Fuzzy Bear

The administration doesn't appear to have any order about this campaign or have a plan or a direction. I sincerely do not want to be correct. FB

So, what aspects of Scouting do you want to discuss? There is such a great diversity of thoughts and ideas here at any one time. It is funny because some of the issues that we talk about appear to find solutions. I wonder if things are being set right by our talk. I guess if enough people from different places get clued into good answers, it might really work. I still can't figure out why after a person has answered a question, many times the same thing is said again and again. It is like echo answers. With the thumbs up/down approach, it should have reduced the background noise of people voting for or against a certain issue by writing their answers but it hasn't. Scouting... Have you ever been sitting next to a campfire late at night and thought that it is where you are supposed to be for the rest of your life? With the smoke and the wood and ash, sometimes I have felt a part of the experience so much that I really didn't want to be anywhere else ever again. It was a Saturday night in March of 1967 and I had gone to Lake Texoma Scout Camp for my Vigil. The Camp was later decommissioned and sold. There is nothing left of the place or of that time but it actually happened and now there are few traces. I was tired as I sat by my fire. I had little wood and decided to get more nearby. I cut a few pieces from a fallen tree and disturbed a nest of bees. Since it was night, they didn't come after me but I knew they were there. I got the wood and continued to feed the fire. The night was without incident, other than the ceremonial experiences that followed. I simply sat by the fire and thought about Scouting and my time spent in so many phases of it. The experience was very ordinary but something happened. As I think back on it, it is as if I am still there. This forum reminds me of that experience by the fire. I think about my past and the people and the things that we did together. I think about the present and dream of the future. I know that there is more to life than Scouting but this program is so rich and has so much that I just want to remain by the fire.

Eamonn, Ownership has a mixture of personal pride and job security intertwined, which is important for the group as a whole to reach some large goals. As a volunteer in a large council, I found that there were always frustrations because the operation and the management did not change quickly and for many good reasons. Sometimes, I focused on the problems to the exclusion of a good program. It is hard to ignore some things because those are the very items that I felt like I needed. What I found was that making connections and friendships with individuals within each area and to find out their viewpoint was best. We work as a large disconnected group with many different interests and needs. Even though we are volunteers, we are viewed somewhat like outsiders with little knowledge of the immediate problems and the past attempts at change. Sometimes, people have rushed in to change things without asking permission and a person's paid job was threatened and many times not for the best. Getting to know individuals and to begin to know how to access certain services or how to bring about changes takes a longer time. The people that are paid for administering services when respected and given room to operate within their perceived boundaries of achieving their duties is somewhat awkward but will begin a process that can be built upon, which is trust. But in the meantime, when a problem is found to interfere with a program, the focus could be on the alternative plans and the resources. I submit to you that frustration need not be the key to making a decision on continuing in Scouting. It should be a time to enjoy the many friendships and to build upon the change that can and will happen in the future. FB

As for the glue-on laws: There are those that wish to participate that have the desire but not the skills. The cut-off age should be around 12. Those below the age limit should be commended for their initiative. As Commissioner for a Cub Pack, I was invited to inspect the Troops one night. I showed up and sat in the front row with several Cubs. One Scout nervously asked me if I checked their ears. I said sure and your fingernails and hands. I noticed him closing his fingers into his fists. I felt humor and sadness grip my heart all at the same time. FB

When I was young enough to read, I read the Scout Fieldbook. It held more interest to me than the Scout Handbook. Adventure was the topic and I was ready for the ride. It has been the staple companion for me ever since. The first official one came out in 1948. The earlier ones were in the form of a small multi-holed notebook. Lefax and several other publishers printed pages that were inserted. There were also several booklets that could be collected. These early unoffical fieldbooks were not standard nor distributed widely but contained a world of information. The SFB should be distributed to school and public libraries like the Gideon's distribute Bibles to hotel rooms. FB

This guy goes into a bar carrying a mouse. The mouse gets out onto the bar and begins to sing and dance all up and down the bar. After the mouse finishes, the bartender says, "Hey that is pretty good. What else can he do?" The guy says, "Ain't that enough? My gosh, he's only a mouse."

