johndaigler

Fgoodwin, didn't mean to personalize it - sorry if I came on too strong. Ed, can you take me a step further? I don't know enough about Buddhism to split this hair - I'm betting I'm not the only reader who's curious. jd

Ed, You're comfortable with atheist group A because BSA says They're OK (BTW, what's the story behind Buddhism being acceptably atheist??), but adamantly refuse to allow Atheist groups B, C and D because . . . ??? I don't understand. Fgoodwin, For the most part I'll stand by FScouter's words. Throwing your stats around like that confuses the issue. We can't begin to attribute the changes in Scout populations to any particular cause. I believe you want this particular topic to BE the cause, but there's no way to know that. For all we know, without their changes, the SA's number

Tigers, Wolves and Bear Dens are only worthy of numbers - perhaps because they have built in animal totems. Webelos get to name their Den as if it were a Boy Scout patrol. Any reason not to choose a "patrol emblem" earlier in the game and use it on Den Flags, Doodles, etc.??? ********************************************************** Just practicing some moderation!! I've closed my own thread because the other "Den Flag" thread is well established and This poster (ME) could certainly partipate in that thread. I'm just practicing the tools available to the moderat

Can't climb the mountain without getting dirty. I believe there's a better way than what we (BSA) see these days. I don't know how to find it though, so I fear for the Brits. I'm proud of their Bravery for striking out into the unknown, but I fear their path will not be safe, or simple. Since we have no control and can only watch the outcome, perhaps, we can just be supportive and optimistically neutral. I'm sure most of us have predetermined thoughts, but here's an opportunity to learn what might happen if we were to step beyond our prejudices and grow in a new direction.

OGE, don't forget, Dean ISN'T an elected part of our govt. He's just Grand Poobah of some club. He has no right to speak for the public - just the people who hired him. Obama in '08! His campaign signs will all be PURPLE! IMHO, the vast majority of voters are way past tired of this blue vs. red stuff. jd

sorry, double post jd(This message has been edited by johndaigler)

I wasn't being glib. I think we all have Howard Dean's number at this point. He's the loosest of cannons with the poorest of aims. What he says is loud, but impotent. Dean is merely the Clown Act. The DNC, IMHO, chose a blustering war chief because it's movie star aged out and it's psuedo-intellectuals couldn't complete a truthful, sincere sentence. I don't think Dean get's taken seriously because people know why he's there. He's just a hockey goon out on the ice while the real skaters are taking a blow. The Dems are looking around for a contenda'. Hilary? Obama? I'm sure there

short version . . . scorpion needs a ride across the river, convinces the frog with promises of good behavior, gets half way across, stings the frog, they both drown. Can your really be surprised by, or angry at, the scorpion? jd

LOL!! FOTFLOL!!! It's going . . . going . . . gone!!!!

R7, What about THIS boy??? What do you want to do with him? I know what you think about homosexuality. The question about this particular boy remains. You can't wish him away. He's there. He's troubled. Do we want him to see his SM as a Trustworthy life-guide who might at least listen? Or maybe, we want every boy to understand that SMs are not the kind of people with whom you can safely discuss these things? jd

Thanks, Lynda for starting the ball rolling for FScouter. Very nice. jd

There are good curricula and bad. The boys' is pretty good (I can only speak informedly about the Cub's Program - pretty good, not great). At present the adults' has shown itself to be ineffective - if only, based upon it's intrinsic inability to motivate participation and promote success. Trainers struggle to make it worthwhile to adult students. IMHO, we need to improve the Curricula, AND the Peeps. CO's and CC's are charged with the "hiring" of volunteer leaders. Perhaps, they need more (better) training with this skill. More likely, I think the reality is that most scouters

So then it seems, TRUTH is really only the sum of personal truths. An individual "choices" all aspects of his/her life, thereby defining TRUTH as those truths they believe to be unchallengable (by themselves). I'm not sure if I'm comfortable with this. Once I agree with it - I think I turn it into a TRUTH. Hmmmmmmmm, am I ready to do that? Down at one possible end of this path (through many dark and dangerous ways) I think there's a place that says I've defined, if not created a god for myself . . . Or perhaps, I've just seen more clearly a Face of God. Then again, of course, bei

