Fuzzy Bear

To carefully consider a youth's statement, to counsel with the youth and his parents about what appears to be an open contradiction, is to stay within every tenet that I know about Scouting and about rational behavior. If Scouting was meant for only youth that lived up to or believed in every ideal that Scouting presents, that is when caring adults will no longer be needed and it will be when Scout Executives will find a sharp decline in the numbers of Scouts. Most Scouts that I have dealt with in the past have broken every part of the Law and Oath. I perceived each incident as an opportunity to do my job as a trained leader and responsible citizen. There are actions that I personally deplore from some of the Scouts that I have worked with in the past. I can honestly say that I did not enjoy sitting down with some of the offending parties and with some of parents that defended those actions. But, that is what I perceived as my duty to God and to my Country and to do otherwise would be to act irresponsibly and without courage of conviction. Now, after I have reviewed and understood the personal battle or statement made in front of everybody or the personal belief of no God from that Scout, then it would be my challenge to the young man to rectify his action, apologize for his action, and consider that Scouting is a place that duty to God is fundamental. It will then be up to the Scout to act in a responsible fashion and not for me to show him the door. Or, if I have to bring the young man before a tribunal to depose him, that is when I stop believing and trusting in my skills and my training and in the goodness that I know that is there within him. I have dealt with Scouts and their actions to the point where I will never get the stench out of my nostrils. But, they will get the benefit of doubt in every case and they will be given ample opportunity to act as a Scout in the future or they may choose to go elsewhere but it will be their choice to do so. As long as they decide to stay where hearing about, speaking about, and acting according to the Scout Oath and Law is prominent, then they are welcome. FB

This one was good. I really enjoyed it. It will keep me going all day. Thanks, FB

You are the history of Scouting we want to hear. As you have failed and gained and shared, write. Your advantage is to know in the present tense. Your emotion expresses the depth of your experience, so it must be wonderful! You run in front of your stories, making them all the better. We wait patiently to hear the news. FB

In response to Adarianvs site: " For there is one riddle in that case which cannot easily be cleared up. If it was the man's religion to live as long as he could, why on earth was he enlisting as a soldier?" From the point of view of the outsider, the man is clearly contradictory in his thinking and the outsider is correct. From the point of view of some Protestants, the man is clearly going down and the Protestant is correct. From the point of view of the psychologist, he is clearly irrational and the psychologist is correct. From the point of view of Scouting, he is clearly not doing his duty to God and the Scouter is correct. But, from his point of view, it makes perfect sense. He is not in any immediate danger of hurting himself or others, unless it is wartime and his only desire is to kill or be killed. He may have joined the service to be a cook to serve others or as a physician to heal the wounded for longer life or as a minister to deliver his message to those in need. It is not clear to us his inner battles or personal mission. He is practicing what he believes to be true. His right to be wrong is protected by our Constitution and should be by the rest of us. I have noted that some religions have God giving freedom of thought to humans or the ability to choose. I have even known good fathers that considered youth itself as a field of forgiveness. My concern is only for the careful consideration of each individual's spiritual growth even in the face of clear contradictory evidence. I have known those spiritually blessed that professed belief in the Creator but when times got tough, they shook their fists and cursed their Maker. FB

I never liked the idea of adults earning Scout awards. The inequity was so imbalanced that the word injustice didn't fit. It was a bad idea when it was allowed and the very nature of the idea hasn't changed. But, during those times, there was a difference in the way people viewed Scouting as a kind of a grand scheme of knighthood. People wanted to belong to something so rich and good that they looked beyond what might seem apparent to the disconnected observer of today. The War effort didn't need Scout Badge incentives to motivate people. Scout Badges for helping with the war effort were considered an honor because people truly wanted to help in any way they could. Scout badge acquisition as a motivation to help would have been an insult. The time and circumstances were different. WE were at war and there was a definite enemy and WE stood together. I hope that we never return to the time when adults earn "boy" badges but the wish of a person to be part of a grand scheme of knighthood is a goal worth reconsidering. I hope that we never have another great war just to bring us all together but I do hope that we realize a time when Scout awards are an honor and not an incentive. FB

