OutdoorThinker

I dont know how I could have forgotten this one:

Become a crew advisor at 21, get trained, and strive to be as cool as my own advisors OGE and Rocket

Goals through 2006:

-- Get my Bronze Award

-- Finish up my adult leader training for BSA

-- Learn volumes on in Jan of 2004 on Presidential campaign in Iowa while helping my candidate to the presidency

-- Rock at Camp School 2004 in the Commissioner program this year

-- Have just as much fun at summer camp this summer as last summer (and convince Young Spiked Eagle that he NEEDS to come back)

-- Make the $ and the plans for 2005 spring break in Europe, where my two best friends will be studying abroad

-- Get accepted and excel in the Semester in DC program for next year

-- Travel to China

-- Go to an inuagural ball (I was invited to my first, at the mayor level and even had a date) but alas and alack, I will be in Iowa

-- Be selected as a senior to read at on of the college's Christmas Vesper services (its a HUGE deal -- we dont mess around with Christma)

-- Have the college president know my name at graduation

-- Graduate with honors

-- Get a job with a national campaign, in local politics, or my home Boy Scout council -- there may be a Venturing Executive position by then

CaptainIronRod, I agree completely with Venturing loops. Who came up with that? Our crew likes the idea of purple loops for Venturing, it goes well with green.

Gentlemen (namely NJ and OGE -- although OGE,you know this),

I am flattered that you think I am well on my way to being the President (and not of the crew or the youth exec board of the council or my dorm -- the last two are positions that I currently hold), but I have no desire to become President of the United States. A friend of mine who ran for congress a few years ago has me pegged as mayor of my city in ten years, that's got potential. Campaigning on a national level excites me -- largely because of the traveling and meeting Americans from all across the country, but I'd never run on that level. Washington intrigues me, but as a place to study and be the behind the scenes gal rather than the face in front...and then there's our council exec who wants me to become a professional scouter dealing with the Venturing program. There's so much yet to happen before I even graduate from college, let alone decide to run for President, but I'd like to thank you for thinking that highly of me.

Aw, I love when OGE bursts into song! Isnt he the best? Definately needs to come out with Songs of the Old Grey Eagle.

Got a phone call from my boss in Iowa. All systems are a go. Not sure on a depature date, but my accomadations and all of my work stuff has been confirmed. WAHOO! IOWA HERE I COME!

It's looking like my job will have me thinking outdoors, at least part of the time. So I should definately be packing my long underwear and wool socks.

You all are great! I am really excited to head out there with all this Iowa talk, and to think, I had been sad that I wasnt heading to New Hampshire.

Iowans, anything interesting you can tell me about your Presidential Caucuses? I mean, I understand the basic concept of them, but any insider info you have to share?

Dave, actually (although, I was never in the high school ski club, but many like organizations) parental permission forms are required for most (if not all) high school clubs' trips.

In addition, it's not that it's uncool for Mommy and Daddy to sign your permissions slips at 18, 19, 20, but its often impractical. As I've stated before, I see more of my Crew family than I do my biological family, because I live on the campus of my college. At 18, 19, and 20 you can sign up for the military and get yourself shipped off to a foreign land (all without your Mommy and Daddy's signature) but apparently you can not chaperone a scouting event as an Asst. Scoutmaster nor can you go on a crew outing without Mommy and/or Daddy's knowledge.

Please correct me if I am wrong (OGE, we had a conversation about this at one of the last VEBs, do you remember?) I am pretty sure that the updated GSS says that parental (or spousal) permission slips must be filled out for events for Scouts and Scouters under the age of 21.

I am glad to hear the Iowans are clever, educated, friendly and outgoing. I will be meeting plenty of them!

Is late December through Jan really bad for snow and cold temperatures? How cold is cold? How much snow is a lot?

It's been awhile since I've seen a Venture application and I dont remember having my parents sign it or not. However, I am pretty sure there is parental consent somewhere there. There's a need for parental signatures (or spouse signature, I believe) on all the official forms for everyone under 21 now, including Asst. Scoutmasters according to the new GSS. My question on that topics is, what if you are a college student, living away from home, over 18 and an Asst Scoutmaster or Crew member. How do you get mommy or daddy to sign the paperwork? Or do you need to find a spouse ASAP, so he/she can take care of it?

I was recently hired to work on a presidential campaign over my winter break through the Iowa caucus. I suppose that makes me more of a professional politician then before, when I was only volunteering for campaigns.

Thanks guys, all though keep the thread going, if you have more to say! If I wasnt already excited to head out to Iowa, I am very much excited now.

I will very much be in Iowa during the winter,(I head out shortly after Christmas) so no beautiful Iowan autumns for me. I am actually not sure what part of Iowa I will be in, yet. Hopefully, I will find out soon to map my trip there.

