Scoutfish

WEll, one difference with most council camps is that..as a parent, you are only there as a parent. Pretty much the staff handles all the details of meals, activities and functions. They were most likely planned out 6 months to a year ahead of time. As a parent, you do about the sae as you would if you take your kid to a fair or carnival sans the wallet opening at each event. This is alot different than most pack campouts where the leadership as well as many parents are the staff while camping. THis is the kind of thing that makes you apreciate teh staff too- they have it all planed and worked out so you do not have to.

Maybe I'll just have to do my own stuff. I can open the HTLM editor, but then that's as far as I can go,

Wait, not sure it works. I open the "format" box, select the choices, and not seeing it work.

Cool! Thanks!

I guess there really isn't a correct forum for this, so I put it in the general program stuff. So I like to emphasise a ferw words here and there. Well, the only way I know how is to use capital letters..which also means I occasionally have to mention I an mot yelling. So, my question is this: How do I make large type, italics and bold type. On other sites, you would use the star * at the beginning and end of the word to make it bold, use < and > for italics, and usually there was a small edit box to one side or another for type size - usuallu only 3 choices. Thanks!(This message has been edited by scoutfish)

"Kill the other son of a **** before he kills you" Yeah, I won't argue that! Especially if that's the only rule he follows. I had a military friend of mine once say "Hard to put a flower in the barrel of a rifle when bullets are coming out. And the thing about the rules of war are simple: They only work if both sides recognize them. That reminds me of a joke also: A farmer is out in one of his fields one day when a stranger drives up, gets out and introduces himself as a surveyor for the Dept of Interior. He says he is doing surveys and will be all over the farmers fields. The farmer says fine, just stay out of the back northern field. The Agent then pulls out a ID cad and says: See this card? It is a US Government issued card that says I can go anywhere I want and you can't stop me!" The farmers hrugs and tells the agent to help himself. About 30 minutes later, the farmer hears horrible terrified screams. He looks up and see's the agent in the back nborthern field being chased by the farmers highly irritated and mean bull. The agent hollers to the farmer: "Help me, help me!" The farmer then yells back: "Show him your card!" WEll, point being, most of the time, the enemy is the bull. They do not care about what we think or our rules of war or engagement. There is alot to be said of taking the high ground. But sometimes the high ground makes you an easier target.

Politics is one of the things that hurt us in Nam. Numbers and feel good body counts. Too much control was p-laced in the hnands of people who only understand polls and election results, not warfare. The second thing was jumping the fence to get into somebody elses backyard without having a clue what their mentality was like or how their landscape was set up. Kinda similar to the whole religion thing: You have to look at your enemy through their eyes, noty your own. Of Course, having s bunch of people call you baby killers without having a clue what you went through didn't help. Last but not least......It's a humongous shame that we Americans spit on people for doing what they were drafted ( read as FORCED ) drafted to do. Why nobody realized they didn't have a choice is beyond me.

Used to be a shop up the raod from my house when growing up. It was called "Stump Dwellers" They sold all kinds of prisms, suncatchers, dried bannana chips, trail mix, glass unicorns , kites, tire sandals, natural vitamins, incense, etc.... and all kinds of junk like that. WEll, I was around the age of ten back then. I now know it was a head/ hippes shop. One of the things I remember about this shop is all the rainbow stickers everywhere and buying a bag of dried banana chip every week. Man, thoser things are awesome! So..rainbow...I have no idea if it was a gay thing, a hippie earth movement thing,m or what. But truth be told.... the very first rainbows make me think of dried banana chips! My wife thinks of Care Bears and Unicorns. My son thinks girls. My dog must be very insecure because he refuses to tell me what he thinks!

We spent a couple hours on the campfire stuff. And as mentioned beforr, a handfull of boys from some troop was there too. They diod skits, helped with the songs, run ons, and told us what they thought was cool and what wasn't. We also got a good look at what kind of humore to expect to use for that age range.

Maybe they could call it the "Skittles Council" ? (This message has been edited by scoutfish)

Be loud, obnoxious and rowdy. Or De does a pretty god job of recruiting, but tends to talk over the kids too much. Yeah, I know you are mostly selling to the parents, but they AND the kids pick up alot. At our last roundup week ( 3 different school all within 12 4 miles of our CO ) there were 4 CM's ( myself included) I made a point of loking at ands talking to the kids when they asked me something, and talking to the parents when they asked me something. I also joked weith the kids. The other CM's just sat at a table waitiong for people to come over and sign up. I collected 22 people the first night while the other CM's had 3 sign up between the four of them. Second night, I had 14 sign up ( 9 joined at our scout orientation meeting at the CO) whie the others had 2 between the 3 of them . The last roundup night, our COr took my place as we were having our pack meeting and my first as CM. He brought 1 application as he also sat down and waited for people to come to him. One other thing: You have all the literature and all the "right stuff" to say. But don't forget to tell the real stuff too. Less parents would drop out of it - and thus taking their kids with them , if you tell the real world version of things. Our DE tels the "in a poerfect world" version of what scouting should be like, I told them what they could really expect, while also telling them what they get out of it depends on what they invest - time and sweat wise - into it.

