Kahuna

We got ours from a local flag shop. They're reinforced webbing in white and cost a lot less than $55. I would keep on googling.

The earlier post about requirement changes reminded me of a book I had read about the early days of the Columbia Pacific Council. Seems their first SE was a real hard nose (I'd phrase it differently if this wasn't a Scouting forum) who thought the Tenderfoot, Second Class, and First Class requirements weren't tough enough, so he added requirements. I don't know what the national rules were about that in those days (pre 1925), but I assume, like today, the requirements were the requirements. Anyway, this guy required learning both Morse and semaphore and all candidates had to be able to recite from memory every member of the council board, make fire by friction and lots of other extras. Each was a one-shot deal. If the Scout couldn't complete the requirement, and they had to be done in front of a council professional, he had to come back a month later. Apparently, they had about 4 Eagles in the whole council. So, a new SE comes in, says this is wrong, the requirements in the book are the only ones and the boys who had earned their badges "the hard way" just had to suck it up. There was a council-wide debate on the subject, but the SE stuck by his guns and just required "the book" requirements. Interesting what you find in Scouting history.

We had one years ago. He made odd noises and had the motor ticks, but luckily he didn't curse or shout or anything like that. I've read some stuff on Tourettes, but most of it seems to be about just ignoring most of the behavior and working with the kid on the cursing and shouting. A lot of them seem to get to the point where it's almost not noticeable. One of the guys I know has it and I doubt that most people are even aware of it. Maybe Google?

Just buy 'em. Lots less trouble and they will adjust to fit big or little guys.

It was green in August of 1981. Maybe they were too preoccupied with the Royal Wedding that summer.

I've applied for the Stamp Collecting merit badge staff for 2010 and have been verbally approved by the coordinator. Apparently there aren't a lot of qualified philatelists chomping at the bit to go. Just waiting for all the processing and to get that letter. Under the heading of "the good old days" I was thinking of how I got to the 1969 Jamboree. About a week before the jambo, I was having lunch with a DE friend and we had to drop another staff member at the airport. He was going to Idaho to help set up the jambo. I mentioned to my friend that I really wished I had applied and he replied that they were a leader short due to a last minute change in troop arrangements. We went to the scout office, got verbal okay from the SE and I went back to my office, talked to my commander about getting permissive TDY. He said okay, so I started getting my gear together and figuring out what I was supposed to do. Somehow, everything worked out and the first time I met my fellow leaders and Scouts was at the airport about 5 days later. Also, in 1977, I was at loose ends for the summer, so about March I applied for the jamboree staff. Got accepted in short order and bought all the paraphernalia. Then the USAF decided to accept a long-delayed application for intel school that summer. So, I had to write another letter and cancel my jambo appointment. Intel school proved to be much better for my career and the jambo was pretty rainy, so I lucked out on that one, too. Funny how much simpler things were in those days. The size of the jamborees and staffs haven't changed much in all that time, but the procedures are sure different.

Well, I was a professional during the first half of the 70's and a Boy Scout unit leader during the second and never came across that in any of the three councils I was in during that time. It may be that some kids who were in the process of earning a rank had to switch to the new requirements and earn the skill awards or something like that, but nobody had to re-earn any awarded rank or merit badge.

Yep, I'm another Sea Scout leader in Central Florida.

What Beavah and Gold Winger said!

The garters and tabs show up on Ebay from time to time. Keep watching and sooner or later, you'll find 'em. Another alternative, depending on what you want them for, is to look for suppliers of Scottish highland dress. The socks worn with the kilt are also supported by garters which have tabs in various colors on them. They're not quite the same as the old BSA ones, but they are a heck of a lot more comfortable. I nearly lost my toes a couple times due to garter-induced lack of circulation. Here's an example: http://www.dunedinscottish.com/cgi-bin/webstore2/store/commerce.cgi?product=Flashes&cart_id=

Sigh! While I agree with Gunny and Bob White, I completely understand your frustration. I became an ASM way back in 1961 and was active as a unit leader in Boy Scouts through the early Nineties. There is just no question that Scouting today is quite different than it was in 1961, not to mention B-P's time. As I read the posts on this forum, I note that many of them have to do with, "Is it okay to . . ." The same comes up at district committee meetings and commissioner staff meetings in my council. But, just about the time I decide to retire from the program, I note how much other things concerning kids have changed. In 1961, kids in summer ran around outside all day and their parents had no idea where they were. As long as they were home by lunchtime or dinnertime or when the street lights came on, nobody worried. Today, it's rare to see a kid outside in the summer, or any other time except when going to and from school. Kids stay in the air conditioning and play video games. Sometimes they swim in the family pool, but the community pool is empty. Nobody wants their kids exposed to the dangers of predators, traffic, broken bones or God knows what. It's just a different world and Scouting is part of it. But as the posts above suggest, there's still plenty to do in Scouting and the kids are way better off in it that out of it. Some of the rules and guidlines make me crazy (no open-toed shoes in Sea Scouting), but most make sense and like Gunny says, they have to spell it all out before they let you do what you came to do. I still liked it better in the 1960's.

No medals. No square knots. Forget it. OTOH, no uniforms to buy and argue about. Hmmmmmmmmmmmm . . .

Ed, just read my first post. You are correct about not requiring a COH for Eagle, but any COH, if one is held, is a unit event. You will find no other reference to courts of honor anywhere, other than as unit events.

