nolesrule

I don't disagree that there are entitlement issues out there and that people in need are lacking sound judgement when allocating funds, I just felt that some of those "shocking" stats needed some context.

While I don't like free-loaders that list of stats is superficial when you start to think about it.

Forty-six percent of all poor households actually own their own homes. The average home owned by persons classified as poor by the Census Bureau is a three bedroom house with one and a half baths, a garage, and a porch or patio.

*** Own = paying a mortgage. That can be cheaper than renting, and especially in the great credit giveaway of the last decade was easier than ever to obtain.

Seventy-six percent of poor households have air conditioning. By contrast, 30 years ago, only 36 percent of the entire U.S. population enjoyed air conditioning.

*** Air conditioning seems to have become a standard feature in new construction. Also, window units aren't very expensive to put in a place without HVAC.

Only 6 percent of poor households are overcrowded. More than two thirds have more than two rooms per person.

*** Poor and overcrowdedness are correlations.

The average poor American has more living space than the average individual living in Paris, London, Vienna, Athens, and other cities throughout Europe. (These comparisons are to the average citizens in foreign countries, not to those classified as poor.)

*** That has always been the case. We live in a large country with lots of land. People in urban areas tend to live in smaller homes (or apartments), hence our country's suburbia. To compare Paris, London, Vienna and Athens to an entire country is misleading, especially when you consider the population density of Europe as a whole is 2.2 times that of the United States.

Nearly three quarters of poor households own a car; 30 percent own two or more cars.

***In some parts of the country (sadly) owning a vehicle is necessary due to the lack of public transit options, but it doesn't mean the car wasn't purchased on the cheap.

Ninety-seven percent of poor households have a color television; over half own two or more color televisions.

*** They still make black and white? Honestly if I was going to do a stat, I'd be comparing things like tube vs. flat panel or standard def vs. high def as indicators of when TVs were bought and how much was paid for them. I don't have a problem with a poor person owning a TV.

Seventy-eight percent have a VCR or DVD player; 62 percent have cable or satellite TV reception.

*** That's actually a decent stat, and considering cable/sat has over 90% market penetration, that means the poor are putting their entertainment dollars into a cheaper solution.

Seventy-three percent own microwave ovens, more than half have a stereo, and a third have an automatic dishwasher.

*** Poor people aren't homeless. I once sold a 15 year old stereo and a 10 year old microwave at a garage sale for pennies on the dollar. Come to think of it, I've also sold old TVs, VCRs and DVDs players.

Gone With the Wind is still the highest grossing movie of all time when adjusted for inflation. It made it 's money during the (wait for it) Great Depression. The entertainment industry has always flourished during economic hardships, so it's no surprise that poor people have TVs and DVD players (and cable/satellite to a lesser extent).

"We now run on an 18 month cycle with the courses altering between spring or fall."

Tokala, you call that first weekend of SR-1022 spring? 72 and sunny my hindquarters. :-P

With no pocket on it, I would go with the old placement. The only reason for the new placement was because the pocket made using the old placement impossible.

Hard deadlines are great motivators, aren't they?

Heck, I was one of those gung-ho get it done scouts who was life by 12.5 was ABP by about 13.5, all self-motivated. Yet my Eagle BOR was 3 months, 5 days before my 18th birthday.

I spent most of the 4 years in between (my high school years) doing non-advancement stuff (OA, JLT, camp staff), concentrating on earning the IB diploma in high school, serving as a VP for 2 terms in my synagogue youth group chapter, as well as chairing some committees on the sub-regional and regional levels of the youth group and spending 6 weeks in Israel (skipped the troop's HA trip to the AT for that).

Somewhere in there I did my project.

"Wolf rank patch -- has a fleur-de-lis on it, so ok? "

Most insignia have an assigned spot on the uniform, and it's a pretty good rule of thumb that any insignia with an assigned position cannot be placed in the temporary insignia spot.

Wolf badge - Cub Scout, left pocket, position 2.

Also, the Insignia Guide indirectly makes the following statement about rank badges vs. temporary patches:

"Members may wear temporary patches (no badges of rank) on the back of the merit badges sash."

So, there is a distinction that separates the two.

Edited to add: All BSA-specific official uniform items have one of the required marks on it (has to do with lawyers and trademarks), but that doesn't make it a temporary insignia. It just means that those items without the marks (issued by another organization) may not be used as temporary insignia.(This message has been edited by nolesrule)

Rank patches are not temporary insignia.

Well, shipping on that site is a little steep if all you want is a $1 item.

I did just see a 50-pack of the rubber clasps for $5 on ebay, free shipping. $0.10 each is a better deal.

Edit: I found even more listings on ebay, larger quantities at lower per unit prices, if you really want to help others :-)(This message has been edited by nolesrule)

There are rubber backings out there in the universe. I've seen them on some pins sold at Hard Rock Cafes. The hole is tighter and the material stretches so it holds better. Not sure where you can buy them though. I've never searched.

