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GOTH: SHOULD PARENTS WORRY? http://www.kentucky.com/mld/mercurynews/news/local/12976664.htm By John Woolfolk Mercury News He goes from baseball and Boy Scouts to black gothic clothes and nail polish, from studying for a merit badge to poring over the ``Satanist's Bible.'' Parents of teenagers surely shuddered at the news of Scott Dyleski, the 16-year-old Lafayette boy accused in the savage beating death of a neighbor, the wife of a prominent lawyer and television commentator. After all, boys and girls sharing Dyleski's ``goth'' taste for medieval attire and morbid music can be found in just about any high school. Does it signal simmering rage waiting to erupt in lethal violence, or just a harmless expression of individuality and creativity? Experts in teen psychology and juvenile crime say parents should resist fretting over their kids' wardrobes and musical tastes. What matters more is whether they have healthy relationships with their family and friends. Anthony E. Wolf, a Massachusetts psychologist and author of books including ``Get Out of My Life, But First Could You Drive Me and Cheryl to the Mall: A Parent's Guide to the New Teenager,'' said family stresses from divorce or a sibling's death put teens at greater risk. Tragedy a trigger? Dyleski had suffered through ugly court battles between his divorcing parents and, more recently, the death of his sister in a car crash. Still, it doesn't necessarily follow that family tragedies spawn teen violence. ``In and of itself, is that going to trigger people to become violent? No,'' Wolf said. ``But obviously it's a big source of stress. It can increase chances that something further bad can happen.'' Shortly after his sister's 2002 death, classmates said Dyleski started wearing dark clothes, became more withdrawn and adopted a goth style popularized by shock-rocker Marilyn Manson. Goths, who often view themselves as outcasts, have been eyed with suspicion ever since two trench-coat clad teens at Columbine High School in Colorado massacred 12 classmates and a teacher in a 1999 rampage that ended in their suicides. A person familiar with the family said it wasn't surprising that Dyleski adopted the goth style in the eighth grade. Dyleski's classmates at both middle school and high school were generally kids from well-off families living in affluent Lafayette. Dyleski and his mother had spent time camping in a lean-to on the property where they eventually moved into a house built by his mother's friends, where they lived in a sort of communal fashion. ``My opinion was always that he didn't fit in, so he made a point of not fitting in,'' said the person, who asked to remain anonymous. Yet experts say a sudden affinity for black clothes and morbid music doesn't necessarily signal a violent teenager. Warning signs ``It's not about what they're wearing, it's about what they're doing,'' said Don Elium, a marriage and family therapist in Walnut Creek and co-author of the 1992 book, ``Raising a Son: Parents and the Making of a Healthy Man,'' which was revised last year. Elium said warning signs of a dangerously troubled teenager include a pattern of lying to parents, failing to keep commitments with them, and secretiveness about who their friends are and where they go with them. ``The No. 1 concern -- are they keeping their commitments with you, do they do the chores they say they are going to do, come in when they say they will?'' Elium said. ``Second is who do they hang out with and where? If you don't know, that's a red flag.'' Wolf agreed parents shouldn't overreact to their teens' dark fashion tastes. ``If a kid suddenly changes to dressing in black, is that a reason in and of itself to take my child off to see some kind of psychologist? The answer is no,'' Wolf said. ``On the other hand, it makes me be at least a little more vigilant, to think, are there other things going on in my kid's life? A lot of the kids who dress in goth style are genuinely really good kids. Sometimes, what that means is that you never really got into football.'' Wolf said that rather than looking for a checklist of danger signs, parents should trust their instincts. ``It's much better to err on the side of caution,'' Wolf said. ``If you're worried about it, I'd try to enlist the help of a professional.'' Dyleski's parents could not be reached for comment and it was unknown whether he had ever received any counseling after his sister's death. Mike A. Males, senior research fellow at the Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice in San Francisco and a UC-Santa Cruz sociology professor, agrees that outside of obvious violent threats or behavior, warning signs aren't always apparent, even to professionals. ``There's too much guilt placed on people that they should have seen it coming,'' Males said. ``This isn't easy. Psychologists with years of training cannot see these things coming.'' Keep perspective But Males urges parents to keep things in perspective, and warns of the dangers of overreacting. ``The comforting thing is something like this is extremely rare,'' Males said. ``There's been a tremendous over-commitment of teenagers to psychiatric facilities, over-medication, based on this fear that there's this weird teenage scourge out there. We've made this pathology about teenagers. Ninety-nine percent of teenagers who have traumatic experiences, who put black eyeliner on, who get into extreme sports, don't commit murders.'

On my individual concept of honor, I will make a reasonable effort To do my duty to vague ideals, possibly including, but never co-mingling, church and state And to observe the Scout Law when I agree with it; To help other people against American small-mindedness at all times; To keep myself physically hot to both sexes, politically correct and morally malleable. http://worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=46835

From a fellow Scouter on another list: ============= Big Nate featuring youngster "Nate" who appears to be a Scout, is currently selling wrapping paper to raise money for his troop. Both GS Cookies, and Trails End get mentioned (in an indirect way): http://www.comics.com/comics/bignate/archive/bignate-20051018.html http://www.comics.com/comics/bignate/archive/bignate-20051019.html http://www.comics.com/comics/bignate/archive/bignate-20051020.html This comic will fall off of the archive 1-month from it's post date, so check it now . . . ============= Thanx, Ida!

And if you don't follow the guidelines, what will happen, exactly? Will anyone from Irving come down and arrest you because your boys didn't wear their uniform exactly as the inspection says they should? Rather than getting all worked up over what others say, I try to focus instead on delivering the best program I can for the boys -- and part of that means knowing the rules and following them as best I can. We set the example for the kids -- if we "fudge" on the rules, it won't take them long to figure out they can too -- and if we should call them out on it, it won't take them long to understand we want them to do as we say, not as we do.

Welcome to the Forums, scotiacat. As long as you're asking your boys to remove their caps in church, it might interest you to know that's exactly what BSA says, too:Official headgear may be worn while the unit is participating in an indoor formal ceremony or service duty, except in religious institutions where custom forbids.No one is saying everything must be done by the book -- but I do think its helpful to know exactly what the guidelines are, so if one violates them, one does so knowingly, and not out of ignorance.

By the way seed: welcome to the Forums.

I just got back from seeing the movie with my son (an 11-yo Tenderfoot). The "sexual content" in the actual movie isn't nearly as obvious as the review suggests. The scene where one of the guys hides in a closet and supposedly ogles another man's wife is a very short scene and you see nothing that is inappropriate. In fact, all of the "suggestive" scenes are just that -- suggestive. There is no nudity, no sex, no overtly bad language, no violence -- nada. I think the reviewers are overly sensitive, because my son thoroughly enjoyed the movie and all of the suggestive scenes went right over his head. I won't spoil the ending -- but let's say its unexpected. Take your boys -- you'll enjoy it -- I promise. Fred G. Alamo Area Council

Trevorum: Can you enlighten me? What "political statement" are you making when you retire a flag by burning it? Fred G.

