Gold Winger

"Lost is the time when kids hung out at a neighbors place as he worked on a project and the kid watched and asked questions about what was being done and why. Sometimes it still happens. My oldest spent many hours at a neighbor's watching and helping him build an airplane." Years ago, I took a car apart in the parking lot of my townhouse. When I say "took apart" I mean it. When I was done, the only things that were still together were the body, the engine blcok and the wheels. The only reason that the wheels stayed on it was that a friend was going to tow it away. When I started the project, I expected that the boys in my neighborhood would gather around and watch or offer to help as I used to with my neighbors. Not a one stopped by. They were too intent on their GameBoys to pay attention to what I was doing.

"Yah, yah, in da BSA program, the first way is permitted but not really encouraged, even though it's very common" I don't know where you get the idea that it isn't encourgaged, that's the standard summer camp model. I think that your second method is limited in scope, at least in the troop arena, because only a few merit badges could be covered. Hiking, backpacking, swimming, camping, and a few more. Pet care? Sports?

All I know is that I get in trouble every time that we're camping and I catch a squirrel then try to sacrifice it and make a burned offering. :-(

It's not really self editing when the Bureau of Standards and Practices yells at you for pointing out that someone who sets themself up as a standard of knowledge is incorrect. Of course that same person never gets "edited" when he makes pointedly barbed comments. Thank you, Ed. Many people mistakenly believe that "two deep" applies to meetings but the G2SS is mute on that.

(Message sent back to originator for self-editing) (This message has been edited by a staff member.)

"By the way- another scoutmaster told me that John McCain didn't actually ude Morse ode in the VC prison. Do you know what code he used to communicate to his prison mates if not Morse?" It was an old code developed in the Civil War. You draw a 5x5 matrix and fill it with the letters. There's one that gets omitted but I don't recall which one. Apparently, the fellow who remembered the code didn't remember it clearly and they did it "backwards" but it still worked. 1 2 3 4 5 1 A B C D E 2 F G H I J 3 K L M N O 4 P R S T U 5 V w X Y Z A would be 1.1 B would be 2.1 So apple would be 1.1 4.1 4.1 3.2 1.5 Back in 76 or 77 I met a fellow, Col. Ben Pollard, who spent a few years in Hanoi http://www.pownetwork.org/bios/p/p088.htm He told us about the code, log tables, trig tables and designed a jet plane using toilet paper for notes and tapping on the walls. When asked his opinion of Jane Fonda, he used the word that Dan Akroyd used with another Jane which is now banned on this forum.

"yes Darth vadar and some storm troopers are coming http://www.501st.com/)," Sorry, that's even stranger than a bunch of overweight middle aged guys re-fighting WW II.

" Rockwells vision of scouting is the visual image of my vision of scouting." Rockwell captured the reality of his time. Alas, that time is long gone. Hatchet? Why? Following LNT you don't chop trees or saplings down. In any case, a hatchet is like the poo shovel, you only need one.

"If the Scouts enjoyed a campout learning Morse Code using Myer Flags (the precursor to semaphore)" If by Myer Flags you mean wig-wag, that wasn't the precursor to semaphore. Semaphore was around long before that in various forms. Semaphore towers were built in Europe in the late 1700s and navies started using semaphore with flags in the early 1800s.(This message has been edited by gold winger)

Try this link http://www.vfw.org/index.cfm?fa=cmty.leveld&did=2477

Bob, from reading your posts, I get the impression of a zealot. Whatever comes from Texas has to be right and if we deign to criticize what is coming from Texas, we are disloyal and bad.

Bob, this is what is called a 'wild idea' One that may be difficult or nearly impossible to implement but entertaining to discuss. Sometimes wild ideas bear fruit such as the United States or microwave pizza. Actually, some countries a similar idea going with their competing Scouting organizations. If you don't like group A, you can join group B. The big problem with implementing it now in America is that BSA has too much inertia.

"This half-staff usage seems like a fine use of judgement to me. (And actually, the state governors can also legally order the flag to half-staff in their own state.)" I stand corrected but I don't call it "fine judgement." "And I'm not sure where you got the idea that Pappy is a stickler for this type of rule." That was sarcasm. "Gold Winger, out of all that Pappy's posted, that's the item that caught your attention? Wow." Tthat's the only part that required comment.

For my part, I prefer to just toss the flag on the fire and watch in silence whilst it burns. Others prefer to do dramatic things like cut the flag into pieces so it is "no longer a flag" before they burn it. Or hold the flag open above the fire until it catches and then drop it onto the flames. If you can get ahold of a phaser, it might be cool to just disintegrate a pile. In silence, of course.

Sniping? You guys haven't seen sniping. "F-Scouter since becoming a moderator has done this on several other occassions, he is kind of a Bob White protector so watch out guys cuz it will happen to you too." It is that way in the real world too. There are always those who can do and say what they what and they are protected but others who act the same way will be hung in effigy. Chris Rock and Michael Richards come to mind.

Very nice Pappy but as a stickler for the Rules, you should know that on the President of the United States can order the national flag flown at half mast. So, despite your good intentions, you instructed your Scouts to break the law. Are you setting a good example?

Most commedians are rude. Think about it.

Thank you but isn't it considered rude to tell someone else that they are being rude. Food for thought.

Why rush them? If you give up that three month window of summer, they might not make Eagle at 14.

Congresscritters? That's a rather rude way of referring to our elected officials. Why is the anti-rudeness police jumping to their defense? Hmmmmmm . . . I smell a conspiracy.

The moderators have taken to deleting my posts. Evidently, others such as Viki can cast stones my way but I am to be held to different set of standards. After posts start vanishing, the next step that moderators usually take is to lock out people. I expect that to happen soon. In fact, I doubt if this post will live to see the dawn. 'Bye now.

"If I'm your neighbor, and someone I don't know is breaking into your home, I don't have suspicion of a crime. I'm witnessing a crime." You can't say that you are witnessing a crime, you can only say that you might be witnessing a crime because you have no way of know if that person has permission to be breaking in.

" Similarly, the distinctive BSA red, white, and blue fleur de lis used in conjuction with Scouting is a registered trademark of BSA." Actually, the fleur de lys is one of the few scouting related symbols that BSA hasn't trademarked.

I'd like to see them get rid of the whole "Cross Over" as a gaggle thing and go back to the strict age of 11 for joining Boy Scouts. Sure some kids might miss out on Summer camp but what are they missing except for the chance to do some watered down merit badges and getting rushed through requirements for First Class. On or after your 11th birthday, the Scoutmaster could come to your pack meeting and call you out of the meeting and intone, "You're eleven now. Your time with Cub Scouts has ended. Are you ready to take on the challenge of being a Boy Scout?" If a Scout turns 11 during the Summer, he could wait until the first pack meeting for his call out or it could happen at the Pack Summer picnic or even another pack summer outing. How cool would it be to be plucked from the crowd at the zoo! Or he might just want to put it all behind him and run off to Boy Scouts.

" I hope it's in good fun, and isn't really implyin' that folks who do legal work or offer that kind of insight should be devalued or dismissed, eh?" Why not?