Fuzzy Bear

Pack, You are correct about education failing us. I read the article at the site you posted. I couldn't make anteriors or posteriors out of it. I don't believe most college programs have caught up with the technology either. I am sure that it makes sense to a specialist but to most everyone else, someone will need to translate. What is your definition of a geezer? FB

Kahuna, You are correct about your observations on reactions and responses from a very few individuals. It is most unpleasant and irritating when it occurs. There have been posts about this subject in the past especially asking some to be friendly and kind but it appears an impossible task. Most of us now ignore particular users to enhance communication and make for the kind of campfire setting that we come here to enjoy. Another strategy is to use the Delete, Backspace, and the Clear Fields options when it becomes overwhelming. Other times, some take a few days vacation to reorient their anger. If that doesn't work, a request for forgiveness will be in order and by then the problem will have reached a point that most won't return from. It is just one of the quirks that virtual campfires are predisposed to have. People are not really looking at another individual on the other side of the fire, if they were and they said some of those things, then a real fight would ensue. Over the past few years, we have had some bumps in the road. I suppose we are to think of it as it not being personal but just business. It still feels personal and some have a talent to make it very personal. FB

Kahuna, You bring up a good argument for having tax-exempt entities. One can give to them and then claim a personal tax exemption for doing so. This is a strategy of giving that we all have become accustomed to over the years. It lowers our own giving to the government and disperses money to the parties of our choice. If we were to renormalize the situation over a period of time, then we would no doubt see some reversals but theoretically some benefits. The majority would have a 7% reduction in total taxes, if all were taxed at the 10% proposed rate. If one were to give 10% of their total income on an annual basis to their charity then the individual would be increasing their gift by 3% only if one were to file for exemptions, which a majority of Americans don't. The majority would simply be giving up that 3% instead of the 10% they usually do by not filing the long form, which still means a 3% gift. Would there be a drop in giving to charities? Since there would be a significant number added to the tax base, meaning the old non-profits which would still be targeted for tax exempt status (*for the gift givers only) because their income is derived from gifts, then most likely giving would be continued or rise. A person could still give their 10%, take the 7% reduction in taxes, take a deduction on their taxes and increase their giving if so desired and still realize an increase in their overall income. Is this all smoke and mirrors? The statistical model would need to reflect the results for the average person, which it seems that nobody ever fits. The model would also show redistribution based on income which makes most people feel safer. It could also include the If, Then statements to indicate how to achieve the desired goal, that makes people feel a little better about the changes. The overall problem comes from economic sticker shock or trauma from change. It is difficult to predict how people will react when there is a significant change. People have more money, so the prediction is that they will spend it or save it or give it to a charity. Everyone needs to be informed and prepared over a period of time. I can see several benefits, a larger tax base, more on the tax role, more that would pay their full amount instead of hiding it. I could go on but then I would sound like I am a proponent of it. FB

007, Welcome to the land of talk and plenty of it. We can always use another hand around the fire. Throw back and join in. Don't sit on that log over here though. One guy got bit by some kind of stingy thing yesterday, so we have been avoiding it. He put up a yell but he is ok now. Somebody rubbed a little salve on it and now he is sitting up and talking like nothing ever happened. I guess one never knows what might come around and bite ya where it hurts the most. We just try to be prepared. FB

Pack, I was attempting to explain the existing structure. I am not sure that the explanation makes sense because services, roads, the military, the postal service, on and on are available to all citizens/ businesses and to the churches but are presently paid for by the citizens/businesses. It would make more sense to tax everyone but simply not interfere or restrict a person's right to worship as they choose. Services enhance, protects and preserves the right to worship, not diminishes it. It could be argued that since a citizen pays a private tax then the church tax would be a double tax but it would not be so anymore than businesses being taxed where those same citizens work. Each entity would then be paying for shared services. Equal distribution of the tax base would give all a sense of justice for receiving the same services. Since it is politics, tax breaks will always be with us. Somebody always wants a free ride and some even deserve it. FB

