Fuzzy Bear

It Trail Day Thank you for your reply from the "If you were God" article by Rabbi Kaplan. The reasoning from the Bible, Rabbis, Teachers, Sages, the Zohar, Midrash, and The Talmud are impressive by any standard. I would like to summarize and reply to the article, if I have your permission. FB

acco and first, Though 3,000 angels have been known to sit on the head of a pin, few have been known to weather the other end. FB

Rooster, This should be easy for you. I am surprised by your reaction. I was under the illusion that in this forum, a can of worms was a feast savored by all. FB

Ed, I followed your instruction to read Genesis. It doesn't say anything about God making man because it pleased him. I am unsure as to any reason being stated about why there is evil in the world in Genesis. I do not see anything with regard to what happens after death in Genesis. Could you be more specific? FB

Please forgive my errant request. I was not trying to close the door on any faith but was attempting to open as many doors as possible. If your belief has no sacred writings but God is linked to your faith, then share with us your answers to these fundamental questions that have been asked since people first began to think. FB

Part of being a Scout(er) is to believe in some expression of God, which is derived from any one of a number of religions. I would like to pose three basic questions and ask each person to use their source book(s), a type of open book test, to answer them. The questions are considered easy because (most) all religions address the answers. I ask that you not make up an answer or explain your answer but simply quote from what readings that you find sacred. Why are we here? Why is there evil? What happens after we die? Thanks, FB

jkhny, Your emotional response to a situation beyond your control is something that some of us can relate to because we have been a recipient of similar situations. It is a mixture of anger, despair, betrayal, and disbelief. Change is all around us and we live on the edge of losing most of what we value in life when we least expect it. We may feel like we are caught in a web of living with values that others have decided on and are contrary to our most cherished dreams. So, questioning your Scouting knowledge or your loyalty should be last on the list. It is how we live with change and that is the basis of our Law regarding Courage that is foremost. What is happening is not directed at you and no matter how silly the decision appears, someone believes it to be utmost in their world of values. Scouting will not cease even if the decision was totally wrong. Your values will not cease or your dreams. Our world is full of change and the things we hold most dear in Scouting are less than one hundred years old. There are those that have gone before us that have lost centuries of heritage. It doesn't make it right or any easier to accept but it is inevitable and sad nonetheless. FB

stl, Yes, there is a shared understanding but the questions are open to anyone, even scientists who don't know about evil. These are basic questions that mankind has asked since thought first appeared on dry land and these questions were also cited as being rudimentary to religionists. NJ, God and man may have things in common but I am unsure as to what characteristics God was referencing, if any. God is known to be kind. Since most everyone here believes in God and I am not attempting to leave out Merlyn, this should be a personal challenge. Young people have these questions stuck in their craw. So, seemingly it might be important that we don't sound like idiots when answering. Give it a whirl! FB

I deal with students with disabilities on a daily basis. I suggest that the first approach be two-fold. Have one adult that makes it a point to establish a friendly relationship with this young man. How? Talk to him about things he likes. Get to know him a little over a longer period. Getting to know any person takes time, so it will be the same with him. Next, ask Mom (and him) if you may have permission to read through his school's Individualized Educational Plan (IEP). Ask if there are any records that indicate his diagnosis and any functional limitations. This documents the disability and any general problems you should be aware of and the IEP will give you standard modifications that are used in school to allow him to learn (academics). This two-fold approach will give you insight in how he can learn best in the unit. As for Mom, she is not to cook his food, chop his wood, set up his tent, or any other activity that he can do for himself. He and the other Scouts will resent it and will act accordingly. It will also undermine his goal of reaching Eagle, it is his goal, isn't it? Most likely he has not been asked. If he does not know how to do an activity, then he will need demonstration. Since many things in Scouting are hands-on, then it fits his disorder nicely. It also fits as leadership activity for any other Scout to show him. Safety is first, so he needs to show that he knows how before he is left to do it on his own. The IEP will have a list of modifications. These are important because they have been accepted by a group of professionals and Mom and the Scout as the best way(s) for him to learn. You will find that Mom is not a modification and what she is trying to do is fill the role of a modification. Modifications allow a person to "get around" things that the person cannot do on his own for what ever reason. He may need to express himself by using a computer. He may need extra time to say what he needs to say or a quiet room where he is not pressed. Sitting before three adults is overpowering and may be too stressful and that is where the friendly relationship comes in to play. It is also the role Mom is trying to do but will only make a mess of it. If he has another person that he trusts, then he may be able to open up during a review. He may need to demonstrate what he has learned. These are only a few ideas that may help. There is a possibility that his disability is not what she said that it is. It is her and his right to withhold that information but then the Troop does not need to modify either if the Troop (*) does not know what they are trying to modify for to assist him. Mom most likely does not trust that her son will be treated fairly, as her present actions indicate. Patience is a virtue and in the case where trust is an issue, then it is even more so. *A very limited and select number of people need to know about his disability and records and what you are doing. This is very important. Any leader working with him needs to be cued as to the least amount of information necessary to get the point across for him to learn. "Few are ready to accept that they are different even when it is quite noticeable that they are very strange indeed." FB(This message has been edited by Fuzzy Bear)