I would first encourage a careful discussion with the young man about his beliefs. I would then request a similar discussion with him and his parents. It is possible for a young man to be an atheist as an outward expression of an inward conflict and yet remain within the boundaries of his religion. Attempting to realign a person's beliefs with an exterior rule may be viewed as a denial of one's chosen religion and that would create quite a different argument. It is important to address this issue but it could be considered part of the person's religious growth, so care should be exercised in the discovery process. I have had experience with this issue and the nuances are enough to make a grown person beg for soccer. FB

Your son is most likely welcome to attend. Call your Unit Commissioner to ask her/his opinion. If you do not have a Unit Commissioner, then call the local Scout Executive and ask her/his opinion. If you are still in doubt, go on the day of the event and act ignorant. Somebody will generally take pity. I would also suggest that you take any one of the hundred or so merit badges and try to get one that is compatible with an interest your son has or approximate his interest. Find a merit badge counselor that teaches that subject and visit with that person. If the person is interesting or has a good approach, then use any one of a parent's sly tactics to get your son to call for an appointment. Merit badges are fun and informative. They emphasize doing but with a reading element attached. If your son doesn't or can't read, then get an audio recorder and read it to him on a tape. If you still can't get his attention for a dry listening experience and he prefers the visual aspects of learning, then use a video tape recorder to enhance it. Put on a funny hat, use back ground music, use queue cards. Get a friend to tape you and make an afternoon of it. Visit different places for background effects. You can be the movie star or if you are timid, your friend may be just the ticket. Also, you can put on a costume and assume a new identity, one that is no longer timid but outgoing. Learning is fun for all. The merit badge program is the best thing since canned chili on a hot dog! Your son will forever appreciate your interest in helping him go forward with his program and he will have the evidence to prove it. Years from now, he will use these same films to teach his sons and daughters about Gma's funny side. You may also find the true meaning of life but then that is another story. FB

There was an earlier thread on this with a link to BL to get the indexes. I can't remember now which one but use the search link here to find it. Out of curiosity, what years do you have? If you only have twenty years worth, I would be tempted to do a personal search for 'good' items and copy them. The paper quality is not good and the magazines will most likely not remain in good shape for long if not handled and stored carefully. If you feel that you do not have the time, I would tap a committee person that may have the time to do it. You may want to bookmark the GBB and the Whittlin' Jim items especially for copying. Any Scout that will store,handle, or copy the magazines should be trained on the procedures to care for them. It is not rocket science and they are not gold but a little care goes a long way for the time when they will be worth something on ebay. Your Good Turn idea for helping Scouts to find quality material is to be commended. FB

Ask each past SM to relate three favorite stories about their time in the Troop. Make sure to tell them to keep it short. Have the Historian cover the stories with a video camera. Tell the SM's that the Troop Historian would like to tape the longer versions and other stories after the meeting and/or at a different date, if there are several leaders. If a leader has driven a considerable distance, then their stories might have priority after the meeting. Arrange with the others to get an oral history on tape later. Many times current leaders know these guys but dont want to intrude and dont arrange to take the time to get the history recorded. Troop history has a way of being current, shallow, and without the enrichment that time offers. This is an opportunity to gather several well developed stories that might, at the minimum, be used for an evening story time. There are lots of ways to use Troop history. Most people don't realize that while you are in the present, it doesn't seem so important or if it is important, nobody is there to record it. Later, the experiences lie dormant and always disappear. Fuzzy Bear

You may have found the boundary of your enthusiastic Den dues program. It certainly is a good idea but with such amounts, there is a temptation for some to not come forward with full payment when there are money problems at home. Den and Pack leaders have been taken to task for the amounts that you are saying was not turned in. I have witnessed the punishment and in both cases, it was expulsion from the program. Since responsibility is the key, you may want to find who is responsible. Most likely it is the parents but then it could be the young man. A home visit will reveal allot of background information fairly quickly. Take another leader with you for the visit. If you find yourself in the middle of a strange interaction, leave and contact the Scout Executive in your area. Most likely you will not get your money back. You may also alienate the parents by even an indirect accusation and the Scout will not be allowed to return. Money programs can create unintended problems. It can also be helpful in training Scouts early in salesmanship, thrift, budgeting, and taking responsibility. I caution you about listening to what is said here. Read and then sit down with a trusted leader and review your plan of action. Sometimes being close to the problem makes a difference. Also, someone else may know the family and have an insight that might work. I know that it is a terrible situation but to ignore it, may cause other problems more difficult to solve. FB