Welcome to the Forum, nbkj651! The Sam Houston Area Council website has some good information for units regarding: (1) how to open a checking account (2) how to get a federal tax ID number, and (3) how to request a waiver of Texas state sales taxes The last part may not apply to you if you're not in Texas: http://www.shac.org/Home/DistrictSites/UnitResources/ Hope this helps.

Welcome, Marie! This is an interesting thread. I note that you started this thread with a question about your Cub Scout Pack. As someone else has said, youth (and adults) salute when in uniform. If not in uniform, you don't salute -- you place your hand over your heart. So the question becomes, what is the "uniform"? Luckily, for Cub Scouts (and Cub Scout leaders), there's no ambiguity or grey area. The Cub Scout Leader Book defines the uniform in ch12. The uniform is blue pants & shirts, or green pants and tan shirts (with an optional yellow blouse and blue skirt for ladies). It says nothing about "activity" uniforms, or t-shirts (except for Tigers, and even that is obsolete -- see latest CS Leader Book). So for Cub Scouts, Pack t-shirts are not considered part of uniform. And so you don't salute in a pack t-shirt. Boy Scouts may be different, because I believe their literature actually defines a "field" uniform and an "activity" uniform. But your question was specifically for a Pack -- and Cub Scout literature makes no such distinction. I hope this helps. Fred Goodwin, UC Alamo Area Council

Down and Derby http://www.pluggedinonline.com/movies/movies/a0002121.cfm Fast cars. Fierce rivalries. Industrial espionage. You'd be forgiven for thinking I'm talking about The Fast and the Furious 3. But the tricked out cars in Down and Derby aren't made of steel. They're small blocks of wood. And the racers aren't gangbangers or murderous thieves. They're Boy Scouts. More precisely, they're the Boy Scouts' dads. Meet four ber-obsessed patriarchs who haven't matured a day since they were nine. Phil Davis. Ace Montana. Big Jimmy. Blaine Moosman. Spirited double-dog dares and "My dad can beat up your dad" insults have morphed into civic competitiveness and "My kid is better than your kid" aggressiveness. Phil in particular can't get over the fact that Ace has been the neighborhood hot shot for 25 years. He's determined to put an end to Ace's reign, even if he has to have his son do it for him. And that brings us to the great Pinewood Derby. With so much at stake, none of the dads can bring themselves to let their boys actually make their own cars. (The rules state that they must.) That's a dad's job, they figure. And that fanatical desire to win almost costs these grown men everything they have. Marriages, careers and even dignity are put on the line in their quest for Derby glory. Positive Elements At least at some level, the entire film works as a reverse instruction manual for life. When the dads ignore and belittle their kids, it's clear that they're doing the wrong thing. When Phil puts his career on hold, you know he's not supposed to do that. And when three of the men get so crazy with the desire to win that they break into a neighbor's house to steal his "perfect" car, there's no doubt that the filmmakers want moviegoers to figure out that that's not appropriate behavior. [spoiler Warning] When Phil's son, Brady, shows up at the Derby ready to race his own car (not the one Phil has spent 100 hours making), Phil has a choice to make. His wife, Kim, reminds him, "Sacrifice is when you give up something good for something better." Phil lets Brady race his own car, redeeming at least a portion of his maniacally self-centered behavior. Sexual Content Big Jimmy's nickname for his wife is "Love Chunks," which he calls her twice. In one scene, he ogles her backsideclad in tight pantsas she sashays into the kitchen. Another scene has her wearing a nightie covered partially by a robe. As she talks to Big Jimmy, all we see is her ample cleavage; her face is never visible. While hiding in a closet, Phil fights the temptation to watch Ace's wife, Teri, disrobe (we see her from the shoulders up). When Teri gets in the shower, Blaine (who is also hiding) sees her through a window. Not exercising the restraint that Phil shows, Blaine pops his head up for another eyeful (no nudity is shown onscreen). All four wives frequently wear chest-hugging tops and short skirts. Violent Content Ace's son, A.J., knocks Brady to the floor in a basketball game. A Derby racer plunges off the practice track over the Davis' bed and conks Kim on the noggin. Blaine falls out of a tree trying to climb off the Montanas' roof, and he wears a neck brace for the rest of the film. A cheating Derby dad is forcibly escorted from the premises. Crude or Profane Languafe Phil says of Ace's moniker, "It's the coolest d--n name I've ever heard." Drug and Alcohol Content None. Other Negative Elements These guys' win-at-all-costs mindset prompts them to tell lots of lies to their wives. It also prompts them to break Derby rules, and while doing so, they demean their sons. Big Jimmy says to his boy, "Winning Pinewood Derby cars are made by dadsthe big dogs. ... So what I need to know, little dog, is do you want to make your own car and take last place? Or do you want a big dog to make it and kick some butt?" Phil says to Brady, "Oh, we can build that car [brady's], but when you win the Most Cautious Driver Award, don't come crying to me." Each father grows increasingly annoyed with his son's pestering to help. So the dads hand out cash to shoo them away. Eventually, the distracted dads bequeath their ATM cards to the eager youngsters, who promptly withdraw hundreds of dollars. Phil, Blaine and Big Jimmy sneak into Ace's house to steal his car and "reverse engineer" it, then attempt to return the car. Big Jimmy uses the phrase "kick butt" repeatedly. Blaine loudly passes gas twice. Conclusion Down and Derby is yet another take on the timeworn comedic tradition of over-the-top competition and dysfunctional families. It's not meant to be taken seriously. It's just supposed to be a good, clean, family diversion. After all, the film wants us to ask, who hasn't seen Dad lose perspective on what's important, especially if winning some sort of race or game is at stake? Eventually, he always comes around and sees the errors in his ways. Why then does Down and Derby seem determined to fall on its face before it reaches the goal? The most obvious example of this oxymoronic behavior is the completely unnecessary sexual innuendo it includes. The ogling of female backsides and breasts should be restricted to Austin Powers movies, not larks about Boy Scouts. "Love Chunks"? Come on, that's a degrading nickname for a wifeand it feels especially so in a so-called family movie. An even bigger concern (because it takes up so much of the movie's running time) is how relentlessly dads are caricatured as immature, selfish and out-of-control. I know, it's just a comedy. It's obviously not real, and that makes it all too easy to brush aside problematic family dynamics. Still, I wish the Down and Derby men had realized how important their boys and wives really are sooner than they did. They behave badly throughout and suffer virtually no consequences. (There are lots of "almost" punishments, but in the end everything works out just fine.) Phil makes a positive choice at the conclusion, but it comes with only a few seconds remaining on the game clock, and it's muddied by the free pass he's given when it comes to the irresponsibility he shows regarding his career. In the end, even veteran actor Pat Morita's cameo appearance wasn't enough to win me over. Instead, it only reminded me of much better films (and TV shows) in the genre.

