Fuzzy Bear

I admit that in high school that I did not wear the uniform to school but then I was not a closet Boy Scout either. People knew that I went to church, Boy Scout meetings and I even Indian danced. I also played football, ran track, lifted weights and wrote very bad poetry. I attempted to wear the appropriate clothing to each event and meeting. People still made fun of me but I also made fun of them. Putting people down is a past time of youth that fits quite nicely with the rampant depression and lack of self-confidence that is pervasive there. People don't know who they are and cannot figure it out simply because they lack experience. Some of them are even smug about it, especially those that have of the monetary backing to do so. Scouts were in a minority. They were spread thinly across all of the grade levels and schools in our city. So being a Scout was something that was a personal decision not one decided by the group. It was something I enjoyed and I felt a sense of belonging doing. I wore the uniform to the meetings then and I still do today. I know now that being a Scout is less about the uniform and more about how you treat other people and yourself. It is being a good citizen and a person of good character. Badges and POR cannot describe the value of our leadership roles in society in most all activities. We learn to wear our uniforms inside but it is always seen no matter what clothing we have on. So, it matters little if we have a uniforming policy or not, so it is easy to accept the BSA's decision. FB

Juris can strike deep at the heart of the matter from almost anywhere. We can stand down momentarily. OK, back to it!

Terry said that the items on the shelf were there because it was an automated search program that put them there. So making inferences to applaud or decry the censor doesn't sound quite as credible as it was first thought. Having a squabble over a computer injustice appears to be a waste of good verbal ammunition. From now on, let's use care and good judgment as to where we plant our word bullets. Make each one count! FB(This message has been edited by Fuzzy Bear)

nldscout, It never occurred to me that the cars had not been stolen but instead had been swept out with the trash while the sponsors stood around in the hallway chatting and slapping themselves on the back and applauding their great job with their dinner. They probably will be promoted. FB

Most Scout trailers have a lot of old tent poles, dried out food, years old condiments, mud, grimy wash buckets, and rope. Since people want that kind of stuff, I would suggest keeping the trailer cleaned out until the camping trip. Then you won't need to worry about keeping it locked up. FB

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Let me see, the leaders first use the cars as a centerpieces on the tables instead of displaying them appropriately up front, then other leaders steal them because they think centerpieces should be stolen, then the leaders of the program discover the cars are missing but then they think better about confronting other leaders with their thefts and the sponsors own stupidity, then they try to give the Scouts new car kits for a do-over but without as much as an apology for the multiple injustices served up to several honored youth. This reads like a story about a big bear turned loose in a china shop. I still have to give them credit for not being able to find their own tail with both paws. Please tell your son that not all grown-ups have brains the size of small marbles and are equally discourteous to boot. This program is all about the Scouts and most of us understand and act on that concept regularly. FB

To analyze a great program is to search for the reasons that it works. One can write about the benchmarks, outstanding ideas, great people but a program is also greater than the sum of its parts. When we look at Scouting today, it is breath taking. If a person visits Philmont or travels the backwaters of the canoe bases, one might get a feeling that Scouting is the world rather than a part of it. When one is standing on top of a mountain in a Scout camp and looking out on hills, valleys, meadows, and lakes below, one might get the feeling that somehow this is what it is all about, meaning, life itself. Scouting has aligned itself with these views (perspectives) unlike so many other programs. It is as if most of the world has forgotten that there is an out of doors to behold. Scouting allows us to experience vistas that can only be approximated with dreams and yes, it was individuals that had the foresight to save us a glimpse of that majesty and for that we are thankful and indebted to their memory. FB

I want to tell the whole bunch of you to BUY because I think we got in on the ground floor. Also I tried some of those little rice cakes that are Styrofoam like in taste and appearance. They would make better coffee cups because after the coffee sat in it long enough, one could eat the cup, leaving no clean-up. A perfect breakfast! FB

kudu, If I follow you, viewing atheists as spiritual beings would defeat the atheists intended definition and would be more offensive and demeaning than the former exclusionary goal. Understanding and accepting the moral imperative probably should be the goal. It would encompass all that is beyond one's grasp but within the realm of understanding. It could be modeled, discussed and practiced so one could try and attain to ones own goal of perfection. It would be an open-ended definition that would fit one's definition of a Higher Power. People could then discuss openly how they understand what they know and how they know it without fear of retribution. It would deepen and broaden mutual understanding and respect to allow people to listen instead of talk down to others. FB

Trev, I was not referring to aetiology but the choice to make a profession of sexual orientation. Also, no offense accepted because now that I think about it, it was a strange twist of wording. FB

reid, Read your merit badge book carefully and more than once. Getting others to do your work for you is one way to use your resources but using your greatest resource, yourself, is a better way to achieve and gain confidence. If you have trouble reading, then ask somebody to read it to you. You will then be able to hear the answers, think about them and write them for yourself. The questions you are working on are difficult and the questions are broad. There is much written about each part of your questions but you need to read and then condense the answers. One of the purposes of Scouting is to get a Scout to think about difficult questions and think through what is important to you. Getting an answer from somebody else is allowing others to think for you. You have a good mind, so use it. I hope you achieve Eagle through your own good work. FB

a friend to all and a brother to every other Scout...

