Scoutfish

I call it "weather channel syndrome". They go to a beach and act like the end of the world is coming because of those funny movements in the water. Of course, most people know those movements as "waves". Very normal common occurance. Then the reporters freak out over the air. It moving and causing their hairspray helmets to shift and wiggle. Thing is, if they ever spent any actual time at the beach, the would know that the wind is almost always blowing, and blowing 10 to 15 miles an hour faster than anywhere else as there is a lack of trees or wind breaks. Of course, after they determined that it was : 1) Not only a big storm...and 2) A very dangerous strom that was gonna get bigger....and 3) Going to be the most devastating storm in 40 years....and 4) Heading straight for NC...... They decided to talk about mthe Jersey Shore for 55 out of every 60 minutes! There was alot of blowing wind, lots of surge and lots of high pressure - straight out of all the reporters mouths!

Just wanted to pass along: If you end up cutting up some hardwood trees due to Irene...instead of hauling them off, how about cutting into fireplace size logs and donating to those who still use wood to heat with. Lots of elderly people still use fireplaces/ wood stoves to heat their homes and sometimes to even cook with. Don't know anybody? Contact a local church who might know. A scout is thrifty and helpful!

Crossing my fingers for yah too shortridge! Looks like my imediate ares really lucked out, but the more I watch the news, the more samaage I see for alot of areas. They lifted all pre storm curfews in my areas alot sooner than planned due to minimal or non existant damages. Wathing the news though, I am reading list after list of areas with no power, impassable raods, destryed roads and lots of flooding. Eagle92, not sure of your exact area, but sounds like you might be in store for a bunch of cleaning up ahead of you. Everybody be carefull and watch out for all the displaced critters and snakes lurking about when you clean up!

Eagle92 You might have a disadvantage though...flooding, streams overflowing their banks, ponds , sink holes? Usually, the worst stuff we get from hurriucanes is storm surge or washover. Wind is secondary . But drainage is our saving grace, being as we are right on the waterways and sounds and sea.

Just got back home about an hour ago. I stayed a few miles up the road since I live about 100 yards off the waterway on the mainland side of Surf City. Still a bit gusty here and there, but it's not quite as strong as your average Nor'Easter. After walking around my house and yard and surveying the damage...I have concluded it is nothing the 'ole Briggs and Stratton can't handle. Sm,all braches and twigs and sprigs of leaves. Not even a whole branch down in my yard. Driving the 3 miles home to my house, I noticed a few big pine treen branches down here or there and some ditches that were ready to flow over, but that's about it. Nothing serious or severe. A summer of extreme dry conditions worked out well by sucking most of the water up as fast as it could fall. WE came out with flying colors. The convienence store my wife manages on the beach lost part of the canopy, http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/photo.php?fbid=10150288617628481&set=a.395771788480.160242.238214743480&type=1&theater but considering it was a canopy, and one on the beach at that ( rust and corrosion) all I can say is this: If this is all we have to work on, we came out great! Been through a many hurricanes in all the years I have lived here ( since 1977) , but this is the first hurricane that affected us that we were on the west side of. Usuall;y the totally miss us out to sea or we get a direct hit from the northeast quadrant. Usually the back side is nothing , but Irene snorted and screamed for quite a while. But at least for us, her bark was way worse than her bite.

Assuming I can parse that, are you saying an atheist youth couldn't be thrown out in exactly the same way? I am saying that as a youth, you are a youth. You are not athiest until you are 18. You arew not gay, you are not Bi you are not anything but a youth...until you are 18. Once you are 18, there are procedures that have to be followed wether I agree with them or not. But from my stand point, I don't ask if people are athiest or not, I do not ask wether people are gay or hetero. I just don't ask that kind of stuff because I do not feel it is my buisness. But, a youth is a youth is a youth is not 18 yet. And I don't care if mom or dad are whatever..the youth is not mom and dad. The youth is the youth. I did/do not follow, believe, or feel the same about everything my parents do/did. I'll treat the scouts the same way. " Assuming I can parse that, are you saying an atheist youth couldn't be thrown out in exactly the same way " Now here's the thing. WEther it actually happens does not mean it is supposed to happen. People get bent out of shape, hyper active and tunnelvisoion. They chase after and go after goals witha vengance. Not every rule is followed the way it should be and at different times, one person\'s interpretation may trump another person's interpretation, even in it was correct. In Cub Scouts for example: The COR or IH are the only people who can hire /fire a Cub Master or Committee Chair. BUT... In the real world, there are pack that have had their committees fire a CM or CC . Anbd the CM or CC left. IT wasn't correct, wasn't right, and it was done with a vigorous attitude. So while not being "right" or "correct"...it still happens. And it happens openly and in the court of public opinion. Kinda like running into a group of old school country lady-folk. They will tell you athiests are devil worshipers. We both know that to be incorrect. I mean really, it doesn't even make sense does it? But tell and try to convince them old ladies of that and see where it gets you.

