Marty_Doyle

Man walks into a bar with his dog.

Barkeep says "We don't allow dogs in here."

Man says "Ah, but this is a talking dog. Allow me to demonstrate."

He asks the dog "What is on top of a house?"

Dog responds "RUUUUFFFF!"

He asks the dog "What is the opposite of soft?"

Dog responds "RUUUUFFFF!"

He asks the dog "Who is the greatest baseball player ever?"

Dog responds "RUUUUFFFF!"

Barkeep looks at the two of them and then throws them into the street.

Looking up from the gutter, dog says to his master

"What, I shoulda said DiMaggio?"

And we are still no closer to answering the question of this post.

No. "Wheelists".

Spartans were as renowned for their dry wit as for their fighting.

But B-P probably did not have the Spartan model in mind when he started the Boy Scouts.

A Spartan king was once asked what the greatest gift Lycurgus (the father of Sparta) had left his countrymen. He replied "Contempt of pleasure."

B-P defined Scouting as "a game ....with a purpose". Tough to reconcile those two.

A philosopher once had the following dream.

First Aristotle appeared, and the philosopher said to him, "Could you give me a fifteen-minute capsule sketch of your entire philosophy?" To the philosopher's

surprise, Aristotle gave him an excellent exposition in which he compressed an enormous amount of material into a mere fifteen minutes. But then the philosopher

raised a certain objection which Aristotle couldn't answer. Confounded, Aristotle disappeared.

Then Plato appeared. The same thing happened again, and the philosophers' objection to Plato was the same as his objection to Aristotle. Plato also couldn't

answer it and disappeared.

Then all the famous philosophers of history appeared one-by-one and our philosopher refuted every one with the same objection.

After the last philosopher vanished, our philosopher said to himself, "I know I'm asleep and dreaming all this. Yet I've found a universal refutation for all

philosophical systems! Tomorrow when I wake up, I will probably have forgotten it, and the world will really miss something!" With an iron effort, the philosopher

forced himself to wake up, rush over to his desk, and write down his universal refutation. Then he jumped back into bed with a sigh of relief.

The next morning when he awoke, he went over to the desk to see what he had written. It was, "That's what you say."

Wheeler's posts are generally obtuse and obscure, but "old christ" (Palios Xristos!)? A new standard. Of what, I'm not sure....

This is my first year as CM also. Our pack's calendar looks similar. Some possible other events to consider that we included:

- two family swim nights at the Council aquatic center, two family ice skating afternoons at the town's rink, two nature hikes for the pack - one at a county nature center, the other in town on "Jamboree on the Trail" Ssaturday, two service projects for the elementary school that lets us use it's gym for meetings (home of our CO - the PTA), one Earth Day clean up project at a county park, marching in two town parades (Memorial Day and St. Patrick's Day). For some reason, the town cancelled the Columbus Day's parade.

We also upped the camping trips to two, both in council in the spring. I am thinking of making it three next year - during the summer, the Pack attends a minor league baseball game - the team is thinking of allowing Scouts to camp in the outfield.

We also have an International Night pot luck Welcome dinner at the first Pack Night in September.

Two den ad hoc events expanded into Pack events this year - a back stage tour of Yankee Stadium and a trip to West Point. Next year, we will try and schedule the trip to West Point during football season. West Point welcomes Scouts at one of it's early home games.

Good luck. And I am going to try and work in a campfire event into next year's calendar.

Maybe you should do some research before you start this project.

The Supreme Court did not ban gays from being Scouts.

The Supreme Court did not ban gays from being Scout leaders.

The Supreme Court agreed with BSA's position that BSA is a private organization that can decide it's own membership and leadership criteria.

The individual involved was James Dale.

His Eagle was not taken away from him after "crossing from youth to adult". Dale was registered as an ASM(?)in his troop after turning 18. His registration as an adult leader was revoked after an article appeared in a NJ paper noting Dale's role as president(?) of a gay student organization at Rutgers.

I'm not in Ed's couincil, but mine, Westchester=Putnam, in New York state, also only bills units for the net.

It's a new year.

Bob has turned over a new leaf.

Pretty funny, BW.

Happy Birthday!

Hope all of your birthday wishes come true, amigo!

You are welcome in my Council anytime.

Marty

We could all stand to be a little less ornery.

I too was intrigued by the recap/reunion at the end of the show, where two other contestants (a lawyer and electrician) felt it was okay for them to be dishonest and not trustworthy (which could explain their fees) but not for Lill.

She was held to a higher standard by the other players, because she was weraing her Scoutmaster uniform.

Maybe we should be asking some of these questions of Burton, another contestant who didn't last as long, was as duplicitous as any other contestant, and is supposedly an Eagle Scout.