Kristi, Sorry to hear about the chaos. I'll ask around here - NEIC and SWSC (North and West Chicagoland). jd

FScouter, Why do you doubt Trevorum's purpose? He told us exactly why he wears this optional patch. I understand questioning his choice. I'm not sure you need to impune his character. Perhaps you see Trevorum's act as a rebellious statement because you see the patch as a "gay knot"? jd

I think I can play by Unc's rules. Rooster, with all due respect, I believe you are way off base; and your post, though not surprising, is less than your best. As usual, you have painted with too wide a brush and summed up all people who fit into a category as being defined by your understanding of that category. It would be like me negatively describing all right-wing Christian fundamentalists based on the behavior of the few with whom I have interacted. My comment would be childishly inaccurate because membership in any group cannot wholey define a thing as complicated as a

WELL PLAYED, FB, WELL PLAYED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! jd

John, IIRC? btps, there's lot's to consider: tax status, charity status, local presence, meeting space, storage space, volunteer base, future, organizational goals, fundraising potential, etc., etc.; but I think Semper has the right focus. In the end it's always about people. Cover your bases, good people don't always come with the right equipment - but good people will make up for one or two deficiencies. For more background info, check out #AV-02DVD17 "Training the Charter Organization Representative". jd

INLB, wouldn't it be the COs role to track down and recover THEIR money? Why would District suggest you pursue small claims court?? I don't think the Pack would have standing to effectively file such a claim. . . ?????? BTW, there are COR training materials available (DVD entitled "Training the Charter Organization Representative" - #AV-02DVD17) that will help COs and CORs better understand their roles and responsibilities. That material is pretty clear about how the COR is selected and approved by the CO and its IH. jd

I agree everyone's better off following the program than being ignorant of it, but I think its a mistake to confuse "training" with an ability to follow the program. Given the present state of CSLS and NLE, new Cub Scouters do not walk away with enough practical knowledge, or an appreciation of further training. Most of us have suffered through the 3 or more hours it takes for NLE and CSLS. I agree, a "Cliff's Notes" approach would be better than what we presently use. However, in order to be concise with information context, we'll need to be concise with content. So, what are we goin

Interesting Semper!! But, if OneHour is Programming Director and gets to put on the Brady Bunch, etc. I'm not paying for it!! I liked most of his other ideas, though!! Especially the variety show! (LOL) Instead of "classics", we need "fresh, real" programming about today's boys and how Scouting helps them answer today's questions -- nothing preachy, just real. For example, reenactments of those Boy's Life "Scouts in Action" stories, or how living the Scout Law helps deal with school, friends, family, etc. There are some good shows from OneHour's day, though. Can we bring b

Thanks, OGE! Now you've got more time for to sit around and take a lint brush to that beret collection!!! If I were you I'd leave the lint brush alone and head over to Roadside America for some of that good ol', good ol'!!!!!! jd

For our own Cubs, we let the family purchase the optional vest. It's definitely cheaper to create your own. It's also simple. One of our Wolf Dens made about 25 to give to another Pack as a service project. We let an adult use the scissors (felt can be a bit frustrating for tiny hands) to cut the form, but the boys did everything else: machine sewed shoulder seams, measured and placed graumets and cut and tied leather laces. We use the segments for everything (and now we use the belt loops, too). The boys love them, but all this added bling-bling gets expensive - I'd suggest bei

Have fun!! For us this is a cross-Council activity sponsored by Great America. Discounted tickets and a patch for the Cub's vest! Six Flags does it at the beginning of their season - I think we might be a good way to get those chilly Spring days busier - but more power to them! For Cubs it's very obviously a family event, for the Scouts, I'd try to keep it that way to -- A bit to much peer pressure to ride those "toss your Cookies" rides if you try to get the patrol to hang out together!!!

madkins, You really threw me off. You seem to have picked an odd wheel to reinvent. . . . So, here are some questions: If the folders are no more responsibly cared for than the handbooks, why use the folders? The weekly record keeping you described wouldn't be altered by using the handbook instead of your folders, would it? We use post-it flags to help the DLs find the requirements that parents have signed during the past week - and send similar messages home about what we've done at Den meetings and activities. Who pays for all this copying? Don't you think the