As developed as both of the sites were, I would predict many others are available. I collect Scout paper and books but these Honor Societies are not represented in any of my literature. It does not mean that there is not any paper for these societies. Most likely, I have missed opportunities to acquire it. I have heard of these Societies since the fifties. A Scouter told me of one group that wore their hats low over their eyes to indicate affiliation and to hide some type of mark worn on the forehead. He said that the groups were hard to clear out for the new OA/National alignment because of the sacred oaths of allegiance taken by the members. I was told that MOS was allowed to continue because there was a large concentration in the Kansas City/St. Louis area and many who were wealthy supporters of Scouting. I have often wondered about these stories and the dual programs of MOS and the OA. FB

Hear is the challenge: The Program Director of beloved Camp Brownsea Island has quit in disgust and embarrassment. The program is struggling because it has been steeped in years of tradition and neglect. Scouters, parents and Scouts have evaluated the program and unanimously said that it has been a virtual merit badge mill with a dining hall attached and they want to close it down and go elsewhere, unless there are drastic changes. Nobody has any idea on how to fix it but your name kept coming up around the Council and National office water coolers and several letters were written on your behalf from prominent members of many communities. The person chairing the board to restructure the camp program is wealthy and wants to assist in any way she can. You are known for your intelligence, creativity, and enthusiasm and everyone is looking to you to fulfill this mission. It is up to you, so write with all of your known attributes. Save the Camp by giving us a great program! (Note: keep it under 600 words) All of us thank you again and again!

I am really glad somebody brought this issue up. I know it is not one of those burning issues but it is one that has stuck with me. A few years ago, I spoke with a Scouting friend and he told me that he had bought a pair of Scout shoes when he was a kid. We talked about those shoes for about an hour. I am not sure what the fascination was all about but there it was and it has stayed with me. In part, Scout shoes were a constant attraction for me as a youth because of the ads in Boys' Life and also occasionally picking up a pair to look at them in the store. For some reason, my interest was the merit badges on the sole. I always wanted to make an imprint in soft sand just to see the badges. I never really wanted a pair because they seemed impractical. I knew I would only wear them to the COHs with my Scouting best. I figured that when I got older and had more money that I would buy a pair then. I got older and missed my opportunity. But, I decided to try and make a neckerchief slide replica of one of the shoes to wear. I got out a piece of wood and copied one of the old ads from my BL collection. A few evenings later, I had one shoe finished. It was one inch wide by two and one half inches long and about three quarters of an inch thick. It was a fair representation but without the merit badges on the bottom. The shoe was too small and my powers of whittling are not that accurate. I guess making a mark in the sand will have to be done some other way. Fuzzy (This message has been edited by Fuzzy Bear)

I belonged to a long standing troop, so I wanted to find out about the history. The local library had news articles on microfiche. It was also a town with a university, so they had a library and I was able to do several searches. I found that in the early part of the century with a smaller town that the Troop's activities were of some note but as the town increased in size, there arose an inverse relationship of importance and fewer articles were written. FOG pointed to the records at the council office. I found that, in the office I visited, they had partial records. It may be that some offices, in general and without casting a critical eye towards any one person or thing, has mixed feelings about being a repository of history, and since it is basically a business with an influx of many professionals over many years. They may be just trying to survive. You might also try to find a connection through any person that was in the troop 'back when'. Many Scouters are a repository of information and have kept vital things in cardboard boxes because they do not consider themselves a business and for good reason. On one pilgrimage to Dallas, I stopped in at the National Office. They do keep records in volumes of books on past and present Eagle Scouts and several other categories. They may have a more extensive history on a database. My visit was during the pre-tech era of just a few years ago but they let me look at what they had. They were very helpful and I will always remember the interest and care that they took with me. Good luck and good hunting, Fuzzy