Boy Scouts of America Recognizes National Family and Children's Health Month http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/10-11-2005/0004165369 http://tinyurl.com/bh3cj Nation's Leading Youth Organization Shares Helpful Tips for Halloween IRVING, Texas, Oct. 11 /PRNewswire/ -- This Halloween, more than 93 percent of children are expected to go trick-or-treating. Continuing its Good Turn for America pledge of healthy living during October's National Family and Children's Health Month, the Boy Scouts of America (BSA), the nation's leading youth service organization, is sharing helpful tips for a safe and healthy Halloween. According to National Confectioners Association, this year's sales of sweets are expected to reach $2.08 billion, a 2 percent increase from 2004 Halloween candy sales, continuing Halloween's status as the candy industry's top-selling holiday. This year, BSA is promoting a healthy lifestyle while enjoying the Halloween season. There are several healthy ways to approach the Halloween season, and in recognition of National Family and Children's Health Month, BSA encourages Americans to visit http://www.goodturnforamerica.org'>http://www.goodturnforamerica.org for tips on enjoying a safe and healthy Halloween night. "BSA has been dedicated to promoting a safe and healthy lifestyle among American youth for 95 years," said Gloria Lundin, Occupational Health Nurse, BSA. "Halloween is a long-celebrated American tradition that should be enjoyed among families and children. The Boy Scouts are committed to ensuring a safe and healthy lifestyle with its various safety, health and fitness merit badges. By stressing overall well-being, we hope to encourage youth to adopt a safe trick-or-treating experience and healthy eating habits." BSA's recognition of National Family and Children's Health Month coincides with the organization's support of U.S. Surgeon General Richard H. Carmona's 2005 agenda, "The Year of the Healthy Child," focusing on improving the body, mind, and spirit of the growing child. According to Dr. Carmona, the health needs of children grow into the health problems of adulthood. And, by improving the holistic health of our children, we can ensure a healthier population for the next generation. Serving over 4.8 million young people between 7 and 20 years of age with 303 councils throughout the United States and its territories, the Boy Scouts of America is the nation's foremost youth program of character development and values-based leadership training. For more information on BSA, please visit http://www.scouting.org'>http://www.scouting.org . SOURCE Boy Scouts of America Web Site: http://www.scouting.org http://www.goodturnforamerica.org

Girl Scouts See Need For Change http://www.courant.com/news/local/hc-girlscout1008.artoct08,0,2536561.story?page=2&coll=hc-headlines-local http://tinyurl.com/8g3le National Convention Focusing On Ways To Attract The New Generation By PENELOPE OVERTON Courant Staff Writer October 8 2005 Endonesia Octave joined the Girl Scouts in first grade. The bubbly 15-year-old Hartford girl recalls three things about that short-lived experiment: playing Barbie computer games after troop meetings, singing at local nursing homes and being the only African American in her troop. "It wasn't exactly a sister thing," said her mother, Sophia Taylor-Edwards. Endonesia fell away from Girl Scouts after about a year. As she grew, she joined other leadership development groups, including Girls Inc. and a church youth group. For Endonesia, Girl Scouts was ancient history. But Girl Scouts is not the same organization that Endonesia left eight years ago. It's not as traditional, or as white, and more changes are planned to modernize the 94-year-old organization. This weekend, during a national convention in Atlanta, the Girl Scouts of America launches a six-year discussion on how to update its image, recruitment strategies, fundraising philosophy and organizational structure. Declining national membership is the reason for this overhaul. Last year, the Girl Scouts of America saw its numbers go down for the first time in two decades and this year's forecast isn't looking much better. A few years ago, the organization took a long, hard look at itself and realized that it had to do more to recruit minority girls and parent volunteers and shore up the ever-shrinking ranks of older Girl Scouts. It began testing new programs for possible solutions. To bolster stagnant membership, several Connecticut chapters agreed to try the new programs on a trial basis. As a result, the state's five councils overall can report an increase in their membership and the number of older girls and minorities. Some of the Connecticut councils are now ahead of national averages. "Cookies, campfires and crafts just doesn't cut it anymore," said Jeanette Archer-Simmons, the CEO of the state's largest Girl Scout chapter, Connecticut Trails Council. "We have to adapt to today's generation of girls." That means creating new kinds of Girl Scout troops that meet in unusual places, such as malls, behavioral health clinics, juvenile detention centers and homeless shelters. It means recruiting Spanish-speaking troop leaders. It also means creating programs that will give older girls a reason to stick with Girl Scouts, said Terry Terrell, the CEO of the Connecticut Valley Council, which serves about 8,500 girls in the Greater Hartford area. It has always been far easier to get a 6-year-old girl to become a Brownie than persuade that same girl to stick with scouting as she approaches her teen years, even though that is when she may need it most, Terrell said. Many pre-teens and teens would rather hang out with their friends or get involved in the after-school activities, said Tannin Kueffner, 14, a sophomore at E.O. Smith High School in Storrs. "We always choose the new over the old," said Tannin, a Girl Scout since she was 8. "Plus, girls want to grow up so fast. Girl Scouts is kid stuff, so we drop it thinking we'll look sophisticated. It's silly, but true." Older girls also are scared away by the glue-gun stereotype, Tannin said. Outsiders think Girl Scouts sit around making homemade jewelry whenever they're not climbing mountains or selling cookies, she said. "Some girls are embarrassed," Tannin said. "They don't tell their friends they're in it. They call it youth group. They'd rather die than wear their uniform. Hey, I love Girl Scouts and even I don't like the uniform." When people make fun of Tannin for being a scout, "I tell them I went to Busch Gardens in Virginia last year with my troop and that pretty much shuts them up." But some Connecticut troop leaders and Girl Scouts cling to the old ways. Ruth Leue, 50, a former Girl Scout from East Hampton, is a good example. She teaches a troop of a half-dozen 12- and 13-year-olds. She doesn't want to stop the new programs, but she doesn't want them shoved down her throat. She prefers to have her girls build their courage, confidence and character "by doing stuff, not just talking about it." "Teach a girl how to camp and you have an independent, self-reliant girl," Leue said. "Having them write about self-esteem in a diary, what's that going to do? Every teenage girl has a diary. Not every teenage girl can camp." It's not just troop leaders who have reservations. Katie Hippler, 18, of South Windham, said the Girl Scouts helped her decide to become a nurse, but she questions some of the new programs. "They're trying too hard to be hip. Instead of earning badges and patches, you get charm bracelets. Charms? No offense, but that's really girlie-girl," said Hippler, a Girl Scout for 13 years. "They're going to lose a lot of girls." Hippler said the organization must find a way to expand its offerings, not force the membership to choose between tradition and trend. There should be room enough in a group of 3.7 million people for the old and the new. For a few, Girl Scouts has already strayed too far. When the national arm granted the flexibility in 1995 to omit God from the Girl Scout Promise, a band of Girl Scouts broke away to form the American Heritage Girls. Finding a way to peaceably blend the old and new will be the subject of much discussion at this weekend's convention. Endonesia came back to the Girl Scouts last year when her mom walked into a North End pizza parlor and saw a Girl Scout poster advertising a bus tour of East Coast colleges. "That's what my baby needs," Taylor-Edwards said she thought as she read the poster. "I was like, `Wow,' now that's real girl power," she said. "Back when, Girl Scouts was all about camping and earning badges and that uniform. That's nice, but this was something that could change my baby's life." She discovered the Girl Scouts had changed. Taylor-Edwards went to the headquarters of the Connecticut Valley Girl Scout Council and saw an array of smiling black faces and a book of exciting programs aimed at older girls. Endonesia paid her $10 membership fee. She mounted a two-week, 350-box, cookie-selling blitz to cover the $180 cost of the college tour, which was an eye-opening, heart-racing experience she says she'll never forget. In the last year, Endonesia has gone on two college tours and attended a "Law & Order" program where she spent a day touring Superior Court in Hartford, the state women's prison in Niantic and Quinnipiac University Law School. "Girl Scouts makes me confident about who I am and where I'm headed," Endonesia said. "People think we're all about cookies and little-kid stuff, but it isn't, not anymore. It's not everybody's thing, but it could be. It works for me."

