sctmom

I think the worst part is just knowing that I can't check on him. He spends the summer weeks with his grandparents and I never worry about him getting homesick there, even though sometimes he does. But I always know I can call and check on him. I figured he would be glad to go by Sunday morning just because I kept reminding him of things -- "don't be left alone with an adult, if any of the boys talk about sex tell an adult, there are plastic bags for your dirty clothes, don't use all your shampoo at once, change your socks every day, yada, yada, yada". He told me the other day that he was going to get a motorcycle when he got grown since I won't let him have one now. He said "and you will say "that's dangerous" (say that with a smirk). I said "yep, that was a rule of parenthood, when you were born I had to agree to say things like that, it's my job." So is worrying, that's my job, I'm a parent. The scoutmaster was taking directions, notes, extra money, prescriptions, etc. from 24 parents yesterday! Rlculver, thanks for reminding me about the weather! At least it is not tornado season, the camp got hit by one in May. I would be a nervous wreck even if I had went with them. At least this way, no one else is subject to my panic except my pets. And I get to feel needed by taking a treat for Friday night -- satisfies that mom-instinct.

This is one of those mushy Mom emails..lol. Eleven years ago today I was bringing home a little bundle from the hospital. Yesterday I packed him up and sent him away to summer camp. I'm not sure who was more nervous, me or him! It was tougher on me than I thought it would be. I know that he will be well taken care of, just concerned he will get homesick or upset about something. Found myself figuring out how long it would take me to go get him if they call me from camp. When the phone rang about 8:00 last night I almost jumped out of my skin! The troop took 26 boys to camp, 14 of them new scouts. A lot of nervous boys and parents in that parking lot yesterday morning. A few jealous younger brothers there too. I'll be going up on Friday night (Family night) and staying to bring some of the boys back on Saturday. Until then, I have to keep repeating "he will be okay, he will have fun, he will be okay, he will have fun....."

Thanks for the info! At our annual yard sale a few weeks ago we could have used this. We talked about doing it next time. I think it would help keep people shopping at the yard sale too.

On AOL you can easily block unwanted email. You can say "block all except" and then list the people it's okay to get email from, like grandma and friends.

I want to meet the adults who have NEVER forgotten anything on a campout or vacation! It's just not a vacation unless you forgot something! More adult supervision will not help. They will eventually learn, at least most of them will. Ask the adults how did the boys learn to tie their shoes --- by doing it over and over and over until they got it right.

Another post talks about the DE being upset about watermelon for the troop on family night. Wow! My son's troop will have family night on the Friday of the week of summer camp. The camp encourages the families to bring supper that night. I will be going, staying the night and bringing boys home on Saturday. Been trying to think of something to surprise the boys with on Friday. They will be able to buy sodas and some junk food all week at the camp store. Watermelon sounds good. Also read where someone took the troop popsicles. Any other ideas?

Ed, Have you read the complete decision? The adding of the phrase is unconstitutional because it has no secular reason. It is even on the official record as being for the purpose of promoting religion over communist atheism. When you also think about this was 1954 before we even had a Catholic president, I feel sure it was promoting Protestant Christianity.

We are just going to ignore the fact that adding the phrase "under God" was unconstitutional to begin with? Bubbabear, We ALL benefit from public education. Lack of education is directly related to high crime rates. The founding fathers also wanted education for all (well, actually just white males, but we have changed our meaning of "all" over the years).

FScouter, The Pledge has been "tinkered with" several times, the last one being adding the phrase "under God". I recently read the book John Adams by David McCullough. A great book I recommend to everyone. The more I learn about our founding fathers, I think they would be appalled that we pledge allegiance to a flag! I think many would consider that the same as pledging allegiance to the King. Also, they specifically said the government was in charge of "civil laws" not religion. Yes, most were Christians but they realized how quickly simple little things could get out of control.

