shortridge

What's a mink in this context?

C'mon, that Germans story sounds like a thread of its own. Can't leave us hanging' like that! Lol

This may not be helpful, but my advice would be to focus less on meetings and more on outings. Meetings should be viewed as a tool to prepare for outings. Junk all the other hoopla and anything that involves sitting in folding metal chairs.

You can take it as far up the ladder as you want, but your boys can only take it four feet up. Sorry, couldn't resist.

Consider that there may be nothing wrong with your methods. There's always the possibility that the boys just aren't as into being Catholic as the adults in your unit are ... or perhaps just at least not in front of their friends. To edit an old quote, you can lead a boy to Mass, but you can't make him take Communion. Young peoples' relationship with faith is a contentious one, especially at the age of most Boy Scouts. Perhaps they're questioning or seeking other faith traditions. Maybe they dislike some aspect of the ritual or practices. It's entirely possible, even, that they're simply not comfortable with the counselors - or with discussing their own faith with complete strangers. (Have you considered asking your church's priest to be the counselor, someone they know and trust?) Until you ask your particular Scouts why they're not following through, you're not going to get any really useful information.(This message has been edited by shortridge)(This message has been edited by shortridge)

If you need a job desperately, don't wait on the BSA. Find a job doing sales or marketing or volunteer management, and then come back and apply in a few more years if you're still inclined, with some experience under your belt. Those jobs are far more easier to get than a DE's slot with a council - and less politics, too.

Is my understanding correct that the parent did not object until after it was over and time to lend a hand to cleanup?? That's not standing on principle, just slacking off.

I'm a bit confused by Big Bird's comments. Were there ever once age requirements to become an Eagle, or earn any rank? I'm not finding mention of any. I'm also intrigued by his story about JFK intervening and having encountered the same situation. JFK was never an Eagle, and at that time (late 1920s, early 1930s), it appears that Star and Life were optional; the only time requirements were one month as Tenderfoot, two months as Second Class and one year as First Class - so someone could have jumped to Eagle in as little as 15 months. Can anyone with more knowledge of Scouting history than I offer some clarification?

Well, no, you asked for how BSA did it. Ultimately, it doesn't matter what we say. The squads will rise and fall based on the desires of the girls. So try asking them!

Don't copy us. Figure out what your girls want, and go with it. If AHG has no rules, you have a lot of freedom. And realistically, there are so many differing practices on this on the BSA that you'd get 10 different answers from 10 different people.

I recently switched jobs, and only in the last few weeks have I realized just how close I was to burnout at my old one. There's stress, sure, but nowhere near what I previously felt. You need protective bubbles around certain areas of your life, or at least I did. Anything can encroach on your time if you let it. I have that in spades in my new job. No more weekends, no long hours in the evening at home, bosses are understanding, low pressure, time to think. I believe all of those things can be applied to Scouting as well. It can't consume you, and you have to establish protective barriers. Some open time has to be inviolable, untouchably for you and no one else.

The problem is not so much trailers. They're a symptom. The disease is car camping. If you pull up and plop out, whether using a trailer, pickup truck or multiple minivans, you aren't thinking nimble and light. If you start by picking campsites that you have to walk in to, maybe a mile or two to start, your Scouts will begin selecting their necessities better, both patrol and personal. When there's an adult waiting to haul it all away, then very few decisions actually have it be made - all the stuff is just there.

Oh, on the water bottle/canteen issue - Unless you really like the Nalgene style or are a Camelback devotee, don't bother spending money on anything. Just wash out a few Gatorade bottles and use them. No turning around if you leave them behind on a Sunday, and the replacement cost is much better. For mess kits, consider a cheap plastic WalMart bowl and a spoon or spork, unless you're doing a lot of individual campfire cooking and really need the small metal frying pan in an "official" mess kit.

If you can, drive some extra miles to a real outdoor shop to try on packs before ordering them online. Bring gear or weights that approximate your pack weight. There's no substitute to actually trying one on.

Setup always seems to take more time than teardown. On Friday night, you have to pick your campsite, place your tents, figure out where your cooking/campfire, eating and latrine areas will go, set up the tents, unpack any other gear, get dinner going, etc. On Sunday morning, you can do a light breakfast, you should have most personal gear packed up the night before except for your sleeping system and clothes, you're putting stuff in bags instead of taking them out and figuring where to put them, and most tents are generally faster to collapse and roll up than unroll, fasten, tie down, bungee together, stake out, etc.