OK, I will bite. Here is the test. You must quote from a source book and your answer must make sense. Don't make it up and don't use your imagination. It must be definitive and the answer should lay to rest any doubts about the question. Remember, you have any religion or (g)God(s) to pick from since the first word was scratched on any wall or cave anywhere, anytime until the present modern day with all of the answers and the internet to boot. So, try it if you must. Why are we here? Why is there evil? What happens after we die? Good luck on your answers, you have fifteen minutes. You will be given no points for just trying either. You all are grown-ups and have more than enough education and religion to give a sensible answer. Simple answers are not the best and will be heavily discounted. Bonus Question If God is beyond infinity in knowledge and wisdom, is present anywhere even beyond the edges of the universe at anytime in the past, present and the future, and can accomplish, move or do anything even that which you can not even imagine and has absolutely no needs or desires, then why even bother? FB

If a Scout Camp is sold and nobody is there to complain, has it really been sold?

When a camp is deserted and poorly maintained, then it is time for taps. Sell, grab the money and run like a bandit is my first response. On the other hand, emotion has more to do with a camp than, as one SE put it, just being "a mud hole with a barn". I realize any suggestion from a distant stranger means little more than a thin haze on the horizon but here goes anyway. If a camp only has function, then it really is just little more than a mud hole with a barn. If a camp has history, then it is a shrine for the immortals, not really:) History enlarges a camp and gives it the basis for people to begin to share and build their own character because they know and come to realize when a place has profound worth and I don't mean $3.3 million either. By using the word history, I don't necessarily mean ancient history but it is when a place lends itself to personal insight and growth, giving depth just by being there. It is that realization that has people returning because it remains in their hearts for many years and after thousands of miles of separation. A camp with a meaningful history is not sacred but it has great worth for those that shared in it both as a group and especially as an individual. I use this kind of measure to make my personal decisions on the worth of a place and if I cast my lot on returning it to new owners. (This message has been edited by Fuzzy Bear)

The numbers are down, the money is way up, there are scandals, there are thousands that give unselfishly of their time, there is the horrendous story of the Cub Leader from Kansas, yet I know a guy that spent his retirement helping Scouts until the day he died, there is the guy from NY that abused a Scout, yet I personally know many Scouters that give freely of their time and money just to be a part of the organization in any way they can, National doesn't do as we wish them to do but National also gives us the very program that so many have loved over the years, society is changing and National isn't changing but National is part of the same society, so change it must and has and will, I know a Troop that is not doing well nor have they for the last ten years, I also know ten Troops that are doing very well and have done so for the past ten years, trying to generalize what is happening without allot of facts is a difficult task. Trying to generalize about what is right is just as difficult. Put you hands on the side of the ship and try to figure out if has sunk or is moving or is completely out of the water first before drawing conclusions as to its' operations. The ship is large and has thousands of rooms and people from all walks of life that are doing many things both good and bad. It is unfair to scuttle the ship just because we have an opinion based on the appearance of rust and we have drawn a conclusion that it must be going down. FB FB

Along with occasional the bug, giving it the bug juice tang.

