scoutldr

Well, since you asked. I was raised Lutheran and am a scientist. I guess that makes me a Christian scientist, no? I believe in God, who created the heavens and earth...and He created evolution, and the Big Bang, and black holes.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled program...the difficulty you were experiencing was not in your receiver.

You are going to work many long hours for scant reward, including most evenings and weekends. If you have a family, are they OK with that?

And sometimes even the wacky ones get approved, vis a vis the NESA knot and the current uniform design.

The point of my post was not to shoot GaHillBilly (although he needed shootin', which I understand is a valid defense in GA). :-) The point is, kids with major health issues are being mainstreamed, not only in the schools, but also in Scouts. I always tell the HIV story when I teach BSA Lifeguard. There are HIV positive folks among us, we don't know who they are and they ain't tellin'. Universal precautions are required, no matter who it is. To use my wife's line, "if it's wet and it's not yours, DON'T TOUCH IT!!!" Likewise, for the novice Scouters who may be reading this Board, CYA is not a bad policy. For myself, I have had more than a little First Aid training and was an ARC instructor in both First Aid and WSI at one point. When faced with a crisis, I don't know what I would do, but like Gunny, I hope I wouldn't freeze with panic if I had resources available. Like my wife, I'll deal with the lawyers later, but I need to be able to look at myself in the mirror the rest of my life. And I would expect any of you to do the same for me if it came to it.

I thought that was the UC hymn. I would want the DE to understand that there is more to Scouting than "meeting your numbers." And that, as a volunteer, my goals are not necessarily the same, and I am just that...a VOLUNTEER...I do have a real job to pay the bills, and Scouting is what I do for fun in my SPARE time. When it starts to feel like a JOB with a BOSS (DE), I will find some other way to spend my SPARE TIME.

Perfect!

"But it doesn't really matter. Anyone with a high school degree could learn EVERYTHING they needed to do the job in a single week training course. I mean, how hard is it to learn to distinguish clear snot from yellow bloody snot, or to take a temperature electronically. Most job applicants come already possessing the essential care skill (using a phone), since the primary care such nurses provide is to call the parent(s)." Ahhh, GAHillBilly...if my wife saw this, she'd rip your throat out. Seriously, in this state (YMMV), and in her school, she has children with major health issues, since it is their "right" to be included in mainstream education. She has had a kindergartner with HIV (which she only discovered because she had an immunization exemption from a local HIV specialist, and was not allowed to tell anyone else, even the Principal and teacher), children with tracheostomies, feeding tubes, terminal cancer, diabetes, quadraplegics, etc. She also conducts primary health screenings for vision, hearing, scoliosis, and yes, headlice. About a week ago, she discovered an advanced bone tumor on a third grader's upper arm. The parents were mortified that they had not noticed the baseball sized lump, since the kid now bathes himself. For many of the lower income students, she is the ONLY primary care provider. She is also responsible for the adult staff, and has handled strokes, heart attacks, and diabetic reactions. Yes, she hands out a lot of ADHD meds, but nearly so much now that they have the long-acting ones. A few months ago, she did have a student with an anaphylactic reaction to some insect bite and she used another student's epi-pen. The kid was in full respiratory arrest. EMS took 20 minutes to get there, and by then the kid was bouncing off the walls from the adrenaline. She rode in the ambulance with the kid and the ER doc complimented her for saving his life. But her nursing license was on the line, should it have turned out differently. Her response was, "I could live without a license, but I could never have lived with myself if I had to watch one of my kids die and I didn't try something." The parents were eternally grateful and replaced the epi-pen. The kid had one at home, but they never bothered to bring one to school because they were just too busy. PS: My wife wants your phone number...(This message has been edited by scoutldr)

No, I say, "Bobby, are you supposed to be taking some meds?" If he says "yes", I show him where the briefcase is. If he says "No", I'm done. I remember buying Ludens Cherry cough drops for 10 cents at school. Nowadays, kids get suspended for having them on their person, and even worse if they give them to another student.

Gotta agree with Bob here. As I have stated here before, my wife is an elementary school nurse (licensed RN). In this state, she cannot even give a child a TUMS without a written order from a physician. A note from the parent is not good enough, and the child is not allowed to possess the meds. If the parent wants to drive up to school and administer it, that's fine. I follow the same rule in scouting. If a scout needs meds, he has to bring them, and be responsible for taking them. I will be happy to store them in my briefcase, but that's it. Yes, we will give a gentle reminder if needed, but we will not actually administer.

Now you did it, Eamonn. Argyle closed his account!!! It was fun reading through the old thread, though...FOG, NJCubScouter, saltheart, KoreaScouter, TrailPounder, TwoCubDad...where are they now?

Sorry, skeptic. I didn't get my Eagletter until yesterday, and I read the article. Maybe the clique should get their own Scouter.com knot. It could have a bronze, silver or gold border depending on the number of posts. It seems every thread I start never lives past 2 or 3 replies, if any. Don't feel special. It's not a right wing conspiracy.

While the scholarships are nice, very few are handed out, and appear to have been funded by private endowments. I have been told that every SE gets a copy of the NESA membership roster for his/her Council. NESA members are considered "low hanging fruit" for Commissioner recruiting and FOS donations. The only real benefit NESA has been for me is a resume entry. There is no active chapter in my area. I, too got the postcards in the mail for the NESA directory. The company is Harris Direct, which also publishes alumni directories. These are commonly used as sales leads. I'm not willing to buy the book just to see my name in print, so I passed on the offer to be listed.

