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Scuttlebutt (and I think this was alluded to in one press release last year) was that sexual orientation was not the only issue for this scout. He stated that he he had become an atheist on his BOR. But the verbal report that I got was from someone far outside his council, and that may have been based on the same article I was reading. My experience is that the press can wander far from the truth on these things. Like Stosh said, it would be very irregular to bring up a boy's sexual orientation at all. Given that one result of this whole debate was to make scouters across the nation

Don't apologize for posting new topics. If it weren't for you we'd be stuck dickering over movies! 10 hours in a car is definitely too rough on boys, and resident camp is fun. So it makes sense getting one started. But, you are starting very late for this summer. Parents should be receiving a "save the date" notice about NOW! Unless you have core staff already lined up, you should target for 2015 if turnout really means something. So consider this year a pilot program where 20 cubs attending would be a reasonable goal.

One more thing. Boys pick up on drama more than most of us realize. Probably the hardest thing we adults have to do is model friendliness when we really don't want to.

Yippee. You get to play therapist. A COR that goes to roundtable is a good thing. Remind everyone that they should be grateful. Remind the COR that he's only obligated to represent the CO, so if there is something that bothers him and the IH about (or, for that matter, anyone in the CO says) about how a unit is operating, work on fixing that. Other stuff (the DC's rants, etc ...), well, I guess the bottom line is do folks in the unit think it's worth persevering? If so, grow a thick skin and stay the course -- ignoring outsiders, or make one or two changes to let the DC know yo

Oh, okay. So on those grounds, why would you add Neo-Pagan specific Percy Jackson? I guess I like the TC because it does grand cinematography without all the digital special effects that we take for granted anymore. I know making religion into entertainment turns some people off, but I figure this is the kind of thing that would make a boy think "hey we can do a skit of the sort about ___." I get HP's popularity. And, although the protagonist is a "Moses figure" of the decade, I'm not sure if a boy who never sees it is missing out on much. By the way, I liked the book-on-tape v

Let me start out by saying I'm not big on movies so I may have less skin in the game than others. Why would you drop The Ten Commandments? or add Harry Potter? I know if she were asked, Mrs. Q would drop It's a Wonderful Life. But I've always been a big Jimmy Stewart fan.

I've learned not to let people like that leave the room unopposed. "Excuse me sir, your narrative is skewed with respect to the facts." Then state facts. Of course that requires keeping your blood pressure down.

If there's a picture of you receiving the knot, send it with a thank you note to the donor. It sounds like it was an anonymous gift, so it would be a "Dear Sir/Madame" sort of thing to give to your SM/CC to send up the chain and hopefully make it to the donor. But, it would be worth a try.

Survive: build a shelter that will house your patrol through the impending night. Ravine Climb: rig a pulley system that will safely haul your sledge out of a steep ravine.

Generally Eagle project size. But, keep in mind that some Eagle projects are extremely large. If all you've seen are massive ones that take thousands of man-hours, then you don't need to do 5 of those! You can earn it as both. If I were you, I'd knock off the three merit badges. That way you can earn a palm. And I like palms!

Welcome to the Great White North! I'm sure there's something a volunteer with your experience could provide. Call your council office and let them know you'd like to keep your registration current. Meanwhile, enjoy the Cuyahoga valley. The park is definitely worth a visit.

MT, sounds like you were at "High Church". It took the vicar I was staying with after college a while to explain this to me, but basically lots of folks in the Church of England loved the whole minimalism (i.e., "Low Church") that that reformation offered, but just as many (including the royals) resented being dragged from their Roman Catholic upbringing. So services were allowed to be as "imperial" as possible for those communities who wanted the country to keep up with their Roman Catholic neighbors, or as "reformed" as possible without becoming violent to their Roman Catholic citizens. Exce

If you can afford the hop over to Marsh Harbor, Bahamas consider talking to these folks: http://www.sailingadventures.org/ I've talked to a couple of troops who booked the Ciganka -- one who does regularly. They seem to be quite satisfied. For other leads, search: live aboard high adventure sailing florida

And you would be correct. I withdrew myself from contention, mainly because I was concerned that they were telling me one thing about the time commitments, while everyone outside of there seemed dead-set on the idea that you would be working 80 hours a week (and if so, I can't reasonably do that and still give my own kids the attention they need). It stinks a bit. This is something I keep looking back at and wondering if I should have gone forward with it. As it were, they have finally gotten around to advertising for the job again. It's been open since last July and he was pretty clear t

Or, if you take the job, "Don't even blink!"

Every pack manages these things differently. Ask your cubmaster or committee chair if this is in the budget. I'm assuming that you are only getting one set of chords for the den that gets passed from boy to boy as they rotate the position. That's a good case for either den or the pack (not the boy) saddling that cost. If your den had the most popcorn sales, that would be even a better case for the pack picking up the tab!

Fun fact about Hymns: some protestants of reformed theology insist that the only ones that should be used in worship are the those that directly quote a Psalm in its entirety. They have some narrow interpretations of scripture to support their view, but I think it was simply a few protestants who were trying to shed the trappings of imperial Christianity really admired how their Jewish buddies were doing things.

But, if the problem persists, bring it up at a committee meeting. One person's need to get shopping done shouldn't derail a troop. You had N-2 MCs who weren't available for 20 minutes. If it adds up week after week then the team needs to rethink it's strategy.

I wouldn't say anything to the MC. Do commend the ASPL for being persistent in assembling a board for his fellow scouts.

A friend of mine pastored a church with a "contemporary" and "traditional" service. He said the older folks who attended the latter were very flexible and accomodating. The younger folks were incredibly resistant to change, even though their service was decreasing in numbers. Maybe one of these days I'll be that old scouter that all the boys love.

Poor fellas ... 29 degrees. I'd fault ya if nobody stepped out every 10 minutes or so. Kudos to your boys for not using flashlight. All the better to see the moon's waxing crescent.

Or (for those who hate math): Every driver tops the tank before leaving. Tops it upon return and gets a reciept for that last fill-up (and any in-between if it's a long trip). Receipts are turned in to troop treasurer for reimbursement. If you have a sharp QM, you could have him direct drivers to do this while he and the boys stow the gear. We STRONGLY encourage whoever pulls the trailer to do this because the rate varies depending how full the thing's packed and the terrain we cover. If you don't accept reimbursement, you could consider it a donation at whatever the IRS says th

Because it makes no sense to have a council named for one Pennsylvania county when it now serves two NJ counties. It's insulting to their scouts and scouters: "you guys are hangers on and second class citizens compared to those of us actually living in Bucks County". Pardon me for recycling comments across threads ... that's just "girl talk." Any scouter who talks like that oughta have his mamma wash his mouth out with soap until he can say "friendly, courteous, kind" through the bubbles. Bucks is a fine name for a council, and if your CO's are fine with adopting it, there's no point i

I figure someone in the troop has a connection. or, their fundraising already underwrites part of the cost.

DK, l'll try to put this as politely as I can: That's just "girl thinking". Any SM worth the title will make it work for your boy. If a fella ever talked to you like that, I'd tell his mamma to wash his mouth out with soap until he can say 'friendly, courteous, kind' while gargling bubbles. Explain to your son what you are thinking of doing, ask him if it'd be okay to talk to the another troop and plan to summer with them. (This may mean going to a few meetings to meet the boys he'd be camping with).