Fuzzy Bear

It has been delegated to anyone that will purchase the new MB requirements and then post them. The BSA would lose money by making it available without cost. You must look at it from their perspective to find the answer. It is pretty easy to figure out. FB

I taught for several years in a Junior High School with students that had problems, mostly academic. I also had several that had behavioral problems. Part of my job was to monitor their grades. When problems occurred, I would call a meeting of the student's parents and teachers. After the usual defensiveness of the students and sometimes the parents, the focus on the problem(s) was enough to generate corrective action. These kids were considered by other teachers to have the worst behavior and sometimes, I stumbled in on things that were more difficult but still they were understandable and containable. Kids naturally want to become independent and they use that drive to learn about their world. They try out different things, just as if they were in a clothing store. They look in the mirror and gaze at their reflection. They want to know if it fits and if they look good in it. When an adult with a good sense of what looks good directly explains how others perceive it, then most kids back off the extremes. If there is a pathological problem involved, then the knowledge between what is good and what is bad becomes confused and talking and focusing doesn't have the same impact. Involving a professional with knowledge about the specific problem may be the cure. The majority has the usual set of disturbances but also has interested parents to take notice and help them adjust when off course. The majority find their way in life simply because they have good intelligence and/or some guiding principles that help them make the right choices. (*Based on observation over a period of time of many students.) All are sexual beings, including the kids. That aspect of life is, at the very least, confusing. A person is taught a set of principles and then their body points their minds in directions that are contrary to those principles. What is happening during early growth is physical and cannot be fixed, nor would you want it fixed. It is best to acknowledge what is happening and to explain the process(es). There is a good reason to deal directly with it. The reason is that movies, games, music, and magazines will do it for you and do it very badly if you deny it exists. These other forms of entertainment are designed to deal with sexual growth and development simply because they can make a large profit by using that knowledge. They are not in the business to focus on control or minimizing abuse but the opposite. Also, there isn't a way to block access because it is everywhere. (*Blocking computer access to bad choices has more to do with making a statement than stopping it but it is still important to state it.) A parent can still deal with the problem. Encouraging and helping kids to be involved in Scouting, Church, sports, dance, music, and academia are fun. Most activities have standards that must be adhered to which brings about good character development. It isn't the elimination of the bad things but in the learning about the good choices that exists. Sexual 'stuff' will always be there but the time and the effort spent dwelling on it can be minimized. Slowly, most will learn about other parts of life that will capture their interests and will take them into their occupational pursuits. The principles that you encourage them to learn will remain even when the choices they make don't align. That is a secret that can be added to the Big Book of Parental Knowledge. FB

I have a collection of wooden slides and even have some made by Whittlin' Jim himself (*he whittled slides and drew the plans for them for BL several years ago. I also traded for one of his notebooks with his original plans.). I have an array of Indians, sailors, Civil War army types, turtles, etc.. They are all nicely hand painted and most are pretty funny. These slides came to me one by one over the years and now they rest in a cardboard box, mostly looking up at me when I open it. I didn't make one of them myself. I wish I could take a picture for you. The one I like the best is a hiking boot that I carved using my knife and a Dremal hand drill and sandpaper (80 and 120 grit). It was made out of a piece of cedar that wound up to be about 2.5 inches high by 2.5 inches long and about .74 inches wide. It is a high top boot with a bulbous toe with treads on the bottom. I used a crisscross effect for boot laces down the front. The wood was oriented so that the dark red area was the sole. A hole was drilled with a half inch drill bit down through the foot hole at the top and out the heel. Cedar is tricky to use and tends to split but it is beautiful and it smells nice. The overall effect was to make it look like one of the old worn boots that used to be thrown over the entrance/exit gate at Philmont (*I guess they still do that or is it tennis shoes now?). For many years, I have wanted to carve a small replica of a shoe that was made by Red Goose Shoe Company in the '50's that had the Boy Scout emblem on the sole. I couldn't afford a pair of those shoes but I always liked the idea of leaving the imprint of the emblem behind me when I walked through sand or light mud. It was just an idea that probably would never have worked but it intrigued me. I am unsure of the reason I haven't gotten around to making one. The shoe idea is kind of funny to me, especially if they have character. Maybe you can use it. FB

