Gold Winger

I went looking at the UK site and thought Hey! That's not too bad $20 for that spiffy plume but they wanted $16 for shipping. That's pretty steep for postage for such a light item.

"If one's goal is to serve boys, distances shouldn't make any difference." Unfortunately, they do make a difference. At $3 a gallon, many will think twice about blowing $50 in gas just to go to a meeting. However, this discussion wasn't started so that people could stomp their feet and preach about "serving boys." It was started as an interesting commentary about the various sizes of districts. For my part, it never occrurred to me that there would be a district that is larger than Connecticut.

Get the boys seltzer bottles and the next time that he lights up have the boys squirt him and say, "Oh, we thought that you were on fire!"

It might actually work out to be a good thing. Donations may increase. There's no better publicity than a news report of the government stepping on the Boy Scouts.

I find the discussion interesting. It aslo makes me realize that I've been luck to be able to get to a Natinal Scout Shop and the council offices in just a hop and a skip. If it's a two hour drive to get there, you don't say, "Oh, I'll run there and pick up that missing patch this afternoon."

Wow! Mine is maybe five miles by 7 miles and people complain about having to drive to the other end of the district for a meeting. T

"If knots and other awards for your uniform is where your treasure is, then yeh haven't left the youth program yet. You can read LongHaul's documentary about the odd beast known as the Man Scout." I suppose that can be said about all the Wood Badgers out there. They wear their beads, woggles and special neckerchiefs. At the drop of a hat they get up and sing about how they used to be a hamster and a good ol' hamster. I'm sure that the boys look at them and say, "Hey, those Man Scouts are stealing our thunder." Or maybe, just maybe, the boys say, "Hey look, those adults are enjoying themselves. Maybe we should have some fun too."

I know that my Scout shop keeps all of the buttons on returend shirts and gives them out to those who ask.

Because today's sash is a different color. "while I appreciate your passion for the red beret there is not enough panache in the world to pull that look off today, "DORK ALERT", lol." I guess that's why the 82nd Airborne wears them. Yeah, that's the ticket. They're dorks. I wear my beret from time to time. Young guys say, "Cool!"

"I have to agree with others who stated that it is the SM responsibility to see that Scouts with PORs are doing what is expected of them." I guess that it is too much to expect that a Scout would say, "Now that I'm quartermaster, what am I supposed to do?" Nah, wouldn't happen in today's world.

From my 1936 Handbook for Boys To obtain a Merit Badge for Stalking a Scout mus: 1: Demonsrate by means of astalking game or otherwise ability to stalk skillfully in shelter and wind, etc., showing how to proceed noiselessly and freeze when occassion demands. 2. Konw and recognize the tracks of teb different kinds of animals or birds in his vicinity, three of which may be domestic. 3. Submit satisfactory evidence that he had trailed tow different kinds of wild animals or birds on ordinary ground far enough to determine the direction in which they wer going, and thei gai or speed. Give names of animals or birds trailed, their direction of trvel, and describe gait or speed; or submint satisfoactory evidence that he has trailed six differnt kinds of wild animals or birds in snow, and, dust or mud, far enought to determine the direction they were going and their gait or speed. Give name of animals or bireds, their direction of travel and describe gait or speed. 4. Submit satisfactory evidence that he has tracked a human being an deduced from the trail whether it a man or woman, young or old, the gait or speed, and also give any other information deduced. 5. Submit evidence that he has scored at least 30 points from the following groups: [Group (f) and 4 of the 5 groups (a), (b), ©, (d), (e) must be represented in the score of 30 and at least 7 poiits must be scored from (a), (b), or ©] Make clear photographs of: (a) Live bird away from nest . . . . . . . . . 4 points each (b) Live woodchuck or smaller wild animal. . . 3 points each © Live wild animal larger than woodchuck . . 4 points each (d) live bird on nest. . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 points each (e) Track of live wild animal or bird. . . . . 3 points each and (f) Make satisfactory plaster cast of wild animal or bird tracks with identification imprint on back of cast . . . . 2 points each

I'd suggest that you do routines and chorus scenes with footwork impeccable. :-)

A BOR is not a rubber stamp interview. One of the purposes of the BOR is to determine if the requirements were indeed met by the Scout. If a Scout is signed off for having cooked for his patrol and you determine that he didn't cook but the Troop Guide signed off because it was cold and dark then you withhold advancement at that time. The same should be true for a POR. If you know that he didn't do the job then he shouldn't advance. If National has another view it is for the same reason that they define "active" as "registered." $$$.

