red feather

OGE, Thanks so very much, needed ttat. Anyone have any experience using a mailbox oven? If so any hints? YIS

OGE, you're right. Spam is almost perfect food. So many ways. Come on, Evmori, try it you'll like it. YIS

Have not heard or read any requirements on axe size. We use 3/4 for the younger scouts and full size for the older boys. YIS

A thread to find out how Spam can be used and suggestions on preparing it. Personally, I like to bread it and deep fry. Yummm. YIS

KoreaScouter, ditto. A chance to be young again with the learning and knowledge of age. It taught me how others percieve who I think I am. Enthusiasm can be infectious and not all that hard to do. Would like to go through it again as a scout and relearn, refresh what I experienced the first time. Hope to have time to be on staff.(someday) YIS, a good ol'beaver. (if it's not for the boys it's not worth a dam)

Okay, how about what kind of tents your troop uses and why? Also would like to know what the thoughts are on internal vs external backpacks and when one should be used over another. Levoueger, you seem to be a minimalist packer, what do you use? And why? Also, what has been tried and not worked? YIS

You might want to contact other established troops and see if they any scouts that would be willing to help out during meetings and/or overnights. Often there are leaders in these troops that would be willing to help in the start up of a new troop. I know I would be. Yaworskis' comments are good. Good luck. If I can be of help let me know. YIS

Mike F, You start the troop, follow the rules and procedures that govern the administration of a troop and do the best you can for the scouts. The safety guidelines of scouting help prevent injury and enhance the experience of the scouts. To me beyond that ya deal the cards and play with the hand ya got. Don't get logged down in all the whys and wherefores of what scouting is today, concentrate of what you can give these young men and hope it is enough. Good luck. YIS

As a parent of two scouts, one an Eagle the other just paperwork to get it. I do not think about the cost in dollars, I feel I am well paid back to know that I have been some sort of impact in the lives of young men and boys. Often as leaders we put forth an identity that the boys might not have otherwise. What would be the cost of this training and exposure through a non scout system? Wouldn't even try to guess, even if such a system was possible. I have enough grey hairs to add more by trying to figure out the cost of scouting. But every penny is worth the satisfaction of seeing a young man that you have known for over half of their lives achieve the rank of Eagle. Seeing the pride in their eyes. By the way, I am not an advocate of Eagle mills, to create another ticket punch in life. YIS

Zorn, I appoligize if I was unclear. I was Airborne and will look up the info about the snipers you mentioned. Thanks for the input. YIS

Zorn: Have not read that book. Red feather is the name of a native american character set in late 1700 and early 1800s that I use in a series of stories told around campfires to entertain scouts and sneak in values and scouting at the same time.

Zorn Personal foul, 15 yds, and loss of down. An attempt to verify input into a forum is appropriate. Your personal philosphy is yours, and yours alone. A scout is reverant. A scout is reverant towards God. He is faithful in his religous duties. He respects the beliefs of others. To quote: " The audience was swell. They were so polite, they covered their mouths when they yawned." Bob Hope YIS

Rooster 7 No you where not the target. If so you would have been named. It was a general response. Reviewing the thread there has not been a specific attempt at exemption, just a general one. On the 'humping incident' I am not and would not be of a mind to automatically expell this scout. If there is an opportuntiy to reach a scout that needs help, I will take it. If not then I will try to find help for the scout, not kick him out. Not an attempt to be mundane: Priorites: A hundred years from now it will not matter what my bank account was, the sort of house I lived in, or the kind of car I drove... but the world may be different because I was important in the life of a child. Not mine, but it sums it all up as to why we volunteer. YIS

Youngblood, thermodynamics and evolution are different fields of study. To really stetch the attempt on an analogy, the more complex organism is able to utilize energy more effectively giving it an advantage the less complex organism does not have. Survival advantage. Kwc57, I also question the day (24 hour) idea. Not that it could not be the way it was, but was it? As an assignment years ago a class I was in was asked to develop a story that would explain why the world was the way it was. Not using any of the established ideas or beliefs and starting from 'day one' of the world. Try it sometime, gets interesting. Maybe,just a thought, what if the world that we percieve is a variation of the ideas put forth by the movie Matrix? YIS