To keep the system from overloading, I will not give BW another thumbs-up for giving good information. One note of caution, ask the physician for any limitations the young man may have. He may have some type of environmental and/or stress related barriers that should be addressed before continuing. He may well be able to lead the project but from his bed or a wheelchair or using communication devices. He may not be able to physically be on the job site or do the work himself but he may be able to delegate the work and evaluate the progress. Whatever he does needs to be within his present restrictions given by his doctor. FB

Good salesmanship is first finding a great product to promote. Program for the fun/learning of Scouting. Evaluate continually. Know and utilize all of your resources. Meditate on and give your best Scoutmaster Minutes that are based on the ideals of Scouting. Continually review the eight methods of Scouting. Keep the aims of Scouting ever before you. Recruit for that kind of change. A fire is built from the smallest wood first. FB

If a person wanted spell check, the easiest thing to do is to cut from the message board, paste to Word, check the spelling, and usage, correct any duplication of words, change the order of the sentence structure, check for proper word usage, check for errors in logic and punctuation; copy and paste back to the message board. It is that easy. It is the slowness of the system, not my disgusting writing habits that are disrupting a fun time. Can we go back in time or have we crossed over into a dimension of no return? P.S. The star system fixed one but destroyed another. Where is my cake? I would like to eat it too? P.S.S. I have returned here because I can't access anything else. I may have to write a lengthy essay about the virtues of philosophy and counter with an evolutionary thesis if you don't respond soon. FB

I am now formally agreeing with BW about the wait-delays and message stops. I am registering my disapproval by not casting a thumbs-up vote for him. Fuzzy(This message has been edited by Fuzzy Bear)

One day Berkeley took a long walk into the forest. A tree suddenly fell on him. He did not hear it, nor did anyone else. The question that was later debated by his class was why was he late? As for the stars, "esse is percipi". FB

The Price of Freedom is allowing people to believe in God, s, or 0. Legislating your personal morality is bending your will around other people's necks and leading your people back into slavery. Go to the mountain first and humbly make your request for redemption be known. God is the greater force, has the better equipped army, and has the best government. So consider, redirecting your efforts if your truly desire results.

My brother received BL before I started Cub Scouting. They were large, colorful, had pictures, games, and comics; I was fascinated. I began my subscription as soon as I could. As I got older, I read it from cover to cover. I sent off for the things in the back. I started my first Indian costume from Gray Owl, a distributor of Indian goods. I carved neckerchief slides with Whittlin' Jim. I read Pee-Wee Harris. I followed Green Bar Bill, Pedro, Think and Grin. I always wanted to send in a joke to get a Scout Handbook. Several years ago, I began collecting BL. What I found is that the ones that hold my interest are the ones of my youth. The earlier ones and the later ones don't appeal to me as much. I like them but there is just something mysterious about those large colorful books of my earlier days. FB

Hops, I sincerely wish you the happiest of birthdays. By fifteen, I had my Eagle and had gone to Philmont. Those were two events that gave me insight and confidence to do many other things in life. Since then, our country has had eight presidents. After reading many of your posts, I am impressed with you as a person. FB

Your site is impressive. It is good advertisement and should reach many directly and indirectly. My one suggestion is to post a personal journal because you mentioned that there were those that positively profited from the experience. Write something from your experience about the highlights and/or what was learned. You did a great job. FB

Your post brings back a memory of a Scout that died one evening late after leaving our District Camporee. His name was Gary D. He and I had not been particularly close because he was having personal problems and he generally appeared angry and distant. I never found out the source of his resentment. That night he simply left the camp and hurtled into oblivion. I knew his dad and liked him a great deal. He was always there for our O.A. events and helped establish our Indian Dance Team. More than anything, I felt the deepest sorrow for him. I can remember being shocked by the suddenness of it and feeling despondent. That morning we gathered at the teepee that we had built as one of our O.A. projects. We were in a circle and nobody could even speak. As the Chapter Chief, I took off my Campaign hat and passed it around to take up a donation for flowers. I could barely choke out the words that Gary was a friend. Down deep I knew that we were not close friends but the circumstance was too overwhelming. I was truly at a loss in so many ways. Over the years, I have experienced the loss of close friends and most of my family and because of that I respect death and its meaning to life. It will never be an event that I will be disconnected from or that I will be able to make good judgments about, including the choice of clothing or what to say. I have felt the personal hurt and the pain of it and would never prevent or discourage others their expression of sorrow. FB

SPL, The latest feature allows a person to post their displeasure automatically with the thumbs up/down. It doesn't sound so harsh and it is quicker. I haven't really used a chat room before. The one I saw had quick posts that just scrolled before your eyes. FB