At just $35 to join the Cubs, its a real bargain http://www.seacoastonline.com/news/09252005/mike/64709.htm By Mike Sullivan mikesullivan@seacoastonline.com Anybody seen the Boy Scouts of America lately? You must remember: It was that organization for boys and young men that taught values, camaraderie, survival and social skills and just about everything a kid needed to know to grow up and be the next MacGyver or president of the United States. At one time, it seemed just about every boy in your town and mine used to be involved in scouting at some point, at some level. The funny thing is you just dont seem to hear much about scouting anymore. Much of it has to do with the fact there are so many after-school and recreational options for kids today. There are more organized sports offered than ever before and, sadly, some children are spending all their free time sitting in front of those computer games. Some of it has to do with negative publicity brought on by reports of, shall we say, "troubled" adults working with kids in youth organizations. But if thats going to give scouting a bad name, you might as well shut down every youth hockey league, Catholic youth organization and any other group where adults work with kids. The exception shouldnt stain the majority. Well, contrary to popular belief, the Scouts are still around. And while numbers for the organization have been down nationally in recent years largely because of the plethora of activities kids have to choose from, scouting is alive and strong in the Seacoast, from the Cub Scout level up through Eagle Scouts. In fact, right here in Portsmouth, Cub Scout Pack 164 is taking on as many as 20 new members each year and making a difference with its work in the community. And, of course, the boys involved are still learning all the aforementioned skills - Scouts honor. That skill set, according to assistant Cubmaster Jeff Lisbon, a Portsmouth resident, is invaluable. "Theyre at such a great advantage over their peers because theyre learning things about the community, state, government that, while it is covered in our schools, we put it to practice a little bit more," he said. And at $35 a year - yep, thats all it costs to join, and $25 of it goes to the national organization - its the best recreational bargain this side of Mars. The criteria to join are pretty simple, too. You basically need to be a kid in first grade or higher, have a pulse and youre in. Oh, and if your family cannot afford the $35 fee, you can still join. "Its an environment that encompasses everyone," said Scout Pack 164 Cubmaster Christina Westfall, a Portsmouth resident. "We dont discriminate. All we care about are these kids and their safety." Safety is the reason all adults who work with the kids must undergo a criminal background check. Beyond that, Westfall and Lisbon are looking for people who want to help them prepare these boys for life. "Were not looking to be a political juggernaut," Lisbon said. "We dont have an ulterior motive. We just want to help these kids become better individuals and better members of society." Westfall echoed Lisbons sentiments. "There are no politics here," she said. "This is just kids being kids." Westfall said she has seen that happen numerous times during her lifetime of scouting. "Ive seen some kids who were uncontrollable in sports or even school, but in this program these same kids channel that energy and thrive," she said. Westfall not only saw this, she has lived it. A self-proclaimed "closet Girl Scout in high school," the organization was an outlet for her. She was raised in a single-parent household and had a physically disabled older sister, so scouting was a place for her to go and be a kid. "Scouting saved me," she said. Westfall never left it, and has been involved with scouting in the Seacoast for more than 15 years. Her daughters, Britni, 21, and Whitni, 19, were Scouts and chances are if they someday have children, theyll be Scouts, too. Westfalls son, Damian, is a member of Pack 164. In short, scouting is in the Westfall blood. Along the way, Westfall knows in her heart the Cub Scouts have made a difference. Just recently, the Scouts collected a mass of candy and took it to the Booma Post in Portsmouth to send to youth victims of Hurricane Katrina. Next Sunday, some Scouts will be participating in a walk to benefit the National Alliance for Autism Research. The event is at 10 a.m. at Fisher Cats Ballpark in Manchester. Log on to www.autismwalk.org for more information. And as always, the Scouts will be doing their annual collection for Thanksgiving in which they blanket Portsmouth and leave bags at homes for people to donate items. Scouts then return to the homes later to collect the donated goods, sort them out at their headquarters at the North Church Parish House, and bring them to local shelters. "Activities like these help teach the boys responsibilities, character and morals," Westfall said. Westfall cites working with Special Olympics as the greatest experience her pack has had. She said many of the boys had never encountered anybody with physical or mental disabilities before. "We worked with the older kids and they bonded so much with these people," Westfall said. "At the end of the day, our Scouts had new friends, pen pals and they were taking pictures together. It completely changed them and they werent afraid of these people anymore, they loved them." A common belief in scouting is that you help yourself by helping other people. Beginning this weekend at a location near you, the Scouts also will be starting their annual popcorn fund-raiser, which helps pay for their annual camping trip to Camp Carpenter in Manchester and other activities. So when you see the Cub Scouts around town, let them know you support them. Tell them if you, or someone you know, were once a Scout. Above all else, appreciate that these are kids trying to do good work and make a difference in the community. Mike Sullivan is a Herald Sunday columnist. He can be reached at mikesullivan@seacoastonline.com

Yeah, that's what caught my attention, and why I posted the article. Assuming the quote is correct, I wonder how 4-H got to be bigger than BSA? When I was in HS back in the 70s, I recall 4-H clubs being sponsored (or at least promoted) by many public schools (including schools in the "city"), in a way I never saw them sponsor or promote Scouting. I wonder if that might have something to do with the relative sizes of the two organizations?

