Kaji

As Manassass Eagle can attest to, I'm sure, the general policy in NCAC is to wear the Totin' Chip patch on the flap sewn on 3 sides (top, left, right, leaving the bottom so you can button it), and then wear the OA flap sewn over it with a quick line machine-stitched across the top so that you can flip it up to show off the Totin' Chip patch if need be. Personally, I appreciate the fact that there's a patch for it, because as someone else alluded to, it makes it very easy to keep track of who's allowed to be doing things and who isn't. Also, another one for the Paul Bunyan myths: When

(He lives!) I still wear my red beret, personally.

Boy Scouts do Courts of honor on more or less either a quarterly or a semi-annual basis, but they still recognize them in an informal fashion amongst each other when the rank/badge/etc. is actually earned. The CoH is for recognizing them in front of the parents and everyone else. If you feel that isn't often enough, you can take the last meeting of every month and make it a "pack meeting", just like many packs already do (the one I'm with meets every Monday night at a Methodist church for den meetings in their own rooms, and then the last meeting of the month is a pack meeting instead).

You guys still get balsa kits? Lucky! I used balsa when I went through, but by my brother's time NCAC (at least) had switched to using styrofoam for the boats and only gave them wooden masts, which was a disappointment to say the least (as they had a tendency to push all the way through the boat, thus stopping it if it drug along the track too much...).

The gutters should be parallel and level, filled to about a centimeter from the top. From there it's all wind power! Just make sure that the boys aren't using their noses to push it down the gutter and are actually blowing it along.

I can definitely see the horseplay angle on it, myself. I remember at my first Klondike Derby 11 years ago the boy who was appointed provisional patrol leader for the event rode the back of the sled and thrashed boys he didn't like with a broomhandle he referred to as his "leadership stick". Thankfully in that case the scoutmaster dealt with it swiftly and harshly once he learned what had been going on.

PS: You mean North Dakota? Or are you talking some random city in New Mexico? hehehe...

Right after their Bear year makes a fine time to introduce them to it, as it'll jumpstart their Webelos stuff. The programs are so different between what's done with Boy Scouts and what's done with Cub Scouts that I've never seen a problem like what you're describing with younger boys (I think the allure of having such a simple and structured way to earn merit badges has its appeal in itself...)

I grew up in NCAC, and it's like Manassas Eagle said, there (Probably even came from the same district, if you go by the old PW District instead of Occoquan and Bull Run). I think part of the issue is that before Webelos, Cubs are requires to have a parent with them when they go camping. Many dads can't afford to take a full week off from work for summer camp, and most moms I know (although there are certainly some out there who go against this trend) think that a Motel 8 is roughing it, and refuse to camp in anything less than an RV. I'm currently in Allohak Council in WV, and we've go

rar...Hate how hard it is to navigate the online catalog if you don't have the print one on hand. That said, there IS a Venturing trained strip, although it's got the initials of the program name, as opposed to "Trained" on the strip. Same dimensions, however.

Amen. Even if the first generation immigrants back in the day didn't exactly learn English or assimilate all that well, they usually made as strong of an effort as they could to be certain that their children did, in many cases even going so far as to forbid them to speak the language of the old country so that they could become better at English than their parents, who would often be in their 40s by the time they came over to begin with. There was effort on all sides to do the best they could. There's nothing wrong with using the old language in environments where it's appropriate (my

I've got a multi-part patch from a New Jersey council (I'd have to double-check my binder to tell you which one) which covers the winter/spring/fall camporees that year (1976). Comes as three thirds that piece together to form the liberty bell and a tricorn hat in the center. Also have miscellaneous single patches from the same area if you're interested.

Amusingly, the tune the song was written to is an old German drinking song...

So it's ok for the ALA to exclude based on violations of THEIR moral values, but it's not ok for the BSA to do the same acording to the moral values they embrace? As I've said before, the words "bigotry" and "prejudiced" are worthless in modern English because it's simply another way of saying that the person doesn't agree with you, and trying to throw some mud their way while you're at it.

