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skeptic

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skeptic last won the day on March 4 2020

skeptic had the most liked content!

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About skeptic

  • Rank
    Senior Member

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  • 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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1905 profile views
  1. skeptic
    Sorry, but the article is misleading, and injects a great deal of suggestion of "possible" things that are drawn from the book On My Honor that was published decades ago now. Also, it tries to suggest that this was a widely occurring thing throughout the program, when numerous investigations have show it was not, and also overlooks admission of error and poor judgement by BSA to start with and efforts to counsel victims that have been discovered. We also have the huge change in the YP training since this all actually occurred, none of which is noted. We come back to the same issue, over and
  2. skeptic
    So, just for a comparison, here is a link to a discussion of the McMartin fiasco. A lot of issues to review, many which may shed some light here. http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/mcmartin/mcmartinaccount.html Most importantly, note the residual effects of ruined lives and very possibly emotionally traumatize children AND adults.
  3. skeptic started following Is the BSA trying to "put itself to sleep"?, Exposing Boy Scouts Sex Abuse Turned Into Battle of Press Freedom Against Powerful Interests The film “Church and the Fourth Estate” tells the story of how the Boy Scouts tried to cover up a massive scandal of child sexual abuse., BSA requirements and 2 others
  4. skeptic
    This, in my opinion, is one of the worst examples of what once was called the "yellow press". It uses only hypersensitive statements and leaves out most of the real efforts clear back to the 20's to stop these people. Remember that was before our super-sensitive society was open to massive misleading or partially documented public sensationalism. And this article leaves out , as noted much of the complete story, instead reaching for the Mormon Church as an added target so as to make it more highly attention getting. I wonder if we should turn the clock back to the Tea Pot scandals, or mayb
  5. skeptic
    So, basically, the lawyers are running up bills and trying to eat each other, so to speak while those of us that actually care are left in the wind without any real idea how to procede, other than to keep the local units running? Am I about right? As I have stated before; this would not likely be happening almost anywhere else in the world, as our legal/tort system is really messed up and cares only for the money involved. Just my old, and tired opininon of course. .
  6. skeptic
    If you think seriously about it, this is long overdue. Not only saved money and resources, but you can find the section you need and print it and not have to buy a book seldom used for other than on occasion.
  7. skeptic
    In our local paper this morning was an article about changes in the LDS handbook. Much of what is noted in the article seems to follow some of the thinking involved in this discussion. I find it a bit ironic that they leave BSA and then appear to be doing similar things in their review of disciplines.
  8. skeptic
    There is a certain amount of irony in BP's tendency away from militarism in Scouting. Of course, even at its inception, the take of on his Scouting book for the military was purposely changed to be more focused on service and peaceful patriotism. In that era fo course, it was a difficult line to walk, and the two world wars reflected on this. Still, there are indications that many who served in the military in those darkest days remembered the undergirding Scout tenants, and some stories suggest that at times the international Scout sign meant something to combatants on both sides. How acc
  9. skeptic
    One possible avenue of MB counselor qualification might take off on what was common when I was a scout. Most teachers were automatically considered to be qualified counselors, if they chose to do it. Some really were not at the level needed, but they community mostly viewed them as "trustworthy and honest", so that was fine. There were many very qualified counselors that spent in depth time working with scouts, and those were likely some of the incidences that bring the stories of life work and so on. The insane liability issues has been discussed ad infinitum, and unless the tort system i
  10. skeptic
    Odd that this quote from a comment on the Texas HS football player that took an official down with a blindside because he was kicked out, seem to fit this too . "You can't condemn the the entire team for the actions of 1person."
  11. skeptic
    The most important people to effect change actually are the COR's, but only if they actually do their jobs. There have been incidences in some councils where a group of COR's rose up and got support of the majority and threw out an executive, or executives. Unfortunately, most exec do not appear to want the COR's to understand their power. Like I noted above, often the EB is put into closed session which normally is then not open to the full board which includes all the COR's. However, those not allowed can still execute a coup of sorts with the right efforts by the right people. Does not
  12. skeptic
    I have only served in three councils, and time in TAC was not really more than on base troop level, and it was limited. A transfer took me away, and did not return until 1976. Since GWC?WLC and VCC. The biggest issue with local volunteers and professionals is disconnect in many cases, or poor communication. There is no consistent method of getting basic info out anymore, especially now. But the council web site is pretty much useless as there is not consistent updating. Calendars are not dependable, and staff now consists of two pro's, and two or three office people. Our district is cove
  13. skeptic
    IF that is the case, we may want to consider pushing that a bit more. I do know the STEM merit badges at summer camp are fairly popular. Other than the nature related ones that are also Eagle, the most popular one is Space Exploration. They also have photography regularly and have done Electronics. But I wonder how we might integrate the idea of Stem Scouting into the program successfully, as I have not seen it come out of the introductory stage. Maybe it just needs to be incorporated into the regular options, rather than being separated?
  14. skeptic
    For some reason I find myself thinking that one of the reasons we are in our current position is that our legal system has allowed the sixties to be dragged to the current era. That may say more than some are willing to admit?
  15. skeptic
    While I was received with open arms as an ASM in an on base troop in Germany in 1966, I lost my involvement due to transfer to remote station and then return to college after going home and getting out. It was also the middle of the negative "uniform" response already noted in this piece, and the world was chaotic and the hope of the Kennedy challenge was lost due to his and the other prominent leader assassinations. I attempted to become reinvolved in 1975 in Orange County, CA but the office ignored me. In 1976, I tried again in the old GWC and was grabbed, along with my ex after att
  16. skeptic
    That would be great. Thank you.
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