scoutldr

If I ever get sued, I will be sure to have a lawyer there of MY choosing to represent ME and my interests. The BSA can do what they want.

All together now... God grant me the serenity...

Forget politics...this is what's important. http://tinyurl.com/lf3hkb

Seems to me that "helicopter parents" have infiltrated your Lodge, and they think everyone else should be a helicopter, too. I have never heard of this requirement. At OA functions, such as Ordeals and Fellowships, the Arrowman shows up and checks in...no adult supervision required, other than those who are there also participating as Arrowmen. Yes, if we have scouts "Ordealing", and it was convenient for us, we would show up and support him...but it wasn't considered "required". As I have said many times before, OA is not considered a "Unit" activity, but an individual activity...like earning Merit Badges...(no, wait..bad example). That's one of the things I thought was cool about the OA...we were treated like mature Scouts (until proven otherwise) ..."just go find a place to set up your tent...the waterfront is off limits...dinner is at 6 pm and campfire is at 8. Have fun!" Second thought: Are sure that "guardian" is not being used as a synonym for "Buddy" (as in "buddy system")?(This message has been edited by scoutldr)

I believe that NCS qualified leaders are required for Camp accreditation. I think it has more to do with that than legal liability. My financial advisor told me to get a personal liability umbrella policy. I got it through State Farm for a couple hundred dollars a year. My answer would have been, "sorry...I can't afford two weeks off from work, so i guess I can't help". End of discussion.

No...I think it's accurate to characterize someone as a "liar" if it is indeed true that they lied. Maybe not polite, but accurate. I'm not saying that the "Gentleman" from South Carolina was accurate in his characterization of the President on that particular issue. I do not believe that the Democrat health plan intentionally includes illegal aliens...yet.

Poor manners, yes. But is it "name calling" if it's true? I can hear Robert Gibbs now..."Well what the President MEANT to say during the debate with Mrs. Clinton was, "enrollment in health insurance WILL be mandatory for all citizens and those who don't will be fined up to $3800 by the IRS."

Well in that context, I have heard of it for Cub camping. But not for Boy Scouts. OA is not a unit activity. At least in my Lodge, Arrowmen and Candidates do not need an adult "guardian"...it is assumed their behavior and skills are beyond that. When he arrives and checks in, he will be assigned to a group who will have an Arrowman "guide" to stay with them for the weekend. Beyond that, I don't know what they want. Adults who are not Arrowmen or Candidates are generally not invited, however any parent who wants to "observe" may do so. One reason may be to ensure that the Scout departs the event with an approved adult, and not an estranged spouse or other adult who does not have custody. Just guessing.(This message has been edited by scoutldr)

On the continuum of boorishness, I guess it's better than being callled an "a-h" by a Presidential Czar.

After seeing an 18 yo unwed father "living in sin" with his girlfriend awarded the Eagle Scout award (after appealing the EBOR decision to Council), nothing surprises me any more.

That's the policy in this district, too, for kindergartners. If there is no responsible adult waiting at the bus stop, the kid is taken back to school until the parents can be contacted. And there are no walking zones if they have to cross a major thoroughfare...even if they live right across the street. Not sure I would let my kids run around with guns at night. That could have a bad outcome.

"Our troop is attempting a stricter uniform policy and we're considering 'close-enough' pants rather than official uniform pants" The policy should be "official BSA uniform", as the unit is not authorized to allow deviations from the uniform. You're either "in uniform" or not. If not, then it really doesn't matter what they wear. Why stop with the pants? How about a "close-enough" shirt, too? Not sure when all this started...when I was a kid, we all wore the complete uniform...and our parents were not as well off as most parents today with two incomes. One of my pet peeves is at summer camp when the "official uniform" (I almost slipped and said "Class A's"!!) is required and whole troops show up with scout shirts, neckers, and everyone in wildly colored shorts. Looks ridiculous. Like was stated, if money is really an issue, then address the issue with a solution like fundraisers or a uniform exchange.

Once they are officially registered in the Troop, they cannot be awarded Cub Scout ranks. The ScoutNet program will not allow it, AFAIK. Of course, if the transfer apps are on hold until they get AOL, that's different...and they are still officially Cub Scouts who are visiting your troop. As someone else said, they cannot earn Boy Scout ranks until properly registered. Bottom line...you cannot be a Cub Scout and a Boy Scout at the same time. Choose one.