Shock should be followed by revulsion and horror. He might not have been caught before but most likely there is plenty of other evidence, if they just look around. Youth Protection Training only provides information and awareness. Once the basics are in place it is up to the rest of us to act. Since he took pictures with the shirt on and then posted it, he is exhibiting the characteristics that make him a predator. $250,000. or 10% of that doesn't protect him from doing it again. 25 years of jail time is not quite long enough for a 50 year old either. The public needs to be protected, the laws are not strong enough and there is no cure available. Until the laws are made to warehouse these sick individuals from the rest of the population permanently, they will continue to be a menace lurking in the shadows on every corner. FB

I drive a '91 Toyota PU. It is small, gets 30+ MPG. I have stacked, racked and tied things up and over the height of the cab. I have moved several times in the past few years; put a packed trailer on the back, gone over mountains and down them. I have carried people to the hospital and back again along with their wheelchairs. I have loaded tons of wood in the back and emptied it. I drive to work and back every day. I have driven in traffic in large and small cities and have never had a problem. A few times in high winds and torrential rains driving next to an 18 wheeler, it got a little creepy. I just backed off to a safer speed and kept my windshield wipers going full tilt. The pull-keeper on my back side windows have broken, so I have wired them shut with bailing wire, about once a year I have to tighten them. I have trouble with the Honda kids blaring their boom boxes, so I just turn NPR up a little louder and drive on. I don't care if people are driving super-tankers and the price of gas goes to $10.00 a gallon, it will then be good reason for me to buy a hybrid. I also plan to keep my Toyota that is now getting close to 300,000 miles. I get a little emotional when thinking of getting rid of her. FB

If Roy's job were open and only advertised to those here at the Scouter Network, would anybody take it? If so, then what are your qualifications? The ad: Run a large corporation with thousands of employees scattered all over the nation that are backed by multi-thousands of volunteers. Attract large donors and work with hundreds of United Ways to make the yearly budget. Attend court cases by the hundreds each year while being made liable for every infraction real or imagined by any person inside or outside the business. Make policy and keep a diverse population satisfied with anything that they believe is wrong. If an employee is found guilty of a crime, be ready to take the blame. Eat chicken dinners 100 times or more per year and sit on boards listening endlessly to people tell you how it could be done better. Fly all over the country and the world and sleep in far away places. Get your picture in the next edition of the BSHB and smile like you are enjoying it.

The Roy Williams of the Dallas Cowboys and the Roy Williams of the Tar Heels makes more money than the Roy Williams of the BSA. The difference is that the Roy Williams of the BSA has improved the BSA's total budget to a half billion dollars as he has lead the 320 Councils to a stronger economic base. The decline in membership is due in part to the strengthening of the reporting procedures. His overall income is less than commensurate with other big businesses and executives that have astronomical salaries. Having a strong economic base insures the future of the BSA. So, it my contention, that the cup is half-full. FB

We are sadly near the end of one disastrous trip. The bow of the ship is straight down in the water and we are holding on to the stern while people are dropping all around us. We know that either we are going to the bottom or we are going to freeze in the water. Our hope is fading but in the moonlight and with the gentle breeze there comes wafting across the deck the sweet sounds of "Nearer our God to Thee" played by our ever unstoppable corps of accordion players. The music is so uplifting that the boat raises straight up and switches ends. The stern is now straight down and the bow up. Of course, we sprint to the other end. The accordions get louder and the boat makes another switch, as do we. We realize that now we are on a kind of a cork that is bobbing up and down and continually switching ends. Out of nowhere, the banjos kick in with "Amazing Grace". It is surrealistic because now, instead of doom, it is more like the end to a bad dream during a long hot Church service. All of a sudden the skies open up, the moon fades and it is high noon and we are near the shores of a tropical paradise, white sands and dancing hula girls. Nobody can figure out what just happened. We then realize that it was only a poor analogy that we were having but being the ever vigilant crew members that we are, we try to dismiss the whole episode as the end to a bad batch of swill that we had downed the night before. The Moral of the Story: When you think the end is near, try believing that it isn't. It could be something totally different like the beginning of a really great vacation, kind of like Scouting. FB