It's JOTA Time October 15-16! http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2005/09/27/5/ NEWINGTON, CT, Sep 27, 2005--Scouting's Jamboree On The Air (JOTA), is a 48-year-old tradition that provides an opportunity for the Amateur Radio community to expose young people to Amateur Radio. JOTA 2005 takes place over the weekend of October 15-16, and if you've never participated in this annual fall event you're missing a great weekend. Operation may be on any Amateur Radio band or mode. "It's a chance to offer a Boy Scout or Girl Scout leader--cubs and brownies included--the opportunity for their troop or pack to participate in this worldwide scouting tradition," says ARRL Educational and Technology Program Coordinator Mark Spencer, WA8SME. He notes that Les Mitchell, G3BHK, came up with the idea for the first JOTA in 1958. Some half a million scouts and Guides in more than 100 countries have participated since the initial running, making JOTA the largest international scouting event ever. JOTA 2005 begins Saturday, October 15, at 0001 local time and ends Sunday, October 16, at 2359 local time (which may be Monday, October 17 in some locations). Stations on the air for this international event include K2BSA/5 at Camp Wisdom in Dallas, Texas; additional K2BSA stations operating from other US call sign districts; HB9S, the World Scout Bureau headquarters in Switzerland, and GB2GP at Gilwell Park, England. Members of the Newington Amateur Radio League (NARL) will sponsor JOTA activities at ARRL Maxim Memorial Station W1AW. Spencer advises participating groups to register their JOTA events on the ARRL Web site. "Some scout troops are very small or may want to 'check out' JOTA before setting one up of their own," he says. "Registering will help them locate the closest JOTA event." The Valencia County Amateur Radio Association provides the Get Your Radio Merit Badge Day Planning and Materials Notebook to help groups organize a Radio merit badge seminar in association with JOTA. More information about JOTA is available in September QST, p 54. Additional information on Amateur Radio and scouting is on the ARRL Web site. ARRL asks JOTA participants to complete a simple survey on the ARRL Web site following JOTA. Completing this form will help ARRL see the growth and the needs of this activity. JOTA Space and Satellite Opportunities The AO-51 "Echo" team has announced that during JOTA 2005, the satellite will be available for for exclusive use by scouts and by satellite operators communicating with scouts. "Please allow the scouts the opportunity to make as many contacts as possible via AO-51 during this short time period," said Mike Kingery, KE4AZN, of the AO-51 team. For the JOTA weekend, AO-51 will be configured in the dual FM repeater mode. This provides two independent FM repeaters with separate uplink and downlink frequencies for use by JOTA participants. Kingery says this mode will be enabled the week before the event to allow amateur satellite stations to familiarize and test this mode. AO-51 FM Repeater #1 downlink is 435.300 MHz; the uplink is 145.920 MHz (67 Hz CTCSS tone required). AO-51 FM Repeater #2 downlink is 435.150 MHz; the uplink is 145.880 MHz (no CTCSS tone required). Although there has been JOTA operation in the past from the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station's NA1SS, the chances of operation for JOTA 2005 are slim. That's because the event falls very close to the arrival of the ISS Expedition 12 crew of Bill McArthur, KC5ACR, and Valery Tokarev. ARISS Ham Radio Project Engineer Kenneth Ransom, N5VHO, says a decision on JOTA participation by NA1SS will be up to McArthur.--some information from AMSAT-NA and ARISS

4-H culture crafts future leaders http://www.floridatoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050930/LIFE/509300310 http://tinyurl.com/byulf September 30, 2005 BY BILLY COX FLORIDA TODAY CHRISTMAS -- - A soft suppertime rain falls on this 21/2-acre farm just west of the Brevard County line, and as young David Rider beats a soggy path toward the pen, a 600-pound beast way down yonder by the treeline sees him coming and begins hoofing it up through the pasture. Feed in hand, the 11-year-old boy says, "That's Chandelier." Half Angus, one-quarter Limousine and a quarter Santa Gertrudis, Chandelier is the yearling offspring of a heifer named Crystal. What happened with Crystal and David last year still haunts him. "Fear came over me," he recalls. "The only way I can recover is to try and forget about it." Busily swatting flies with her tail, Chandelier lopes into the feeding pen, where David begins grooming her softly with a brush. In little more than a month, at the Space Coast Fair (Nov. 3-13), David will revisit that harrowing venue at Cocoa Expo with Chandelier in an attempt to regain the confidence he lost with Chandelier's mother. Grave and introspective, David likes his chances. "I feel sure I can do it," he declares. The sixth-grader at Corner Lake Middle School in east Orange County is one of an estimated 4,000 kids participating in at least one of Brevard County's 32 community 4-H clubs. David's stepfather, Joe Walter, is a Brevard agriculture agent, so connecting with the Space Coast 4-H culture was a logical move. And as the fair approaches, many 4-H'ers such as David are preparing for the competition again. But with backwoods Florida rapidly eroding to urbanization, most 4-H'ers aren't like David. "As we lose more rural land, 4-H is evolving into other areas," says Kristian Chervenock, Brevard County 4-H agent in Cocoa, who figures 75 percent of its young club members are engaged in nonlivestock projects. "Leadership and public speaking are the most popular projects we've got going today." Chervenock says when 4-H -- the century-old youth organization originally dedicated to promote agriculture and livestock -- emerged in Brevard in the 1940s, roughly 376,000 acres here were zoned for agriculture. Today, that acreage is down to 276,000. In an effort to retain its relevance, 4-H sponsors 250 eclectic projects, from sewing to rocketry. The strategy must be working, Chervenock says, because more than 5 million youngsters are 4-H'ers today. "It's still the largest youth group in the country -- bigger than the Boy Scouts and the Girl Scouts," he says. That's why, out here in cow country, not far from the St. John's River, David Rider is a throwback to the 4-H roots. A six-year veteran of 4-H competition, David has more awards than he can count, beginning with a 25-page scrapbook jammed with ribbons, front and back. Twenty-four ribbons and four plaques -- mementos from the Space Coast Fair, the Central Florida Fair in Orlando and the Florida State Fair in Tampa -- line the wall of his bedroom. There also are the stand-alone trophies, the most impressive of which are his heifer awards, for the 2003 grand champion and the 2004 reserve grand champion, from the Brevard competition. Anticipating his return to the arena, his mother, Jennifer Walter, quizzes him about handling cattle. "What's the most important part of her body to control?" she asks. "The head," he replies. "If I can control her head, I can control every other part of her body." David turns to his guest and explains, "You don't want to get scared. If they think you're scared, they'll try to take over." This year, David plans to compete in 4-H photography, air-rifle marksmanship, egg decorating, posters and poultry. But the biggie is heifers. Because of what happened in Cocoa last year, David skipped the competition in Orlando and Tampa. Now he's ready to stage his comeback. With Chandelier, not Crystal. Last year, after the other judging was finished, David was leading Crystal through the showmanship competition, where children are graded on their handling abilities. Crystal had given birth to Chandelier a month earlier, and during judgment day, she suffered a spasm of separation anxiety. It happened quickly. At barely 41/2 feet tall and 70 pounds, David was no match for the 1,000-pound creature, which briefly pinned him into the metal railing and nearly knocked him off his feet. "It wasn't a life-threatening thing," his mom says. "It scared him more than anything else." But then, life on the farm requires emotional resilience. With more than 80 chickens representing 15 breeds in the coop out back, David Rider -- who gathers eggs to help pay for college -- has won Best of Breed awards twice. You can't always predict, though. Like this bantam named Mr. Yappie, so named for his stentorian lungs. David figured he'd be a natural winner for the rooster-crowing contest. "When I tried to get him to crow, he was a real pain in the butt," David says. "He just opened his mouth and yawned. Then when I put him back in his cage, he yakked his head off." Mr. Yappie met an inglorious ending at the hands of a hungry raccoon. Which gets to a larger point. David long has been a witness to the cycles of life and death. From disease to varmints to old age, birds hatch and die with clockwork regularity. Although he's used to it now, it's not always easy to confront. "Sometimes," he says, "you really get attached." It's the risk you take, working around farm animals. He's looking forward to seeing what he can do with Chandelier. "It doesn't matter if you win or lose," says the kid whose talents include baking award-winning banana-nut muffins, "just as long as you do your best." Contact Cox at 242-3774 or bcox@flatoday.net [photo caption] Seasoned pro. David Rider, 11, brushes Chandelier behind his family's home in Christmas. A six-year participant of 4-H competition, David has more awards than he can count and plans to compete this year in 4-H photography, air-rifle marksmanship, egg decorating, posters and poultry. The fair is Nov. 3-13. Kathleen Hinkel, FLORIDA TODAY [sidebar 1] Anyone can compete Competition at the Space Coast Fair isn't limited to livestock anymore, or to 4-H Club members. Anyone who's adept at horticulture, photography, baking cookies, jarring fruit preserves, painting, quilting and myriad other activities can shine this November at Cocoa Expo. For more information on all student and adult categories, visit http://brevard.ifas.ufl.edu or by call 633-1702. The deadline for most judged entries is 6 p.m. Nov. 1. But consult with the fair in advance to make sure. The fair runs Nov. 3-13 at the Cocoa Expo. [sidebar 2] Livestock categories Livestock competition at the Space Coast Fair is divided into two broad categories. Breed: Farm animals such as chickens, rabbits, heifers and goats are judged under the breeding program and are returned to their owners after the fair. Market: Animals such as steers and pigs are in the market program and are sold for slaughter. David Rider, left, gathers eggs to help pay for college.

