Gold Winger

What would that movie be like if made today? Lem would have to be cast as an idiot because in too many movies and TV shows revolving around kids today the adults are idiots, especially the men. So maybe Lem would be a woman, possibly a woman with a secret "life companion." The ASM would probably be lurking around trying to catch glimpses of either Lem (the woman) or the boys in the shower. Someone would come out of the closet. Someone would knock-up his girl friend. There would have to be at least one abusive parent. Oh yeah, there would have to be a steamy sex scene.

Lem, you have a few valid points but you're missing the mark elsewhere. You don't know what sort of Training Lem in the movie would have had to have taken. Lem taking training wouldn't have been good cinema. 99%, okay, let's 95% of the problems with Boy Scouts today are reflected elsewhere in society. Failure? No one is allowed to fail today. At some schools, if you get an F as a final grade, they record it as an incomplete. Not make the team? Nooooo, everyone makes the team today. In Scouting that's reflected as "what do you mean you expect my son to pitch a tent? He's only 1

They used to make the campaign hats in different ovals to fit different head but that's gone by the wayside. I have a few good hats, my campaign hat, a couple Stetson, a nice Panama. Steam is the secret to getting a hat to fit properly, either that or wear it for a long time in hot weather. Shellac is used on Stetsons to make them stiff, steam will soften it. Put a big pot of water on the stove to boil. Walk away and it will be boiling, stay in the kitchen and it never will. Next, hold your hat rightside up over the steam, to catch the steam in the hat. The felt will soften

Nah BeeDubya, we all thought that it was a documentary, kinda like an early Michael Moore film.

I'm not a fan of the Kyoto treaty because it penalizes us who have actually been doing something to clean up the air and water. However, the fact that glaciers that are millenaia old are disappearing and the ice caps are shrinking does say that there is a problem. The biggest problem is cost of fixing the problem. We took decades to get into this mess and we can't fix it over night. Electric cars? I'd love to have an electric car but I can't afford to scrap my Detroit iron to buy one right now. Waste water? There are systems out there to capture water from shower drains and use

"Is America making Lems and Whiteys anymore? I think yes. America always has. Just like it continues to make boys in the mold of Johnny Tremains and Huck Finns and Sergeant Yorks Jeff" Nah, don't think so. I don't see kids adventuing on their own anymore, even if it is just exploring the woods behind their house. No more rafting down the river. No exploring caves. It's all video games, play dates, and soccer (bleh!) leagues. Much of Scouting maybe a bunch of middle aged guys with dutch ovens but what is it that boys want today? Adventure? Excitement? Exploration? Nah.

"yet feel its OK to modify the BSA uniform? Why is that?" Could be a couple things. 1) They're ex-military and they know that the Army was has to be the right way. 2) It doesn't matter if you modify the BSA uniform because it is only Scouts and not something important like sports.

"He only deals with Navy & Marines." What do you think that Gunny is?

Unit flags designs are fixed in design by BSA rules. The rules are in the back of the insignia guide. For descriptions go to http://www.scouting.org/media/insigniaguide/11.aspx The order form is at http://www.scoutstuff.org/BSASupply/images/pdfs/70-381.pdf

Don't you now have an obligation to report these illegal orders to Mark Harmon? :-)

I had one Alps pack, I forget the name but it didn't adjust to my size so I went looking for another. I went to the local outfitter and tried the Denali and the Cascade. I thought that I'd live the Denali because I'm a pockets guy too. I really didn't care for the way the pockets stuck out and there was something else about the pack that scratched it off my list. The Cascade worked fine for me. The two pockets on the front are large enough to hold my meds, my snacks, my ditty bag of spare batteries, sewing kit and first aid. Into the top pocket went my rain suit, cup and spoon, zip

Stand by for a lecture of Scouting procedures. There is no voting on appointments in a Scout unit. The Committee Chair is selected by the Charter Org Rep and everyone else serves at their pleasure. If there are severe issues with one of the adults, that really needs to be addressed by the Committee Chair and if the CC is willing to do it, the Unit Commissioner and the COR should be brought into the loop. Most of us do our fair share of gossiping (Eamonn and BeeDubya excepted) but when it interferes with the running of the unit, something has to be done. If you have someo

Different issues. First class is about basic skills.

I wasn't there but "Like I'm gonna stab you?" would be a dismissive statement, one that indicates that stabbing him could only be the act of a moron. For the other issue, bring it up to the mother first. Make it clear that if this continues, her son will be welcome to find a new den. Nothing says that we have to accept all comers. Nothing says that in our efforts to save one boy we should ruin the experience for the other boys. We aren't there to save everyone, we're there to help those who want to be part of the program.

There's a reason that historically mothers took care of the children, they're better qualified.

Unusual but legal. :-)

There would be two reasons that a Scout would think that the swim test is stupid: he's such a good swimmer that it is inconcievable to him that anyone else might not swim well or he can't swim well and is embarassed by it.

Gunny, it doesn't imply anyhing, it states explicitly that people in uniform (which would include the Scouts) should not say the pledge. Can they? Yes. Should they? No. The difference? Can I dance a jig on I-270 during rush hour? Yes. Should I? No. The Congress of these United States decided that people in uniform, should not say the pledge unless they are out of uniform. Who are we to second guess them and disobey that law? Who is a person in a uniform? I'd hazard a guess that since it is a federal law, the uniforms in question would be federally mandated uniforms such

That movie was set back in the days when Scout was SCOUTING. Common sense ruled, continual supervision was not considered a good thing.

At Philmont last year I saw a bus from a Pittsburgh troop. I know of a few troops that are chartered by churches that use the church bus.

All the belt loops are silly. They're just recognition for doing things that kids used to do on their own.

No formal badge that I know of but "Polar Bear" patches are available at many Scout shops. I don't know who came up with the requirements but we used the guideline that if it went below freezing at night, you got the Polar Bear.

You're right, it isn't the fault of the kids. It is the fault of the whole village. Even moms who don't need to work, work for personal satisfaction and leave their children in daycare which isn't a good environment for exploring boundaries. Parents use the TV as a baby sitter. Video games have little or no restrictions on them. Play dates. Years back my son was asked to come over to a friend's house from 1 to 3 PM. Why the restrictions? Because another friend was coming over for the 3-5 slot and he couldn't have two friends there at once. A friend told me that her d

Well said Mr. Rowe. Of course, when I said similar things to my son my wife smacked me with a frying pan and said that I was being negative as well as not being supportive.

Gunny, here's the quote from the flag code: TITLE 4, CHAPTER 1 4. Pledge of allegiance to the flag; manner of delivery . . . When not in uniform men should remove any non-religious headdress with their right hand and hold it at the left shoulder, the hand being over the heart. Persons in uniform should remain silent, face the flag, and render the military salute. Since the Scouting uniform is recognized by the US Code as a uniform, we should simply face the flag and salute.