Yucca pack and I went to Philmont many moons ago. I saved about $60.00 for most of my gear that was on the official list. I went to the local used military store and purchased the bulk of it. After we got to Philmont, we had a "shakedown" where we made the decision that we needed only about 3/4 of the stuff we brought with us. I have never quite figured that one out. Nonetheless, I stowed the items I didn't need in a locker to be picked up on return. The summer before, we made a 50-miler across the boarders of Arkansas into Oklahoma called the Kiamichi Trail. We carried our gear the best ways we could. It was kind of funny. I remember the first quarter mile, we had Scouts stretched from car to trail head. Equipment was all along the trail and several Scouts quit. We had lashed the equipment on in all sorts of combinations. I had a home-made wooden pack frame that allowed several ways to tie my stuff on and it worked. Later, a friend of mine, Mr. D. made a light weight metal pack frame. It made for an easier and lighter load to carry. He loaned it to me for the trek. I was excited because it was much better than the Green Bar Bill one that my brother built out of wood and canvas. The metal weighed less and it distributed the weight instead letting the pack lump up on your back when you didn't have a frame. It was slightly curved around the back to allow the canvas straps to form to your back instead of pushing flat against it. After we got to Philmont a guy that was leaving sold me a set of 1/2 inch thick foam shoulder pads. They made the 60 pounds of weight feel much lighter and the load felt easier on my shoulders. I finally had arrived in Backpacking Heaven. The Ranger that helped us at the start, showed us the "Diamond Hitch" that allowed us to carry our sleeping bags at the bottom of our pack and frame and other gear at the top. This large hitch secured the gear and we were then able to complete our hike across the South loop without too many problems. Since we were hiking in patrols, we divided the equipment up so one would carry the tent and another part of the cooking gear and so on. The Yucca pack was the standard but one Scout had a new type of pack and a special frame made of tubing that I had not seen before. He had the best of everything. He didn't fit well into the group because of a bad attitude he had developed from an excess of personal wealth but he mellowed a little after a few days on the trail. I brought two pair of pants that somehow didn't fit quite right. Each day, I would bust out the seat and each day I would sew them up. It became a ritual that came with the afternoon rain, the daily search for a good camping spot, the Melba toast, the side hikes up to see something extra, the boiled Kool-aid, and the nightly bear bag. It was my first time to hike in the mountains and I was filled to the brim with being in God's Country. My new friend David and I shared a tent during those two weeks. He didn't talk much but we grew on each other. I haven't seen him since. Our crew adviser, Mr. R., and I visit every other year or so. He still remembers that hike and feels that somehow it really was special. I agree. My Yucca pack is still with me today and is still being used. It carries a load of memories and does a good job even without a frame. FB

Eagle54, I hope your question has been adequately answered. As you can plainly see that none of us would agree on what a glass of what is or should be. That, of course, is the beauty of the forum. It is a virtual Mar's Hill experience. FB(This message has been edited by Fuzzy Bear)(This message has been edited by Fuzzy Bear)

Wheeler, I don't believe that we have somehow lost any of the great truths in life that you are speaking about. Truth is relative to your perspective and to the prevailing knowledge. We can honestly say that many things are better than ever. We can honestly say the opposite is true. We have learned how to destroy the world many times over and built the means to do it, yet we haven't. What keeps us from doing it? We have learned to survive our own destructive bad habits. That is a truth that keeps us in balance. The ancients did not need to worry about such a truth, unless it was an interesting idea to ponder. We are actually doing it, living it, and breathing it daily as a world. The ancients could not communicate with people from a distance. We can do it instantly. We can do it in verbal form, written form, and in video. This is a beautiful innovation that is a new truth that makes for new frontiers and builds new barriers. A person could say that we are merely applying old forms of truth to new knowledge. A person could say that there is nothing new under the sun and be correct in a manner of speaking. The problem is that we can now fly to Mars because of knowledge that was cumulative but later the knowledge grew proportionally faster with the ages of industry, communication, and information. Has Scouting changed? Have we lost the important truths? I submit that the changes made in Scouting have been in step with the times but Scouting has kept its' history of ideals. The battles that are fought in Scouting are a microcosm of the world and the many battle fronts that are fought every day in these confusing times. This is our life now. If Socrates can help you, so be it. You are the captain of your boat, so I salute you. FB