Back when I was an active firefighter, we used to have a saying: "People who love fires either light them or fight them". Sometimes making somebody responcible for a fire...keeps tem from lighting them too much. Of course, ir doesn't always work, but mostly does. Make him cheif fire watch or senior fire builder. Keep a really sharp eye on him In the end, if he's a danger to anybody...he'll just have to go.

For some of you who continue to say there's no problem ignoring the rules (which I hear all the time is easily done to admit atheist kids): Apples and oranges. Scoutds are not adult leaders are not scouts. And, as much as I think it sucks that somebody can be so vindictive - and his utter arrogant and ignorant attitude - he is actually only pointing out a rule that does exist. Now I think you might realkize that while alot of us might not have an issue with a gay leader based on personal knowledge of that leader...we never said that the rule didn'rt exist or that we wouldn't expect BSA to enforce it. But that still has nothing to do with a youth scout. Youth being the key word. And as a parent, she does have the right to go. That is where Inabinett is showing arrogance. BSA does not impose rules about parents sexuality.

A a COR, you have alot of influence and power over this. You can contact the DD directly and firmly (but nicely) tell him that wether he knows it or not, he is overstepping bounderies as well as stepping well beyond professioal mannerism. aND IF THIS DOESN'T WORK, YOU CALL THE se - JUST NOT 20 TIMES. aS A cor, YOU HAVE THE POWER OF INFLUENCE BY BASICALLY SAYING YOU CAN WITHDRAW YOUR UNIT. hOPE YOU NEVER DO, BUT THE POWER IS IN YOUR HANDS. Dang caps lock - not gonna retype cause I'm just not feeling it tonight!

What stations or channels do any of you watch? Over the years, I finally came to the conclusion that the weather channel is like watching Nancy Grace: Alot of hype, alot ogf sensationalism, and alot of fluff in order to get rating and ultimately $$$$. I live about 30 miles north of the Cape Fear ( yes, there is an actual Cape Fear at the S.E. tip of Bald Head Island in Brunswick Co , NC. Ove the last 7 or 8 years, The Weather Channel has sent a few people including Jim Cantori to hang out with us. The most disturbing part is that I have watched reports where Jim or whoever the reporter is...is talking about high surf, strong gusts of winds and extreme conditions...and the truth is - it's your normal everyday beach weather. What I have also found out is that a catagory 15 hurrice ( if there was such a thing) could hit Fla, and travel up the entire east coast to Va before going out to sea and do millions in damage to Fla, Ga, SC, NC, VA...and the Weather Channel would spend 12 hours a day for 4 weeks straight talking about how NY city was affected and how the subways had 2.5 inches of water between the rails and how the pigeon poop almost washed off the statues in Central Park.

The way I see it - and I might be completely wrong in how I see it - there is a diference between selling NASCAR style sponsor advertising on your trailer, uniform, anything else tied into your units name, etc... versus recognizing an entitry that gave the unit a huge break or donation of equipment. But in the case of the trailer, we plan on doing what we can to be thrifty on our next trailer. WE are working on it now, and have just about finalized the etails on buying a 6X12 trailer for half price. We are gong to put our scheme on the trailer with a small area that will have a 12" X 12" logo of the trailer dealer . Simple, effective and nothing saying that we are corporate partners or such.

Trying Goole didn't show me anything, but if you are refering to basic l;ettering like on the Cun Scout leader Handbook, Try : AR Delaney and Impact

My Webelos Leader asked me at the beggining of last year - how to handle the religious part of Webelos. I told him that If I was him...I wouldn't touch it. I'd let each scout's parents handle it. Why? Because what I consider to be religuos and what you consider to be religious are two diferent things. Then add in another 15 sets of Webelos parents....plus any other rank's parents. I myself do not attend church short of Scout Sundays, weddings and funerals. But you'd be completely wrong to think I am not religious. I have my faith and it is very strong. I have issues with organized religion based on past experiences in which politics and social drama were elevated by far above any faith or religious priciples. In more than one church and in more than one denomination. Myself< I feel much closer to God while fishing, or hiking, or watching fireflies come out after sunset. I am close to God while watching dragonflies flit around a beautifuly calm pre storm lake while hearing the tree frogs cry out for rain. Anyways, what it means is different for everybody. I wouldn't try to judge or measure anybody elses experience within my own definitions or parameters.