"I guess the same could be said of the Bible. Anyone up for Aramaic, Hebrew and Greek lessons?" Reread my post, already headed that off. When was the last time you heard Aramaic in general use outside of a Mel Gibson film? How about Hebrew outside of a synagogue or Israel? And ancient Greek bears little resemblance to modern Greek. Furthermore, as has been noted, it's not the same song when translated. That aside, we're ONE nation, last I checked. Therefore we should all be able to sing the anthem in unison. One of the reasons why this country gets torn apart so much internally

Not having a national language is one of the major flaws with this country, honestly. I do agree that it's good in its own way, if nothing else it helps peopel to understand what the words mean, but ultimately they SHOULD learn it in the language it was written in. It's not like it was written in Ancient Hebrew or anything, the language is still in quite common use around the world.

Longhaul and PS: Based on your interpretations of the rules here, what do you think should be done? My cousins' grandfather was a scout back in the 20s, made it to Eagle. Their father did like his father, and made it to Eagle himself. Their time comes around, and all 3 of them lost interest (I think the oldest might have made it to Star, if the others made it past Tenderfoot I'd be amazed). Does this mean that 2 full generations of scouting and hard work by their forebears becomes "contraband" when their father passes on?

When my Eagle was presented in 1999, I sewed on the Eagle patch that was issued from 1975-1985. Not simply because it was better looking than the current issue (It's my favorite, personally), but also because it was a gift from my mentor that he used to motivate me to finish things off. These days I have a shirt from 1960 with the city/state strips for Salem, WV and the proper insignia for an Assistant Cubmaster (my current job). By some stroke of luck I even managed to get a premade felt number for my unit (37). Kind of curious about what someone said about custom RWS/CSS patches, as

I just ignore any accusations people make about being "intolerant" and "prejudiced", because in the end these days, those two words have been reduced to little more than attempts to smear the other side for not agreeing with your point of view. Last I checked, ad hominem attacks are considered a logical fallacy when trying to prove a point...

I admit, I was always glad I never had to do the swimming merit badge to get my Eagle, I basically completed the requirement for first class (which I believe the new book downgraded to the 2nd class requirement) after sitting on just needing it for 3-4 months. Made sure I never needed to take a swimming test again thereafter...hehehe...One boy I knew had the unfortunate predicament of being stuck at Tenderfoot for 6 years because he could never meet even the 2nd class requirement until he was 17. That said, I'm in agreement with those saying to get approval from the appropriate authoriti

Vigil: I remember doing the same thing when my troop went to Gettysburg a long time ago. The SPL actually tried to goad us into running Pickett's charge right at the end of the battlefield portion of it, but we were all so tired by then that he was lucky we didn't end up crawling it...hehehe...

Wow, never realized some councils were so anal about patch control. In my current one I got a number of patches to put in my collection no problem when I asked the den leader in our pack who makes the runs to pick them up for me (Boy scout ranks and a couple merit badges). NCAC was the same way, perhaps even more lenient about it. I can recall buying the Safety, Hiking, and Sports merit badges from the Bethesda shop when I was 16 because they were adding/removing them from the required list. Back on topic though, I'm in agreement that getting the patch to the boy as soon as possible is

Man, offline for a couple days and I get back to find that one of our more eloquent posters has left. I hear ya all too well on the debate issues, I've participated in them on 9 or 10 different boards that I can think of offhand, and the result is the same on all of them: People come with the intent of convincing the other side, and not with the intent of seeking enlightenment. Maybe one of these days someone will get it right. Either way though, the important thing is that you're doing what you're called to do. Hope you enjoy life off the boards, but don't be afraid to pop in every no

"I may not like what you have to say, but I shall defend to the death your right to say it." -Voltaire If only people still thought that way...

Merlyn: The constitution guarantees them the right to vote, so even if such a law were hypothetically passed, it would get struck down by the Supreme Court.