The government does not assist a church, instead the government does not tax it so that there is a clear division between the two. Some think that not taxing a church is subsidizing it but no actual money flows between the two entities and no requests are made. This is done for the good of the citizens and helps to maintain the freedom of religion. Businesses get a tax break for certain acts which is a way to obtain compliance for a mandate, such as clean air. This is subsidizing an industry for the good of the citizens but the industry is also taxed. There is no separation between the two and one serves the other in a limited way. Schools receive money from the federal government and receive state and local money. Schools are public and are established to serve the good of all the citizens. If all groups in the community had equal access to the school facilities when they are not being used for their intended purpose, then there would not be a problem. It is possible to say that the BSA discriminates so it should not use a school but a case could be made of most groups because many have some type of limitation on who can join and who cannot. I would rather look at it differently and say that all groups are unable to access the facilities, so none should use it. This would enable the school structure to last longer for its intended purpose as established by all of the governing entities. Also, since churches are not taxed and do not have governmental restrictions, they are the best place for the BSA. There is clear agreement between the two, so fewer disagreements would emerge, like the one here. FB

Just a few short years ago, I was teaching and had the summers off. So, I signed up for camp staff. This camp was based on the ranch concept so I had the job of Blacksmith. I reopened the forge, cleaned up the area and arranged the tools and materials for work. During the first couple of weeks of staff development, I also built several bulky wooden benches for the swimming area. We gathered periodically for planning, singing and training. The first two weeks of camp followed and I was there continually. I left camp after being without TV, telephone, radio, or any kind of recorded music for four weeks. I was amazed and overwhelmed as I returned to civilization beginning with the highway, listening to music in the car, seeing other vehicles and returning to the city. It was difficult to accept to say the least. I had been getting up early where it was quiet, the birds sang. I paid attention to the weather and looked at the trees. I turned inwardly as I worked. I was alone much of the time doing my work in the heat of the day or the coolness of the early morning. There was a richness of life without the constant hum and movement, the noise, the news. I walked across the damp grass early or back to my area late at night in the dark. I would not consider this being old fashioned, out of touch or a stick in the mud. Getting away gave me rest for my mind and body even though I was busy doing lots of other things. I do not like dictating to another individual that they need to give their mind and spirit a rest so I won't. It is a secret that the BSA has known about for a long time. If a person wishes to ignore it, then I would not want to stand in their way. I am very happy to accept such a wonderful gift for myself though. I treasure the memory. FB

I know this doesn't meet your request but let me throw in an old one for the record. The Bear Patrol comes to the parade ground with four 5 foot Scout staves. They are given three- two-foot sticks-about one inch round, a hand ax, a hammer, 1-2 inch eye hook with screw, and 2- 12 inch pieces of string, and 3-8 foot, 3-25 foot and 1-30 foot pieces of rope. The Patrol is told to give each of three Scouts one stick each and they are to sharpen one end of the 2 foot sticks using the hand axe. The rest of the Bear Patrol is told to sing the Patrol song continually while this un-timed exercise is completed. One Scout is given the eye hook and is told to screw it into the top of one Scout stave. The thirty foot piece of rope is threaded through the eye hook and then tied together with a square knot. The Bear patrol flag is then secured to the 30 foot piece of rope using the two 12 inch pieces of string. The Bear Patrol continues to sing. Next, the singing stops but the time begins. The race is to use the 8 foot pieces of rope for the 3 round lashings to secure all four Scout staves together for about a 16 foot flag pole. About mid-way up the 25 foot pieces of rope are secured to the flag pole and tied with two-half hitches. The flag pole is raised and the stakes are hammered (*use hammer only) into the ground and the ropes are tied off with taut lines. The flag is then raised and then the whole rope is tied off to the flag pole with a clove hitch while the Bear Patrol salutes and gives the Patrol growl. Time is called. Final judgment rests on the amount of time and the accuracy of the knots. Of course the flag pole must remain standing until time is stopped. Another excellent time for the Bear Patrol! FB (This message has been edited by Fuzzy Bear)

