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gwd-scouter

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Everything posted by gwd-scouter

  1. I remember a while back the issue of youth protection and email/facebook came up. Seems more people at the time thought it was important to cc the boys' parents when emailing them. I may not be remembering correctly, though. Everyone on in our troop, boys and adults, know that I don't text or use a cell phone. Call me at home in the evenings or at work during the day and leave a message, but if you want a quick reply - email me. Works really well with adults. I don't have emails for most of the younger guys. Doesn't matter anyway since they are supposed to be talking to their patrol lead
  2. Senator Mitch McConnell speaking on the senate floor during the healthcare debate this morning says that the American people don't want this bill and passing it would be an act of arrogance. OK, maybe. Why then is it not an act of arrogance to go against the voice of the American people who by majority want us out of Afghanistan? Just curious.
  3. Hey Pack: several homes in my town fly their flags the same way, while others only fly the confederate flag. In regard to the original post, I wouldn't say a thing to the Dad. If everyone is asked to stand at the beginning of the meeting and he chooses to remain seated, that's his choice.
  4. Buffalo Skipper: I have one of those scouts. For four years, he's been the guy that always knows everything, he's always right, nothing anyone can say will mean anything to him. Sadly, his mother backs him up on it. Any time I've counseled him on his behavior, I've received an angry call from his mother. She's threatened to transfer him to another troop so many times I should have just handed her an application, his records, and said good luck long ago. He was our SPL last year. He wasn't elected, but the SPL that was elected chose him as his ASPL. SPL had to step down from the job becaus
  5. Note to Beavah: I'm not at all burned out on this. I love being a SM. If my health improves, which is doubtful, I'd continue on. My time as a SM reminds me a lot of when personal computers first came out and the company I worked for back in the early 80s plopped one on my desk along with the manuals for DOS and Lotus. "Oh, yeah, this stuff is easy," I thought at the time. Realizing I'm being a bit big-headed here, it's so fun to stumble into something you're good at.
  6. In reply, yes, not doing his SM conference since I'm his Mom is a self-imposed rule. Don't want any appearance of favoritism. Our former SM who serves on our Committee just to help with Boards of Review did his SM Conference for Eagle. Yeah, I guess palms are somewhat anticlimactic after earning Eagle. Older son earned a silver palm and who knows where the pin is.
  7. Younger son Patrick earned Eagle last June. He has enough merit badges for gold palm, yet he still hasn't asked for a SM Conference for his bronze. Since, as his SM and Mom I can't do his SM Conference, I asked him about it and if he'd like me to find someone else to do it. He said "nah, I'm busy right now being SPL. And, you know, with band and school and all..." Then he said, "I'll just wait till after the summer working at camp and next year I'll work on getting the palms signed off." You know, it's never been about the advancement for him, so I guess this just goes with who he is
  8. EagerLeader - I'm with you on the back pleats. Would love to know how you stitched them down and made darts.
  9. Hi guys. Thanks for the kind posts. sst3rd, I'm very sorry that happened to your troop. It's always amazing to me how one bad apple can spoil the whole bunch. Sorry, I know that's a cliche. For me, I see some a few good possibilities among our ASMs. Each has his own strengths and weaknesses. Hah, listen to me, acting like I know it all!! One man is very organized and totally gets the boy-led concept. Problem is, he may get it a bit too much and boy led into the ground could result. He is the biggest supporter of the way our troop is run and tells others about how our Troop really fol
  10. Hey pack, I'm always up before the birds. How about Monday or Tuesday next week?
  11. Into my sixth year as SM for our Troop. Amazing things have happened over that time. Good recruitment - grew from nine scouts to twenty-four last spring. Unfortunately, we've lost two of those guys and another is on the fence. Not very active boys physically and/or don't want to be away from home, and they have been struggling even on an easy car camping trip. It happens. Great new leaders, committee fully functional and trained, fantastic junior leaders training the next generation, and patrol method in full force. Time for me to go. I've been dealing with health issues for several
  12. Still here, still reading the posts. Just don't have anything to add.
  13. Oh yeah, we need another reality show. Imagine the possibilities.
  14. I thought this was interesting: While the Republicans like to show the stack and talk about how many pages the Senate health care bill is, I just found out the prescription drug benefit plan that the Republicans narrowly passed in 2003 was a bit over 1,000 pages. That bill didn't cover nearly as much as this bill does. It seems nothing can be done in Congress without a great big bill.
  15. One could hope LisaBob. Don't think it will happen, though.
  16. Yes, Landrieu set the record straight, from her own mouth, on the Senate floor, that the state was receiving $300 million and not the $100 million that was being reported on the news. She also stated the reason, clearly and accurately. Talk about open and transparent. She may be voted out of office for voting to proceed with debate on the bill or if ultimately she votes for passage, but I do admire her honesty yesterday.
  17. Oak Tree - good research and analysis. One thing, though. The US does not develop and adopt new treatments or medications to market faster than most other developed countries. In fact, our FDA approval process makes ours a much slower country in that regard, especially for new pharmaceuticals. And, sadly, our brand name prescription medications cost far more than they do in other countries - for the exact same medications.
  18. Interesting observation Hal. Scouts in our Troop that have worked at camp are also much more conscientious about their uniforming.
  19. I don't know about the WHO statistics, Hal. I read that the criteria used in different countries to measure mortality rates and other stats are not necessarily the same as ours. Have to do some more research for myself on that one. When Blanche Lincoln was speaking and stated that she had decided to vote yes to proceed to debate, she said it was because she had to consider her constituents - ALL of her constituents - and owed it to them to continue the process, suggest amendments and changes to improve the bill, and see the business finished. Lamar Alexander, John McCain and others a
  20. In one of the most intelligent, articulate, non-partisan speeches I've heard so far, Blanche Lincoln just stated she would vote yes tonight to proceed to debate.
  21. I've been spending the evening watching the Senate "debate" over the health care bill. Not a debate really, Republicans trot out their doom and gloom for an hour and then the Democrats sing Happy Days are Here Again for their hour. Back and forth. Somewhere in the middle I believe the truth lies. I've actually tried to read the thing, from the House bill to the current Senate bill. I've watched the committee hearings, listened to floor speeches from both Congressman and Senators (both sides). Unfortunately, I do not possess the intelligence to make sense of it. So, tomorrow night th
  22. My dog, Ginger, has been on several campouts with us. She loves it and the boys do too. It's not a regular thing though, only if our dog sitting has fallen through and we have no choice but to bring her or stay home.
  23. Hey Schiff - I "stand" corrected. Having raised two sons I did indeed help them learn to pee standing up. You're correct of course that when it came to writing their names in the snow, that was Dad's department. Thanks for the chuckle.
  24. Well, yes, I can see your point that it is inconsistent to have female leaders but not female members in a Boy Scout Troop or Cub Scout Pack. True, you're not speaking for the "old guard" jsummerlin, but using your own words you are speaking from the "older crowd." Your first argument was more about men training boys to be men, not the inconsistency of female leaders but no female scouts. In any case, there are girl members in the BSA - Explorers, Venturing - which are both parts of the BOY Scouts of America. I suppose at some point in time BSA will be open to girl members in Cubs and Boy
  25. Let's see, back in the old days is was assumed that women would be Den Mothers. Men need not apply. Don't think there was any amount of angst over that. While there may have been some, I doubt there were very many cries of "unfair, women can be Den Mothers but girls can't join." I think it was some time in the 1980s that women were allowed to be Cubmasters and probably around the same time all adult leadership positions were made available to women. There will likely always be folks that think women do not belong in Boy Scout leadership. For the past sixteen years that I've been a Scouter
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