WEll, there is a difference between what is allowed, what is proper, and what happens. Officially, only the COR, IH, CEO...whatever you want to call them can fire the CC or CM. But maybe your CO doesn'r have a COR per se. Maybe they have a "outside activities Committee" or something made up of 2 to 15 people who act as a COR. Maybe TH IH decides he doesn't need a COR and acts as the COR himself or just eliminates the position. Maybe the COR is a really laid back guy/gal who just lets the committee majority vote run the operation as he knows this is the best way to actually have a smooth running organazation. Yeah, that last one describes our COR. He shows up to every meeting wether den or committee. He is there for anything invovling scouts. He even drives way, way out of his way to make a daytime appearance at camping trips - although he has elected not to camp out himself( old age, physical discomfort, etc...) Thing is, he is there and knows what issues are going on. He doesn't need us to tell him who said what or why so and so isn't playing nice. When (cough , cough)..I mean "if" we have an issue to the point we feel the best answer is to remove somebody...he supports us and goes with the majority vote. But...the COr is the one who has to do the deed. Even if we have a 100% agreement within the committee...the COR has to sign off on it and technically, the COR is the one with the authority. I cannot be the one to tell the ( in this case) CC that he is out. The CC could not tell me. Any member of the committee couldn't tell the CC or me( CM ). The COR has to do it. Now, in our pack, we are set up that all leaders attend the committee meetings and all of us have a vote. Why? Because we all volunteer, we all bust our butts and we work together as a team that way. So far, and most likely due to our setup. we have only bhad to have 1 "come to Jeasus" meeting with a committee member. WE did not ask that person to leave, we did not tell that person to leave. We just said that thing were going to change if she wanted to continue. She left of her own accord. But we reached that decision as a group, and respoinded as a group. It's just that our group included the COR who was in total agreement with us.

Bobcat isn't a joining requirement. It if was, it would be that a boy would be required to already have Bobcat to join a pack. But It is rediculous to call it a rank. Otherwise, a first time scout who joins in 5th grade as a second year WEbelos would be a lower rank than a Tiger Cub. Bobcat shouild be an acheivement, or an award. Not a rank.

We have a few cakes that don't get bids at first, but usually somebody ( cough...cough ..mom or dad) will bid on it. We tell the scouts before hand that people may not bid on the cakes. Not really sure what you can do the first year as far as participation goes. From our experience, I don't think participation has anything to do with taste or cooking ability as it does with people wanting to outdo or out create the others. The first time, most of the cakes were "normal" desserts that people made. Now it's all about decoration and seeing who can create the most elaborate or different cakes. It wouldn't surprise me if half were made up of sawdust or fertilizer! But I don't know what would increase initial participation. We had small 4" tall trophies for first place in each catagory and a 18" tall grand champion trophy. Maybe charge a $2.00 to $5.00 entry fee with a $25.00 or $50.00 gift card to the scout shop for 1st place or grand champion (or whatever your top baker is). Might go in the hole the first year, but I'm telling yah, the "I can do better than that" bug will bite fast! Once it gets going, it will keep itself going each year.

The name itself isn't important. We just made ours what it was to represent that it wasn't a parent thing, it wasn't a scout thing, but a scout AND ( person here) thing. We just auction ours starting at $5.00 a desert. Open bids by anybody who has money who is at the party. Either the ASM or myself acts as the auctioneer. The scouts don't really care how much their item earns as long as it earns something. It also dispells the whole "cooking is for women" stereotype. Yeah, the boys cook while camping using DO's camp grills and such, but that's different!

If I am understanding your post correctly, this is just an event for scouts to bake sometyhing, and not a bake sale or fundraiser? We do this , but have incorporatd it into our pack Christmas party. WE actually call it a "Parent/Son bakeoff" as to not cause any issues with scouts who's dads are in the service overseas, divorced or who dads have died. Of course, there are also boys who's adult partners are grandparents, uncles, aunts, neighbors...but you get the point. Scouts make a dessert with their partner and bring it to the aprty. Catagories are : 1) Most scoutlike 2) Most creative 3) Best tasting There is 1st through 3rd in those catagories and 1 overall grand champion. We had no idea what extremes that people would go through: aircraft carriers , football fields complete with grandstands and goal posts. We had one father son team creat our council camp - pretzel stick log cabins, pretzel sticks standing upright with green frosting trees, cottoncandy fires inside mimi marshmellow rock firepits, blue jellow lake in the middle of the camp. grahm cracker dirt paths, green dyed coconut grass... It was awesome....to look at! Taste was another matter. We weren't sure how receptive the parents and scouts would be. Trust me, you think PWD competition is fierce? Start having creative dessert contests. WE ask 3 members of the CO that do not have scouts as children to be fair and unpartial judges. After the judging, you have the option of taking your dessert home, sharing it at the party or auctioning it off with all $$$ being added to to the next years family Christams fund ( our pack adopts 3 families each year at Christmas). First year we had 7 entrys. The next year we had 19. Last year, we had 31 entrys.

