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skeptic

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skeptic last won the day on November 7

skeptic had the most liked content!

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About skeptic

  • Rank
    Senior Member

Profile Information

  • Gender
    Not Telling
  • Location
    Southern California
  • Occupation
    Retired; Past substitute teacher. 25 years in retail management.
  • Interests
    Poetry, reading, Scouting history and memorabilia.
  • Biography
    Scout and Explorer: 1955-1962; Eagle<br /><br />
    Scouter: ASM 1966-67; Member at Large, NESA rep 1976; Unit Commissioner 1977; SM 1977-Present; RT staff off and on 1979-Present; Jamborees: Scout, 1960; ASM, 1985; Staff, 2010. Miscellaneous participation in training and so on since 1979; Woodbadge with 3 beads, including both old and new course material. <br /><br />
    Scouting Historian of Sorts; one of the larger accumulations of literature and related ephemera in So Cal focused on history and sociology of the program, as well as unusual connections such as comics and advertising. Mount 2-3 displays per year for council and/or district, and occasionally unit.<br /><br />
    OA; Ordeal 1959 at Camp Arataba summer camp; Brotherhood 1960 building Helendade (then Running Springs SR); Vigil 1987 VCC.<br /><br />
    SB; Youth Religious 1961, Adult 1980's; Miscellaneous "being around a long time awards".<br /><br />
    <br /><br />
    BA 1971 UCR; Teaching Credential 1975 CSULB.

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  1. In our area we are now trying to rally a new direction, but we are being shut down by a very unprofessional and in most of our views unqualified SE. Trouble is that we are having issues with finding anyone to whom we can go above council. We are trying to get a real gathering of COR's who CAN fire the man, but finding the contacts is difficult when the office claims they cannot share that info. Our current elect president seems to either not understand very well, or he is just a puppet, or it continues to seem. Meanwhile, our local concerned Scouters are trying to form our own program coop
  2. And of course, there is much of the issue in our society, liability based on a warped legal system that allows these suits, most settled due to the exorbitant cost of fighting the case. Add to that, illogical jurors who too often allow common sense to fly away when confronted with a sympathetic situation.
  3. I do not know if our council is representative, but finding info going back is a real challenge. Digging through old charter paperwork is where I found much of the info on our unit, but it is mostly in boxes and minimally sorted in storage. If a unit does not keep its own history, finding it is a major effort, and it will literally give someone a headache trying to read old forms that are carbonized and so on. Good luck.
  4. "quick pay"; how can one NOT understand that? In a way, that is reflective of too much of society, and of course it appears, those that opted for "the lottery" easy pick.
  5. They are thinking dollars and ignorance on the part of too many as to the decorum and respect our Flag is due. That is the sad world in which we live where too many do not understand, or maybe do not care, about such things. The Flag Code touches on this type of thing, though it is often not clear where we step over the blurred lines of respect and avarice or misguided display concepts. The constant use of our, in theory, respectful holidays related to the Flag to have "sales" is part and parcel of this. But, there are no barriers that can enforce the Code, only those that may remind other
  6. Locally, our Scouts participated in a number of Veterana' Day programs or recognitions. One of them was at our local county government center where Scouts acted as honor guards for Vets being recognized from each of the services, including Coast Guard. They even note the Space Force, though not sure that is ever going to be large in the short term. For our area, we actually have Vandenburg fairly close, ust up the coast. Anway, at the event we had one Gold Star family recognized, and we had two WWII Vets, one 98, and one 102. We have a photo of one of my own unit scouts shaking hand
  7. Rather than sell it, rework the concept so that it is open broadly to youth other than Scouts, but also keeps the Scouting connection. It very well could bridge the BSA with the larger society in a positive way, and also stop the financial drain. We need to "again" be an integral part of society, rather than some kind of paria or afterthought. But the focus needs to revert strongly to the actual youth, and ways to push the foundational concepts to the larger society. What made the BSA so successful in its peak acceptance? It was the image that these young people, not the adults, were livi
  8. I thought I had shared this, but it does not seem to be here. Some hopeful thoughts, though breath holding may be dangerous. https://blog.scoutingmagazine.org/2023/11/06/five-things-you-need-to-know-about-roger-krone-the-bsas-incoming-president-and-ceo/
  9. https://blog.scoutingmagazine.org/2023/11/06/five-things-you-need-to-know-about-roger-krone-the-bsas-incoming-president-and-ceo/
  10. Yet, the damage done by the media hype is still smearing BSA. Not sure it will ever be overcome in some parts of the public view. And sadly, the loudest voices against BSA are still pushing it. Vigilance and awareness will still not make it fail safe. It is just not possible.
  11. Actually, in a few instance, the tool allowed removing something embedded in wood or a hard surface. But generally just use if for my hidden wine, or maybe some good olive oil.🙃
  12. While we are well beyond "Follow Me Boys" today, and in this incident, IF there is a way to try to guide the youth, while restricting his Scouting interactions, that might be a good course. In our unit long ago we had two youth get into serious trouble with the police on the edge. As it happened both were in POR, one the SPL, the other his assistant. It was at an OA function and I got phone calls in the early morning. One parent had to go to the camp to take them home. I spent a number of hours on the phone with committee people and the council reps for clarity. The boys were removed fro
  13. https://blog.scoutingmagazine.org/2023/10/18/getting-to-know-glen-pounder-the-bsas-youth-protection-executive/ This is a step away from the accusatory material too often showing up, IMHO. Most importantly, Mr. Pounder, while noting huge mistakes and the need for the BSA committee, which he addresses, but he also notes the failures of the larger protection communities in the past. Take a look and please note that I am not saying what occurred in the past is okay, only that our approaches today are in need of breadth across society. And this seems a step in that direction, especially the
  14. I like that phrase "Be Prepared". Seems I have seen it before.😉
  15. He has made it very clear and blasted this opinion every chance he has gotten. And likely others have agreed, but we simply do not see them. Not a good example, as he has been censured if I recollect. Still, it is just an opinion.
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