PeteM

CONGRESS shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution

The First Amendment doesn't say public schools or people who work for the government or groups that are run by the government, groups that own government property, but the CONGRESS shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion.

Why can't people simply READ the Constitution in the plain language that it was written in instead of looking for hidden meanings?

Sounds like ustbeeowl's post on video game addiction could also be used for cell phones:

http://tinyurl.com/26cjnk

Pete

Any concern about the zinc in the can?

For those that are interested, here is a link to the 14th amendment:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fourteenth_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution

quote >>>>>>>Section 1. All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

Section 2. Representatives shall be apportioned among the several States according to their respective numbers, counting the whole number of persons in each State, excluding Indians not taxed. But when the right to vote at any election for the choice of electors for President and Vice-President of the United States, Representatives in Congress, the Executive and Judicial officers of a State, or the members of the Legislature thereof, is denied to any of the male inhabitants of such State, being twenty-one years of age, and citizens of the United States, or in any way abridged, except for participation in rebellion, or other crime, the basis of representation therein shall be reduced in the proportion which the number of such male citizens shall bear to the whole number of male citizens twenty-one years of age in such State.

Section 3. No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any State, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any State, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. But Congress may by a vote of two-thirds of each House, remove such disability.

Section 4. The validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by law, including debts incurred for payment of pensions and bounties for services in suppressing insurrection or rebellion, shall not be questioned. But neither the United States nor any State shall assume or pay any debt or obligation incurred in aid of insurrection or rebellion against the United States, or any claim for the loss or emancipation of any slave; but all such debts, obligations and claims shall be held illegal and void.

Section 5. The Congress shall have the power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article.

Quote [Merlyn_LeRoy]: >>>> Teachers can't indoctrinate students in a religion, of course.

I keep hearing a lot about "Trashcan Turkey" or "Garbage can Turkey"

Can anyone give me any info on this?

Thanks

Pete

In my experience, the excuse that the Scouts give is:" What if there is an emergency? What about then? I could use it to call for help and save the day", So I tried an experiment.

Toward the end of a campout, I asked the SPL to find one of the Scouts that have used the above excuse to bring me both him and the phone. I asked the scout to show me how much signal AND how much charge there was left on the phone's battery.

He couldn't, BECAUSE he and his buddies had depleted the charge over the course of the campout by PLAYING GAMES that were built into the phone. I asked him, "What if there was a REAL emergency?"

He replied, "We would just use yours, since we all know that you don't play games on your phone".

The Troop's rule still stands, NO SCOUT CELL PHONES OTHER THAN SPL.

Pete

(edited to correctmy poor spelling)(This message has been edited by PeteM)

It is in BOTH states.

See http://maps.google.com/maps?tab=wl

Pete

You can also try and contact the MFG. of the product and watch their removal videos and / or contact them on what they recommend.

http://www.badgemagic.com/info_pages/index.cfm?fuseaction=instructions

I find it amazing that people are denying the video game addiction on the premise that since they (the games) cost money, then the parents should be able to control their kids.

How many people are out there that have gambling addictions (kids, too)? They need to get the money from somewhere, most likely from grandparents or even from parents themselves in the means of birthday gifts, Christmas gifts, etc.

I have seen and heard of kids sneaking into their family rooms in the middle of the night, donning headphones and playing throughout the night only because they "have to beat this one level or "boss""

Just because you aren't addicted to the games, doesn't mean that the addiction doesn't exist. (that is like saying that since "I" don't drink, there is no such thing as booze addiction). Video games haven't been out that long to gather reams and reams of data to show the addiction. Do a bit of reasearch yourself to see or talk to some parents or even some "gamers" to check on the vadlity of the statements contained in the letter in the beginning of this thread.

I think thst ustb doesn't just mean that ONLY Boy Scouts are the ones that are addicted, but people (mostly males) from all age groups and walks of life are the ones that are affected.

Just talk to your Scouts and their parents to build your own database of info up without reading this letter that ustb has posted, and see what kind of info you obtain.

Sorry for the soapbox.

Pete

My question to you all is "Have any of you read that letter to your troops/packs yet?

That is what owl asked you to do, to get the scouts input on the subject, NOT to go off and talk about is the scout trustworthy, etc.