After reading the decision itself, I agree with the facts that the phrase "under God" was added illegally because the intent was to push Christianity. I do wonder about the parents who expect everyone to change just because of their beliefs. I went to a non-church private school in the 1970's. Girls were allowed to wear slacks and jeans, just no shorts. One family did not allow their girls to wear slacks or jeans. As far as I know they did not try to make everyone else quit wearing slacks. If they tried it did not get far. Another girl could wear slacks but not jeans. Her mother told her that others could wear what they want but she didn't believe any kids should wear jeans to school. One year our family TV died. My father would not replace it -- didn't have the money and he felt we could live without it. We went for over a year without a TV. Everyday I heard the other students and the teachers talk about TV. One teacher even assigned a couple of historic specials for us to watch. I had to do an alternative assignment or spend the night with a friend to watch it. Did I feel "left out"? You bet, I was 13 years old. But then again I always felt "left out" about something. My parents only ate wheat bread, all the other kids had white bread sandwiches. I was told to get over it. I know God is a more serious subject than bread, my point is kids will always feel "different" and "left out". Yet, on the other hand some of the same people who want to make God mandatory in schools do not want birth control pills or condoms talked about. Think over that one for a minute..... I don't mind other children having to ignore what I want said, but I want my children to only hear things I agree with? Hmmmmm?????

If you believe in God and that this is a nation "under God", why do you have to have everyone say it in the Pledge? Our founding fathers knew that THE TRUTH will prevail without making it a civil law.

Sounds like the stereotypical "challenge" scout. His allergies and migraines are probably caused by his eating habits as well has his behavior habits. I think you are doing the right thing to stick by your guns about people with headaches can't swim. When the patrols are planning their menus, find this woman something else to do so she can't interfere. Keep telling her that you need a doctor's note to exempt him from any activities. After awhile they will give in or give up and leave. Good luck.

::: taking the knot ::: I think it should be a local unit option just like other issues about leaders. I don't think there are hordes of homosexuals waiting to take over the Boy Scouts. ::: passing the knot :::

That is a great sounding summer camp idea. Reminds me of my brother and two neighbors when were younger. We lived in the country, the neighbors owned a farm. When the boys were around 12/13 years old, they would camp in the cow pasture. Seems like one summer they spent about a week there, coming home every now and then to get more pork-n-beans and bologna, leaving once a mom said the word "bath". One boy was the designated cook. They swore he cooked grits and eggs in the same pan at the same time. They all experienced that feeling of waking up thinking something is staring at you, seeing BIG eyes......and then hearing "mooo".

I fully agree the boys need positive male role models. I think it DOES need to happen even in the Cub Scout level! Even though the boys aren't as aware of the differences then, it will have a lasting impression upon them. If you look back historically at Cub Scouting, the Den Mother role came about because dens met in the afternoons when the dads were away at work. Originally an older boy in Boy Scouts was in charge of the den, then the Den Mothers came into being. With most dens I know of meeting in the evenings and most mothers working, there is no need for it to be restricted to women. My son was in therapy a few years ago for some behavior problems. The male therapist threw up his hands and said " I can't get him to talk. Take him to a woman." We all think part of this was the few males he knew didn't communicate well with him about anything. In 4th grade he had his first male teachers. Really nice, personable guys. Yet, my son didn't push them like he did the female teachers. Why? We can't really figure it out. My son seems to respond best to "sensitive" talking with females but responds better about discipline around males. I think a lot of children, especially boys, are this way. It isn't that he was afraid of the men, just he acted differently. I want to see that men have different personalities and can also be "sensitive". We just finished up spring baseball. In our neigborhood the boys and girls play T-ball togther, then split up at 7 years old -- baseball for the boys and softball for the girls. On the 11-12 baseball teams there was a girl this year. She was pretty good. We all thought our boys have been raised to know that girls can do anything boys can do. WHOA! You should have seen these boys when this girl walked on the field. I guess some of those hormones hit early! They were goofing around on the field, accusing moms of cheering for her not their team, getting their feelings hurt when she made a good play. She stepped on some egos they didn't know they had! Our troop seems to have a good mixture of men and women adults. Also, a few couples who are both involved, which I think adds another set of role models. The boys see the men help the women yet treat us with respect. They see the women doing their share of work (physical and not physical). I would not want to be in a troop that has only female adults, same as I hope dads help with groups like Girl Scouts. Thanks for listening to my soap-box. Anyone know how to roast marshmallows over this virtual campfire we have?

The second link that Merlyn gives is to the actual document from the court. As NJ points out, what is on the news is not the whole document. It is very interesting to read what the details of what was really said by the court and the previous cases they looked at.

Rooster, Protestants take the communion differently than Catholics, as I'm sure you know. In Baptist and Methodist churches anyone can take communion. I believe also in Presbyterian. I was grown before I knew that Catholics had rules about it, such as actually understanding what it meant! As a child I heard the words being said but didn't really understand why we were drinking grape juice from little cups and eating little wafers (oyster crackers usually). A friend of mine was raised Catholic. She said at her father's funeral they priest offered communion to the family, since none had been to confession in years they refused it. Even though she is not a "practicing" Catholic she felt it wrong to do that. She is amazed at my childhood experiences with grape juice and oyster crackers.

