HerpetologyScout

It takes a lot of faith to believe in science.

No it doesn't. You don't need to "believe" in something that can be conclusively proven, reproduced, and independently verified.

As a Conservative Christian who believes in Creation and a Herpetologist who loves science including evolutionary history, this is how I look at it:

Science is the study of natural phenomena. Supernatural is thus beyond the scope of science.

When looking at things from a scientific viewpoint, it is important to keep any supernatural beliefs out of the study because that would taint the science and make it pseudo-science.

Since science can only answer questions with a hypothesis of how the phenomena happens (or in the case of evolution happened) by natural laws, it can only provide answers restricted to natural laws. That might not be what actually happened, but it is a scientific explanation.

Don't let science taint your religion and don't let religion taint your science.

If you need science to back up your faith, well then you lack faith, just like Thomas did when he needed to put his fingers in the wound. So keep them separate.

How science fits into the creation of this Universe is a question I will have answered when I meet the Creator, if it is something I care about. Until then, only scientific explanations can be considered when investigating something from a scientific viewpoint, and I live knowing that it may not actually be what went down, but it is the (or at least a) scientific viewpoint.

Late to discussion, but with respect to a boy scout working on merit badges while out of town with counselors who are family - I don't have a problem with it, but don't the current regs say that there must be TWO scouts at every meeting with a counselor?

I suppose that could be done if he has a sibling or visits a troop in the area and finds someone to go with him.

I still have an acoustic coupler and a 300 baud modem

I remember those - Dad had one, he used with a terminal to connect to the mainframe at work. Sometimes he would let us play Adventure, Rogue, and Wumpus on it.

and an old computer with a serial port...

I have a relatively new computer with a serial port. I need it to talk to my TI86 and to my Garmin.

-=-

Oh, with respect to cell phones, I think they should be allowed but turned off unless there is an emergency. Sure, I grew up fine without one, but there were phone booths here and there and mom made me carry a dime. Phone booths are currently a candidate for the endangered species list, and the ones that are left - some of them now don't even accept coins anymore, they are credit/calling card only. The unfortunate reality is that a cell phone is a necessary safety tool.

When I go hiking, I carry two. One is primary and one in a zip log bag in case I fall in a river damaging the primary.

Both troops I was in actually seem to be active, though they don't show up in the zip code troop search.

Troop 71 seems to have changed districts (But same council), is that common? Maybe it died and the number was just recycled?

Troop 111 (the last troop I was in) - every year, we did a pancake breakfast for a fundraiser, using a secret recipe that won at some state fair back I think in the 30s.

While searching on-line to try to find out when it died, i came across a newspaper article giving the date and time for the breakfast in 2010 - so they apparently are still alive as well, I don't know why they didn't show up in zip code search.

It would good for district staff to do an audit of what troops they have and make sure the zip code troop finder shows accurate information.

Troop 71 is the troop I was most partial too, very active troop, I value the friends I made and time spent in 111 but I missed backpacking (111 did car camping). So I'm going to make it a Troop 71 uniform. And since it isn't to be worn in public, I'll put my flying banana patrol patch back on (my first patrol) and my Chaplain's Aide patch back on.

With respect to the badges the BSA policy says adults shouldn't wear - I get it, scouts is a program for the youth, public events where a uniform would be worn are for the youth and to honor the dedication of the youth, and are not for adults to relive their youth. I respect that.

But as long as I keep it in my closet and don't wear it, I can have my nostalgia there

Geocaching: Discuss first aid and prevention for the types of injuries or illnesses that could occur while participating in geocaching activities, including cuts, scrapes, snakebite, insect stings, tick bites, exposure to poisonous plants, heat and cold reactions (sunburn, heatstroke, heat exhaustion, hypothermia), and dehydration.

I do not geocache but I have accidentally found several geocaches (initially as a muggle) while looking for Reptiles and Amphibians. Geocachers tend to hide them, and the places they hide them are often homes to rattlesnakes, skunks, bats, etc. so I can understand the emphasis on safety.

Yes, but when you are splashing around inflating your clothes, what do you do with the chicken?

LOL!

I'm glad I wasn't drinking milk when I read that!

-=-

I use to be a lifeguard and in lifeguard training, we had to do it as well, sans training. The scenarios where it actually could come in useful are rare, in most cases when you fall in water fully clothed, you want to strip and get to shore. I could see it being useful if, say, you were taking a fairy ride to commute across a body of water and something happened.

1974 Lemon Yellow VW Super Beetle.

Purchased used.

With respect to recruiting, I did not go through the cub scouts.

I joined my troop because one day I saw them all in uniform with backpacks hiking through my neighborhood. A couple of them I knew. They looked good, it instantly became something I wanted to belong to.

They were hiking to the camporee, and the next year, I was hiking with them to the camporee, and we were the only troop that hiked in.

At the time, it was a very active troop. Every month of the year had an outing and the only outings we didn't backpack in to was summer camp and the yearly snow camp.

Anyway, I just wanted to note what got me to join when I joined. Visibility. I saw a troop doing something as a group and I wanted to belong.