I know many committee members that have earned it. And I'm pretty sure that the District Training Chair (at least in our district), who reviews all the paperwork for the adult awards and square knots, would not be issuing the awards to those who had not completed IOLS if it was only intended for SMs and ASMs.

No, not indefinitely. Just on hold. We weren't informed about a timetable on it though.

At our Commissioner Conference about 6 weeks ago, our Council Commissioner informed us that the mandatory position specific training recharter requirement which was to go into effect next year has been put on hold due to ongoing issues with BSA's record keeping software.

Or maybe it's because the BSA recognizes that some units out there think (or assume) that the unit leader and/or assistant unit leaders are automatically members of the committee because they are registered leaders. By explicitly stating that unit leaders are excluded, they don't have to go out of their way to explicitly state the unit adult structure in an advancement policy manual.

" Is recognition something that others owe you, or is it something else?"

Doesn't that depend on what the recognition is for?

Some recognitions are honors from others. No defined set of criteria, may or may not require a nomination for it. Might be the Silver Beaver, might be OA Vigil, might be an award for recognizing best scout spirit at summer camp.

Some recognitions have a defined set of criteria that must be met. They are rewards for completing the to-do list. Advancement recognition is this type. Do the tasks, get the carrot. Withholding the carrot that has been earned sends the wrong message.

I would suggest focusing on your unit commissioner duties. Those will take up enough of your time, especially while you are still new to the position. Spend your time getting to know the leaders, observing unit operations, and looking to see what their actual needs are, if any.

That said, if a unit truly wants your help in what is nothing more than a record-keeping process, then they will need to get their own licensed copy of the software. Afterward, you should train them on a computer they will actually be using the program on (I train people in basic computer tasks, and I learned this from experience). Besides, another unit's records have no business being on your computer.

"Yah, none of those screening programs is worth a darn, IMHO. "

Truer words...

Just stay away from the ads if you are unsure about anything. The site itself is safe.

Funny thing is, I get more calls from my clients infected with viruses who thought they were safe because they run these programs than from those who don't run them and just use smart practices.(This message has been edited by nolesrule)

Helping a unit set their QU goals, filling out the paperwork and reviewing them periodically is part of the duties of the unit commissioner. If you've never seen the paperwork, ask your unit commissioner why not. If you've never seen your unit commissioner, ask your district commissioner why not.

As for the "Centennial" term, everything that has been involved with the buildup to 2010 has been branded Centennial, not just things happening in 2010, so that includes what ScoutNut was referring to with the strategic plan.

I picked up one Centennial Eagle patch for my personal collection at our local scout shop about 5 months ago.

As for a policy of only having earned them this year, did scout shops have a decent supply of the non-centennial versions? Lots of scouts were purchasing multiple uniforms for the jamboree, and I'm sure not all of them earned their most recent rank in 2010.

Your ticket (or anyone else's for that matter). It has multiple goals, or ticket items, but it's one ticket, not multiple tickets.

First reply wasn't 100% clear. Yes, any former member, whether elected as a youth or selected as an adult, can reactivate his membership with the local lodge provided he is currently registered as a Scouter (you can't just be a parent to a Scout).

As was pointed out, some sort of evidence will be requested as proof. If the old lodge has good record keeping from 20 years ago, they might be able to provide an affirmative letter, but after 20 years it isn't always that easy.

Gatorade... don't touch the stuff myself, since a rival in-state university invented the stuff and gets a cut of the profits.

Yes, we take our intercollegiate rivalries seriously.

I expect most places have their local or near-local exceptional produce.. Besides citrus, we also are the winter strawberry capital of the country and also are known for the tomatoes.

I like the idea of chocloate covered beans. That's got to make for a nice pick-me-up without the brew time or the chemicals in those energy drinks.

You made me check my shelf. The Bialetti pot is what I have.

As for my comment on OJ, that's for at home. I wouldn't bring any camping. Fresh fruit is the way to go, when possible.

I buy my non-pasteurized, not-from-concentrate fresh-squeezed orange juice from Citrus Country Groves, two miles up the road from my house. Their tangerine juice is even better.

I don't drink the dreck they sell at grocery stores labeled orange juice. Once it's been pasteurized, it's just not the same. I guess when you live in Florida, you get spoiled.

As for coffee, sometimes I bring the 8 cup percolator, sometimes the 4-cup stove-top espresso maker (which can be used for normal coffee). I'd like to get one of those single cup pour/drip filters though. It all depends on how many people are going to want coffee.

As someone who was a 12 year old kid when I attended in 1989 (and I wish I could have gone again in 1993, but I was out of the country), I don't think age needs to be a prerequisite. We had troop meetings and a shakedown weekend, and everything went smoothly.

I think setting the expectations, and having the required meetings and shakedown weekends (and enforcing the required part) should be enough for the patrols to come together and be able to function properly.

On the other hand, if you're having trouble filling a contingent, then these problems are going to creep in because you can't be picky and will take what you can get.