I would like to add another perspective to the list of the very good ideas on leadership. I have learned that I can do many things myself. I can and have achieved beyond many of my own expectations. I have done things by myself or with limited help only because I wanted to do them. I have been in leadership positions as a youth and an adult using this type of thinking. People would follow me only because they knew that we would arrive at whatever destination that I had my sights set on just because I can dream and it can become reality. In short, I have been successful in Scouting. This is what I found out about this type of leadership. I personally enjoyed and benefited from the experiences but I didn't allow others to benefit from their roles. I didn't get their input or let them excel or fail. It had more to do with me and my experience than it had to do with "us" and our experience. Scouting is a shared adventure and is not always successful. The secret of Scouting is found in the JOURNEY and not in our personal goals. (*not too original) Today, I would rather work with a group with a shared vision than work on any project where I stand alone with those that only hang on. I would rather fail with a group, than succeed on my own. I would rather figure out how we can fix something than to celebrate over how I accomplished it. I would rather have stories of how we struggled and failed than how I won alone. In short, my present leadership goal is to work only with a group and go wherever it takes us. FB

Sportsmanship is a goal in Cub Scouting and is a learned skill. Winning the PWD is secondary to allot of other things. Since everyone cannot win, then the majority of us must learn how to accept defeat. Accepting defeat also means to learn that you must accept the challenge to try again. Accepting defeat needs to include being happy for the other person when it is their day to win. In Scouting with all of the varied activities, most will win at something sometime, so patience is a necessary part of sportsmanship. Patience, careful study and practice are necessary to improve your skills but winning is even secondary to this type of applied learning. When a person does win, the proper attitude does not include forming the letter "L" on the forehead with your hand to indicate that all of the rest are Losers. The intensity of that type of win injures the goal of being friendly and remaining friends. Winning at all costs is not a sure sign of sportsmanship; rather it indicates that being a good citizen is not necessary. When one's Father takes their son's PWD car down to their workshop and has it aligned and machined by several adult mechanics for speed is known as cheating and has nothing to do with Personal Achievement. Reading and following the rules of the game is important. Being respectful of each other, even in contests, is the most important goal. Having fun and seeking out the adventure in an activity brings about a new way to view things and allows a person to just simply enjoy being a part of it. (*that is known as simply having fun for the sake of having fun) Character development is an underlying goal that is central to all Scouting contests. If we have missed sportsmanship and the associated principles, then nobody ever wins. FB

"We have monthly BOR's." Did he complete all of the requirements in one month? Did he miss the BOR nights for several months? Did he not know that he was to have a BOR and failed to act on the information in his BSHB? Did he not have SM conferences? Something else in this story is missing. FB

Ed, Since no other person wrote about not going through the O.A. Ordeal, I am guessing that you mean it as a question. I won't answer that one but will leave it to another. The choice to go on a snipe hunt has more to do with taking the choice away from a person than giving it. The idea is to trick the person into believing any number of things, such as, you will be part of our special group or that we are going out to catch food. Those are lies told to a person to make them the butt of the joke. That means that the information is withheld to take away the choice. If they were to be truthful, then the question would be asked, "Do you want to stand out in the cold for several hours by yourself?" or "Do you want us to laugh at you and make fun of you for being so stupid?" or "Since you will be made fun of, you will not be part of the special group." That information is withheld or the joke will not happen, therefore no laughter. You might be asking if someone had a Diabetic condition and needed food at regular intervals or if a person needed a special diet because of food allergies, then yes, that is taken into consideration because the health of a person is considered first. The food question is asked of the candidates before the Ordeal. Unlike a fraternity hazing incident last year on a nearby campus where a young person died of an alcohol overdose, the O.A. is concerned about a person's well being and is not concerned with hazing a person. I was Chapter Chief my last couple of years of high school and I had tapped out several of my brother Scouts and Scouters. Soon thereafter, the Tap out was taken away. I had not hurt anyone and I strongly believed that those that were in charge had made a wrong decision based on faulty evidence. I did finally hear of those that had been hurt in some faraway places and I accepted it at face value. Then, I carefully thought through what it was that we were doing. What I found was that the truth of the O.A. is really in the meaning of the words rather than the acts. The acts are secondary. We can change the acts to preserve a person's welfare and then we can impress the meaning of the words through those changed actions. You say that you are a Brother Vigil member but you do not sound like your experience or the meaning of the words is a positive part of your life. I would hope you would reconsider what it means not only to be honored, to be a part of a special group, and to be a valued member but that the service you perform and that the sacrifices you make are a benefit others. The Ordeal is symbolic of those acts and yes, you were given a choice. FB