So much of the time, it is thought that the SM leads because Scouts and parents lean on that individual for direction. In reality, the SM leans on the parents for their support for the unit and then he/she leans on the Scouts to find out where they want to go and what they want to do. The SM leans on the ASM's for successful completion of delegated responsibilities and leans on the Troop leadership to carry out their plans. The SM leans on the Scouts to follow the Oath and the Law so that everyone will arrive at the same place. So, in a way, a SM's behavior needs to only look like he/she knows. FB

The SM works for the Committee and you are his supervisor on a year by year renewal. Your job is renewed as well but you have a different boss that you must satisfy. Any criticism directed toward the Committee from the SM is like shooting yourself in both feet at the same time with the same bullet. Simply put, cooperation in the spirit of good will is the way to get things done. If that spirit is less than adequate, then the Troop should not be in need of committee members. Your request should be for a new SM. If you have any of that team spirit you talked about earlier left over, then recruiting though the CO and the Troop parents is first. FB

For the last several years, I bring my small 5 gallon manufactured squatty toilet with seat to camp. It is yellow for safety reasons. I would hate to be mistaken for a deer. It uses plastic bags and there is room to house more bags and two rolls of paper inside. It is lightweight but not suggested for backpacking due to the bulk. I have been known to take a book with me and/or find a nice overlook. Comfort is the key. My son has a potty seat that is a blue over white miniature version. We keep it in the back of the wagon. If we stop, he just climbs over the seat. He hasn't learned to read just yet but has been known to take a book and look at the pictures. FB

I think I have it. He saw the other 20 drop from your wallet and hit the floor:) or then it could be something else. FB

If the BSA wanted me to stand in a pile of cow poop and whistle Dixie, I suppose I would but they would then have to call me Bear. A rule is like a knot used to secure gear on your pack. A good one generally holds the load all day long. A bad knot comes undone and things begin hitting the ground. I also believe that good rules don't change but the interpretation of them may take on new perspectives over the years. A bad rule will also remain because someone always think they have a better idea. FB

I completed my Eagle and the necessary MB's a long time ago but I still remember some very interesting people and the experiences that they served up. My Dad was the MB counselor for a couple of them. Since I worked for him, he had already taught me how to do the requirements and much more so it was not very satisfying. I love him but he did not give me the same attention he would have given others. I would recommend that you seek out counselors that you do not know. Push yourself and give yourself room to grow intellectually. Challenge yourself to grow as a Scout. Allow yourself room to go places that others hesitate to go. If you do, then at your BOR, you will carry an honest depth of knowledge that will be evident to all that listen. It will also be an experience that you will carry forward with you into adulthood. It is the kind of experience that will give you self-confidence that is needed on many other occasions. Trust me. FB

I am sure the BSA has already made this film clip, so let me review. BOR, "Scout, tell us about cooking for your Patrol?" Scout, "I cooked eggs one day for my family. My Mom figured it was close enough." BOR, "That is not what the requirement states. We ask only for you to do the things as they are written in the book." Scout, "I guess there was a misunderstanding. I would do well to do some of these over." BOR, "Good idea Scout. We hope to see you again soon." Later, Mom, "BOR person, I am mad because my son said you failed him. He did the requirements and I watched him." BOR person, "We only ask that the Scout complete the requirements as stated in the book. Would you like to review what is stated and what your son said he did?" Mom, "Oh, you mean for him to do exactly what the book states? I didn't understand it that way. I guess I need more training." BOR person, "There is one coming up. Would you like to go?" Mom, "Sure." BOR person, "I haven't been in a while myself. Let's go together and we both may pick up a few pointers." Everyone walks away with bright smiles. FB

As far as whom the BSA lets in and does not let in is their business, as far as who is attracted to whom once they get in is a different story. Youth Protection means that what ever happens should best be done within sight of a second person. A good leader will have a third and a fourth and a fifth person to watch what happens. A better leader will question and keep the lines of communication open for anything else that is missed. People that want to do the wrong things like it done out of sight and without verbalizations. Keeping a safe environment for Scouting should be our primary mission. It doesn't insure 100% effectiveness but those that want to do the bad things will seek out easier targets. FB