I just took a tour of your website, and enjoyed the great pictures of your brother. He does look like a great Scout, and I'm sure he's missed by many. I won't say whether I agree or disagree with your efforts...I'm not eligible for the knot anyway. If the BSA agrees to endorse it, more power to you. I also agree that what knots one chooses to wear is a personal decision...there are some here who think we shouldn't wear ANY...even the official BSA ones. Just one comment on your "Registry", though...BSA policy on websites is that Scouts under the age of 18 should not be identified by full names. I don't know the ages of those on your registry, however it might be seen as "good faith" if you adhered to the BSA Youth Protection guidelines, even though yours is a private website. Perhaps a disclaimer that "all Scouts listed on this website are over the age of 18"...or something similar. Perhaps add the year that they earned Eagle...that would be nice.

I saw that too. As an Eagle Scout and NESA member since earning Eagle in 1970, I disagree with the concept. Life members are no more special or accomplished than us "pay as you go" members. In fact, I have paid more in dues than a Life Membership would have cost me. No one ever "gifted" me a Life membership, and when I was younger, writing that one big check was not possible. There once was a NESA pocket dangle...the NESA logo suspended on a RWB ribbon, to be worn on the right pocket button (where the OA pocket rocket goes). I have one, but sadly, it's no longer available, and they go for a pretty penny on eBay. I've put it away so I don't lose it.

It is up to the SM to "approve" all candidates before they are placed on the Troop's list of eligibles. If there is a Scout Spirit issue, then that's the place to address it. Then it is up to the troop youth leadership and OA election team to impress upon the troop the meaning of the OA and the honor it represents. It is not a popularity contest, but to honor those who best exemplify the Scout Oath and Law...the "best of the best" so to speak. I, too am disappointed that the "active" Arrowmen are only about 10-20% of the membership list. The Lodge and Chapter youth leadership need to do some reflection on how to deliver a quality program. Meetings are boring.

The current vessel was probably named after the "Army Scout"...as it is a minesweeper who goes ahead of the fleet and clears the way of danger. I'm sure a USS Boy Scout wouldn't be entertained today since we are officially a discriminatory organization.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Scout_%28MCM-8%29

Clarification, you must be a registered member of a BSA unit, before you can rejoin the OA. You said you were "working on" becoming an ASM. If you were tapped out as a youth, you can be a member of a Cub Pack, Scout Troop or Venture Crew. Just contact your council office or local Lodge/Chapter Chief or Advisor and say "I need to pay my dues and rejoin the OA." Usually, they will accept whatever you put on the form and don't require "proof". (A Scout is Trustworthy) Otherwise, many of us would have to sit on the sidelines.

Membership and dues are to your local Lodge, not a national thing. Contact your Council office and ask the secretary if he/she has a dues payment form for the OA. Then just fill out the form and drop it off (or mail it) with a check. You will probably need to know the dates of your Ordeal/Brotherhood/Vigil as appropriate and the Council/Lodge in which they were awarded. Then you should look for a membership card from your Lodge secretary. If your Lodge has a website, you should be able to find meeting information and POC's listed there. The Lodge is divided into Chapters which serve each District...find out when and where they meet and just start showing up!

Only once did I see someone rip off their arrow, exclaim "this is BULL****!" and walk away from an ordeal. It was an "adult" about 40 years old. Lots of us here went through the traditional "tapout" and Ordeal as youth. How many were permanently scarred? Yes, some Allowats got overzealous and took them to their knees, but ours was a firm, but painless series of taps. I never gave it a second thought. I, for one, remember the experience with great fondness, as it was one more challenge that I overcame...something my Dad didn't think this fat bookworm mama's boy could do.

Hey, "Fat Boy" was my name when I was a scout! That is until I won the Lodge Marksmanship contest with my antique Winchester Model 74 with open sights...then it was "Sir".

"There are individuals you can't give this to and you may not know that." That's why Epinephrine is a controlled substance and should only be given to the person for whom it was prescribed. In the scenario described, I think the only recourse is to call 911, give the benadryl (diphenhydramine) to buy some time, try to maintain a patent airway and hope for the best.

I was in a large District for 30 years, when the SE decided to split it into three. Seemed like all of the experienced district volunteers ended up in one district and the other two were left to start from scratch. We still haven't recovered and filled all of the district slots we are supposed to have. Yes, it was a big deal. From the sound of this thread, now I can look forward to merging them back! Sheesh.(This message has been edited by scoutldr)

Whether I'm "for" or "against" is not an issue. I can choose not to buy and wear the patch. I did look at the BSA website before I posted, and the square knot design is not listed as a registered trademark. (or maybe I didn;t look in the right place?) Just as the "Scout" badge is not registered, since it is just a generic brown fleur-de-lis which has been in common use for centuries. There are lots of private issue squareknots out there...for BSA Lifeguard, 50 miler, Wood Badge, etc. But I think those who buy them and wear them are egomaniacs. But that's just my opinion and I'm sure they couldn't care less. Suppose Troy were to follow the law and registered the square knot patch as a trademark...then where would we be, hmmmmm?