NJCubScouter

Cublaree, huh? That's a new one. In one of our "old" councils there was a twice-annual Cub family camping trip called a "Cub Camporee", pretty straightforward. In the other (mine), it was called "Cubelos." Pronounced like "Cub" followed by the last part of "Webelos." Get it? I never thought it made much sense as the name of a camping trip, but hey, nobody ever asked me. But it was one of those things that would definitely be a good item for a "Cub glossary", because every year the new Tiger parents (including me, way back then) would hear the word "Cubelos" being thrown around and have

Wipit? Did they adopt the Devo song as their theme song in the early 80s?

Allemakewink Lodge, #54 Ordeal member, dues last paid 1978-79 or so. The lodge itself no longer exists under that name having been merged around 2000 following a council merger. New lodge is named Woapalanne, I don't know the number. (Though if I had been a Scout where I live now, I would have been in the other "old" lodge, which I think was named Miquin or something like that. In other words the council where I lived as a boy and the council where I live now were merged into one council. When you're old you'll have boring stories like that, too.) Anyway, I have been told I can become a

Ed says: It's not a value. It's a fact! Homosexuality is immoral. OK, I didn't want to turn this thread into that. But now that you have... The terminology of "values" is that used by the BSA itself (and by BobWhite, as if there were a difference.) I didn't make it up. But more to the point (and as my son might say, red alert, shields up, polarize the hull plating), here's what I'd like to know: Where did you get this "fact"? Why, and/or how, is homosexuality immoral? And just to make it clear, I understand that your religion teaches you that it is immoral. That i

Tamegonit says: And another thing, if you are a "control freak", and don't think that you could control that tendancy whilst having that position, don't take it. Those of you with intuitive natures will understand. And those of us who have been there ourselves will also understand. You obviously are a perceptive young man. And as you go along in life you will see more examples of what you are saying. I am a member of a school board, and just think about attending meetings where there are NINE "control freaks" (to different degrees, I hope I am of the lesser variety) sitting

Question 5 is: 5. Do you think organizations should screen out gay and lesbian adults from serving in jobs that allow them to be alone with children, such as scout troop leader or teacher? All respondents: Yes 34 pct., No 54 pct., Not Sure 12 pct. Just to be fair to the "other side" in this debate (a courtesy that is rarely accorded in the other direction, but anyway), this question is flawed. Acco points out that the BSA does not permit adults to be alone with Scouts. Even more than that, the subject of "alone with children" -- in other words prevention of abuse -- is not the

That's correct about YP facilitator training, it was mainly a "practical" session geared toward the specific things someone doing the YP training in our council needs to know, like where and when to pick up the materials packet and video, what is in the packet, what needs to be filled out, where and when the materials need to be returned, who to speak to for questions, all that sort of thing. We were also given some materials. The only "substantive" aspect was that a few people asked questions about questions that have been asked by trainees in sessions they have attended, and suggested resp

I was thinking of "uniform" related terms, but I guess those would not really be "glossary" items. When I wrote a "parent guide" for our pack I just wrote it as "text" with sections and defined terms as I went along, rather than breaking out the definitions in glossary format. Your way sounds better as far as defining terms. But in terms of uniforming, I wrote out a description of what each boy at each level should have, mentioning those items that are provided by the pack and those that must be purchased. In the past, parents had been given this information somewhat haphazardly, sometime

$200 does seem like a lot of money to spend on something like this. But, obviously, you must be worth it. Smile and say thanks.

OK, I know I will be accused of going off-topic, but I really can't help asking: Is there any particular reason why you have taken YP training 3 times in 6 months? Are you one of the actors in the video and just want to admire your work? Once every three years is the rule in my council. I have also received a notice that my Youth Protection Facilitator Certification lapses after a year unless I either take THAT training again, or facilitate a YP course at least once in that period. But that still would not account for 3 times in 6 months.

It's a big reddish thing, somewhere between here and Jupiter. Actually, it's more of a burnt orange, not the bright red of the background of the First Aid Merit Badge... or the red Scout symbol on the Troop Guide position patch, for that matter...

... although, it is difficult to avoid noticing the "whole car" and offering suggestions for having a better one. Maybe we just need to be less dogmatic in some cases.

Eagledad says: I understand, but come on. Someone in need has asked for help to fix a car and all the adults can say is your driving the wrong model. I was just following the tradition in this forum. In other words, I think you're probably right. It is something that maybe we need to be more sensitive to when it is a Scout asking a question rather than an adult.