I don't know that I can figure this one out. The BSA is not against homosexuality based on religious principle but it is against it based on moral principle. So we must rule out Sodom and Gomorrah, two cities that were filled with exceeding wickedness and with far greater problems than just homosexuality. Psychologists and most legal opinions are generally not against homosexuality because it lacks a pathology or criminal intent. It has been several years since it was thought to be pathological so since it has also been cleared from legal restraints, someone must have cleaned their act up or it was decided that there was a misunderstanding. It could be a moral precept or a superstition brought on by a sum of histories. We know it was neither an idea decided by a vote nor was it the results of a survey. It could be a rule based on political and economic expediency, as has been stated. So if we are to believe that the Homosexuality rule is not because it poses a danger and is not a Youth Protection issue, then it must be the results of something vague, subtle, without distinction, kind of a generalized fear. As far as my kids go, wherever they go, whatever they do, I will be there to watch and to assist. I don't care who is in charge or what sexual choice the leader has made, either stated or made in private or what policy the BSA has, however they have determined it. There are no guarantees in this life and bad things will happen no matter how we try. I want to be there to minimize the impact. I love my children. FB

Let's say that the request came from the staff instead of from the WB manual. Would you then wear it? Your staff may feel that it is more important to stress a uniform appearance within the units instead of having other people consider going to WB. They may feel that wearing the Green neckerchief at WB is the uniform of the day at WB and they want only trained leaders to recruit others outside the course. Following requests is important and it does not keep you from speaking about WB. I personally think that wearing it brings awareness to the course. When people do not wear it, don't talk about it, then others won't know as much about it or be as curious. Generally, the Green neckerchief will go in to the collectible box. You will wear the real one, talk about the old one and recruit people anyway. FB (This message has been edited by Fuzzy Bear)(This message has been edited by Fuzzy Bear)

Remember the Outdoor Code, Be Conservation minded! FB(This message has been edited by Fuzzy Bear)

Thanks T487, Using my response as a SM's minute would be an honor. Some of the time when I want to try and understand Scouting, I think about Summer Camp. I picture myself standing in the dining hall/meeting room which is a large rock structure with a big fireplace and mantle, cement floor and two large covered porches on either side. During the summer, the large windows that line the porches can be opened and the breeze cools the inside. I ate in that hall my first year as an adult leader. I had some friends that were Scouters which means they loved the program also and they were there with me. We had a memorable camp. I can still retell most of what we did almost day by day. We later had Work Weekends in the camp and several Scouters from all over the council came together. We slept in the dining hall and worked in the camp. During those weekends, there were individuals that attended that had character and were like walking stories. We had O.A. weekends in the camp and the dining hall was the main meeting place. We stood in line for meals in front and beside the porch. I remember being in line waiting to eat and other times standing on the porch while others waited to eat. We held Woodbadge there and we met in the hall and held sessions there. It was like being in a cathedral of Scouting. I was Camp Director there and I would help the staff clean the hall after everyone ate. There were tables to put up and chairs to clean. Later in the evening, several of us would meet in the kitchen for coffee, snacks and stories. We held Junior Leader Training there and watched the younger guys lead their sessions in the hall. Later, I was CC on a WB course and the hall was our meeting area. During the preparation weekends, we met and slept there. There are so many stories that could and should be told because Scouting captures one's heart and allows a person to share the best of themselves. A few years ago, the camp was sold and along with it was that beautiful, timeless rock dining hall. We did not lose Scouting in the transaction. We did not lose the stories of our love for Scouting when it was given over to the new owners. Each of us knew that something had died forever but Scouting itself survived. Scouting is not something that can be sold and it is not a place, even when we deeply mourn the loss of that place. FB