Rooster, Thank you for your information. I think most people still would define communion as a "ritual", the difference being that you see it as a way of praising Jesus while at some think (or thought) it was a way to get God to like them. I take it that the word "ritual" to you indicates something done because of habit and without meaning.

Taken from a webpage "It may come as a surprise to many younger and even not so young persons that this was not always so, that the regular use of "In God We Trust" on US coins did not begin until 1908, "In God We Trust" was not made an official motto of the United States until 1956, and the motto did not appear on paper money until 1957. " The phrase "In God We Trust" was not made the offical motto until 1956. I point this out for anyone (including some of the political leaders) who are saying "the founding fathers are rolling over in their graves." That is taking things a wee bit too far, they never said the Pledge of Allegiance and choose the words of the Constitution with great care.

BubbaBear, If you sent me a private message I must have deleted it (if it was before today), or I have not gotten it yet (will when I get home). If I deleted it, sorry. I apologize for misunderstanding your point. In another thread you made a remark about moving on now that your son is Eagle. Based on your postings over the last few days, I would ask you to reconsider that and stay in scouting.

Rooster, Can you point me to the parts of the New Testament that say that the ritual laws are no longer valid? Also, how do we tell the ritual laws from the moral laws? For example the law of not wearing clothing made from two sources. That doesn't sound like a ritual to me. Sacrificing animals is a ritual and I know Jesus said that was not necessary.

BubbaBear, You seem to want to rule out all women having contact with boys over the age of 10 in Boy Scouting. Why? Because you have seen some women who didn't know how to act like adults? Sounds like they were irresponsible people, which is not just because they are female. Males are also guilty of that. I take offense to you grouping all women in with these few you encountered. Bad SM's and ASM's can be male or female. Good SM's and ASM's can be male or female. Hopefully each troop has a good mixture of adults based on their skills, talents, and abilities, with everyone doing what they are best at for the good of the troop.

OGE, Wow, I can't believe I'm disagreeing with you! Reading the Declaration of Independence and making a child say a "pledge" are 2 different things. You can read Declaration of Independence without believing in every word of it. To say the pledge should be meaningful and that you believe what it says, including that our country is "under God".

I knew I could find this somewhere: The link is http://www.usflag.org/the.pledge.of.allegiance.html It says: On September 8,1892, the Boston based "The Youth's Companion" magazine published a few words for students to repeat on Columbus Day that year. Written by Francis Bellamy,the circulation manager and native of Rome, New York, and reprinted on thousands of leaflets, was sent out to public schools across the country. On October 12, 1892, the quadricentennial of Columbus' arrival, more than 12 million children recited the Pledge of Allegiance, thus beginning a required school-day ritual. At the first National Flag Conference in Washington D.C., on June14, 1923, a change was made. For clarity, the words "the Flag of the United States" replaced "my flag". In the following years various other changes were suggested but were never formally adopted. It was not until 1942 that Congress officially recognized the Pledge of Allegiance. One year later, in June 1943, the Supreme Court ruled that school children could not be forced to recite it. In fact,today only half of our fifty states have laws that encourage the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance in the classroom! In June of 1954 an amendment was made to add the words "under God". Then-President Dwight D. Eisenhower said "In this way we are reaffirming the transcendence of reigious faith in America's heritage and future; in this way we shall constantly strengthen those spiritual weapons which forever will be our country's most powerful resource in peace and war." Notice, the Supreme Court ruled it unconstitutional 60 years ago. This is NOT something new and unique to the western states.

I think we must look at what was the intent of the framers of the constitution. In my recent readings (see my note above about the Annals of America), I have found out a lot about the discussions at the time our country was founded. Yes, most of the men were Christians. Some wanted the words "Christian" or "Christianity" added to official documents. Most realized this was dangerous because they knew there were Jews and Muslims. They also knew of the arguments over the definition of "Christian". Many of them wrote that religion would be much better served if government did NOT claim to be for it. That if what you believe is THE TRUTH it will win, no need to force others. If they refuse to believe that is their problem as long as they follow the other rules of our country. I will try to find links to some of the documents on line for those who may be interested in reading them.