When thinking about Scouting, many questions can be well answered. For instance, if death confronted us and we were given a test; it might read something like this: What did you do during your life? Did you live a life that was clean and did you keep yourself fit? How did you live in relation to the expectations of your country? What would your friends say about you now? What would people that knew you in the darkest hours say about you? Did you eat and drink with self control because you wanted to continue serving those you loved? Were you courteous and cheerful? How did you choose your jobs and spend your time? Did you do your best for each of your goals in life? Did you know your personal characteristics and did you make compatible choices? Did you spend your money wisely? Did you know who you were? Were you a person that could be trusted and were you loyal? Were you obedient to your promises and did you make good your vows? Were you prepared to meet the challenges and did you do a good job while you were there? When the challenges were overwhelming, were you able to stand up to them? What were your main goals in life and was it worth it? Did you have friends and did you know how to be friendly and kind? What do you have to offer to show for your efforts? Who did you help and how many? How was your daily walk with your God? *To check your work, consult the Scout Handbook. Fuzzy

When the Catholic Church professed its' stand on homosexual relations with minors, the stand prior to the law of the land catching up with them, they believed that man makes his/her amends to other men, thus absolving them of any wrong doing. It allowed men to be judged by other men for their acts against God's laws. The Catholic Church did not find reason to set these priests outside the Church and did not feel that there was any danger in allowing them back, clearly an unwise stand that has cost many a great deal of harm. When a couple of well known Protestant ministers that were heterosexuals had sex outside of marriage, one of God's rules that depended on God's judgment, was not brought to a court of law and was not sanctioned by organizational prohibition. They simply were brought before the boards of their respective churches and were given absolution and both were allowed to return to their pastoral duties. It now appears that where the law of the land is concerned that judgment and punishment is relegated to the civil courts. The churches now feel that when the God's laws do not conflict with the law of the land, then it is a matter between that person and the way that their respective church deals with violations of God's laws. Scouting policy may be attempting to walk a fine line between trying to protect young people and taking part in defending and or teaching God's laws. I personally believe that it cannot do either very well with a prohibition against homosexuals. I understand and appreciate the proactive approach but it denies due process and is making rules that are not against the law of the land. The act may fail to promote good citizenship and duty to God as I understand it. It might be a better approach to protect when it becomes apparent that somebody needs protecting. It might be better to prosecute when an accusation has been made and brought before a civil court. It might be best to allow the churches to teach their ethic and responsibility to God and for each person to follow the dictates of their faith. I t might be best to remain neutral when there are other processes in place and can do it more effectively.

Wheeler, Your time here is appreciated and your knowledge is to be applauded. You may experience some discomfort with those of us that may disagree with you or question some of your posts. Please accept it that we struggle ever so ardently to seek the truth and express it clearly for many varied reasons but mostly for the benefit of our one love of Scouting. Welcome brother Eagle, Fuzzy Bear

An ax is one of the best wood tools that a person could possibly have if that person were to be stranded in the woods with only one tool. There are several qualifiers. The first one is the person needs to have extensive experience in using it properly and safely. The person needs to know how to keep it razor sharp and how to store it properly. It is best if the person is using the ax on a regular basis, so that they are expertly familiar with all aspects of it. An inexperienced person can get the wrong idea about the ax. They generally do not know how to sharpen it or take the time to keep it sharp. Having the time to learn the skills and the patience that it takes to keep an ax sharp are two characteristics that a person should have or be willing to do when learning about the use of the ax. Learning to use the ax properly and safely is never a quick learning process. The person needs supervision and on-going training to learn the skills to be able to achieve the goal of cutting firewood. Vigilance should be the by-word when letting any inexperienced person take an ax to go cut wood. Beginners are often careless and are unable to keep either the goal in mind or hit the mark when given the duty. The person that is using the ax should have a good pair of steel toe boots, a hard hat, safety goggles, and leather gloves. These are the basic considerations for deciding if you should allow a Scout to learn to use and care for an ax. Compare this to teaching a Scout how to use safely and properly the bow saw. OR Compare it to using a good pair of leather gloves to gather fallen wood and breaking it in host of simple ways. This is information that I have learned from on the job experience over a number of years working with Scouts and adults. It is based on one man's limited knowledge only. Given for your consideration, respectfully, FB

Let's see, a group of Scouts standing under the Golden Arches get assistance from the unknown man. Things can really change over the years. It is so nice to know that the Good Turn is still the same. Fuzzy