Gold Winger

I can't find my current OA handbook but my old one says, "The Arrow sash is worn only at Order of the Arrow functions. It is not to be worn at troop meetings or other Scout functions unless specifically requested by the lodge chief in cases where members should be indentified as rendering special service."

What he said.

Where did you find them? The pendant has a Saguaro cactus on it which would imply a connection with southern Arizona. None are overly Boy Scout items but that doesn't mean that a local troop didn't give them out to Scouts way back when.

My son wore his first six merit badges on his sleeve.

You must not shop at good stores, BeeDub.

They're so cute and cuddly, why wouldn't you want to pet them? Heck, if you come across bear cubs in the wild, you just pick them up and hug them, don't you?

" He understands they're teens, and often have what Rush describes as "minds full of mush."" They only have minds full of mush because we accept it. Not that long ago in human history, teen aged young men got married, started families, ran farms, worked in mines, and went off to war. Over the past century, mostly in the last 30 years, it has become expected that teens are have minds full of mush and we tolerate it. We let them pilot 2,000 lbs of rolling death on the highways but we think that they are too irresponsible to keep track of papers. We let them go off on spring break vacations in foreign countries but they are not aware enough to be able to fill out a college application without parental intervention, if not the parent doing it for them. Sex? Drinking? Drugs? Oh, they are old enough to make their own choices. Schoolwork? Paperwork? Hey! They're just kids, don't expect too much. Make a choice, it's one way or the other.

FScouter, astoundingly I agree with you on this and have thought so for many years. I've long thought that the way merit badges are done at summer camp does not do the whole merit badge concept justice. Get rid of the handicraft merit badges at summer camp. No more leatherwork. No more basketry. Outdoors merit bagdes could stay. Swimming, canoeing, sailing, life saving, hiking, backpacking could stay and be worked into a week long outdoors program. Trail to First Class? Work that into the outdoor program if you really want TTFC.

Part of this is a learning experience for the Scout. This is an important pile of paper so one needs to take care of it. Just like when you drive a car you need to carry your drivers license and insurnance car. Or you need to know where the deed to your home is. Or when your boss asks for a report, you have to be able to produce it. In my tiny mind, this isn't your problem but theirs and they need to be the ones worrying about replacing the book.

"Much as BW is the penultimate pedant, his mantra of "take more training" is useful and reliable" BeeDub is the next to last pedant?

" He has the need for it, but it's going to take a major donor to step up." Who needs a building? All you need is a fly for some shade.

" Lets face it scouting isn't cool in the eyes of the public anymore." I don't know about that. Scouting still seems to be pretty cool with our corporate donors. Scouting still seems to be pretty cool with most of the middle class people that I know outside of Scouting.

BeeDub, when have I ever supported myth and legend? I may think that many of BSA rules are silly but I make it clear what is my opinion about BSA rules and policies and what is written. Unlike you . . .

"The stuff in BSA resources is the distilled wisdom of hundreds of units from all over the country." The stuff in BSA resources is written by hermits living in caves after they come out of their hunger induced trances. It is then passed to acolytes who run through the countryside, preceeded by torch bearers and bell ringers, to tell the faithful what new words of wisdom have come from on high.

"Ummm, Adviser, not Advisor." Hmmmm . . . . Venturing has 'advisors' but the OA has 'advisers.' Wonder why?

You haven't seen anything 'til you've seen 50 Cub Scouts all in ranks, stomping their right feet and bellowing "Ob's strmt oder schneit, ob die Sonne uns lacht!" Quite stirring! Underneath the lamppost, by the barracks gate . . . G'night.

Stosh, Be careful where and when you make comments like that. :-) For the record, I like my knots because I've gotten a 25% pay bump everytime I've received one. One more knot and I'll be able to afford a cool water sandwich.

GB is either "Golden Boy," "Golden Bob," or "Gold Bond."

Daddy-longlegs (Opiliones) - these arachnids make their living by eating decomposing vegetative and animal matter although are opportunist predators if they can get away with it. They do not have venom glands, fangs or any other mechanism for chemically subduing their food. Therefore, they do not have poison and, by the powers of logic, cannot be poisonous from venom. Some have defensive secretions that might be poisonous to small animals if ingested. So, for these daddy-long-legs, the tale is clearly false. From http://spiders.ucr.edu/daddylonglegs.html

I don't care if they are protected by the Federal Government. If they are in my house, they are dying. Except for ladybugs and praying mantises.

"However, the really big problem from my perspective is that I know more about what is in these documents than my son does, and last time I checked, he's the one who is going for Eagle," Welcome to the 21st century version of parenting.

"The notion that PTC is expensive is a misconception held primarily by those who have never been." Expensive is in the wallet of the payer.

http://dragon.sleepdeprived.ca/songbook/songs5/S5_128.htm

In my son's troop, Announcements went Announcements! Announcements! Announcements! What a horrible way to die! What a horrible way to die! What a horibble way to be bored to death! What a horrible way to die! Announcements! Announcements! Announcements! SPEAK FREAK! I always thought that the ending added a bit of class to the song. :-)

Click, click, clack, click, click . . .