NWScouter

I have been involved on the district level as a Committee Member, Unit and Assistant District Commissioner, for more than 15 years . Im now the District Commissioner. My present district was formed from parts of two older districts a year ago. All the but my first and last DE that I have worked with (7) are still in the profession one is our field director who came back to council after working in other councils for 10 years. They all but our but my last had extensive scouting background and he was a retired naval officer and very professional and trainable. He worked out well but got hired by a other non-profit.

This all leads to my question. The new DE that was hired is just out of college and has experience on camp staff in another council. What clues can you give to me to help the DE to succeeded and what pit falls should be avoided. I have seen other districts in our council get brand new DE then lose them so soon and I would like to see this one make it. Thanks

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It is possible to reach Eagle as when a Scout is 11. To reach first class you can make it in one month, for the only time requirement is the one for physical fitness. I admit it is would be hard to have ten activities with three overnights in one month but possible. A Webelos may cross over early in the year after being in fifth grade for six months so there is no real minimum age he could be a young ten. The time for star is four months and the Life and Eagle are each six months. So based on that one could be an Eagle in seventeen months ( but you might have to add month or two to gather the paperwork and hold the Board of Review, which is the official date of his Eagle). If a Scout is in a LDS Troop, he will not start until he is eleven and for the first year is outings are restricted. So it is possible but I would agree it would to me be hard to show the true leadership needed.

What caused more flags was that he got all of the merit badges with the description of his physical limitations. I was the district advancement chair for two years and had to deal with the misconceptions between working toward first class and the trail to Eagle and merit badges for Scouts with physical and mental limitations. For up to First Class the district advancement may approve changes to the requirements. For Eagle required merit badges the district committee may approve substitutes but there may not be changes to the requirements of the merit badges themselves. Some of the requirements for some are very difficult for example Hiking and Backpacking .

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What people forget about history is the very selectivity of historical fact. What is currently accepted as fact and how that has changed through the years, there is a whole field of history that deals with the changing views of history historiography.

The very inclusion of some facts and the exclusion of other facts are what most groups complain about what is taught our children today. But you cant included all the facts in any age level history text. The age of the student presents limits. The younger child made not understand, be able to read well enough, have the attention span, or the time in class to be presented with all the facts. At any level schooling or any book can not have all the facts presented, it is impossible.

The problem is what facts do you present. Any list of facts will show the bias of the person who is compiling them. There has never been a history written that does not have a point of view.

Then there is the absence of source documents that are the basis of historical fact. Throughout history there have been peoples that have not left much written historical documentation. Some history has come down as tales told over campfire. Other groups we have only observation by people outside their groups. Some groups only have very limited written material. Then we have source material on the same event that directly contradict.

This is why we need to have children learn to have a critical eye when reading and learning history.

Parents are allowed to be alone with their own child. Youth protection standards states that the child's parent is the only adult allowed to share a tent with his/her child.

P.S. I made a mistake and started a new topic and posted this there first.

It doen't sound like a registration fee as that is $7. There was some talk when out here in Washington State we started to require State Patrol checks for all people working with kids that the state was going to charge a fee for that check. It finaly agreed to do it free for non-profits. Maybe in your area is required and costs.(This message has been edited by NWScouter)

I tried to edit my last post to correct there to their in the first line. Why would it not allow me to edit? All I got was a notice that I didn't have a vaild account. Anybody know? Thanks.

I grew up buying tents from REI. There return policy is just like that other Seattle Company Nordstroms, no questions asked. They have two web sites rei.com - the regular store and rei-outlet.com - their lower price site.

You may join REI, as it is a co-op. Each year you will receive a rebate on your full priced purchases.

My first time I went to REI was back in '60 when I graduated from 'patrol boots' to a real pair of vibrum sole hiking boots. A very knowledge man fit them on my feet. A few weeks later my patrol was down at the store to buy supplies for our fifty miler around Mt Rainer, One of my buddies said "Look over there. That is Jim Whittaker."

It was the guy who sold me my boots. No wonder he knew so much, Must be something to do with the fact he was the first American to climb Everest and a Scout too.

A few years ago on a local station out here had a late Saturday night comedy show. They had a bit that were using to promote the show that had a character named Ranger Bob. He called his buddy to come over and the buddy was a Boy Scout in full uniform with council strip of the city where the station is. The Scout was carrying a keg strapped to his backpack.

I called the council office to inform them and the station to complain.

I became a Cub in 60 and Scout in 63 stayed in till I was 18. I became active again when my son became a Cub in 84. I now have served for 18 years as a Scouter.

Scouting, my parents and my religious faith shaped my values. One of which was pluralism, a central value of our nation and one that is I always believed was core to the BSA. We require units not to force their beliefs on boy joining their units. We have only required that boys have a belief in a higher power or God not what that belief requires. For some Scouts that means no fish on Friday during lent, no pork on camp outs, and no coffee or cola. BSA has never been a Catholic, Lutheran, Jewish, Mormon, Methodist, Buddhist, or Moslem organization, but a place where all can meet, work, learn and play together.

It seems that in last few years the BSA has been taken over by a group that has their own agenda to promote certain conservative Christian beliefs. We have lost our purpose to reach out to all America boys in view of most of the public. While most units and leaders just ignore the issue and work hard to give Scouts a welcoming program, the national attitude encourages a witch-hunt.