BartHumphries

I'm curious, what would a "more masculine rainbow" look like? I'm imagining Trogdor but with a rainbow instead of a dragon body: http://nodwick.humor.gamespy.com/trogdor/trogdor.htm Basically a walking rainbow with a big Arnold Schwarzenegger-arm and breathing fire from one end of the rainbow and wings.

I really like the cut of the Oscar de la Renta pants (or whatever they were called). I recently went to the scout shop to purchase a new pair of pants for summer camp. The waist 32 Classic-fit pants were plenty roomy up top (I don't have much of a butt) but really tight in the thighs (I have fairly musclar legs for my size, though). I tried waist 34 Classic-fit and they were the same, plenty roomy up top, but so tight around my thighs that I couldn't even get my hands all the way in the pockets. I thought the classic-fit were supposed to be straight cuts like the old Oscar pants? Also, what's up with the pockets not even starting until a ways away from the seam? That just seems like a recipe for things to fall out. I finally settled on a pair of waist 32 relaxed-fit which fit nicely all over although I have an extra 4 inches of fabric width-wise down around my knees. I really dislike the available pants -- seriously, they're like K-mart pants, all sort of nylony and polyestery. The cutoff zipper seems mandatory -- they don't seem like they'll really be able to breath much once I start going down the trail. Not to mention the weird elastic -- all of us leaders wear belts, so ditch the elastic on leader pants, although maybe you wanted the elastic in to shorten the pants life -- that elastic is going to get stretched out and worthless in only like three-four years of use. Not to mention the ridiculous cut of the pockets. It is so easy to press my Oscar pants -- I just pull the front over the front of the ironing board, six passes of the iron and the front and back and sides of the top are done. I lay the pants down along the ironing board and swoop, swoop, four passes of the iron and some cloth flipping and boom, the legs are done. Total time: about 30 seconds and they look amazing. These new pants are going to be a royal pain to get the wrinkles out. I don't want to be an old geezer crying out for how things "used to be", but I want my old pants back.(This message has been edited by BartHumphries)

I'm now getting malware warnings from Google Chrome when I visit this site or try to post. The message I receive follows: www.scouter.com contains content from www.scouter.com, a site known to distribute malware. Your computer might catch a virus if you visit this site. Google has found malicious software may be installed onto your computer if you proceed. If you've visited this site in the past or you trust this site, it's possible that it has just recently been compromised by a hacker. You should not proceed, and perhaps try again tomorrow or go somewhere else. We have already notified www.scouter.com that we found malware on the site. For more about the problems found on www.scouter.com, visit the Google Safe Browsing diagnostic page. If you understand that visiting this site may harm your computer, proceed anyway.

There's a really simple solution to getting cheap and high-quality uniforms made in the USA: capitalism. Instead of choosing one company and giving them a monopoly, allow clothing companies to license themselves just like badge companies can. Then institute an order tracking policy -- each customer gets a a number printed on the receipt and can go online or call in and leave a message regarding their order. Save that order tracking number and go back in six months and again in one year to leave a message about how much use the uniform has received and how it's holding up. The market will soon self correct and companies will either make a name for good uniforms made in the USA at a good price or they will get out of the BSA uniform business. If there ever comes a time when no US companies are willing to step up to the bar, then uniforms can be purchased outside the country. Before buying outside the USA, some sort of call or notice or referendum should have gone around. Just because the people at National weren't aware of clothing companies still operating in the USA doesn't mean there aren't any. There still are.

According to Wikipedia, Boy Scouts used to salute each other, but saluting each other was made "optional" in the 70's (and seems to have basically been discontinued).

Thanks to everyone who's replied. One of my programming teachers used to repeat to us, "Don't reinvent the wheel." "People don't have the time or money to pay you to code everything from scratch," he'd say, "Even though that's what we teach you to do, always look around and see what's available first. It'll save you a lot of time, both in coding and debugging." I am a firm believer that he was spot on (and not just in programming).

It's not the tp, it's what's on the tp. I'm just fine with a fire-sterilized little metal thing (even if I do have to clean ashes out of it instead of just tossing a sealed zip-loc into the trash). That's just my personal inclination -- your mileage may vary.

Even in areas where open flames aren't allowed, you're generally still allowed to use stoves. The only problem I'm seeing at this time, fire code wise, is to get this classified as a stove -- burning solid fuel (loose pellets?) instead of liquified fuel. If I installed a baffle (double hinged top?), there would actually be less flame of any kind compared to a portable liquified cook stove. And "I" wouldn't be making it, it would be one of a suite of products produced by my company, a reputable business. For those places where I have to pack "everything" out, I'm thinking of just not going. The thought of hauling everything back out with me is rather distasteful. The world is wide -- there are plenty of mountains that I can climb other than, say, Mt. Whitney (and other mountains tend to have much smaller waiting lists). I guess I could always buy a package of these wag bag things: http://www.rei.com/product/662978/ Anyone have any other suggestions?

What sort of additional ingredients do you add? Most vegetables/meat has to be cooked before you add it, right? I guess I could cut some spam or hotdogs up or other pre-cooked meat, maybe add some cheese.

