ASM7

Nighthawks459 Check this one out too. http://www.piedmontcouncil.com/cbs.htm It's foothills of NC. It still gets warm in the middle of the day but could be real cool at night for the first couple of weeks. You want the campsites across the lake from the dining hall, up in the hardwoods. The sites on the dining hall side are mostly in the pines and a lot of them have been cut because of the dreaded pine beetle. Have fun, Doug

As I watch the news from the Holy city of Bethlehem, I'm reminded of the unrest and turmoil around the world. My hopes and prayers for you and everyone is for there to be Peace on Earth and in your hearts. Let the love of Jesus Christ surround you. Be thankful for the gifts you have and share them with others in the coming year. In the words of Mary: "My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me. Holy is his na

Not since December 9 have we heard from Bob White. Just hoping that nothing has gone wrong. Doug

Heres an unbelievable story for you: This girl around the age of 15 had promised herself to marry a much older man. She remained true to her fiance who was very influential in the community. One night she had a dream where a spirit came to her and said she would become pregnant with the Son of God. She was very confused and did not know how this would be possible because she had never slept with a man and did not plan on doing so. The pregnancy came true and her fiance was furious. He felt betrayed. According to the law, he could have her stoned in front of her house by the men of the com

This is speculation, but people are probably buying from the Song of the South site and selling on Ebay with a 200% markup. Try to stay away from the gougers. By the way, even when kids don't appear to be interested in something, they can be undetectably paying attention. Kind of like Church. Show the movie anyway. To make it fun, prepare a list of questions that they can answer about the movie while they watch. The most correct answers gets a prize! Doug

The SPL isn't absent. Therefore the ASPL doesn't fill in for him. The SPL ran for the position and was elected by his peers. If he is allowed to back down, what kind of responsibility are we teaching him and the other scouts. Let him try it for three months and if need be, have another election. With all that he will learn, those three months will fly by and who knows, he may be a better scout for the effort. Doug

slontwovvy When you say he resigned, did he resign the position or the troop? I hope it wasn't the latter. You said his friends put him up to it, then his friends should support him and take some leadership positions themselves. I don't think he should be allowed to resign. It may take more effort on your part and the other scouters, but he may find he can do a pretty good job. The best way to learn is to do. He won't know until he tries and the experience will be good for him. If it doesn't work out great, remember to give him a pat on the back for trying. He only fails if he doesn't try

I'm happy to say that I know my who my God is and I am not confused. He is the way, the truth , and the life. If you really get confused when reading the Bible, pick up a copy of Eugene H Peterson's "The Message". It's the Bible written in contemporary language. See www.messagebible.com .

Denver Thanks for the reference to Troop Committee Guidebook pg 33. This is the only place I have read about a reference to a vote. I always knew that the SM was not a member of the TC but the first sentence on that page states, "The committee meeting is attended by all committee members and the Scoutmaster" and under the suggested meeting agenda, the Scoutmaster is the first report given. So, although not a member of the committee, the Scoutmaster should be present and can not be banned from the meeting. Doug

Welcome him back. Rooster, What does it matter whether he is back for the minimum requirements. The minimum is the ultimate. We can't add or take away from that. Remember that requirement number two is "Demonstrate Scout spirit by living the Scout Oath and Scout Law in your everyday life." How can we add to that? If he does less than that, he doesn't earn it. Doug

The POTUS happens to be the Honorary President of the BSA, much more honorary than the previous one. I'm real glad his name won't be on my son's Eagle Certificate.

abbeym I found this paper written awhile back and it may help. Pardon the length. Keeping Volunteers Michael Lee Zwiers The Leader, June/July 1991. The definitive volunteer, like Mother Theresa, needs no thanks and will run many miles without support. The rest of us will go the distance on the memory of a handshake of recognition or vote of confidence from an adult and a hug or thank you from a child. But, when the going gets tough and we haven't been given a boost recently, our thoughts may turn to getting out or taking a break. With meetings and fund raisers, group co

sctmom I'd like to be able to meet your sister on the other side of this life, but I'm afraid from what you have told everyone about her, that won't happen. I'm sure she is a nice person and I will pray for her and your family. I agree with you about many people in the Church. My key to understanding them is that there has only been one perfect person on this earth, and he died so all of us could have a chance at eternal life. These people slip and fall like everyone else, some more than others, but the forgiveness and grace is always there. It is not possible for me to be sinless, but to be