Beavah, Forgive me, but your quaint language and philosophical meanderings have left me mildly confused. Please contrast these two statements: In terms of da BSA policy, as a practical matter the organization is set up as a (somewhat bizarrely insular) representative democracy. Just like da U.S., policy is goin' to be set by the majority of the members. and Da BSA is a membership corporation. The governance is that shareholders (well, members...) get a vote. Just like General Motors, eh? Investors get a vote, not consumers. As a purchaser of GM automobiles, yeh don't get a vote on GM's policies. Same with scouting, eh? The people who put their organizations on the line to run scouting programs get a vote. So if yeh want a vote, yeh have to pony up and be a Chartered Org. How are we both a representative democracy and a membership corporation, simultaneously? We can't be both. Additionally, we all hold cards that declare us members of the Boy Scouts of America. We pay dues and register. If we're a membership corporation, shouldn't that give us some say-so? I'm also wondering about this: It was that way in the U.S. for a while, eh? Only landowners got a vote. People who paid taxes and were invested in an area. Those requirements were abolished over the centuries as part of a move to a more enlightened form of representative government. Can you explain to my simple mind why the BSA using an antebellum system of governance in which no one is accountable to the broad membership?

The pros like the idea because it's an organized group to tap for money. Not saying that's a bad thing, but just very likely thei motivation. In the context of your council, what could 75-100 people actually do? Realistically, how often could they get together? Would the group as a group be able to make a practical difference? Who are the prospective members? Are they mostly semi-retireds looking to get back in the game but lacking a current position - in which case this might help them - or are they already active unit- and district-serving Scouters for whom this is just going to be one more drag on their time? Answering those questions specific to your council will help you figure out if it's a good idea more than looking to other councils. Look at the people first, group second.

No one forced you to do anything, Basement.

Bobcat, Wolf, Bear, Webelos, Den Chief, Cub Resident Camp staff member

I'm just presenting the information. I don't pretend to knowledgeably interpret it.

Or do a no-cook weekend and ditch the stoves and pots entirely ...

It's in the CS Leader Book, actually: Th are some of the things that can make activities inap- propriate and unacceptable: Name-calling, put-downs, or hazing References to undergarments, nudity, or bodily functions Cross-gender impersonation that is in any way derogatory, rude, insulting, or lewd. (This is not to suggest that boys cannot dress for and play female roles when needed in a skit or play, as long as good taste prevails.) Derogatory references to or stereotyping of ethnic or cul- tural backgrounds, economic situations, or disabilities Sensitive social issues such as alcohol, drugs, gangs, guns, suicide, etc. Wasteful, ill-mannered, or improper use of food or water http://www.scouting.org/filestore/hispanic/english/33221_WEB.pdf

Well, this is good news for once! http://blog.scoutingmagazine.org/2012/05/04/a-blast-from-the-past-in-code/

Well, that's the rub, Beavah. This isn't about changing "our group." BSA is not a democracy. None of us have a vote, except the extreme and final decision of voting with our feet. It is at best a republic, but not one in the U.S. usage of the term. The "representatives" are self-selected officeholders associated with powerful institutions. There is no election and no way to directly hold them accountable. In the U.S., if I disagree with my representative on any level, I can run for that seat. If I disagree strongly enough with what my local jurisdiction has done, I can move to an area where I will be a better fit. Not so with the structure of the BSA. It does not represent me. I was never given a choice about this issue. I do not have a voice that matters to the power-holders on this issue. If I want to remain a "citizen" of this Scouting nation and be true to my beliefs, I have to stay and be silenced. I cannot move to another local jurisdiction whose policy matches my moral code. I can use my right of speech to raise some heck, but I have no real power. So you see, this is no democracy. It is a self-perpetuating oligarchy that espouses grand principles but fails to live up to them.(This message has been edited by Shortridge)

So according to Chris and Beavah, it boils down to this: 1. SINNERS!!!! Gays who say they are bad and won't love again are repentant and unavowed, and are this OK, while people who want to love as their hearts tell them are not OK. 2. Might is right. Because the people who believe No. 1, above, have the most votes, that means their position is correct, and everyone else has to take it or leave it, even though Scouts are Reverent toward God, faithful in their religious duties and respectful of the beliefs of others. Except beliefs that say discrimination is a sin, I suppose.