I like Newt. Says lots of stuff I agree with. Of course, he has some skeletons in his closet, too. One thing I've learned, though, we shouldn't let past actions, statements, and affiliations affect our decision in the voting booth. Bygones.

And in our case, the Council has delegated all that to the Unit Committee.

Thanks Lisa. Glad you're not still mad at me. I'll admit, last week was a bad one...my sister's' husband is leaving her after 30 years of marriage, and they are the typical "gotta have it all even if we can't afford it" family (no education, no savings, no retirement, no insurance, but could afford new cars, inground pool, eating out, etc). Now it looks like I'm gonna have to give her a "bailout" too...at the expense of my own future, to prevent her from defaulting on her mortgage and losing the family homestead that my parents left her free and clear. Between this and having to support my Mother in Law who smoked herself into being an invalid...so much for my well-laid retirement plans for a retirement home on the Lake, for which we've saved and sacrificed. The alternative is to turn my back on family...not sure I can do that. I'll probably die at my desk while being a good Scout and everyone else gets "taken care of". I apologize if some of my comments came across as "unScoutlike". But when do I and MY family get to enjoy the fruits of our sacrifice and hard work? Tell me again..."to help other people at all times"...but when do we say "enough...you're on your own!"(This message has been edited by scoutldr)

"Just because the current leadership of the two major political parties are liars, cheats, theives, pond scum sucking bottom feeding maggots..." You say that as if it's a recent phenomenon.

I always thought that the conventional wisdom is to "randomize" the order of the candidates. Perhaps have multiple ballot forms, so that "Joe Smith" is not always listed first. I just get so tired of being forced to choose "the lesser of the two evils" or "none of the above". Write-in votes are a waste of time. I have always thought that, in the absence of a party system, the "runner up" should get the VP job, since, in most cases, the Prez wins by a very thin margin (or not, after the Electoral College and Supreme Court has thier way). Whatever you may think of Hannity, his "man on the street" interviews, where he interviews those barely old enough to vote (18-20something) really scare me. His point is, "these kids are clueless, and they are cancelling out your well thought-out vote". Same can be said of a lot of elders, and others of all ages. Makes me wonder why I bother going to the polls. It's become nothing but a popularity contest driven by the special interests and media. No, I'm not happy with Obama...but I wasn't thrilled with McCain, either, especially after he chose Palin, who came across as a bimbo. My true choice, Ron Paul, really talked sense to me, but he's lacking that "Rock Star" quality and eloquent speaking ability that wins elections.

I've been thinking...how would people vote, if they had no idea of the candidates' political party affiliation? My opinion...they would either not vote, vote randomly, or be forced to actually research and read the candidates' position to form an opinion. And that's all I would hope for...an informed electorate. Oh...and let's do away with the Electoral College, too, while we're at it.

Amen.

Have your kid sneak across the border and try to enroll at the "Universidad Popular Autonoma del Estado de Puebla" and let us know how long it takes them to get arrested and thrown into a Mexican prison.

Ditto.

Ed said, "If the address is at noon, there is no valuable school time lost since that is the lunch hour. And how do we know this speech has less value than the regular school lesson?" In my school system, "lunch" begins around 1020 and is for 20 minutes. The rest of the day is spent on instruction. My objection is the effectiveness of the message..."take personal responsibility and stay in school"...if they don't already know that then having BHO say it isn't going to matter. Those who diss the public schools are dissing me and my wife and sons. The schools we attended were and are excellent, and we are all successful citizens. The difference was we had a 2 parent household, we all have the same last name, and we spent every evening helping them with homework and/or doing Scouts. WHy doesn't BHO focus on WHY parents are failing their kids by not providing a stable household to grow up in? How about a "Parenting Czar"? Being poor is no excuse for allowing your kids to roam the streets every night.

I've never thought of blocking anyone. I value diversity, as my employer requires. As a former colleague used to tell me..."without them, we'd just be average."

The only objection I have is that it's probably a waste of valuable classroom time. In my state, the teachers already complain that they don't have enough time to teach extra stuff because they have to teach the Standards of Learning. As someone on the radio said today, why not produce public service announcements and play them on Nickelodeon...that way kids are more likely to see them. He should also tell them not to smoke and to eat fruits and vegetables and don't shoot each other. It's likely to be as effective as telling them to "work hard and stay in school." DUH.