We used 12" X 16" Synboard ( a PVC board - not any wood) and bottle caps to make shoe scrappers. We made drink coasters out of clay. And we took those plastic corrugated real estate signs and cut them up and made divided letter trays and plant starter trays.

"If the wrong person is convicted, the criminal is free....to continue....and you gave him a 'pass'. " Yeah, that's one thing that really bothers me. It happens on tv shows and movies more often than it happens in real life ( as far as I know), but it has happened in my area a few times. DA's, ADA;'s and state prosecutors and even the occasional grandstanding mayor or congressional rep will pat themselves on the back about what a great job they did convictiong somebody. But as time goes by, we find out that evidence was withheld, evidence was tampered with or done in such a shoddy way as to instantly discredit it's value and worth to even your average fourth grader. Why? Because somebody was looking for points in the public eye or in the pursuit of getting elsected "again" in a few months. But my problem is this: Not only did you falsly convict the wrong guy....but the responcible person is out free to do their crime again and again...and nobody is even expecting or cautiously aware of it. Justice took a back seet to personal gain. It would be an instant and automatic removal from office if I had my way.

"You can try to win the battle but lose the war, or you can take a defeat in the war and win the overall battle." Yeah, I really screwed that one up! Ii was supposed to say : You can win a batlle but lose the war, or lose a battle and win the war.

- If it hits here... Hurricane Irenme will hit us on Saturday. Right when our popcorn kickoff begins. Oh, darn. Guess the kickoff will be postponed.

nldscout Not knowing anything about this case personally, I can say that the plea they gave does not mean they feel or admit to guilt. In a much less severe situation, but of the same circumstance: In the past, I have been pulled over and ticketed for an infraction that I know I did not commit. But going to court and fighting it would be costly and there is no garantee that I would win my case.. Just aying it would be costly, as well as having my insurance go up substantualy for 3 years. So I hire a lawyer who for a fee of $100.00 ( I did say it was a long tima ago! ) went and had my charges reduced to a lesser offense. By doing that, I admited that I was guilty of ..well, what ever it was, it was inconsequential ...and paid a $75.00 fine on top of the lawyers $100.00 fee as well as lose out on making $180.00 that day by my missing work. So here I am out $355.00. I also pleaded guilty of something I did not do and will maintain to this day that I did NOTHING wrong. But had I fought that cahrge and lost, I would have lost ALOT more money and would have lost if for years at a time and had a mark on my driver's license. In pricipal. I gave in, in reality, I did the smart thing buy admitting to a miniscule charge that only carried a small fine and ws then done and over with - no record, no insurance hike, - NOTHING! THese guys may or may not be guilty, I have no idea...but as far as their plea goes..it got them out of jail. THeir goal was to get out of jail. They were ready to be free and the Alford plea got them, their freedom. You can try to win the battle but lose the war, or you can take a defeat in the war and win the overall battle. Again, these guys just might be guilty as can be. But making deals and pleaing guilty to lesser charges as well as Alford pleas happen all the time. It's taking a known outcome instead of gambling on an unknown outcome.

Our first summer event does great. WE went to a ball game and led opening ceremonies and entered a contest almost every change of sides.had around 20 scouts attend. Boys couldn't wait to go back, and several did go back more than once over the summer. Our second event was at the soundside of a beach town. About 32 scouts showed up. The boys had a blast! Swam, played in the sand, caught jelly fish and collected shells, fished, caught minnows, . And I swear if I diodn't know better, they had a "See how much sand you can get on your body" contest. This Last Saturday ( 2 days ago) we went bowling. 6 boys showed up. I was dissapointed as I announce, make calls and send out e-mails as wellas post on our pack website and facebook site. Granted, 4 or 5 parents called and said they were going camping one last time before school started ( AWESOME EXCUSED REASON as far as I am concerned) some were signing up for football, abd basket all , some were going to soccer camps, etc.. I understand, and I ain't about to get into an argument about what a priority should be ( lest you lose the scout completely) - but I still thought more boys would show up.

That is absolutely awesome! Any of us could toss out some advice, but truth be told, we don't know your group of boys like you do. And anybody with a particular "spoecialty" may not act exactly like somebody else with that specialty, so again, nobody knows your boys like you do. Standing up and applauding!