Sctmom My kids always loved going to Church and I never had to drag them. I don't think going to Church has anything to do with being a productive member of society or being able to provide for your family. I couldn't think of anything worse for my son than for him to be a lost soul. I guess that it all depends on your priorities.

I am really, really glad I made sure my kids went to Church with me every Sunday. Because without proper parental spiritual guidance they could have been a wiccan. Doug

Ken Is confirmation classes the reason for the limit on camping? I know sometimes it's a problem with the age goup your referring to. There may be a way to coordinate with the confirmation class teacher and teach these boys while on the campout if you have church members in your troop. Make it part of the campout Sunday service. Doug

LauraT7 This is not meant to be judgemental, but you say that your standard has always been to wear uniforms. It seems that your scouts aren't wearing the uniform if they only wear the shirts. The whole point of wearing the uniform is for all to be the same and to be an outward sign of trust. According to the handbook, that includes shirt, pants, socks, belt and buckle. Neckerchief and cap are optional. Some posters mentioned pet peeves. These is mine; untucked shirts, shirts only, and patches worn incorrectly. Why go halfway? We provide scouts with a hanger at the back of the scou

It seems there is now evidence that the old scout stand by, duct tape, has medicinal values. Good news for those who are trying to add a duct tape merit badge. Check it out. www.sptimes.com/2002/10/15/Worldandnation/ Duct_tape_cures_warts.shtml

This piece was written in 1992, but sheds some light on the grounding of religion in Scouting by Baden-Powell. http://www.naums.org/reverant/HISTORICAL_PERSPECTIVE_REVERENCE.htm

twin wasp If we go down the road of judging people by our perception of their beliefs, or the shorcomings of their beliefs, rather than their actions, we are making a big mistake. I don't think anybody is judging here. BSA has set a standard and Lambert didn't measure up. It's not his beliefs, but his unbeliefs. There's another judge who will in the long run judge him worthy or not of entering the big club. And there will be a popular opinionated majority that will protest then also. I think the correct terms are wailing and gnashing of teeth. Of course those of us who are Christians

Hi Cody Try looking at www.fla-playground.com . They have a pirate ship and can send you a catalog. Good Luck Doug

After contemplating the Scout Oath and Law, my main concerns about our troop and myself in particular were, are we and am I doing our duty to God? My personal answer was that I was falling short. Our troop has not promoted as we should the religious emblems program. We do have prayers before leaving on trips and also have short services on Sundays, but the religious emblems program recognized by the BSA and GSUSA is a great way for scouts and their families to learn and grow in their faith. I found the website www.naums.org . What a great source of information for any program. We have since

rex2796 According to the Scoutmaster Handbook, "Order of the Arrow ribbon pin. Available only from the OA lodge. Worn suspended from the button of the right pocket from beneath the pocket flap by OA members in good standing." Good standing usually means your dues are paid up. Doug

acco40 Sorry. Sometimes I don't come through real clear. I think Bob stated what I meant about the difference in the Cub and Boy Scout Committees. The big difference is in program planning and who is responsible. Otherwise, both are the same. To provide support. Pack330 The best answers for you will be provided in Fast Start, Essentials, and Pack Committee Training. Doug

Pack330 I almost started to respond as if you were talking about a troop committee, then I read it again and realized you were talking about a pack committee. There is a big difference. I still don't think you really need to vote on anything. If you brainstorm and come up with ideas, then discuss them until everyone comes to an agreement, you may find the meetings are not so formal and ideas will flow. I guess when people hear the word committee, they assume its some kind of legislative body handing down laws. Doug