"I would say to new campmasters that we can never underestimate the fun of simply running around banging things with sticks." One of the simplest things you can bring that will keep kids busy burning off energy without overkill on the skills and activities is a NERF football. WE bring two or three. Boys do get tired of scout activitiesm even if it means running around. A sensless completely chaotic , unorganized game of "Everybody clobber the unlucky fool who happens to be holding the ball", does alot to burn off energy while also haveing a needed break from earning/learning activities. I had to explain to alot of parents that "down Time" did not mean nap time. It just means normal time.

When it was time to buy a knife for my son, we went to a military surplus store. Bought a 2 1/2 inch lock blade. The cool thing was that the handle was thicker than most knives and really fit his hand good. Stainless steel, extra large rivits holding it together, and the unlock mechanisn is on the backside of the handle instead of right next to the hinge end of the blade. Was $9.00 but only cost us $6.00 after the guy found out what it was for.

Somewhat responcible?

"Yah, I reckon the original poster got the answer he needed a while back, eh? " WEll...that's never stopped us before- has it?

A scout is not held accountable or responcible for either of his parents beliefs.

So while it's completely and believably possible that they didn't drink at the great little bar they found...I am wondering how did they find it. I mean, did they just actually stumnble upon it or is it a case of " Since we are here, lets look around a bit." I mean seriously, you can't even go for supplies without looking for a bar? Have these 2 people have been warned before, or what that a general warning to more adults? I'd say it like this: Starting right now, the slate is clean. But there are no more warnings, no more chances, no more alcohol. PERIOD! MAKE IT TO OR FROM MEETRINGS OR TROOP ACTIVITIES. Then stick to it Again, if a grown adult cannot refrain from taking a drink during camping events, or even on the days that have them going to or from meetings...if they cannoty wait til after the meeting on meeting night...then too bad for them. I might drink 3 or 4 beers when I drink, which right now averages about 6 times during the course of ten years. But back in the day before being married and responcible to other people than myself, I could empty my share of beer. But even then, I could wait til I got home or wasn't heading somewhere to have a drink. If a parent knows it is a meeting night, and they cannot manage to wait tile afterward to have a drink...they may be a big swafety liability to the unit in the long run.

"The boy told his dad he "really screwed up bad" and was pretty upset and remorseful" WEll, if he truely feels that way, he is not beyond help. All is not lost!

I think of BALOO as a conjuntion. OK ..everybody now..."Conjunction Juncton - what's your function? ..." WOW! I am old . So anyways, BALOO is the conjunction between Camping and the CUB scout program. It's what you use to adapt a indoor den and pack meeting to an outdoor camping experience.

Only two? Isn't that some kind of record? My only point is, we shouldn't assume something unless the boy specifically says it.

Thing about experince is shaky. I know people who are experinced in the wrong thing to do. But they are still experienced. I know plenty of people who are experienced in camping for months nonstop and can survive with a pocket knife and 3 foot of fishing line. But they are not aware how to take their experience and use if for Cubs. And there is only one way to get experience...you go out and do it. But having pointers is a great way to learn quite a few things without having to go through disater first. My BALOO was never even planned on being a morning only event. We knew from the start it was all day long. "I could have done with out the foil dinner lunch. I could have done with out the first aid lecture. I could have done with out the who can sleep with who lecture" Sure, so could I, but the class wasn't designed specifically for me or my experience. It was basd on a general expectation of what people may not know. BALOO is also about making camping a kid friendly experience, not to teach adults how tio survive in the jungle. I had plenty of experience camping, but I didn't necessarily have any experience or idea how to make it fun ( the whoile time) for the CUB SCOUTS. And not yelling, but emphasising CUB SCOUTS as it is their program we are talking about. Not everybody knows how to do the tin foiul dinners. Just because I do means nothing to them.. I never even heard of bag omlettes before I went to Pow Wow, much less how to make them. Then you look at your leaders. Some are brand new and fresh to scouting. Some are stuck in a position of becoming leaders because most of the pack quit or crossed into Boy Scouts. Some are brand new parents who just created a brand new pack. They may not want to skip camping for a couple years until they get experience camping with kids. Of course, that begets the question: How do you get experience camping with kids other than to go camping with kids? It's a catch 22 situation really: You don't go camping - and scouts dropm out. You go camping, but are nbot sure what to do, expect or know any tidbits of info to use. Hey, that's where BALOO comes in. It's not an advanced survival camping school, but it's the basic to get you going class. When I took BALO, one of our instructors was a retirted Lt Col in the US Army ( ben retired for about a year). He took over as CM and as he put it...led millions of dollars of equipment and thousands of troops in some of the most dangerous places in the world while exercising some of the most complicated and involved tatical operations. He said he would have no problem with a group of 20 kids. About that time, his wife stands up and itterupts and tells us he came home almost in tears after 1 evening as a CM at a pack event at the CO. So, my point is, you may be the greatest camper in the world, but may totally suck when you take kids. You may not need BALOO for you when camping, but may need BALOO for them when you go camping. And the parenst who have been camping for years who use gasoline while guzzling a 32oz beer to start a 15 tall pile of fresg green logs on fire may have 25 years experience doing it that way, but they have ZERO Cub Scout camping experience. Not saying youy are doing anyting wrong basement, but experince is relative to common sense..which you and I know iks not all that common among many people. The same people who become leaders in a pack and may end up being in charge of a campout. At least BALOO may let them know what not to do...even with all their experience.