Yes, Dave, I have no doubt that they have internet in Iowa, however, I am not sure that with my job I will have much time for the internet. So you'll have to keep the crew and girls in scouting conversation down to a minimum in my absence.

I know this is totally off topic and has nothing to do with Scouting. But I know many of you are from the midwest or travel a lot. What can you tell me about Iowa in general -- the people, the places, typical travel type guide and specifically Iowa's winters. Its looking like I will be spending most of my winter break there.

Rock on Campfire Fairy!!!

Power to the girl boy scouts!!!

The crew has a few annual holiday traditions.

The first happens the first Saturday in December (although, because of a snowstorm, it's been canceled ) We ususally head off to NYC and enjoy the Christmas decorations, do touristy things, eat lunch at a cool restuarant somewhere. The trip is really cool, because we make plans on the ride to NJ.

The second is a holiday party. We have it instead of a meeting in December. We once even had Santa come!!

The third is a snow tubing trip a few days after Christmas. We go snow tubing in the poconos in the evening for a few hours. It's really a lot of fun and its scheuduled so that the college students can come home and hang out with the crew on their break. (Ironically, I am going to miss it this year. :-( )

Grassroots efforts, movements starting from the bottom rather than the top (ie oridnary citizens rather than the govt) have be known to be successful In our case I think that word of mouth is definately successful.

That's how our crew first started...we had a couple of scouts go out and talk about their scouting experiences (invited us to watch/participate in Eagle ceremonies)and really excited us to join.

I live in a college dorm and I am often caught wearing my Crew uniform as I hustle off to a meeting or come to an on campus event right after a crew event. "So, what are you? Still a girl scout?" the freshman ask on my hall the first time they see me in my green shirt. "Well, yeah, but I'm in my Boy Scout uniform"..."Youre what?"...And I smile and I explain (or it only takes one trip to the room to see the Agent Orange picture -- five youth and OGE with orange hair and all dressed in orange, my camp staff pictures, etc for the questions to start coming...or there's the Crew symbol on my instant messanger box..WOW, I am a big crew fiend that I thought). Most say, "Hey that's pretty cool." We havent had an official recruits from college yet, but I've seen people who have shown interest, come to an event or are trying to plan around their already hectic scheudule.

P.S. OGE, you know that pitting your girls against each other never ends well.

I am sincerely sorry, OGE. I wish to publically strike from the record my "getting up there in years" comment. Can we agree on the fact that B-P was a little too old to be marrying Olave?

OGE, you make a very good point.

You know, Baden-Powell was cool about women in scouting. In fact, when he married his wife (he was getting up their in age...she was only a few years older than I), a little boy wrote him a letter (well, lots of little boys did to congratulate him) but this little boy was sad, because he felt that Olave the 22 year old was going to take B-P away from scouting.

B-P responded to the little boy by saying, that he would not be leaving scouting, but rather scouting had a new adult (well...22 year old) leader who would camp and hike with the best of them.

Our Crew is off to the Big Apple on Saturday for a taste of urban high adventure. It's an annual trip that is quite cool. We have no plans except what is made during the car ride to NJ. We take the ferry to NYC, ride subways. It's all about cool modes of transportation and craziness in the city during Christmas.

I just saw a singing spectacular that rivals our Gettysburg BINGO episode.

I was at OGE's woodbadge beading ceremony. (CONGRATS OGE!!! YOU ROCK!!!) Well, anyway, for all of you Woodbadgers, you know what I'll be talking about...anyway everyone else just imagine.

Well, the Woodbadgers get up and sing a little song about Woodbadge and Gillwell and then each of the patrols get up and sing their verse. We have all these guys singing and the bigger groups, like the eagle and the buffalo do this rockette-esque leg kick which was seriously the funniest thing I have ever seen!!!

I had to share my story (CampfireFairy and Campaholic, I'll act it out for you later). And again congrats to the awesome OGE!!

Another note that I wanted to make on the patriotic songs...one of the first times the staff sang together at camp we sang a song called "America"...I was like "Hey, a song I know"...alas and alack, it's not "My country tis of thee, Sweet land of liberty..." It goes like this

America, America, let me tell you how I feel

You have given me many treasures

I love you so

I love you so

and then it gets into a round situation.

OGE, recently I was a scholar of Dante's Inferno. I feel that the fifth circle is more appropriate than the sixth circle.

What about Gephardt, Edwards or Kerry? If not a chance for the presidential nomination, how about the VP?

With risking beating an already dead hores, I am bringing back OGE thread about the presidency. Now that we are in December (shudder) we are nearing the New Hampshire primary and the Iowa Caucus. What do you think about Bush's chances? Who are you favoring in the Democratic race?

PSST...Hey Campfire Fairy...I'll let you in on a secret, OGE doesnt really know Moon on the Meadow. I betcha he doesnt know the tune. He jumped on that bandwagon when he heard that Campaholic and I liked that song. BUT, we can totally teach it to him.