Some of the scouts in my troop were amazed when they heard the letter this past weekend, that they "might" be addicted to them. A couple of them even stated that they sneak down to their family room after mom + dad go to bed, so they can continue to play their games.

It doesn't matter if you believe in the games being addicting or not. It seems to be a query about what the scouts think their games are.

True, the games cost money, but the so do drugs and booze, but no one is asking about that, only about the cost of the "tapes".(This message has been edited by PeteM)

My question to you all is "Have any of you read that letter to your troops/packs yet?

That is what owl asked you to do, to get the scouts input on the subject, NOT to go off and talk about is the scout trustworthy, etc.

Some of the scouts in my troop were amazed when they heard the letter this past weekend, that they "might" be addicted to them. A couple of them even stated that they sneak down to their family room after mom + dad go to bed, so they can continue to play their games.

What do you do when a scout comes along and says that he has lost his blue cards and his COH cards for some of his merit badges?

Same question, COH rank cards.

I have a few scouts that cannot seem to find their cards that I give to them at the COH, they only have the cloth badges.

How do you do the replacements?

Thanks.

Pete

How about we change the last post from video games to drugs?

Where do they shoot these drugs?

Who gives them the money for the drugs/joints?

A common cry in our home for the past 14 or 15 years has been stop using drugs!!

Surely if as a parent you notice that your kid is stuck in the family room 23 hours a day doing dope-You have to notice?

The problem isn't drugs -The problem is just poor parenting!!

You could edit this and insert just about ANYTHING, like booze, gambling, SEX, etc.

Just to make this thread a little more interesting....NOT to get on anyone's case.

(This message has been edited by PeteM)

I came across this site while doing some reasearch on the subject last night. http://www.family.org/entertainment/A000000993.cfm

They seem to have had a program on this very thing. Before any jumps to conclusions, check out that site.

I guess that if your scout programs are interesting enough, that the boys won't want to bring their toys with them.

Pete

I've seen a LOT of scouts become addicted to these things, the complain when the games are removed from them or if they "have" to go away for a weekend campout. Heaven forbid that they have to give up their "My Precious" for a whole week at summer camp. It's like drug addicts going through withdraw.

UPDATE

The scout that started it all got into trouble a few times at school for fighting, one time even pushing another student down the stairs.

He was suspended for that one.

He got into a fight on a campout (He started it this time by cutting the lines on another Scout's tent (that he considered a "baby"), but unknown to him, the boy's father was in the tent at the and caught him cutting the other side of the tent), and is now on the highest form of disipline that our troop can do, which is take HIS Totin' Chip away, and the PLC has decided that if he does things against the Scout Law, (ie fighting, willfully damanaging equipment, threating another Scout, he will be told to leave the event with a parent and he will be suspended for a period of 2 months. He decided to just quit, stating that scouting is just for a bunch of losers and he is glad to be out of the program.

The other scout, (my son), has changed as well, is now a Star scout, patrol leader, and he earned his totin' chip back too. We seem to have his ADHD under control (if one can really say that), he is using a timed release medicine, and he is improving a lot. In school, his teachers have noticed a big improvement over last year in his behavior.

We also have found that kids with ADD/ADHD, that toward the end of their medication day, when their meds are wearing off and they are going toward a "melt-down", we have found that caffine helps calm these kids down. We give them Mtn. Dew, Jolt soda, coffee, etc. (After explaining to the parents and showing them studies that support the facts), the scouts calm right down and usually want to go to bed early.

Thanks for all of your help.

Pete

You can also check out the following thread:

http://www.scouter.com/forums/viewThread.asp?threadID=137149&p=1

It happend in the troop my son goes to over the summer of 2006.

Pete

Well,

Here's the results of our committee meeting:

The scout that started the problem was given 1 month off from all scouting and scout related programs with an additional 1 month probation.

The other scout was given 2 months off from all scouting and scout related programs with a year probation. If he does anything that solicts the action of the committee, he will be told to leave the troop as well as the scouting program with no chance for reinstatement.

I feel that these are rather harsh punishments for both boys, considering that no where in the troop by-laws does it even state that the committee would even hand out any kind of punishment, that (according to the by-laws), it is up to the PLC for actions reguarding disipline.

Sorry for taking so long to post the rsults, but it has been a crazy summer.

Pete

You don't have Broad Creek, MD in your list.

This is the camp that we use for the most part, and it have a great program for just about everyone.

