Kahuna

It ain't easy, Beavah. I do teach it as a "class," but a very informal one. I like to have the boys around in a circle on chairs or the floor, wherever they prefer. What I do is ask the boys questions about each requirement/topic and see what they think. In a discussion format, if they "get it" I just confirm my agreement and move on. If they don't, then I teach. Not lecture, but by discussion, until they get the point. I always make sure there's plenty of fun and try to break up if they're getting bored. I don't give tests, it's a case of judging whether the kids really understand a particular point. I don't assign homework, unless it's a movie or TV program to watch, and of course, the dreaded written stuff. When the written stuff comes back, I normally wonder what they do at school and then we talk about what they should have written until they can go home and write something that makes sense. I like groups of about 3-5. Anything larger turns into a classroom setting which is not what I want.

True as to the Villa Philmonte, not true as to the rest of the gift. It was intended as place to hike and camp. The Villa was intended as a training center. Some of us have spent some years on Philmont staff and and as members of the staff association. Not everything is taught at the Training Center. Most of those folks come in for a summer and go away.

Congratulations on both counts.

I'm afraid badly is the most likely result. No president changes things as much as he would like or as people think. With one exception, and that's who he appoints to the Supreme Court. At least two justices are likely to retire in the next four years and their replacements will affect law for a long time. In this race, there's also the possibility of electing a president of the same party as the majority of the congress, which has an approval rating of 12%, I believe. Whoever wins, most of the changes will be ones we don't really want. And I'm kind of an optimist.

I think BW is out of town. I know he would have commented on the business suit thread.

I love it!

All citizenships Law Stamp Collecting

Then I guess you'd have to have your luau in the shower. That's a stupid rule anyway, IMHO.

Good project and congratulations on your efforts. I just thought I would throw in that my old SM from 1960 recently sent me a picture of him in 2007 wearing his old, wool uniform that I remember him wearing at the time. Still fits perfectly. I can't get into the uniforms I had in the 90's!

Eccch! As a former Hawai'i resident, you cannot wear shoes to a luau. Flip flops are okay, but not shoes.

Lots of info at http://www.camplanoche.com/. It's a good camp in a great old Florida setting. One warning: it is very hot in summer. However, I note you are Floridians so you should be able to tolerate it. They do have an air conditioned dining hall which is a major asset. I'm in the council, but don't ever go to camp, but what I hear from the units who do (and the 2 Scouts across the street) is pretty favorable.

It is an urban legend. It is also a tradition of a sort. If you go to Philmont with your bull patch on the jacket, nobody from the staff will grab you and say, "I see you have or haven't climbed the whatever." Most veteran Philmont staffers don't seem to wear the bull at all. I never sewed mine on. I do notice that Joe Davis, age 95, is wearing a jacket with a bull in pictures in the current staff association journal, but you can't tell how the tail is positioned. Joe, btw, was director of Philmont in the 1960's and early '70's,

I'm not a Christian, I'm Buddhist, but from either perspective I think our religion teaches us a certain viewpoint on how to conduct our lives in ways that are beneficial to us and to others, both here and (if your religion teaches it) in what comes after this. Scouting is Scouting. Religion is religion. We don't use Scouting to promote our religion, but we, as leaders, conduct ourselves in accordance with those principles our religions teach. The purpose of Scouting is character, citizenship and fitness, as others have said. One of the tenets of Scouting is that character can best be formed through belief in a Higher Power. I think it's about that simple.

I don't usually comment in these areas, but I am very suspicious of a Redlands, CA lady telling a newspaper that she was booed by Boy Scout on account of an Obama sticker. Especially when she feels compelled to complain about McCain spewing disrepectful rhetoric. You never know.

I remember that our Scottish friends told us they have a "kilt bank" of used kilts they have scrounged or handed down. The Scouts just wear whatever is available if they don't own a kilt. A lot of Scots don't. They have kilt rental places so you can get dressed up in kilt and Prince Charlie outfit for your wedding. We used the MacLaren tartan. I'm a member of Clan MacLaren in my own right, in addition to being a Woodbadger, so figured that would be the appropriate one to wear.

We had an association with a Scottish Venture group for a number of years. We started a kilted Scout honor guard to carry flags. To get around the price issue and the fact that different kids would be wearing the kilts we had them made from tartan dress material which most Scottish vendors would have. We had them made with velcro fastenings so that the sizes could be varied easily. It was still quite expensive, because you need some accessories, like sgean dubh (ceremonial knife for the socks), sporran (the gizmo that hangs in front), socks and kilt pin. You'll find a lot of Scottish vendors online, including Caledonian Imports, where we got ours.

I tried scanning the pages from the PL Handbook, but they don't scan well enough to post on a website. Sorry.

I've got the 1962 printing of the 1950 edition. It's in there. There are a bunch of copies for sale on Amazon. Very inexpensive. http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw/103-3528510-4226218?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=handbook+for+patrol+leaders&x=14&y=14

The age 18 to be ASM and 21 be SM go all the way back to at least the first Handbook For Scoutmasters. There were no women, of course.

Skeptic is correct. I have one someplace.

Well said. A very thoughtful post on this subject, Eamonn!

BW writes: And certainly the significance of the Wreath of Service is explained to BSA professionals early on in their training. Guess I missed that day at NEI.

BW writes: As far as a Ship or a Ship's crew (the equivalent of a patrol in a troop) having an outing or activity without adult supervision and having it be a Scout activity. According to the BSA you are correct, that would be prohibited. And can you show us exactly where that is written?

Buffalo Skipper writes: Then there is no need for co-ed leadership, but all other guidelines of supervision apply. As an example, do you really want your ship of 14-20 year olds taking out your 40' cabin cruiser or 35' sailboat for a day trip or weekend anchor-out without adult supervision? Or what about a work project on your almost done electrical system? Yeah, exactly. Just as you wouldn't probably let a patrol of first year Scouts go on a ten-day Appalachian Trail adventure. But Sea Scouts could go camping or visit a maritime museum. Just G2SS and common sense apply.

Not all crews or ships are coed. What about an all male Sea Scout crew?