Paddling and shooting her way into the great outdoors http://www.boston.com/news/local/new_hampshire/articles/2005/09/30/paddling_and_shooting_her_way_into_the_great_outdoors/ http://tinyurl.com/drtw9 By Kathy McCormack, Associated Press Writer | September 30, 2005 HOLDERNESS, N.H. --It was my first time in a canoe and I couldn't remember which stroke was which. There I was, paddling along without a clue. My instructor patiently suggested that I do a reverse sweep stroke. What was that again? I had just learned it. I tried to improvise, but she was on to me. She was at the back of the boat -- or as I had just learned to call it, the stern. I was in the bow -- the front -- and we had a passenger in between us. The instructor asked if I wanted to turn around and watch her demonstrate. Turn around? In this tippy little thing? In the middle of a lake? No way! Somehow, we made it back to shore -- though I'm pretty sure she did most of the work. Was I tired and frustrated after circling around aimlessly for a couple of hours? Yes. But would I do it again? You bet. I don't consider myself an outdoors person, but there I was that weekend -- canoeing, catching a fish, using a bow and arrow, even shooting a rifle. I was "Becoming an Outdoors-Woman" -- just as the program I was attending had promised. Becoming an Outdoors-Woman was started by Christine Thomas, dean of the College of Natural Resources at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Pointe. The first workshop was conducted in Wisconsin in 1991 with 100 women. This year, 20,000 women are attending classes in 43 states and five Canadian provinces. Some participants have never held a fishing pole or rowed a boat before taking these workshops. For me, growing up in New York City, I spent a lot of my free time in museums, theaters and stores. And many of my summer vacations were spent in other cities. Even recalling my Girl Scout days, I don't remember being exposed to many outdoor pursuits. As workshop coordinator Laura Ryder noted, a lot of Girl Scouts "didn't get to do all the cool things the Boy Scouts got to do." In generations past, Ryder added, boys typically went fishing and hunting with their fathers, while girls often stayed home with their mothers. And while some sporting goods companies now publish catalogs just for women, Ryder said that women still sometimes feel ignored by sales staff in stores that sell outdoor equipment. "They talk to the husband; they don't talk to you," Ryder said. "Those kinds of things really exist and they tend to be discouraging for women." There's also an intimidation factor. If you really want to get into a fish-and-game club, there's often a heavy emphasis on competition, Ryder said. The Outdoors-Woman workshops focus on learning in a noncompetitive, supportive environment. The courses are open to women 18 and older, and topics vary by location. Arkansas offers "Pioneer Women Skills," where you learn how to throw a tomahawk and put up a lodge or teepee to spend the night in. In Colorado, participants learn wilderness and survival skills in Rocky Mountain National Park. Florida has a course on tracking deer. Nebraska has a course that simulates a morning duck hunt. Wisconsin offers "Sewing with Fur." Warmer climates have scuba diving, while some states offer winter workshops on snowshoeing and ice fishing. The workshop I attended in New Hampshire offered outdoor skills and survival, field-dressing big game, nature photography and wilderness backpacking. Talks were offered in the evening on falconry, fly-fishing, bow hunting and on a wildlife biologist's research trip to Nunavut, the Inuit territory of Canada. The state's pristine Squam Lake -- where "On Golden Pond" was filmed -- and Rockywold/Deephaven Camps with rustic cabins offered a beautiful setting for our adventures. The New Hampshire course has been offered for 11 years and is sponsored by the state Fish and Game Department and the New Hampshire Wildlife Federation. The instructors, most of them Fish and Game employees, volunteer their time and experience. Many women came with a goal. One had recently moved to New Hampshire; she had just retired from running a business in Los Angeles. She had spent her childhood in Massachusetts and wanted to reacclimatize herself to the outdoors. Another woman wanted to learn how to build a fire. Still others wanted to improve their shooting skills to go hunting with their husbands -- or on their own. Many wanted to meet other people. Some women were repeat visitors, such as Jean Dotzler of New Boston, who came back with four friends. She tried kayaking and now she wants to buy her own kayak. "It's easy to do," she said of the sport. "It's not hard on your body." Pam Coughlin of Mont Vernon first came two years ago with her sister-in-law. She's fished all her life, but had little experience with guns. She ended up in my rifle class and enjoyed it. "I hope to come back in four years when my daughter is 18," she said. Speaking of that rifle class, I admit I was a bit jittery. It was the first time I had touched a gun and my hand trembled a little as I loaded each .22-caliber bullet. I found it difficult to relax, and a number of my shots didn't make it anywhere near the target (they're probably in a different range -- or maybe somewhere in the White Mountains), but I felt I made some progress in overcoming my nerves. Another big first for me was catching a fish -- it was a rather small, smallmouth bass -- but hey, it counted. I didn't even mind putting the worms on the hook. Archery was my favorite activity, even though I ended up with a souvenir bruise on my arm (I guess I had that arm guard on too low). The instructor said she had a Zen-like approach to archery, so I, too, tried to be one with the arrow. I felt this sense of empowerment as I got better toward the end and hit the little balloon placed in the center of the bulls-eye. Hmmm, this might be a new stress-buster for me! Next time I'll have to try mountain-biking. ------ If You Go... BECOMING AN OUTDOORS-WOMAN: http://www.uwsp.edu/cnr/bow/ or (877) 269-6626. Courses are offered around the country and Canada at various times of year, with costs varying from $110 for a workshop in Montana on agricultural conservation to $1,800 for a six-day trip in Alaska. The cost of the New Hampshire workshop was $275.