Check them out at: http://www.baltimorebsa.org/ and click on camping and then on Broad Creek.

Pete

Pete, I'm still a little unclear about what the other scout in this situation did. From your post I get that he was annoyed by your son's pounding of the stick against the tree. He kicked your son out of his chair (literally?). He ran. He ended up in your son's tent somehow. You mention he had been unruly and disrespectful earlier in the day. What does that entail? Had he done anything major, or just been a little sour and off-kilter all day? Had he been warned or talked to about his attitude already? Were there other circumstances? There are many levels of potential behavior here, which could merit different kinds of responses.

Yep, he reached over and fliped my son's chair over, dumping him onto the ground. That's when he took off running. My son got up and went to his tent. The other boy came by, went to my son's tent (he said to see his friend), and my son said for him to leave. The other boy did not, stating that it was a free country and he could go where he wanted to.

Pete

WOW!!!

All of this great help for this problem. Thanks.

Question for Aquila calva: "That helps with what I should do with my son (BTW, in the latest version of the SM Handbook, the section on Inapropriate Behavior" is now found on page 133.

That being said, do you have any suggestions for the scout that apparently started this whole affair? It seems that most of the postings, except for those from Lisabob and ScoutNut, all zero in on my son's behavior (not that he is in the clear, not by a long shot), any advice on how to deal with him?

Also, since the incident involved my son, I can't very well handle it myself, not without appearing to show favioritism, should I turn the matter over to the PLC (the other boy is a PL), or should I turn it over to a couple of my assistants?

Thanks again,

Pete

Well,

His walking stick is gone for one month. (I let my SPL decide on this).

As to the ADHD, how do you handle this sort of thing?

There are at least 3 other scouts on medication in my troop and sometimes they get rather disrespectful to everyone that tells them "NO", so what do you do? Do you have policy set up n your troop on the methods to deal with this problem, or do you say "I don't buy this ADHD condiction as an excuse"?

Thanks

You should be thankful that the other scouts parents didn't press criminal charges. They had a legal right to do this. Your son pulled a knife on their son. YOur son should have been sent home. Just because another boy is looking for a fight doesn't mean your son had to give him that fight. As far as using the walking stick to beat on a tree. The walking stick should have been taken away from your son. Had be been in my troop this is what would have happened. He would have lost the right to carry a walking stick. We tell our boys that they aren't hammers, they aren't swords. If we catch them using them in any manner other than as a hiking stick they lost the right to carry them for the remainder of the outing. Simple.

 

Sorry but I really get tired of hearing "he suffers from ADHD one more time as an excuse for bad behaviour I think I might scream."

No,

I was NOT using the ADHD medication as an excuse, but as more info into the possible reasons for the behavior. When he (and others that are severly ADHD reach the end of their medication day, they could have some unusual behavior problems.

Thanks for your input, and I will consider your and all responses to this problem

Pete

Greetings,

I have finaly found a site that I think can help me.

Last week at summer camp, while I and another leader was out of our site attending a meeting, my son (I'm the SM), was being a bit on the annoying side(he was pounding his walking sitck against a tree, making a lot of noise, and another scout told him to stop. My son didn't stop and kept on doing it. The other scout then kicked my son out of his camp chair and took off running with my son gaing ground in chasing him. They ended up at my son's tent where some words were exchanged and my son, (for reasons that he says he doesn't understand himself) pulled out a pocket knife and opened it and pointed it at the ground.

The other scout ran away screaming "he has a knife!!!", and my son, realized what he had done, dropped his knife and sat down and cried.

I came back from my meeting and was approached by my SPL and informed of the problem. I then informed my other leaders and turned it over to the asst. comm. chair, who promptly had a small meeting, Stated that he would take away my son's Totin' Chip (understandably) then he asked that either his mother come and pick him up or I remove him from camp, which I did and that both boys would have to appear before the troop committee. The other boy was not asked to leave camp, since they decided that all he did was a bit of bullying.

Some other info:

My son is ADHD and was at the end of his medication day and was going to have his evening dose when I returned from my meeting.

The other scout was unruly all day and was disrespectful for the boy leaders and other scouts in the troop. In other words, he was looking for a fight with someone and found one.

I am at a loss as to how to proceed next.

Thanks,

Pete(This message has been edited by PeteM)