I'm pretty sure it mentions that in the current Webelos handbook, more than likely under Aquanaut, Athlete, Communicator, Fitness and Sportsman, all of which have requirements that state a Scout must earn specific A&S belt loops and/or pins to fulfill the requirement (i.e Aquanuat requires Swimming belt loop, Sportsman requires two individual and two team Sport belt loops, Fitness requires Physical Fitness belt loop and pin, etc).

In the mid 70's, Linda Ronstadt in Cub Scout shirt and shorts, during the Blue Bayou tour......

I need to go into a time-out now.

Paddy wagon it is. It was assumed thatthe wagon was full of "Paddys", which at the time was a perjorative term for recent Irish immigrants. See Thomas Nast's illustrations in Harper's Weekly to see what a "Paddy" was.

St. Paddy's Day? Nope, never. St. Patrick's Day, in honor of the saint.

And if you aren't Irish, but know why one wears green on the day, I wouldn't complain.

So Dave, shouldn't you then explain your Latin phrase, which we were told (many years ago) was actual grafitti from Pompeii?

Non illigitemi carborundum - Don't let the "illegitmate sons" (fill in appropriate English expletive) wear you down.

From fourth year Latin, when we were supposed to be translating Ovid, but "metamorped" into Catullus....

47

The mid-fifties seems to be a popular era for Scouters.

This is my first year as Cubmaster, and I put on this year's Pack Night schedule that there would be two official uniform inspections, one in December and one in May, with a practice inspection in November. (The December inspection nominally performed by a Marine, there for Toys for Tots kickoff, and the May one by a White Plains police officer, there for a short talk and demo). I handed out copies of the official BSA Cub Scout/Webelos Scout Uniform Inspection Sheet to all of the leaders at our last Leader's Crackerbarrel.

Every den leader has called or e-mailed in the last two days asking if I am serious about using it, since the last Cubmaster had made the wearing of official BSA Scout socks and pants "optional".

After taking a deep breath each time, and explaining that a Cubmaster cannot make any part of the official uniform optional, I then explained that I would use 65% as a passing grade (approximatley 80% of 80 points, discounting the 15 points for official pants and 5 points for official socks. Not even discussing current registration cards, which I found last week in one of the boxes the former Cubmaster left me...)- those that pass get a patch.

I actually am now planning on using TwocCubdad's

"Leader Uniform Inspection" Skit as a teaching minute just before the practice inspection. I think it will as, if not more, valuable as pointing out specific pluses and minuses for each boy in the practice run.

This is my first year as Cubmaster, and I put on this year's Pack Night schedule that there would be two official uniform inspections, one in December and one in May, with a practice inspection in November. (The December inspection nominally performed by a Marine, there for Toys for Tots kickoff, and the May one by a White Plains police officer, there for a short talk and demo). I handed out copies of the official BSA Cub Scout/Webelos Scout Uniform Inspection Sheet to all of the leaders at our last Leader's Crackerbarrel.

Every den leader has called or e-mailed in the last two days asking if I am serious about using it, since the last Cubmaster had made the wearing of official BSA Scout socks and pants "optional".

After taking a deep breath each time, and explaining that a Cubmaster cannot make any part of the official uniform optional, I then explained that I would use 65% as a passing grade (approximatley 80% of 80 points, discounting the 15 points for official pants and 5 points for official socks. Not even discussing current registration cards, which I found last week in one of the boxes the former Cubmaster left me...)- those that pass get a patch.

I actually am now planning on using TwocCubdad's

"Leader Uniform Inspection" Skit as a teaching minute just before the practice inspection. I think it will as valuable as pointing out specific pluses and minuses for each boy in the practice run.

Medicine in the US is a fairly complex, intertwined business, whose total cost structure and linkages is not fully understood by the providers of service (doctors, hospitals, etc.) nor the purchasers of service (patients).

Malpractice. What do you think an obstetrician pays per year in NYC for his or her professional liability insurance? Close enough to $180,000 to use it in an example. So, how much does that physician charge patients for each delivery?

Probably between $6,000 and $7,000. So,the physician has to deliver sucessfully 3 babies per month, every month, just to cover the malpractrice insuerance premium.(You really can't deliver half a baby). But there is a problem here. The physician doesn't always get the full amount of his/her fee. And not because people aren't paying their bills. The HMO's will only pay around $4,000 per delivery. Medicaid will pay less than $2,000.

And the physician took an oath essentially to take on all patients, so they can't really pick and choose.

And that only deals with one expense. The physician has to have an office, with rent, electricity, telephone, a receptionist, a biller, a nurse, who all have to get paid and get benefits, and the doctor would like to earn a living too.