Ed writes: An Eagle COH is the responsibility of the Eagle & his parents & may or may not include the Scout's unit. Much as I hate to sound like Bob White (no offense, BW), where do you find that? An Eagle court of honor can be separate from or part of a regular court of honor, but it is a unit event. Only the unit has the power to hold a COH and present awards to Scouts. How is Eagle any different? As I said in my earlier post, the family can do anything they want, including hold an Eagle party at a strip club, if they wish, but it is: Not. A. Unit. Event. Nor is it a Court of Honor. "National" Courts of Honor are an urban myth. There is a National Court of Honor. They are the people who evaluate and make awards for heroism and lifesaving.

It baffles me how so many forum members are under the impression that an Eagle Court of Honor is not a unit function. Take out the first word and what do you have? Court of Honor. I haven't read any Scouting literature that suggests they are not appropriate unit functions. I don't see what's difficult or confusing about any of this. ECOH in a private home? That would never happen in any troop where I was SM, CC, COR or IH. There are boys who for one reason or other do not want a ceremony. Also fine. Nothing says there must be a COH to present any award, so you can hand it to him in the parking lot as far I can see. I once presented an Eagle to a Sea Scout in his truck en route to the Council Eagle Banquet. We never had any other ceremony. What the family does then is up to them, but they don't have the power to hold a Court of Honor. If they want to have a reception in their home and invite Scouts and Scouters, that's up to them. If they want to serve alcohol to adults, that's also up to them. It's up to the adults to decide to be present or not be present and, if present, to drink alcohol or not drink alcohol. It is then not a Scouting activity so G2SS doesn't get into it. State laws certainly vary, but as an attorney I would be shocked if any prosecutors would actually bring charges against people for serving alcohol at a party in their home where kids are present unless they were being served alcohol. Most people in the U.S. would be in jail if that were enforced.

Yeah, me too, now that I've read it. He really signed it, because my friend knows Michael and was present when he signed. When I next talk to my friend, I'll ask if he knows whether Michael read the book. They were all at some Scouting gathering in Illinois in 2007. I've now started reading Scouting on Two Continents, by Burnham. The book begins with an excerpt from a B-P letter expressing gratitude for all Burnham taught him about the art of scouting. Seems to be an interesting story so far. It'll be interesting to see how much it parallels Van Wyk. I'm guessing the basic facts are the same, but some of the things Van Wyk talks about won't be in there.

Burnham never publicy declared that he was the founder of Scouting...but to be sure, he taught many things to BP but BP made it happen. Hmm, I didn't get the impression that Craigmoe was making the claim that either he or B-P said he was the founder. Obviously, Burnham got some recognition from the BSA, but then he obviously made some contributions to that organization more directly. The lack of footnoting or photo credits (or even photo identification) bothered me somewhat about the book. It's unusual when writing something that biographical. Interesting that Frederick Burnham III and Michael Baden-Powell signed the book. I wonder if either one of them read it.

Just finished this book about Major Frederick Burnham, DSO, which I was unaware of until a Scouting friend loaned it to me. His copy is signed by the author, Burnham's grandson and Michael Baden-Powell. It's a fairly recent book, still in print. Interesting enough reading even if it had no relation to Boy Scouts, but according to the author, B-P learned scouting from Burnham, who was an American from the Southwest. Burnham spent a lot of time in Africa, looking for gold and fighting in wars. The book does remark on some of B-P's less admirable attributes, such as his showmanship in lieu of real leadership in the army. Also alludes to the fact that Burnham and some others assumed he was having a relationship with "the Boy" McClaren and only married when it was socially necessary for Scouting. B-P gave credit to Burnham on several occasions for his contributions to the Scouting movement and eventually the BSA did, too. BTW, this author is not a big fan of James E. West and the professional cadre of the BSA. Just wondered if anyone else has read it or has any opinions about the sources of the author, Peter van Wyk. I also borrowed a copy of Burnham's autobiography written about 70 years ago. Haven't started that one yet.

Well with all the changes that have occured with the Sea Scout uniform, as well as the implementation of the centeniall uniforms, you never know. Just don't wear your Stetson with your Sea Scout uniform, please.

The late Jefferson Davis, President of the Confederacy and I have a common ancestor, dating back to Wales. Came across a geneology written as a project under the Roosevelt programs on my family and made the connection. Goes back to about 1200. Pretty interesting stuff. I saw Elvis, once! No, no, back in the 1950's, when we know he was alive. He was in an Army PX in Germany.

Training wasn't quite the same in old days and besides my memory of such things is totally wiped. I can tell you I took Woodbadge in 1968 and already had my Training Award and SM Key. I took NEI in 1970. I took Seabadge & SS Leader basic training in 1998(?). My certificate is buried in a box someplace.

The three greatest Scoutmasters I've ever known were guys without kids in the program. One of them was me, so you can take that with a grain of salt. None ever accused of any improper relationships, btw.

Whatever else you do, run a tight ship at meetings. I went to a district committee meeting the other night that was run by the DE since the chairman was ill. It was a total disaster. Three ladies took up the whole meeting, just talking about nothing and the DE never tried to get a handle on it. Everything on the agenda could have been done in 20 minutes and the meeting went on for over an hour. That kind of thing encourages people to miss meetings. I don't mean to suggest there's no place for banter and fun, but a little goes a long way.

Jeez o' flip! Those prices, no wonder you don't see them anywhere. Think I paid $30 for mine all those years ago, but it shrunk and now I can't wear it anymore.

BW, it's fun, as I said, but it's not that much fun.