" likely would find a zipper that lands above the knee very uncomfortable while sitting down." I didn't care for most zip-off pants but the switch-backs are pretty nice. Others that I tried had zippers that bounced on my thighs in an uncomfortable way. The Switchbacks didn't bother me in the least. I know that young people aren't bothered by wearing their crothc down by their knees and like "shorts" that are more like gauchos. However, I find that shorts that don't end at least a couple inches above my kness to be bothersome. " Either that or it was an idea to avoid raising the annual registration fee to $50. I can't remember which." Since no part of the registration fee goes to council, it couldn't be that.

Okay, Texas was the only country that became a state. Hawaii had their monarchy overthrown, became a territory and then became a state. How's that?

I was told that it only up to your lodge. I tried to get permission for a Scout to do his ordeal at an out of council summer camp. The second lodge said, "Sure. Fine." Our lodge said, "nope."

If you are concerned about the re-election/nomination, you can look for another chapter or lodge that is having a late fall Ordeal.

The knots aren't important, what they represent is important. I read the Man Scout thing and all of that has very little bearing on whether or knot (pun) you should wear your awards. I wear mine. A friend who has been Scouting for nearly 50 years wears all that he has earned which is only about 12 or 13. He's the last that you'd call a "Man Scout." Wear your knots. Be proud of what they represent. Then again, don't wear the knots and have the warm and fuzzy feeling because you accomplished what they represent. It is up to you. I knew a Medal of Honor winner who carried his medal with him whenever he would be in a large group of people. Why? As he said, people liked to see it. Wearing your awards isn't just for you. Like the mentor pin that someone else brought up in another thread, you wear them for others. The folks that put you up for the award like to see it. What awards mean the most to me? One was a little thing that an ASM presented at our annual dinner. The Scouts gave me a standing ovation, only the second one that I know of for an adult. That ovation means a lot. What else means a lot to me? My Philmont patch and the crew chief shaking my hand atop Baldy saying, "You made it and I didn't that that you would." I can't wear the ovation or the handshake but I'll wear my knots. I will say that I'm amazed that you're up for the DAM. Where I'm from the unwritten rule is that you have to be involved in district activities for three years before you'll even be considered.

Back in my son's Cub Scouting days, I wore my parent pins on a neckerchief slide.

I offer http://www.cvc-bsa.org/advancement/bsAdvancementFAQ.html#posResp "The decision also said, 'The issue of whether their service is satisfactory is resolved at the local board of review for that rank. Therefore, a boy who was in the position of Scribe for six months from Life to Eagle had fulfilled that requirement. That does not necessarily mean that he will pass his board of review, because if his service was not satisfactory, he could be turned down at the board of review.' " As someone once said on this forum, I'll take what a council says on their web site over what anyone else has to say.(This message has been edited by Gold Winger)

It all comes down to every parent thinking that their kid is special. But if everyone is special, no one is special. In olden days, the handbook said that the Scoutmaster will contact your teachers, pastor and parents to see if you had Scout Spirit. Can you imagine that happening today? I've had parents tell me that their son's suspension from school for theft shouldn't have any impact on advancement because it happened outside of Scouting. Too often we just advance kids because it is the easy thing to do. The SM signs off on Scout Spirit because he is afraid to not do so. The BOR has nothing to go on to prevent advancement. So the kid becomes Eagle. Not long ago, I found something on a Michigan council's website that explained that National holds that if a Scout doesn't do his job, the BOR can withhold advancement. I wish this decision was more widely publicized.

You're right, most have not heard of the New Living Translation of the Bible but I don't think that burial mounds are covered in it.

If they really want to go with a subdued look, they need to get rid of the CSPs and OA flaps. Bring back community strips in colors to match the numbers. Get rid of the big colorful position patches as well. Go back to what they used ot have, a small piece of fabric with just the symbol on it.

" Its childish for Gold Winger to engage in petty name-calling." Hey! My name calling is never petty.

Oh, I read that but my point still stands. I can't think of anything urgent enough for me to want to call the Chief Scout Executive. Maybe if I was on a national committee. Or maybe if I wanted to let him know that I felt strongly about have homosexual athiests involved in BSA.