Scouting came to the world and spread fast and far. It was a movement not an organization. Kids desired to be Scouts. They knew that by putting on the uniform and learning the codes to live by that they were important. Scouts represented goodness and had fun while doing it. I don't know all of the reasons but it met the innermost needs of children all over the world. Many others started organizations over the years to do the same things but have failed. People that have not experienced the fullness of Scouting think that Scouting is an organization. They think that by getting a uniform or making up codes or using a theme that they can create Scouting 2. It appears easy but it is not to be. When people speak of BP and for those that know, they speak about him as if he were still something very special and most never heard him or met him. So, one could say it was a man and they would be wrong. One could point to the American founders, Uncle Dan and Seton or GBB who were wonderful individuals, so one could say it was a group and they would be wrong. One could point to history and say it was a stroke of luck but they would be wrong also. Scouting today means something around the world and that is hard to recreate. How does one do it has to be the question. One must create a movement which is the convergence of many things and bigger than one person or persons, bigger than an organization or codes or uniforms. It is something that must reach out to the hearts of kids everywhere and that is hard to do. FB

I measure my gift on my past interactions with the Scout. I like to share a gift of remembrance with the Eagle Scout. Words are usually the best, a letter or a handwritten card or a photograph. I personally don't like to give money but in some instances have done so. For Scouts that I have known for a long period of time, I have given a special gift. Most of the Scouts I have known are going off to college and might enjoy a memento that can be saved. I gave a Scout a red jacket once even knowing that he was going off to the military. Probably, he would never wear it. I knew he would not throw it away. I hoped he would find the need to wear it and join a unit elsewhere as an adult. I wanted him to have a memory for later. FB

Our NESA chapter assisted several Eagles with their COH's over the years. The ceremony evolved into a wedding type event. I personally felt that it was too fancy but a few of the elements were very good. We had a rehearsal where we practiced. There wasn't a dinner after the rehearsal but several of us would go to a cafe and drink coffee and talk about it. It was the interaction of the participants that helped to limit each one. People knew that others were involved and everyone was polite enough to not step into any other person's time slot. We always had a person that kept everyone on time, cued them and reminded them of their time allotments. I always thought about Martin Short in the Steve Martin movie as the Wedding Planner wearing a headset and running around making sure everyone was prepared. FB

Scouting has reflected many of the values seen in American life over the years. Scouts have always served their fellow man in many ways by helping with food drives, war efforts, election turn-outs, etc. What I see in the future for Scouting is a greater emphasis on helping out with environmental causes and the use of information. This will be done by cleaning rivers, replanting eroded areas with protective grasses, trees and shrubs; recycling by gathering and reusing goods to build things like tents and shelters for the homeless; designing and building individual elementary solar powered transporters or developing solar power converters for their CO's; helping to recycle oil, clean it and sell it as a way to get camp money; reusing fallen trees to rebuild the soil and keep it from being washed away; reusing leaves and grass clippings to compost soil for fund raisers; helping to maintain the State and Federal lands to supplement a growing lack of Federal funds; assisting with remodeling or building low income housing for the poor; Scouts will learn about land use and will share information with cities and developers; Scouts will learn to garden again and raise crops that are organic for sell to raise funds, they will do away with the over-priced popcorn and will sell over-priced fruits and vegetables. Girl Scouts will merge with the BSA in a grand gesture to stand united in a green revolution for America and the world I believe the BSA will find its way into the hearts of kids by becoming an organization of such worth that it will go beyond any generation of Scouting in the past. MHO FB

Nature Deficit Disorder? How about Scarred out of our Socks Disorder! people chopping kids up and burying them in the backyard, sun shine destroying skin cells and causing skin cancer and death, mosquitoes/West Nile, ticks/ Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Lime's Disease ,etc., killer bees, diseases that won't go away, relatives killing their families, kids falling into wells, adults doing horrible things to kids, Scoutmasters doing horrible things, Scout Executives doing terrible things, Priests doing terrible things, etc. The abridged list reads allot like a horror movie script. I played outside when I was a kid and I got into trouble but it did not compare with what is out there now. Snakes and lice used to something to watch out for when playing. It might be best to wrap the kids up in armor and send body guards when they decide to play. It might be just the ticket to overcome their and their family's downright justifiable fright. FB