I had the day off, so I spent it in our woods that we purchased about a year ago. We have about four acres of land with little use because of the hills, ravines, rocks of all sizes and lots of trees. I have been concerned about some areas that receive the fairly frequent rain runoff that washes and erodes several stretches. It looks bad when first viewed. It has never been taken care of so now it is my turn to do something. I took my bow saw and some rope. I cut up deadfall and pulled it up the hill. It was placed strategically to increase the friction and reduce the velocity of the water as it heads down a steep hill. I built several Check Dams and cleaned up a few sites in the process. I was tired and sore afterwards. I felt like I had been at an Ordeal. The Brotherhood was sparse but I enjoyed being outside in the cold and working with my hands. (I am generally behind a desk.) I didn't think once that it was hazing. I just thought about what it would look like in a year or two, so it was fairly Cheerful Service. Eamonn, if we keep agreeing, somebody will think we are the same person. I can do a pretty good Kermie imitation and/or Ernie. Fozzy's voice escapes me but I will work on it. Thanks for the history lesson. Fuzzy Bear

If you haven't already, consider the input from your PLC in regards to the goals that are important to them for their program to be successful. FB

Ed, Your comparison uses a limited definition of the word initiation. You may also have a personal dislike for the O.A. which allows your deductive judgment faulty reasoning of the motivation and outcome of the two initiation rites of the two societies. Please reconsider your analysis using the material given to initiates in the O.A.. As you know, over many years and many incidents most college fraternity "hazing" rituals have been readjusted due to people getting hurt. The fraternities goal is reduce the numbers that are not interested and to increase the desire of those that do wish to join. Such things as intentional physical and mental abuse, physical overload with no goal in mind, and abuse of alcohol are some of the methods employed to gain the respect and "choice" of those applying for membership. Documented evidence of deaths and injury are associated with these rituals. In the O.A., safety precautions are taken to reduce the probability of physical or mental injury. Information is given to new members to help them understand their experience. There are no jokes in the act or the outcome. It is a Brotherhood that they are joining, it is voluntary, and the outcome is Cheerful Service. If you wish to compare the two, use the phrase, "Many are called but few are chosen" to do so. This applies before the vote is taken by Scouts that are not members of the O.A. and during the Ordeal when a Scout voluntarily learns the basic principles. The work that is done has a practical value/goal. Each request has meaning and is explained. The reduced food intake is meant to emphasize sacrifice but even that can be adjusted if a person has a disability and needs a special diet. The meanings of the goals of the O.A. during the Ordeal are to be impressed on the new member and not the Ordeal itself. Once the Ordeal is completed, it is then a voluntarily act by the new member to make a choice to engage in the O.A. but few continue. Please consider these differences as substantial evidence to believe otherwise. Respectfully, FB

Recruiting many MB counselors for an approved District MB list instead of having just a few doing many badges helps the overall program. How: It reaches out to the community and brings in new people regularly. Since most Districts need new blood all of the time, this is the kind of opportunity that should not be passed up. Once accepted as MB counselors, they can be recruited to work in District activities and recruited to District or unit support roles. It gives the Scouts a varied program taught by many instead of learning how one MB Counselor works and then loading up on badges from that one. It allows Scouts to learn to communicate and gives them many opportunities to learn common courtesy. These skills are useful when they meet employers and are interviewed for any number of things, such as college programs. Recruiting new people through the MB Counselor list helps bring in new ideas and resources that would not be available otherwise. This is such a great way to build a better District and unit program that it should be the number one secret of having success in Scouting. FB

PS, Your words have moved me to look at sharks in a new light. You are so right about not hurting any living thing. It is best to just let them go. Being conservation minded is the very best policy. Thank you for your help in this matter. FB

This last Saturday morning found me sitting in as a part of an Eagle BOR for three Scouts. We delved into each of their advancement records, their letters of reference, their service projects and their individual characters. Each young man was different from the last but all three excelled in their specialty areas. Each had a belief in a Higher Power and could speak about their personal walk and could relate it to Scouting. Each was hesitant to speak of themselves as being an Example to follow but each was fully qualified. I noticed a quiet confidence from each one when they were speaking about their ability to recruit others. Each had the knowledge and each had done so. Each of the three Scouts became an Eagle Scout this last Saturday morning. If it is a gene, then we need to replicate it and inoculate the whole population. FB

Shark even from a distance looks like it tastes bad. The ocean is full of them and they attack any object that gets in its way. Their aggression is without bounds and they will eat anything, such as, garbage and each other. Now we find they are full of urea also. They smell bad when cooked so they would not make much of a meal. They are rather a useless fish. I suppose if one were to catch a shark, it would be best to be hit in the head and throw it back in for food for the other sharks. Is anybody opposed to bad behavior towards sharks? FB

