Fishsqueezer

Trevorum Maybe things are different in your neck of Texas, but I am proud to tell people I'm from Colorado. Here in the panhandle, the first response is usually "why did you move to Texas?" Maybe it has to do with proximity?

I am firmly in the camp that says slashing and burning, cutting and building, is a lot more about conserving the manly arts and man's proper relationship with his environment rather than doing our darndest to keep the TV Indian from crying. They love their scout axes because it symbolizes their power to change their environment and to make something of use from nature. You folks are quick to criticize the moralizing of Christian faith, but get all high and mighty about cutting down trees. So, caring about your home is bad. I think I understand you much better now. Tis a far, far better t

By Pappys apparent definition, one is only a man if he is willing and able to cut, kill, and build. It makes one wonder; how did we ever get to the point of developing the technology for cities, or chainsaws, or guns without people that were girly thinkers? I would suspect that the majority of our technological and philosophical advances were accomplished by men who rarely, if ever, cleared a forest or killed something with their bare hands. Wouldnt a real man be caring enough to wash anothers feet. Wouldnt he have enough empathy toward others and their future to sacrifice himself for them? Di

I had a Yamaha 250 Enduro way back in high school. When it was totalled I took a 20+ year break from bikes. This past fall I got a 2007 Yamaha V-Star 1300 Tourer. Excellent bike and great ride. I can't wait until spring.

How about: How are manure and lawyers alike? Scattered around they can do a lot of good, but when you get a pile of them together it really stinks.

Thanks for the help. I didn't think about looking for a mending kit.

I have been checking all over the internet and scout sites and cannot find a source for replacement shirt buttons with the scout logo. My youngest son lost 4 buttons during a capture the flag game so the spares on the shirt tail were not enough. I was hoping not to have to rob his brothers and my shirts to fix it. Does everyone just use brown off-the-shelf buttons as replacements? Why wouldn't the scout supply shop carry regular buttons? They have Sea Scout buttons so why not standard buttons!

Trevorum I've lived in Texas over 20 years now and I keep hearing that "Texas is the only state that was a country" line. I think the Hawaiians should be insulted that most people don't think their kingdom was a legitimate country. I believe they were a country longer than Texas ever was.

As for the name fishsqueezer, I'm a fisheries biologist and it is a term sometimes used in this profession to describe ourselves.

An update on the situation - I had a long meeting with the boy and his guardian where we discussed the situation and its impact on the boy and on the other members of the troop. Most of the troop had already heard about the incident and were waiting to see what, if anything, would happen. He agreed that his actions were definitely not indicative of an SPL and that he should step down. He is committed to remain active in the troop and earn his Eagle and earn another POR. As far as I'm concerned the issue is closed and it will be up to him to re-establish his credibility with the troop. Tha

I do tend to use my committee as a support team and try to rely on their experience and wisdom in certain situations. The training I've had led me to believe that was the appropriate approach.

I am the scoutmaster and I have talked with him and his guardian. The issue was brought to me by one of the committee members through their child. The CO rep will be at the meeting. The committee would like to discuss potential repercussions. This is not the first instance of behavior that has gotten him in trouble. Excuse me for not indicating my position earlier. I posted here to seek advise, not a "damn the torpedoes" validation. A more measured response would have been appreciated.

We are having a committee meeting tonight to discuss our current SPL and meet with him. The situation is that he was caught sneaking alcohol on a school trip and has been suspended for 3 days and placed in alternative school for 30 days. I personally feel that he has not demonstrated leadership for the troop and should be removed from a leadership position. Informal discussions with other committee members leads me to believe they wish to remove him from SPL duties but give him some other leadership since he is working on his Eagle. This young man would make a great politician as he is very sk

I've used it for a few years now on campouts and the ASM's get downright cranky if I bring anything else.

The book is excellent and should be read by all scout leaders. Some areas of the book drag a bit but the overall message is good. I felt like I was reading about my childhood and it reinforced what I'm trying to do for my own kids.