CS, I don't know the answer to your question but I am pretty sure it could be done but I would not advise it even if one could. Protect yourself a little. Welcome, FB

reid, Your question is too large and may flounder unless you make it more specific. or you may be looking for a big answer like, Love One Another. or the answer to the world's problems is for everyone to lay down their weapons and talk to each other. or if we spent more time listening than talking at each other, then we might hear the answer. To my knowledge, nobody has ever promised the existing world freedom from problems. Respite from problems is about the best we can do and we can do a pretty good job of it. FB

Trev, "gaiety" is the noun for the adverb gay which is used to name the group, unless someone objects, then the person may substitute any word they wish. My message was not intended to be distorted by word usage of one term but obviously that is all that came across. FB

I have tried to do this before, so one more time for the Gipper. The BSA has a religious connotation because it asks each of its members to profess a belief in a Higher Power. It does not define the word and opens the door to an almost unlimited number of belief systems. It also asks that its' members not be openly gay. The BSA is not a religious organization because it does not have one belief system that it asks of its' membership. In other words, it does not act like a religious organization, i.e., a church. It is more business than religion by a very large margin. The individual units may say prayers to their God but even they do not act like a church and are open to others outside the denomination. The BSA tries its' best to act like an organization that brings people together under one banner, united for a common purpose, a Worldwide Brotherhood. This gets complicated because while bringing people together for a common purpose, it excludes some groups, i.e, Gays and Atheists. Now, on the surface this appears to be a contradiction because the BSA asks that its' membership believe in a Higher Power and not be openly gay. So, those that do not believe in a Higher Power or profess gaiety cannot be part of the Worldwide Brotherhood. A better term would be a Worldwide Brotherhood, limited. The BSA does not profess perfection either, as noted on so many occasions in the local and national news. It has said multiple times that it is a private club with limits on its' membership. It does not profess to be a democracy or have a creed. So, it would be difficult for anyone to call it anything other than another big business. Now, most businesses fall under the Civil Rights laws. So, I would imagine that if someone wanted to pursue legal action that they should look at being denied equal access. At that point, the BSA would then turn into a religious organization. They could develop an open creed with regards to God and develop a code of ethics that would exclude any that will not conform to its' tenets. Then, they could achieve their purpose of attempting to unite all in a Worldwide Brotherhood of like-minded persons while attempting to convert those that arent. Simple, FB

I liked the salute on McHale's Navy, "Prepare to wave and smile."

My wife told me that organic hot dogs are good and now she is telling me that Kosher dogs are even better. I believe the taste is in the onions and the relish myself. FB

During the time I spent in the institution, we only had paper sacks from the grocery store to carry our lunch. Sometimes, something would drip out of the wax paper covered item and would dampen the bottom of the sack and the bottom would fall out. The proper fix was to eat it all wherever it dropped. I also had to ride the big yellow school bus every day for 15 miles even in snow up to the axles. I could go on about how bad it was but I am glad I didn't have to carry a bucket of rocks like Itsme. I feel that I must have been privileged. FB

worthy and supportable? flaws and our own fatulities? bah humbug, what do you mean curmudgeons? FB

Welcome Stephen, If the rank of Eagle is a goal that you have determined that is important to you now and will benefit you in the future, then luck is not as important as good work. If you believe that cars, females or electronic gaming will benefit you the most at your age, then I wish you good luck. If your goal has changed, then encouragement is no longer necessary. If your motivation has run low, then know this, your goal of Eagle is well respected by many and it will allow you to achieve future goals by giving you the kind of confidence gained by doing something that few ever achieve. I hope you make the right choices for yourself now and in the future. My wish for you is Good Work because that is what it takes to become an Eagle Scout. FB Eagle Scout

Banning skits is a method to decrease offensiveness and increase acceptable humor. The problem is that it stifles creativity. The resolution can come in two forms. The first is to take a tired old worn out skit and have everyone put on costumes. Costumes allows for Scouts to assume the character's identity and ham it up. PC limits also change and everyone should be aware that certain topics need to be avoided to not offend or put someone down. So, the second method is to rewrite the offensive parts and to insert acceptable humor. This takes some time and effort. It should be done prior to the performance in a "Comedy Club or Improv night". Scouts have a natural humor that is normalized to their own time. What one generation sees as funny, the next wonders what they were thinking about. It is important for Scouts to find their "funny bone" and to use it. There are many resources for humor on-line if the Scouts feel that they have "writer's block". It takes some preparation time and if the skit is "new". It should be practiced so that the audience will "get it" or hear it or understand it when finally presented. FB

Welcome Matt, We have discussed this issue (i.e., gays and Scouting) in great detail over a period of time with many resolutions. You may want to review the postings and offer your ideas. Church history is an interesting subject. It is an issue that brings something worthwhile to our present day situation(s). FB

Styrofoam- the many uses and abuses An interested reader wrote in and asked for a discussion on this topic. I have to admit not having extensive experience using this product but I believe that many others do. I may be missing something here that could be of benefit in the future. I have used it in packing for shipping and in insulating small cracks around the house. I have yet to use it on a Scouting project. Well anyway, this topic may take off like a bottle rocket, so I am giving it plenty of clearance. Thanks ahead of time for uncovering an area that has remained for me a total mystery. FB