Pete hits ball off top of outfield fence but walks home with a bucket of money. -Today's Headline Pete will be inducted to the HOF by a majority that sees his credentials as being a good ball player and they will be correct. Pete will make a million off a book that is most likely a short hit to third but he will only hobble to first. This will be done on the grounds that reading the truth in "his" book will somehow set the populace free of so many unanswered questions. Pete will make another bunch on the yak-yak circuit because he has been "caught" in the middle of double-speak and they believe they can figure him out by hearing him spew more of the same. Pete will sign a million baseballs and be paid handsomely by all of the fans who have decided that he is vindicated and should have never been treated so unfairly. Pete will make another bushel of money on the morning yak-yaks trying to explain how he is cured and will most likely sell the cure in the form of another best selling book on how to 'beat the gamble'. He may even find the Lord which would cast him into the big church speaking circuit and, bingo!, another mill. Pete has become an institution, sort of like a company. Buying stock in Pete will most likely pay off. The truth about Pete is simple. Is he a gambler, sure? Did he bet with insider information? Does a bear sit in the woods? Did he make a mill of such methods? If it didnt, shame, shame on poor Pete. What do Scouts get from this? The same as the rest of us: Confusion, frustration, allot of yak-yak and pseudo-science. What can Scouts get from this? Pete is not alone, nor is the ex President or the Enron executives or Rush or any number of other people that believe that lying, bending the truth, making the truth fit their little agenda is acceptable. It hurts the person. It hurts others. It may look glorious because the person is on the stage and is writing books and making bucks but it only makes the person small inside and out. As for the Scouts and the rest of us, knowledge of wrong does not mean that one must do it. The real test of understanding this lesson is that it should motivate us to run as fast as we possibly can from it, allot like Pete did around the bases. FB

Ok, Ok, I realize that my collection must seem strange to others but I get this gut reaction when I read about mess kits being collected or another guy calmly responding with the history of mess kits, as if, it were something that all of us should have knowledge. Actually, I get the same feeling when I see some guy with a shoe box of patches. I really start to wonder about the inmates in this ward, me probably being the worst. We seem to have some kind of obsession after finding one item that reminds us of something out of our past and then we find another and so on. Soon, we proudly point at the cardboard box full of stuff and call it a collection. It is later validated by some other guy that comes along that has been collecting the same things for years. He just happens to have the one item that we have struggled to get and simply hands it over. We are blown over by this act of total disregard for the finer things of life. It may be that he has found twenty of them or has decided that other things are really more important but there it is, at long last, the Holy Grail of Scout collectibles. I started collecting Scout fiction after climbing into an attic and finding a copy of one lousy rat eaten book. It is now over twenty years and I am still looking. I have almost completed one of the world's most foremost group of things anywhere in the western hemisphere, etc. and my wife has every right to dump the whole lot into the river and be done with it. If she did, my life would then somehow lose some cosmic meaning that I have come to rely on. At one time, I thought that I would collect everything that Scouting had to offer. I would make a Scouting museum. Since I had gotten in on the ground floor after only fifty years, how much stuff could possibly be around? That was my question; of course, I answered it by looking at the things in my box. It would be simple and would not take long. I felt that I had a head start. A few people I knew gave me some things either out of pity or as a joke. I still am not sure. After a few years and visiting several Scout Tradeorees and trying to purchase these items, I narrowed my search. It became like one of my whittling sticks that just kept getting sharper. I began to focus and the vision got clearer. I no longer went for the uniforms, patches, canteens, etc. I collected books and a few items that interested me. The books I collected were reduced to specific types and kinds. I now have a mess but no museum. The world may be a better place without my little museum. Scouters from all over will not be bothered with another big ball of twine to look at when on vacation. I have accepted the fact that maybe someday, somebody will let me donate a few items to their museum but somehow I doubt it. Well, that is my story and I am not sure it answers my question. Sometimes when I write in these small boxes, I keep thinking the answer will simply scroll up from the bottom but it never does. So, I have come to rely on the feedback of others to fill in the gaps. Is there someone out there with a good idea what this collecting thing really is and how do you get rid of it? Is it an addiction? "Hello, my name is Bill and I am a collector." It could be a totally self involved conflict without resolution and that only death can cure. It may be an allergic reaction one gets after visiting a Scout Camp one summer during one's youth or a contagious bug that comes from burning your first Dutch oven of biscuits. There may be no cure, so let's describe it in hopes of a brighter tomorrow. I thank each of you in advance for any contribution. Fuzzy

The Master has spoken to our hearts and there was no mistake of what he said. FB(This message has been edited by Fuzzy Bear)