It amazes me how many people believe all science is only strictly fact based. If it isn't proven 100% then it can't be accepted as true. My 20+ years in science tends to work a bit different. Most scientists develop a working hypothesis based on existing data. As long as it holds in prediction power it is accepted by consensus until future research develops that either strengthens the hypothesis, alters it, or disproves it. Even the laws of physics aren't really laws when you get down to the extreme quantum physics. Truth will continue to be whether we learn to recognize it or not.

This is a copy of the adult ballot we used when selecting a patrol name. It also included some suggested yells and flags, etc. Old goats Yell Daaaads aaaarrre greeaaat! Old farts Yell Pull my finger and stand back Rocking chair Yell - Back and forth, back and forth (done to a swaying motion) Dunlops tire for a symbol? The Empire Strikes Back Yell I am your father Disco Ducks double knit neckerchiefs with mirrored slides? Yell Everyone blow a duck call Toiletrees Yell rollin, rollin, rollin, keep that paper rollin. Dinosaur Song the Barney Song. Yell Of courus,

Amen to the elephant Twocubdad. There are times I swear somebody is reassembling the elephant just when I think I am making progress. As new boys come in and older boys have gaps between leadership positions it becomes one giant step back. I keep hoping the older ones will hang on a bit longer, but after 16 or Eagle they become ghost scouts. They want to do the camps and not much else. My "senior" leadership is usually 9th grade or younger. The cause-and-effect thought process is not ingrained in this age group. It is a constant battle for planning and training.

I too have been frustrated by a lack of follow-through or effort by our SPL. More often than not, school sports or band, etc. seem to be the priority after they are elected instead of the position. I try to emphasize that SPL is not just a title - there are duties involved. A couple of things I am trying to improve meeting planning are very regular emails with the SPL. He sends out the meeting plans and updates on what he is working on. I encourage communication by having him cc the PLC so they know what is going on. They also get an idea of what is involved with the SPL position. Th

I would agree that common courtesy and manners are less common these days - especially on an anonymous internet. I believe the most recent Scouter magazine had an article about manners and how they are learned. If we practice them with each other, we are more likely to practice them with the boys. SCREAMING AT PEOPLE never convinces them, it just makes them defensive. Just my opinion.

I'm not a lawyer, but both Mustang and Impala were in the public domain and common usage long before there was Ford and Chevy. The names became trademarkable when the company claimed them and associated them with their product. Scouts was in common usage before there was BSA. It became trademarkable when BSA claimed the term and associated it with its product/organization. (This message has been edited by Fishsqueezer)

Its Me What did you expect with that question on this site? The people that frequent this site all have one thing in common - we love scouting and we recognize the benefits. You seem to be a bright fellow so I suspect you already knew that when you posted. If you were looking for encouragement to hang in there, then you have received many good posts. If you are looking for a reason to quit, then I suppose you will find that too. When you cut through all the other stuff in your posts and boil it all down and consider the people you are talking to, what did you really want these folks to te

I've been a fisheries biologist for TX Parks & Wildlife for 20 years - living the outdoor dream - except when I'm typing reports, answering the phone, giving presentations, attending meetings, entering and analyzing data.....

We have been doing this for years with quite a bit of success. We create a call list within the troop of those that are interested in jobs. We require that the parent participate in the job with the boy for a safety feature or that the parent make arrangements with the other parents if it is a multi-boy job. Essentially the hiring individual gets 2 for 1 with a boy and a parent. We do not have set prices - it is done for a donation of any amount the individual wishes for the job. Some pay extremely well, others poorly. One problem we have is with getting boys to work. They sign up and say they

Progression of some people's reasoning. There is a strong weather front approaching my area but I don't need to worry about that since it probably won't come here. The barometric pressure is changing rapidly but that only effects people with inner ear problems or sinus problems, that is not me. There are strong thunderstorms in the area but I'm not worried because I live in a good house. It will only impact those that did not build as stong as I did. Doppler radar indicates rotation in the clouds but that doesn't prove there is a tornado - I haven't seen one yet. I hea