And what happens to the physician when his/her premium goes up 50%? (That is the projected increase at my institution). In a free market, the charge for deliveries could go up. But not in our system. The insurance companies and the federal government do not increase their payments that quickly, if at all.

That doesn't even touch on the other side - who pays when there is catastrophic medical care required because of real medical malpractice.

Finally, Medicare doesn't really cover the true costs of providing health care in the US. We try to contract for 130% of MEdicare fees with managed care companies tro survivie. You may ask "How can thast be?" Where do you think our federal government looks to cut costs to balance their budget? The military? Homeland security? Nope, the Medicare fees paid to hospitals and doctors. The average Medicare reimbursement for most soecialties hgas been declininmg for the past few years. Next year, there is a proposed 4.2% decrease. And if prescription drugs are added as a benefit, there is no increase in the total funds committeed, so hospitals and doctors will get cut more.

This doesn't ebven address defensive medicine, the unreimbursed administrative burden added by insurers and the government, inherent adminstrative inefficiencies in the delivery of healthcare and the American consumers' desire for the biggest, newest, fastest medical gadget now.

I am certain that there are more MRI macines in a ten block radius of the Hospital I work at then in a number of Canadian provinces.

All of this costs.

Do you know what your doctor charges for an office visit? Or do you think it is only $10, because that is your HMO co-pay?

The vast majority of Americans will not accept socialized medicine because they equate that to a system where they wait hours for rationed health care, with no choice of who provides the care.

They want at least the illusion of being able to get care when and where they want it.

All of the above being said, having had occasion to go to doctors and hospitals in Ireland, Italy, and Ecuador, I agree with KoreaScouter about where I want my family to go if I have the choice - American hospitals (and probably the one I work at, even though I sit on the Malpractrice Committee).

I do not think it is OK to kill either.

There may be instances where it is medically necessary, to save the life of the mother, to perform an abortion. But very limited.

As for executions, what right does the state, acting on behalf of it's citizens, to commit murder, even of a murderer?

Welcome aboard.

All of these kind of patches are considered "temporary", and are only to be worn centered on the front of the right pocket of the uniform shirt, below the flap, for a short (determined by you) period of time (hence the term "temporary") - usually until you receive the next patch, or a more colorful patch, or a more meaningful-to-you patch. You can recycle old participation patches, if you choose...

Your pack should invest in a copy of the Cub Scout Leader Guide and the 2003-2005 Insignia Guide, both availabale at your local Scout Shop. They explain about these type of issues and also give pictures, like the patch placement guide (uniform inspection sheets)at the BSA Supply Division site:

http://www.scoutstuff.org/cgi/catalog

Most of mine end up in a drawer until it is time to make up a poster of what the Pack has done in the last year (like for Blue and Gold), then they get glued on, along with pictures and other stuff.

The boys have a red patch vest; there is no real equivalent for adult leaders.

The leader's red Woolrich shirt-jac has limitations on what size and type patches can be added to it.(Officially, anyway).

There is no real reason why you couldn't buy a red zippered sweatshirt (red is tghe preferred BSA color - doesn't have to be red) and sew on any and all patches you wished, and wear it to any and all Scouting events you wanted. You would avoid the dreaded uniform police that way, since it is not an "offical" uniform component.

Good Luck with Cub Scouting.

We print out this site to give to our first year Webelos Scouts to pick their "den name" and "den emblem" from.

http://www.wildrice.com/Troop339/BSpictures/PatrolEmblems/PatrolEmblems.html

One way to differentiate from other den (or patrols) emblems is by adjectuives - "Screaming Eagels", "Mighty Dragons", "Peregrine Falcons","Busy Beavers" etc.

I think alpacas (despite late night televison info-mercials) are mainly in higher elevations, midway beteen llama and vicuna. So stick to countries with the Andes for alpaca. (My wife's uncle imports alpaca products to the US - we have sweaters, hats, socks, capes, wall hangings, car seats, rugs, "teddy" bears,.... there is such a thing as too much alpaca).

Galapagos is a definite must if you go to Ecuador - but it is not cheap, and involves a flight to the islands and a cruise around the islands, plus a US$100 admission fee (as of 2003).

Ecuador has it's own version of Macchu Picchu - Ingapirca. It was the seat of Incan government in Ecuador and has the remains of the city and fort.

As for bargains on native handicraft, the Saturday Indian market in Otovalo is world famous.

We got hand knit alpaca sweaters for $20 - $25.

Good luck.

Following up on BobWhite's post.

I remember the name of the tribe was Webelos (which at that time was an acronym for Wolf-Bear-Lion-Scout, the rank progression a Cub Scout was supposed to follow).

And the original story may have been written by Seton.

And Bonnie Tyler had nothing to do with it at all.