Eagledad, I think what has caused the "concern" here is not the troop guide position for the NEW scout patrol, which is what I think you are talking about. That position clearly exists and is important and your training suggestions are good ones. The concern is with the "troop guide" for the REGULAR patrols. The position does not exist and could be counterproductive, unless it is really just a misnomer for "Instructor" which would involve a different kind of training.

As many people know by now, we have the opportunity this week to witness a once-in-a-lifetime astronomical event. Mars and the Earth are closer together right now than they will be for another 60,000 years. Anyone with a telescope, and I do not believe it even has to be a very good one, can see Mars as a disk rather than as the "bright reddish point of light" that can usually be seen. I plan to go one step further and will be taking my son tonight to our local community college, where they have a planetarium and will be setting up some really GOOD telescopes for free public viewing of this

::Sarcasm back on:: I guess I also ought to apologize to the thousands of boys who will not get the benefit of this program because a couple of people made some lighthearted remarks about the color of a merit badge. ::Sarcasm back off::

Good grief, Bob. Like I said before, I guess my "error" was in posting something in "your" thread without permission.

One more thing -- and if I am coming off as the Grinch who stole Christmas here, that is not my intent. But I can't help thinking how far we have come in dealing with issues like this in the last 20 or 30 years. When I was a boy, nobody would have felt a need a need to make accommodations for the ADHD-or-similarly-afflicted boy, because nobody had ever heard of those conditions. A disruptive boy was considered a "bad kid" and was usually removed in some way. In the Scouting context, I am sure that in "my day," many such boys were invited to leave and did so, whereas today the same boy would

Mark, I agree with what you say, but just want to add something. This is an important lesson to teach the other boys, but as you say, it isn't easy. I think it needs to be taught in a way that does not make the other boys "feel bad" about their reaction to a disruptive patrol-mate. I think that having a disruptive patrol-mate is a more difficult situation for an 11 or 12 year old boy than that boy will encounter in dealing with ADHD or similar persons in other contexts. Having one or two such children in your class at school is not quite like having one in your patrol, where everybody is s

Bob, I read your first post in this thread (no pun intended). I read the link. I remember this from when it happened, and you have now provided an update as to how the BSA and Red Cross are implementing the agreement through the councils and district training committees. Thanks for the update. It all sounds like a great thing. But what more is there to say about it? And if your post reminded me that the Red Cross once threatened to sue the BSA, can't I say so? (And I didn't even say so at first.) It doesn't take anything away from what you posted. It doesn't prevent others from sa

Just for the record, the comment about "almost half" a troop being Troop Guides (or being "considered" Troop Guides) came from Hops, not Spork. As for what Spork did say, I agree with others that the troop leadership needs to look at the what these "troop guides" are doing. Having a troop guide assigned to a "regular patrol" has the potential of diminishing the roles of both the PL -- who having served briefly as PL of the New Scout Patrol and having been elected a "regular" PL should now be ready to "fly on his own," reporting directly to the SPL -- and also the SPL, part of whose job i

Well Mark, if you were in New Jersey I might suggest that that rumbling was the earthquake we had last night. (3.8 on Richter scale, and really noticeable only in a fairly small radius around the small town of Milford, on the Delaware River, so I had no idea until I read the newspaper this morning.) But since you aren't, we'll have to go with your theory.

Well, we learn from our failures as well as our successes. It appears that the first comma "fools" the software that runs this forum into thinking that the URL is finished.

Thanks for this, Its Trail Day, it is indeed interesting and I will have more to say about it later, but for now, as a public service, I'm putting the URL below because it looks like it did not come out "whole" in your post. It may have something to do with the commas, in which case it may not work this time either. I am sure there are some people who know how to put a URL in here by coding it rather than just cutting-and-pasting and hoping it works, but I am not one of them. (This message has been edited by a staff member.)

Bob, if your last post was supposed to be a response to mine, it has nothing to do with what I said. I was talking about appointing people, not removing people. But while we're on the subject of national removing council committee members so that the nominating committee can nominate new ones... You seem to be assuming that if a council committee opposes the BSA's anti-gay policy, they must be some rogue people who are off on their own agenda, and do not represent the opinion of the council (in other words, the CO's within the council.) But what if that is not true? What if in fac