Big save for little hero from Monticello http://www.themonroetimes.com/o0930psc.htm Published Friday, September 30, 2005 10:41:40 AM Central Time By Mike Leverton of the Times MONTICELLO -- Not many 10-year-olds are called a "hero" whose actions are "legendary." But Ashton Crouch has. Crouch, 10, of Monticello got top honors during a Cub Scout award ceremony Thursday. He was awarded the honor medal, one of the highest honors a scout can receive, for saving the life of a girl who fell through the ice earlier this year. During an Easter egg hunt in Monticello on March 26, 2005, a girl fell through the ice on Lake Montesian while fetching an egg. Crouch, who had received Red Cross Basic Aid Training, raced out to the girl and extended his leg to her. She was able to pull herself out of the water to safety. Crouch said the water there probably was 25 feet deep. "If she would have gone down underneath she would have froze," Crouch said. "She couldn't touch." When he saw the girl fall through the ice, Crouch remembered the training he had received: "When somebody is drowning you stick out something long and sturdy to pull themselves in with." When Ashton's mother, Jill Crouch, came to pick him up at the end of the day, he asked her not be angry because he was wet. "He told me that he helped pull (the girl) out of the water," Crouch said. "He told me, but it didn't sound serious. It wasn't until quite a while after that that I found it was a big deal." John Inman of Monroe, representing the Blackhawk Area Boy Scout Council, presented Crouch with the Honor Award for displaying "unusual heroism to save another person's life at considerable risk to himself." The award was just one of several Crouch received at Thursday's ceremony. He also received a plaque and certificate from the American Red Cross, signed by President George W. Bush, and a plaque signed by Gov. Jim Doyle. "I met Ashton last summer at a camp," Inman said. "I've never seen a boy so calm after doing something like saving another person's life. He's extremely modest about it. Ashton's the type of person that we believe will become the leaders in our communities." While receiving each of his awards, Crouch simply smiled as he studiously looked over each one as his proud parents, Alan and Jill Crouch, and sister, Kalley Joe, stood nearby. "I only expected one little thing (tonight)," Ashton said. The National Council of the Boy Scouts of America present four levels of medals for service toward others. The highest of those is the honor medal, for saving another's life at the extreme risk of one's own life. Amy Anderson of Cub Scout Pack 848 in New Glarus, said the Boy Scouts pushed emergency preparedness and training a little harder after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. "The purpose of the Red Cross training is to make them functional in their communities in a time of emergency, whether on a small scale or a grand scale." State Rep. Brett Davis, R-Oregon, called Crouch's actions "legendary." Davis presented a plaque and certificate signed by Doyle. Crouch said he never expected to have to use the training he received. But all involved are thankful he did. Mike Leverton can be reached at mleverton@themonroetimes.com [photo caption] Ashton Crouch, 10, shows his great-grandmother, Florence Crouch, Boy Scout medals he received for saving the life of a Monticello girl. On March 26, 2005, he pulled a girl who had fallen through the ice on Lake Montesian to safety. Crouch was recognized at an awards ceremony Thursday night, receiving awards from the American Red Cross, the National Boy Scouts of America Council and Gov. Jim Doyle. Times photo: Mike Leverton

Girl Scouts' collection of stuffed animals is on http://www.zwire.com/site/tab5.cfm?newsid=15302608&BRD=2700&PAG=461 By Marlys Barker , Nevada Journal 09/29/2005 After spending the weekend removing the Girl Scouts' name from posters about a stuffed animal drive for the victims of Hurricane Katrina, a Zearing Girl Scout leader said the Girl Scouts have been given permission to continue doing the drive they announced last week. Zearing Girl Scout leader Shelley Gibbons said she received word Monday afternoon that the Girl Scouts would be allowed to continue the stuffed animal drive. But, Gibbons was still not happy about what had transpired this past week. She said herself and her mother Vickie Williams, a Girl Scout leader in Nevada, had spent the weekend taking the Girl Scout name off of all publicity about the stuffed animal drive after they were ordered to do so by the Moingona Council, which governs the Girl Scout troops in 27 counties of central and southern Iowa. Williams said the reason Girl Scouts were told they could not hold the drive was because this was United Way campaign time, and as Girl Scouts is an organization that receives funding from United Way, it agrees not to do any fund raising during the same time as the annual United Way campaign. Williams said, however, that the Girl Scout leaders didn't believe a drive to collect stuffed animals constituted fund raising, and she felt that an exception could be made because of the national tragedy that had occurred. "It was my granddaughter's idea," Williams said about the drive. Her granddaughter, Brooke Hunter, came up with the idea about how kids here could help kids affected by the hurricane. "The whole idea here was to respond to the tragedy," Williams said. "A lot of kids in the community are having a hard time dealing with this... A lot of kids don't even have their parents. And my granddaughter realizes she always has to have her stuffed animal. It actually makes kids here feel good that they can give their stuffed animal to someone else." Story County United Way officials, contacted Monday, said they had no qualms with the Girl Scouts having a stuffed animal drive, and they expressed this to the Moingona Council. A United Way official did say, however, that the agencies for whom United Way raises funds do agree not to raise funds during the same time period. She said a Girl Scout official said it was the fear of the Girl Scouts governing organization that some people may not have stuffed animals, and would want to donate money to the cause. Therefore, the Girl Scout leaders have been given strict orders to collect stuffed animals "only." "They said we had a one-time pass," Gibbons said about the call she received from the Moingona Council. Gibbons said she knows people will be confused by the publicity that was released, first having the Girl Scouts' name on it and then having that marked out. "There's no way we can spend more time going around putting the Girl Scouts' name on the posters again," she said. Gibbons, who has been either a Girl Scout herself or a leader for the past 20 years, said she has never had this kind of experience in Girl Scouts and she's sad it all transpired. Her daughter had an idea, she said, to do something for children in need, which should be what Girl Scouts strive to do. With or without the Girl Scouts OK, Gibbons said, she would not have let her daughter down. She had already planned to continue the drive as just a "community" event. The boxes are still out at businesses in the eastern Story County communities, and a stuffed animal drive will be held, as previously planned, on Saturday, Oct. 15. Residents are asked to bring stuffed animals on that day to State Bank or Smitty's SuperValu in Nevada from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Williams said the Girl Scouts are working with a trucking company that has agreed to deliver the stuffed animals to the Gulf region to a battered women's shelter and to the Red Cross. She said some of the stuffed animals will stay in Iowa for hurricane victims who have relocated to the state. Gibbons wanted to thank the Story County United Way for its understanding and support of what the Girl Scouts wanted to do. Thanks, they say, is also given to the businesses who are serving as collection sites for the animals, and to Ben Franklin in Nevada which donated two boxes of brand new Boyd's Bears to the drive.