LauraT7, thanks for the pie, passed recipe on to leaders for the last overnight. MMMMM is right. Thanks. Come on folks give 'em up. Tidbits, survival tricks etc. Post so all can learn and benefit. YIS

Welcome to the campfire. I have not seen this but would be very interested in the plans. YIS

First, little billie, thank you for putting into words for me. DeMann, I think that the Bible is the effort of man to put into words the understanding, of that time, the works of God. Since that time of no written language our species has translated, made PC (for that time), added etc,etc,etc. When the original scrolls were written, amoebe, atomic interaction and the true movement of the stars as concepts were unknown precepts. Once read a book where the sum total of human existence was to write the 6 million names of God. With the intro of computers this was acomplished and the stars winked out. Just thoughts, why 6 days? if God is all powerful why not one? Maybe we are just a grand experiment. What about the beliefs of the other 5 billion people one this planet? are they all wrong? or is the answer somwhere in the middle? " two hangmen hanging from a tree. that don't bother me at all" YIS

I just checked and this thread started on the thought about children from gay and lesbian families joining scouting. Any boy showing interest in scouting is worth our effort! Their parents or guardians need to be informed of the stance of BSA. Beyond that the boy is of importance. To support the exclusion of this boy based on the translation of the Bible, Mein Kampf, or the teachings of any philosophy is abhorrent. We are here for the boys, anything else is for campfire discussions. I am not Bible literate, but have observed that any stance or philosphy will use it as a source to support either side of the discussion. A leader once told me that there is a phrase and I paraphrase 'suffer the children to come unto me', I know it is not the correct words but isn't that kinda what we are about? Working and volunteering to help the kids who need scoutng. The easy ones are just that easy, the rest try our talent. YIS

Excellent! This question was posed by a new adult in our troop. Eagle74 I will give your list to the PLC. Bob White no time frame, just skills,etc. The rest thanks and keep them coming I hope to put your responses into a basic scouting handout for the troop and parents. YIS

Ninnies and their nannies. Both are grey hair factories. The moms need to be sat down and informed of the facts of scouting. They need to be told exactly what was done wrong and why. If then they still do not understand you have done the first step and then can go to the next level of correction. YIS

Welcome back LV, hope things did not get bad during your trip. I always feel better with my knife, on o'nites I use a pocket knife for times with the boys , but use my mil. issued sheath knife around the adults. Very useful. YIS

For a new scout, what is imprortant for the scout to learn? YIS

Against MBU's they tend to be factories that grind them out. Low quality and lower inititive by the scouts. good source for ticket punchers though. YIS

Zorn, Charles Mansion??? Apples and oranges. No scout is not worthy of our efforts as scout leaders. If it is too much of an effort to go against the 'wishes' of those who do not understand what scouting is about, then bow out and blame other people. Ther is a scout in my troop that parents said if he joins this troop we will leave, my response was and is go. Not saying all scouts are perfect citizens, we have had failures. We asa adult leaders of boy scouts must, I repeat must, give every young scout a chance. Every success story can be countered by a failure. If your set is to find the neg. then power to you. I will continue to look for the pos. and hope for the best. It is all we can do as Scouts. cowpies YIS

Several years ago the troop got interested in rappelling and wanted to build a rapelling tower at the yearly Scout Show held in our local shopping mall. As the tower was to be 15 feet tall and capable of suporting scouts rappelling with safety adult up top and boys in line to rappell, the supporting or main legs were good size logs 12 in or better. These logs were the only ones handled by adults. All other cross beams and supports were handled by scouts either on the floor or hanging suspended in swiss seats while they lashed. At one point I counted 10 boys in swiss seats and 10 to 15 doing other lashings or prep work. Smashing success, boys from other troops were lined up 20 to 30 deep waiting their turn. All had a good time. Placed third in show. Got beat out by a hanging bear bag with philmont pictures, and a non interactive first aid display. The boys over the next years built bigger, more complicated show pieces and eventually the Scout Show just gave us a new category award... Best in Show. The boys did it themselves. One of the trademarks of the boys was to have a flag pole leaning out over the show area... about 30 feet out over the show area. Sadly the Scout Show has been cancelled. Not sure why. YIS