O gallant sight and goodly, It was that morn, I ween, To see these lords their barbed steeds Rein proudly o'er the green! Twelve knights on each attended, Was each a knight renown'd, Had Saxon slain, and Saracen, And sat at Table Round. Thus mused Sir Arthur as he turned His horse's head, and sighed, Then cheered his host and headlong plunged Midmost the battle's tide! Him followed knights three hundred, Through Christentie renown'd, The bravest knights in Logres-land, And of the Table Round. From Camlan By Robert Buchanan

"All Liberals are not evil" is a low blow right between the willywhammies. It is still pretty funny. I wonder which one he likes. It sounds like a 30's resurrection of any number of several prejudicial and stilted tracts. At one time, the Boy Scouts was decidedly liberal, an extension of a Social Gospel. That is one reason for the Royal Rangers. It is strange to hear someone say that the BSA is now the bastion of Conservative thinking with liberals railing against it. It was said about Hans' work, "Get Off My Honor is an illuminating hermeneutic with which we may understand the nature of the conflict within our culture; a conflict, I suspect, that has yet to reach its apogee." I agree, the split between the Liberals and the Conservatives has yet to reach its zenith but if we keep at it, maybe we can learn to hate enough to create something really horrible. FB

I want everyone to realize that this column is under Issues and Politics. Someone must believe that sharing pleasantries has subtleties not easily perceived by the casual reader. So, lets not stress the group hugs. Place more emphasis on slapping everyone on the butt and bellowing, good game. This should reduce it to an Open Discussion.

dana, Being a UC for several years and in the different lands that I have moved, allows me to give my two cents worth. The UC is important and can be most helpful. They can be informative. They can know who to refer a unit to that is in need. They can deliver the message. They can be a friend. My last assignment defied doing any of this because of the suspicion and the anger at being "found out". Without me even knowing what was happening and reporting it, like a spy, it came to light on its' own and the collapse came without me doing anything; it was a nasty business. For those units that are not stuffing the bodies in the closet (i.e., do not have anything to hide), then it becomes a joy to serve them. It really is a friendship of mutual support. It is relationship that is built on trust because the UC is an integral part of the program. Some would support the position that the UC is there to act like a self-contained District Committee (i.e., Training, Membership, Finance, and Program) but I don't. As a friend, I am willing to point the way to those opportunities. I am willing to go with the leaders to the sessions. I am willing to give support to the unit not be everything, not do everything. Friendship. FB

The Dust Mop tells a story: By arranging the ribbons in chronological order, it indicates what, where, and when it happened. It might also begin to explain how. You can then begin to find out who was there. Once you get a few names, then the stories will pour out and so will more names. You will need someone that is willing to do the detective work and someone that is willing to record it but finding your history will bring about many unexpected and exciting results. Most likely, you will find a need to have a few more banquets with the newly found old-timers. You may need to figure out how to best record the stories and the times because your history will find new importance. Scouts and parents love the stories and it gives a sense of belonging to something very special. It will develop into a type of legacy or glue that binds people together. Along the way, you may also find a few willing to do something more than be just a memory on a bunch of ribbons. At that point, you will discover what to do with the ribbons because your emotions towards them will have changed. FB

Rick, Welcome to the virtual campfire, front porch, store front with a pot-bellied stove for all to share. Feel free to shower us with facts by the bucket full. We have had many lively conversations over just that very thing. We may even be able to stir a little controversy on occasion if you like. You mentioned to whack you up side the head if you get carried away. Your permission to do so is nice but here it is an expectation. We just hope you don't take it personally. It is only business, as some like to phrase it. You will fit in quite nicely. FB