Less camping in general.

"Which of the SM's numerous responsibilities require that the position be held by a legal adult?" I think the original Patrol Leader Handbook said it best: http://www.thedump.scoutscan.com/patrolleader.pdf -- see pages 5 & 6. The Sunday evening found them together again in the barn, and the Leader had not been wasting his time. He had re-read Scouting for Boys, and when they met the first thing he said was: 'Look here, chaps, I have been reading the book again and it talks about a Scoutmaster. I think that is what we want. He would have kept the policeman away!' Well, that is one of the jobs of the Scoutmaster and is one of the reasons why your Patrol or Troop needs one; somebody who will arrange for you to carry out Scouting without fear of being interrupted. As far as what age a person must be in whatever branch of Scouting they're in to be considered an adult, I really have no opinion on that, but that's why you have to have at least one "adult" around -- to keep the policeman away.

I am the Scoutcraft Director this summer for council's local BSA Summer Camp and I have been told that one of the things I will do this summer is to create and run a "Path to First Class" program. That's great, I'm happy to do so. I did find: http://www.scouter.com/Forums/viewThread.asp?threadID=50111 which was a nice thread. I'm wondering if any of the rest of you have any advice that you'd like to give. My plan is to mix some instruction in with "mandatory" merit badges. For instance Pioneering fulfills the 4a and half of the 4b Tenderfoot requirements as well as 7a/b and 8a First Class requirements. Totin' Chip completes Second Class 3c, etc. Basically, they'll have an hour or so of "class" in the morning, then the rest of the day they're like every other Scout, with certain extra things, like having to run the flag ceremony one day (to complete Second Class 4 and Tenderfoot 6), etc. I know passing boys off for those ranks is the responsibility of the Scoutmaster -- how would you handle things like Second Class 8b (do the beginning pre-Swimmer test and First Class 9b (complete the real Swimmer test)? Is this like earning the Scoutmaster's key, you do requirement A for the Scoutmaser's Training Award, and then do BC to fulfill requirement "ABC"?(This message has been edited by BartHumphries)

I would be all for movie night at Scout camps, presuming that they're showing Scout-related movies. For instance, that "Follow Me, Boys!" movie? I think a lot of people would like to see it. I've never seen it and I'd like to sometime. I think some sort of Scout gathering is about the only place that I could expect to ever see it. Then there's Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. Ok, so they aren't "Boy Scouts of America" but they're basically the same thing (without the licensing fee) and it's the kids who pull through and win the day to support "Scoutmaster" Smith. Otherwise, you may end up doing what I did when I was a scout and the sun had set -- hours of playing cards before you all crawled into the sleeping bag around midnight.

So, the idea of putting my toilet paper into a ziploc baggy then hauling it around for a week isn't really that appealing to me. I was thinking today, how could I get around this... and I thought about the fire screen I'd recently researched for my grandparents chimney top. I could make something like that -- a light little steel box, 4"x4" wide and 2" deep, with a hinged 1/2" (long way) diamond hole grate on the top. Then add a handle to that. Put the burnable stuff in there, light it up. Dump the bit of ashes in the cathole along with the rest of the waste and cover it up. I know that would complies with the California fire code although I haven't checked national regulations for wilderness areas. I'd rather clean some dirty ash residue than clean, well, some other type of residue in case the baggy breaks in my backpack. Ash is a good fertilizer, right? It seems like this would help the rest of my waste be broken down more quickly.

So, how do I make these? Break an egg in a bag, add "stuff", boil till done? Is that 6 minutes, 10 minutes, until solid? What sort of stuff do you all add?

"So as a Cubmaster when I recruit new families who attend Scout events that would qualify? When I register new adult leaders as Pack leaders, that qualifies? ... In short, is there any bar to unit leaders and volunteers meeting these requirements in ther ordinary course of their volunteers activities?" At the top of the official requirements, there's a note that you cannot begin working on any requirements without the permission of your Council. I would likely only say no if you were working on the Cubmaster Award or the Unit Leader Award of Merit -- if you'd already earned those then I'd be likely to say yes. My reasoning is that I think it's great to have rewards that promote what you "should" be doing, because we want to promote those good activities, but earning three knots all for doing the same things is sort of a little too much in my humble opinion. I am not anyone official though, and everyone has their own opinion, so you'd have to contact your Council and ask them that same question since you'd need their permission before you could start working on the requirements.

The major part of the Alumni Award is not the, "Make contact with at least five adult alumni not currently registered with the BSA..." part. Look down below, the second part where each subsection of the "Alumni Engagement" involves two people and "The same alumni may not be used to complete more than one requirement in this section." You have to contact 8 people and get: 2 unregistered people to attend a Scout activity 2 unregistered people who register 2 unregistered people that you solicit and obtain Friends of Scouting donations 2 unregistered people who volunteer at a Scout activity It seems like that would sort of be a "path" that you'd take 8 people through -- attending an activity, then registering, then making a financial contribution and a contribution of their time.

Every time I try to post this in a new thread, the forums break. I don't know if it's this crazy old software or what, but in Sea Scouts what's a bug on a cover? Are there any sites that show the different Sea Scouts uniforms that were worn in the different years?