Volunteer: to express one's true self. Fuzzy Bear

Before the answer was given, I thought the answer had to be "Kind" because the Law can only be understood in the light of kindness. If you are to trust or be trusted, it is an inward and an outward act of kindness or it becomes secretive and guarded. If you are to be reverent, then there has to be a genuine kindness shown toward a person's God and Church or it is merely zeal and show. If a person is to be brave, then it must not be foolhardy but an act done with the utmost in giving, which underscores the kindness of a soul. If a Scout is thrifty, then caring how ones finances are to be used is the act of kindness towards one's family, self and others. If a Scout is to be clean, then he has to take into account that it is an act of kindness to himself, his health, and benefits others. Being helpful is kindness in action or it becomes a 'strings attached' act. The other parts of the Law readily fit into this idea of kindness and can be equally treated. Kindness emanates from the spirit of the Law and not the letter of the law. Kindness is spirit by design and validates a person's action and exposes the heart, both to self and others. Fuzzy B. (This message has been edited by Fuzzy Bear)

Hot Dogs? They have gone after Hot Dogs and Hamburgers. Madness. Cow Madness. Mad Cow Madness. What next? Salt, then butter, bread, caffeine, sugar, peanut butter, margarine, onions, potatoes, catsup, mayo, pickles, red meat, fried food, grilled food, desserts, hold the McDonald's, on and on. What is left? Fruit and vegetables and fruit is suspect. Madness. Have a broccoli. It will cancel out years of abuse and neglect. Make sure it is lightly steamed for tenderness and flavor but not enough to cook out the oxidants. If we keep it up, we will become a country of slim people that live until we turn into slime, which of course, should not be consumed. Fuzzy

I asked my wife the other day if a person could actually purchase cow brain or spinal cord at the store for consumption. She said that if a person could buy tongue and intestines, she felt sure the others were on the shelf. The next day I went to work and requested a recipe using brain and spinal cord of cow from my coworkers. Of course, they quickly referred me to the Internet. They said that if a person could get the makings for bombs, then cow brain/cord relish had to be on the menu. I then went to the store and requested a cow brain with a strand of spinal cord because, I wanted to make a special dish that, I felt, would be quite tasty. The butcher asked me if I had gone mad. So, I suppose you can also get it from all of this jabber. FB

Congratulations on reaching a goal that is both worth your time and your effort. I know that those that have assisted you appreciate your words of gratitude. Your new challenge will be do likewise for others. We are happy for you, Brother Eagle! FB

The Troop had bedded down for the night, so I made my last round. We were camped near Scouter's Lookout at our Camporee. I then decided to walk over to the point for one last look. On my way, I vaguely could see the outline of another Scouter standing deep in thought. I hesitated to speak. Knowing him as a friend and much older leader in competing programs, I didn't want him to think me as being rude. Still, I risked offense by speaking of the night and of other small things. He just stood looking at the woods and the valley through the darkness. He didn't turn but knew of my presence and began to speak. His words were direct and to the point. He knew me and what we shared apart and together, somehow. He shared my dreams of Scouting and stated it plainly in his own words. Later, I could only remember the way he spoke and how the words pierced my soul as if someone had drew their bow and repeatedly hit their mark. Tonight, in my mind, I walk to the point and there he is waiting, as I now know he waited for me on that night so many years ago. He has long since left our camp and this life but there he stands for one last look across the trees and valley far below. Fuzzy Bear(This message has been edited by Fuzzy Bear)(This message has been edited by Fuzzy Bear)

FOG Making light of a pluralistic society, the U.S. A. with a constitution to ensure that those differences can remain, is not what I envision from you. Reducing our nation into two camps makes for entertaining dinner conversation and funny political ads but does little to describe the multitude of opinion on any issue. I thought that a conservative would relish the very idea of differences but then I have been wrong on more than one occasion. FB

I don't see any answer coming from any party other than the one conclusion, drawn and quartered. It is similar to a boulder being pushed off a cliff. Most everyone agrees that it will hit bottom and that the most daring intervention will arrive with the same results. I readily admit that I don't have an answer either but I sincerely want one. As far as comparative observation of the cosmos, the same argument in Protagorean Relativity, it would postulate that the individual makes the truth. There are those that would observe and yet deny that anything exists and be telling their truth and be correct. This is an interesting argumentative process that is fun when deciding the answer to the number of angels that could comfortably sit on the head of a pin but may beg to be reconsidered when trying to conclude matters of a physical nature. You may see something else when you look out there but from my point of view, the vastness of the universe instills enough fear to quite the most verbal skeptic inside of me. I also realize that I am a part of it and somehow that is very exciting and satisfying. FB