Here are some obvious reasons that the acts you describe are problematic: The Boy Scout Troop and the Venture Group are two separate groups expected to have separate activities. What reason is given for the lack of activity of the Venture Crew? As long as the Venture Crew enters the BS program, then their program will remain weak and ineffective. Since these young ladies can teach, then they need to learn how to recruit and to plan and go on their own program activities. Their actions indicate that they are making a conscious effort to change the B.S.A. policy. The young man because of his dual registration can enter into both sets activities but girls have not been invited to be part of the Boy Scout Troops as of this date. Unless the Troop actually plans (*committee approves) and invites the families, then their presence is by personal invitation only and can be an interference with the planned activities. The expectations of the Scouts in the Troop are being abridged and the imposition of the one family is counterproductive to the methods of Scouting and will weaken the program for the boys. Until the word Boy is taken out of the Boy Scouts, then that is what it is in this country. We can speak out against it but we don't get to vote on it. FB

I shared this in a recent forum related topic. Several years ago, I was working CS Day Camp in an area with little electric saws helping CSs cut out pieces of wood for some kind of gizmo. We had a stack of odd shaped scraps of wood left over, so I took a felt tip marker and made awards out of them for the best this and the best that. Every kid that left the area was a winner for something or the other. They all seemed excited to win and it was just fun and funny. One kid got left out one round for some reason, so I whipped out the old marker, picked up a scrap of wood and wrote something like best request for an award. A few years later at an Eagle COH, the lad's Father reminded me of the "Best of" awards at that Day Camp that his son had received. He said that his son still had the "Best request for an award" plaque hanging in his room. Kids are special and need to be reminded of it frequently. I have wanted to propose this PWD pre-event for some time. It is kind of technical but could be the source of shared information for the next generation(s) of cars. The event is voluntary and anyone is eligible. The Scout or person writes up one secret on how to make the fastest car on a form given out two months before the Derby. The secrets must not abridge the standard rules. The secrets must be different form or confirmations of any other in the Great Book of PWD Secrets for the Pack. After each PWD, the Great Book (* on CD-R) is passed out to all members of the Pack to study for the next year. Secrets must be either methods that have been shown to be effective or hypothetical ideas that have some (*controlled) testing or retesting to show the benefit of that method. The Scouts can design experiments and test out their ideas during the year in the den. Fathers can design and run their own experiments in their garages and then write it up their own proposal and submit them. Everyone that submits a proposal is given a nice computer generated certificate for their efforts if it meets the rules above in either of the two classes. The accepted proposals are not compared hierarchically. The target idea is to distill the technology and make the PWD competitive for more of the Scouts through shared information. The secondary idea is to teach the experimental method and also to understand the cause and effect relationship. FB

KS, I can visualize that incident as if it just happened in front of me. Very funny. Several years ago, I was working CS Day Camp in an area with little electric saws helping CSs cut out pieces of wood for some kind of gizmo. We had a stack of odd shaped scraps of wood left over, so I took a felt tip marker and made awards out of them for the best this and the best that. Every kid that left the area was a winner for something or the other. They all seemed excited to win and it was just fun and funny. One kid got left out one round for some reason, so I whipped out the old marker, picked up a scrap of wood and wrote something like, The Best Request for an Award. A few years later at an Eagle COH, the lad's Father reminded me of the "Best of" awards at that Day Camp where his son had received one. He said that his son still had "The Best Request for an Award" plaque hanging in his room. Kids are special and need to be reminded of it frequently. I have wanted to propose this PWD pre-event for some time. It is kind of technical but could be the source of shared information for the next generation(s) of cars. The event is voluntary and anyone is eligible. The Scout or person writes up one secret on how to make the fastest car on a form given out two months before the Derby. The secrets must not abridge the standard rules. The secrets must be different from or confirmations of any other in the Great Book of PWD Secrets for the Pack. After each PWD, the Great Book (* on CD-R) is passed out to all members of the Pack to study for the next year. Secrets must be either (1.) methods that have been shown to be effective or (2.) hypothetical ideas that have some (*controlled) testing or (3.) retesting to show the benefit of a method. The Scouts can design experiments and test out their ideas during the year in the den. Fathers can design and run their own experiments in their garages and then write up their own proposal and submit them. Everyone that submits a proposal is given a nice computer generated certificate for their efforts if it meets the rules above in either of the three classes. The accepted proposals are not compared hierarchically. The target idea is to distill the technology and make the PWD competitive for more of the Scouts through shared information. The secondary idea is to teach the experimental method and to understand the cause and effect relationship. FB

