. They ask if I have any special concerns that the med staff should know about. Pretty painless.

I am compelled to point out that it is unlikely that Mike Salado has been your PackMaster for three years. It is more likely that Mr. Salado has been your Cubmaster for the past three years.

" In the dark ages an asst. principal conducted strip searches just before we crossed the stage." Wow! When I graduated back in the 70s, we just go up and walked across the stage to get our diploma. No special garb for academic achievement. Everyone wore blue robes and blue caps. I guess that now that kindergarten grads get to wear mortar boards and gowns, that things have to be ramped up at the high school level to make everyone feel special.

"The Soviet Union recently dissolved into individual states without such a war." They didn't have a wacko with a stovepipe hat that was willing to throw the country into a destructive war to preserve a union.

What could they do if you did wear an unapproved stole? Not let you graduate? Throw you out?

By any chance do you mean "stole"?

"I know that I may be out of line, but somehow I can't see you not mentioning something to these Lads." About once a quarter someone reminds the Scouts that there are many merit badges that they can be earning just for doing what they already do. Unfortunately, these guys don't want to work on any merit badge that they can't earn in an afternoon or at summer camp. I think that it is a cultural thing. The apologist parents are the same ones that expect the adults to arrange merit badge sessions and to force Scouts out of Positions of Responsibility to make room for their sons.

I see the lull start as soon as Summer Camp is over. Unless someone organizes a "merit badge class" our guys rarely work on merit badges. There are so many merit badges that they could earn just for being alive. Most are involved in organized sports but few have earned the Sports merit badge. We have a number of accomplished musicians but not one has earned the Music Merit badge. Honor roll students but none have the Scholarship meritbadge. I know of six guys who are taking photography in school but none are working on the Photography merit badge. Pets? Reading? I'm not even looking at the guys investigating new fields like auto repair or traffic safety. I'm just looking at things that these guys could earn for activities that they already do now. It's all rather sad but the apologist parents say, "well, they are already doing so much stuff that they don't have time to do the merit badges." That's like telling a carpenter that he'll get $100 if he calls 84 lumber at the end of the day and reports how many boards he's cut. You're doing the work anyway, why not get the award? It's sad, so sad. It's a sad, sad situation. And it's getting more and more absurd.

"With the new HIPPA laws, our scout camp made everyone stand in line outside the health hut last year and only allowed one person at a time to enter and be questioned." This was run into the ground last year. HIPPA has no effect on BSA camps.

Ah, the Pinewood Derby. I had a blast helping my son build his car (he designed it, I used the powersaw to cut it out, he sanded and painted). However, I was always dismayed by the number of cars that were Dad-bilt. I know one kid who said that his car was built while he was at school. He came home and was presented with his car. For him, the PWD was a meaningless event. Everyone has the means and opportunity to improve. The internet is available at schools and public libraries. No tools are required to build a good PWD car beyond a hammer, screwdriver and sandpaper.

"If slavery had not existed would that war have been inevitable?" If not that war then another would have occurred when a state got tired of belonging to the Union.

"In case anyone missed it, around Nov 03, the Robert E. Lee Council of Richmond, Va, became the "Heart of Virginia Council"." Oh boy, pablum! My favorite dish! Ralph! Earl! Buick!

Why do women seem to think that it is horrible for people to want men as role models for boys but yet it is perfectly acceptable for GSUSA to proclaim that women are desired as leaders because girls need women as role models?

Heck GSmom, if you're ashamed to be an American, renounce your citizenship and go to France.

He probably regrets uttering those words already.

Dues in my old pack were paid either at joining in September or in December for recharter. The full fee was $35 which covered rechartering, Boy's Life and pack dues. If you didn't pay, your son wasn't a member of the BSA or the Pack. Pretty simple. Now there were a few people who didn't pay on time but they made arrangements so we didn't mind carrying them for a week or two. We haven't run across someone who wants to join but just flat can't afford it. If we do run into someone who really needs help, we have funds to help them. I believe that Council also has funds available. $40 a year isn't that bad when you look at what you get. Registration and Boy's Life take nearly $20. Almost every do-hickey that your son gets costs at least $1 and can run up to $2.50. We gave each Cub his new neckerchief every year and the pinewood derby car kit.