"Superior One -- Volume: 7400 cubic inches | 121.3 liters" Wow. That's all I can say. Wow.

"We will not use waist belts. I plan to progressively increase the weight and distance until they are carrying 90lbs. for three miles." I recommend you stop by your local SCUBA shop and buy a weight belt from them. They're fairly ordinary canvas belts (like a seat belt) that you slip weight pouches on (or velcro on or whatever). Heck, you could probably even make them yourself. Use those when you're practicing hiking and training for strength and endurance, because it puts the weight where it should be during the real thing -- on your hips (your waist). Toss those Duluth bags and get a real bag. Seriously -- they're going to be going bright red in the arms and face because those bags are going to be cutting off circulation in their arms and upper body. Get that weight off your shoulders. The picture on the front page of http://www.ntier.org/Resources/Brochures/2011%20ERPG.pdf is a bad one, setting a bad example. Call ahead and ask, but if there's no way to transfer the weight from the shoulders to your hips (waist), tell them that you're going to bring your own packs.

Why in the world would we use for-pay software like vBulletin when there's phpBB http://www.phpbb.com/ for free? I really like phpBB for its ease of use, its power, versatility, and customization. There's no reason to pay a few hundred dollars for what will ultimately end up being about the same thing.

There are a lot of comparative religion manuals out there for various college courses -- I highly recommend picking one up. I remember that I was astonished how similar (in broadly sweeping ways) all religions are when I first really started looking into them. For instance, all religions have some variant of the Golden Rule: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Rule Hinduism, for example, has two concepts, the way of the cat (the mother cat picks up her babies and transports them from place to place) and the way of the monkey (the baby monkeys must cling to their mother's back as she jumps from tree to tree) which can essentially be translated into the Christian "saved by faith" (passive behavior will suffice because you will be "moved" regardless of what you do) and "saved by works" (one must hang on tight to be "moved"). Many people and religions hew strictly to one or the other and many people and religions blend those two in various ways, but we all have a good deal in common. Religions are like the Spanish and Portuguese languages or Norwegian and Swedish -- we're close enough that if we go slowly we can pretty much understand and be understood when we attempt to communicate, even though if you really delve into it there sure are a lot of major differences as well. Many religions do have stricter requirements for one thing than another, but we can still be respectful of our differences and basically enjoy each others company. So, as far as "how" to conduct an interfaith ceremony, some other people in this thread have had great ideas. Invite individual people from different religions to give their "own" message to add their own touch to the proceedings. Be respectful, realize that no matter what you do the ceremony may be "nice" but "not enough" for some, that they require their own people/activities.

'the OP is using this award as an open invitation to all "geeks and nerds" that scouting has now made accomodations altering their program to bring them into scouting.' BadenP, as the OP, let me repeat my earlier comment (from the 1st page, although not in my first post of this thread) -- I think that geeks/nerds make the *best* scouts. One of the hallmarks of a geek/nerd (in my opinion) is curiosity, a desire to learn, to find out. That's true for knot tying, wilderness survival techniques, finding out whether (for a really extreme example that demonstrates pure curiosity) drinking saved urine in a rattlesnake skin is beneficial or not (see Bear Grylls, Man vs Wild), as well as computers, geocaching GPS devices, things that go boom (rifles, shotguns, rockets), using a good handheld "ham" radio with your amateur radio license to tap into a nearby repeater station and chat with the Scout troop on the other side of the mountain, and other cool stuff. Those dense people who are singularly uninterested in learning, who couldn't care less which stars form which constellation or how to navigate on a cloudy day, those types of people generally don't make good scouts. You have to be something of a geek/nerd to be a scuba diver -- at least I know my Open Water test asked me to calculate some dive depths/times. Scouting is not altering its program, it's offering a new way to recognize/reward people for what they already do. Sure, this may prompt some people to investigate STEM more than they otherwise would have done, but I really don't see how that detracts from any other focus of Scouting -- everything in Scouting invites a person to investigate that subject more thoroughly.

For the Physical Fitness award, you have to (amongst other things), "Demonstrate your ability to improve your strength, posture, endurance, agility, speed, accuracy, and balance with your own goal-oriented fitness plan." It seems to me that you can't demonstrate that you've improved in those areas without having the ability to measure where you are in those ares. So, how do you figure out how good anyone is? I'm thinking of something like... Strength -- weight machine, average of bench/leg presses? Posture -- stand against a cabinet or something? I'm really not sure. Endurance -- running at a "good jog" how many laps can you run before you stop? Agility -- try some Yoga moves? Speed -- time yourself in 100 yard sprints? Accuracy -- I honestly have no idea what this even means. Throw a ball at a target? Balance -- how long can you stand on one leg?

Well, personally, I think that geeks/nerds make the best Scouts. I think dumb "jocks" (despite being a 4-year letterman myself) are the ones who don't know what the Outdoor Code is (to go off on something of a tangent, basically the Outdoor Code is what Leave No Trace is back before you had to pay hundreds of dollars to be "qualified" to teach it).