To change one's heart takes more than mere words. FB

I grew up reading the Pedro page and later began collecting anything Pedro. Pedro has been a kind of a strange/funny part of Scouting that somehow fits. Anywho, I now have a weird collection of things. Pedro was actually a guy at BL that invented the idea. I guess if your name is Pedro it is not really an invention. It is more the application of something you know about to something else that doesn't have your name. Or, it is used as a sur name for an animal that appears from a distance to be funny but in reality is frustrating. Few know that and are willing to forgive a few indiscretions to make for something brand-new, fun and loveable. What an invention! I belonged to the Lion Patrol as a Scout. Our yell was, Tutti Fruity, Punch and Judy the Lion Patrol will do its' duty. Don't you worry and don't you fret. The Lion Patrol will get you yet! That yell was a rip-off from the PL handbook and GBB but few ever read it, so everyone thought we made it up. I feel sure that few would use it today but then there is always the inevitable spin off from another word crafter that can rhyme in time. We got a little older and decided that we wanted to be the Flintstone Patrol. Yaba, Daba, Do and Wilma! were our yells. We made our own flag out of a pillow case and cut out felt patches and used black felt marker to complete them. I still have the flag. It has aged considerably over the years and occasionally I get it out of the suitcase and look at it. One camp-out, we developed the recipe for Flintstone stew. The secret recipe is to cut up one package of hot dogs into fourths, add in two cans of pork and beans and chili powder to taste. I still find it all kind of amusing. FB

The gene trait is generally of low incidence. I believe it may have more to do with diet, the propensity to be outside, and to wear tan or red. FB

Sharks feed on fish, including other sharks, sea lions, birds, sea otters, sea turtles, and even indigestible garbage. Some will eat practically anything. The stomachs of captured specimens have been found to contain other sharks, fish, porpoises, turtles, beef bones, dogs, tin cans, pieces of metal, burlap bags, and garbage. Anybody care for shark?

SP, I like your third choice. It is a three pointer from half court delivered with a humorous spin. The entire situation is worth retelling and expanding on in written form. String enough of them together and you have SM Tales. FB

Religious tolerance is a guiding principle that America was founded on where Protestants (*the word is steeped in being a heretic; one who denies the one true faith and the one true God) found their new home and a place to worship as they believed. Religious tolerance is a principle that is a standard for being a good citizen (*one of the goals of Scouting) and for being a good Scout. Religious tolerance is one of the basic principles of the Unitarian Universalists. FB

If my enemy is hurt and in a ditch, let me be the one that mends his wounds and pays his bills until he is well. This is a perfect thought that man is incapable of knowing, doing, or uttering on his own. FB

Caring is difficult to communicate in written form but that is the underlying message, if you think about it. Most of what we do is exchange information, so it side-steps allot of personal communication. People engage when they disagree but now that only happens occasionally. The open discussions draw much of the enthusiastic responses. If someone lands here from a far away website, most will just lurk and then run. If they think we spend most of our time thinking of, talking about, and wearing uniforms and attending BOR's and attempting to increase our knowledge about Scouting, then they are correct. Many moons ago, I attended an O.A. meeting. In one corner of the room was a funny looking man wearing a red jacket. He had a round head and always had a large smile. He was everything that I thought an O.A. advisor should be. He was fun, insightful, and had a desire for things to go well in Scouting. He had an easygoing manner and seemed informed about one thing or another. Over a period of years he drifted and his life fell apart. To this day, I still think about Rick and his smile. He was lovable. It is frustrating to think about the loss of such an important individual to Scouting. That is a strange way to think about a person but that what happens once you get lost in Scouting. A physically rough exterior rarely masks the feelings of a person that cares. Most children are not easily fooled when it comes to the important stuff. My Dad was a SM over my brother's Troop for three years. He quit after we moved and didn't return to Scouting where I thought he should have remained. He was too busy with his business. I valued his insights and knowledge of people and Scouting. He was given a Scout trophy for service that represented to me the highest award possible. I wanted to achieve what he had achieved to be like him. I achieved that and more but somehow I never made it to where he had been. I don't know the reason other than the heights he soared to were not the same as mine. Mine were only similar but the things I found were still remarkable. Sometimes, I wish I could have shared with him the places I had found but time and a close friendship escaped us both. I too made it through Cubbing and through Boy Scouting. I remained with the unit and worked in the O.A. until I graduated. I helped start and build an Indian Dance team in our area. We learned together and built costume, danced, and traveled. Time could have remained right there for me. Scouting had become my world. Special people, I have an honor roll of Special people. It is quite long and so many are on it. Some took me longer to appreciate than others. I could write stories for hours about them. Some of the things appear mundane, some are funny and others are just outright spectacular but all are very special. Am I on someone's special list? I don't see myself as a hero but I know that I have made an impact on the lives of several Scouts and a few adults. They surely have made an impact on me and helped to change my life. My desire now is to be a good Scout Leader. I will do my best. FB