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

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 doi

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 e

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

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

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 an

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 do

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 all

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 alignm

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

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, m

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 tha

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-s

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

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 use

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 pe

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

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 pre

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 the