"Second, the boy didn't say he was atheist...he said God doesn't exist. " EXACTLY! And the thing is, I cannot use my version of what the boy considers to mean God, or my terms to decide the way he uses the word God. Only HE can decide WHAT HIS VERSION IS AND WHAT IT MEANS TO HIM. And the thing is, I am not saying the boy isn't an athiest, nor am I saying there is no way he can be an athiest. He might be so athiest that Merlyn looks like a believer in comparison. But what I am saying is that he did not say he was an athiest ...based on the OP. Now, to make it more clear...in the way some here have decided he is an athiest is just as wrong if I went to India and said that I dabsolutely do not believe in Ganesha, Shiva, Krishna, Brahma, Vishnu, Kali, Annapurna, or Indra ....and the locals declare that it is oibvious and plainly clear I am an athiest. And truth be told, I will say that I do not believe in a particulat western "God" but still believe in my "God" when talking about the God that those southern white supreamacists refer to in their idiotic hate filled prayers. And if that didn't make sense- I do not believe in the "God" that people stand behind before they bomb abortion clinics or spew hate and racism from their mouths. Am I athiest? Not hardly, but my version of "God" (using a capitol G and not meaning "a god" in a general sense ) is not the one that many racists and bigots refer to. So again, I am not athiest. Is the boy in the OP? Who knows since the boy did not use those words. Maybe he believes in another god or perhaps he is pagan or Toaist. Maybe he believes in Wiccan or even Thor for all I know. And I don't know. I just think it's funny he said one thing and everybody else made it something else based on what they would mean inside instead of actually waiting to see what the boy meant. If nothing else, uyse a standard as it would be in a court of law: Boy's lawyer;" Mr.Merlyn, did the boy specifically say he was an athiest. Did he use those exact words? Did he say that he was an athiest instead of saying something else?" Merlyns: "Well, actually he said he didn't believe in god. Same thing as far as I am comncerned." Layer: " Yes sir, but it' s not your concerns we ate discussing. WE are talking about the boys. Isn't that right Mr Merlyn. Merlyn: "Yeah but we know what he really meant..." Mr. Merlyn, just answer the question, did he say he was athiest or not?" Merlyn: "But he was..." Lawyer: Mr merlyn, Yes or no. Did he say he was athiest?" Merlyn: " No, he did not specifically say that he was athiest." Lawyer: "Was the word athiest even mentioned?" Merlyn: "No." Lawyer : " So you assumed that is what he meant?" Merlyn: "Yes, based on my experience with..." Lawyer: "Yes, but we are not talking about your experiences, we are talking about tghe boy's. Judge, I move to dismiss." Judge: "Based on the testimony , the lack of evidence , and too many assumptions based onperson experiences and beliefs not associated with the youth himself, trhis court has no choice but to rule in favor of the scout and hereby declare this case closed!" Or whatever he would say..ask Beavah since I have no doubt he should probably type this last line in!

Oh, and while not directly related, spend a few minutes explaining about parents who cannot go, can get other parents to be replacement guardians. Also a little talk about the difference between YP and 2 Deep as many get this confused.

When I took BALOO, the troop that oner of the instructors was a member of, sent along 6 boy scouts who were earning service hours by helping set up. One of the cool things about tis was this: They boys demonstrated most of the campfire ceremony stuff, put on 6 or 7 skits, and conducted colors at the start and end of the class. Basically, instead of an instructor telling us what we should do, the instructors showed us what we could do. Anybody can explain what a couiple papers or a book says..but having a live visual makes a big difference.

The world is not going to end on May 21st. Matter of fact, I as so absolutely sure the world won't end, I will bet every single member of this site $1,000,000 that it won't end. But, if the world does end, I will pay up!