I was from a poor family, the troop provided me with a uniform, scout manual, and loaned me a backpack. The reason they could help me to that extent was because there was very good fundraising in the troop. We did walk-a-thons, paper drives, plastic bottle drives, all of which brought in both money and provided visibility.

If you have a troop having trouble recruiting new members, make sure you are visible to the boys in your area. Many of them, like I was, are likely looking to belong to something. Let them know you are there. Let them belong to you, and not the street gangs that seem to be increasing and spreading.

Boy Scouts should be for boys.

* Hygiene on a 50 miler is a lot easier when only 1 sex is present.

* That age is the age range where hormones rage, to have both sexes together complicates things because they are trying to impress each other, may be shy around the opposite sex, etc. - they deal with that every day at school, church, - scouting is an escape from that.

Cub Scouts I could potentially see as coed but cub scouts is suppose to lead into Boy Scouts, I think it would be unfair to let girls into cub scouts but deny them from advancing.

Aren't there brownie troops the young ladies can be involved in that lead into Girl Scouting?

One of the issues facing modern society is we have more and more of a need for both parents to work, so I can see the attractiveness of both boys and girls having their activities take place at the same time/place, maybe some cooperation with girl scouting would be beneficial to let that happen without needing for either to become coed.

Thanks - I think I'll fix it up - period appropriate patches to replace the worn out ones seem readily available, and just never wear it, just keep it as something by which to remember the good old days (the intent of fixing it up), and then go with a new uniform for any events that call for a uniform to be worn.

Badges of Rank Are for Youth Members

In Scouting, the advancement program is intended for youth members only. Scouters should neither seek awards designed for youth members nor wear them on the Scouter uniform except for square knots �representing the Arrow of Light Award, Eagle Scout Award, Venturing Silver Award, Quartermaster Award, or religious emblems earned as a youth member.

That answers #4

I would like to restore my old 80s era Uniform, even if I never have an opportunity to wear it.

Shirt no longer fits so I'll have to try to find a new one, but anyway, here are my questions:

1) When I was in Troop 71, we had the 25 badge above the troop designation, as the troop had been chartered continuously for 25 years. The troop no longer exists, so I assume it would NOT be appropriate to move that patch to new shirt. Correct?

2) Quality Unit 1987 is on the sleeve under where Patrol Patch goes. I remember back then, each year we had to replace it. Since that was the last year I was in Troop 71, I would like to keep it there, in some respects it was earned because every scout was important in earning that designation. Is there a problem with that?

3) Under Troop Number, I currently have a Quartermaster patch. That obviously needs to go, as I am not a quartermaster and never was of Troop 71 (I was quartermaster of Troop 111). I seem to recall in that era, there was an "Adult Scout" patch that was same style (green with yellow border) that some fathers wore, but I can't find any pictures of it on-line, so my memory may be foggy. Anyone recall that? If it does exist, would it be inappropriate to procure it as the Troop is now defunct and I am not associated with it anymore?

4) Finally, I achieved the rank of Star before I left scouting. I assume I can keep that?

-=-

The Uniform will likely never be worn unless there is a BSofA sanctioned event that others from my old troop are involved in that I attend, but that may happen, hence why I want to make sure I don't violate policy.

Thanks for comments.

My introduction is in the new user thread.

I forgot to mention - I achieved the rank of Star before I left scouting. 10 merit badges, 8 skill awards.

Let me start out by saying I am an adult, 38 years of age.

I do not have a wife or kids, but I was a scout in the 80s.

Originally I joined Troop 71 in the Herms District of the Mount Diablo Council, CA

Later after changing schools, I switched to Troop 111 also in Herms District.

I graduated really early and started taking classes at the local Community College, and lost interest in scouting. Well, didn't so much lose interest and I became interested in too many other things and changed my priorities.

I currently am very active in field herpetology and am considering becoming a merit badge counselor for the troops in my current local area (Redding, CA) but I have not yet started that process. I am in the process of founding a not for profit organization for citizen science related to herpetology, and I want to finish getting that up and running first.

However, recently on facebook I was reminiscing and looking for old friends, and searched for "Tara Hills" - a community close to where I grew up that many of my old friends lived in. I found a recently started group for my old troop 71 (that now seems to be defunct), the "Tara Hills Pioneers".

The reason I am here, I am interested in restoring my old uniform to its former glory. I know the BSofA has guidelines on when and under what conditions a uniform may be worn, but I'm not planning on ever wearing it other than *maybe* to official BSofA sanctioned events that I may attend where the nostalgic uniform would be appropriate.

When I do become involved in a local troop for merit badge counseling, any events that require a uniform I would wear a modern uniform, that's not the place for nostalgia.

But anyway, I'm hoping this forum can be a forum in helping me proper restore my old uniform to it's former glory, and in a way that does not violate BSofA guidelines which I respect. I also suspect this forum may be of assistance when I'm ready to approach local troops and council with respect to becoming active again as an adult scout merit badge counselor.

So, that's me and why I'm here. I'm probably mostly going to lurk except when I have specific questions, as I've been out of scouting too long to be an information resource on most things scouting.