According to the Insignia Guide (p18 of the 2003-2005 edition), bolos may be worn by Boy Scouts (i.e., not Cub Scouts) and Boy Scout leaders.

New film captures fun, and obsession, of Boy Scouts Pinewood Derby http://www.citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050926/COLUMNISTS09/50925020/1007 http://tinyurl.com/ahj8w By John Boyle COLUMNIST September 26, 2005 6:00 am When it comes to the Pinewood Derby, men can get a little, shall we say, nuts. Thats the premise of a new movie, Down and Derby, playing at the Carmike 10 right now. Why am I shamelessly promoting this flick in the paper, you ask? Well, first off, half of the ticket price goes to benefit the local Boy Scouts of America council, and as a brand new assistant den leader of my son Jacks Wolf Cub den, I think thats pretty cool. Secondly, Ive fallen under the whole Pinewood Derby spell myself, so I found the movie pretty darn good. Not pretty good, Daddy, my younger son, Aidan, corrected. Great! For the uninitiated, the Pinewood Derby is a contest in which the scouts, allegedly, shape and paint a block of pine into some aerodynamic shape, add the wheels that come with it and then send the car down a sloped track. The promotional materials for Down and Derby call it the biggest race of your Dads life. As one kid put it in the movie, I cant wait until I grow up and I can make a car. The fathers in the flick are absolutely shameless, plying their kids with cash so they can work solo on their cars, breaking into a neighbors house to steal his plans and setting up a test track in the bedroom. In our pack, 602 in Fletcher, I didnt see those kind of shenanigans, but the dads, including yours truly, obviously had a hand in our sons productions. Fellow scout father Chris Payne, who like me has a 7-year-old son, has a perfectly reasonable explanation. With that age, I think theres an interest to do a lot, but theres a whole lot to do that I dont feel comfortable letting them do yet, said Payne, who built a car with his son, Nathan. Id say I did about 80 percent of it. I roughed it in and kind of smoothed it out and got it to point where we wanted it. I bought two handsaws, a file and sandpaper to help with the cars I did for my sons, Jack, 7, and Aidan, 5. Aidan is technically not old enough to be a Scout yet, but I didnt want to leave the tyke out. In fact, I got more carried away on his car than Jacks, adding some really cool fenders I painted gold. Hey, the car needed a little spiffin up. Payne, a financial services planner in real life, thinks he avoided full-blown obsession. But I could definitely see where Im already thinking about the next one, he said. And I could see putting more time into it this year. See? Thats how it starts. For the record, neither of us won, but theres always next year. For more information about Down and Derby or Scouting, visit the Daniel Boone Council Web site at www.danielboonecouncil.org The movie is playing at Carmike 10 theaters at 2, 4:30, 7 and 9:30 p.m., through Thursday. Contact Boyle at 232-5847 or jboyle@CITIZEN-TIMES.com

'Down and Derby': Pleasantly innocuous and not too boring http://www.accessatlanta.com/movies/content/shared/movies/reviews/D/downandderby/ajc.html http://tinyurl.com/83gwr By ELEANOR RINGEL GILLESPIE The Atlanta Journal-Constitution The "sins" of the fathers are visited on their sons in "Down and Derby," an amiable, albeit somewhat lame family film that often calls to mind those Dean Jones Disney movies from the early '70s. A boyhood prologue establishes that our hero, Phil, and his two best pals have always resented the new kid in town, the too-blond, too-perfect Ace, who never loses at anything. In a fairly funny joke later on, the grown-up Ace's (Marc Raymond) answering machine is loaded with information on one contest after another he's won. But he's not going to win um, make that, his son isn't going to win the Boy (and Girl) Scout-sponsored Pinewood Derby in which the entries are miniature cars the boys make out of a seven-inch pinewood block, with some help from their dads. At least that's the way it's supposed to work. But Phil (Greg Germann), Big Jimmy (Perry Anzilotti) and Blaine (Ross Brockley) act out their mutual arrested adolescence by taking the model-building away from their kids. For example, when Phil's son shows him his crayon drawing of a car design, dear ol' fanatical dad whips out a professionally done blueprint for his idea. After being shut out by all three dads, the boys quickly realize they can get cash and ATM cards merely by offering to stay around to help. This thread is amusing and even somewhat insightful when it comes to the increasingly problematic phenomenon of overly competitive parents. Unfortunately, the bulk of the movie is devoted to generic and familiar gags: the guys getting trapped in Ace's house, where they've gone to steal something; the reactions of some comical Japanese businessmen whose project Phil neglects in favor of building a race track in his bedroom much to the chagrin of his pert wife (Lauren Holly). The cast is all right, and some of the cars at the climactic contest are pretty neat. If you're looking for something pleasantly innocuous and not too boring to take the kids to, here's your movie. That's like saying there's worse stuff out there, but that's pretty much the deal.

Cookie sales in Hollywood area expected to top $100 million http://blogs.mercurynews.com/aei/2005/09/dakota_fanning_.html When Dakota Fanning joins the Girls Scouts at precisely 6 o'clock Thursday evening, she will not only be "the most powerful actress in Hollywood"--as Entertainment Weekly recently dubbed the 11-year-old, based on her grosses in films such as "War of the Worlds," "The Cat in the Hat" and "Uptown Girls"--she will also become the most potent cookie-selling machine in history. If you were a studio bigwig, and a little green-clad munchkin--who many industry insiders already believe may become one of the biggest movie stars in history--showed up on your Bel Air doorstep, what would you do? You'd buy a tractor-trailer load of Thin Mint cookies, that's what. Immediately following her induction ceremony, which will take place outside the AMC Burbank Theater, Fanning will rushed inside the theater by her new scoutmaster (and a phalanx of earpiece-wearing security goons, on the lookout for any hormonal Cub Scouts with suspicious merit badges), where she will greet an audiences filled with uniformed Girl Scouts prior to a screening of her new movie, "Dreamer: Inspired By a True Story." The important, and truly touching thing, is that her meaningful life experiences are now all considered cross-promotable events.

OK, so at least I know I'm not being overly paranoid -- so how do I approach the SM & CC about this? I do plan to get a copy of the Advancement Committee manual and read it. Thanx