skeptic

I might add that our troop, being over 100 years old, has accumulated a great many older uniform parts, and we often have youth with variants of two or three, as our closet is the starting point. Most end up with a new one, but a few continue on with just what they can find to fit in the closet. Also, we have a large box of hats and service caps that get used for more formal events at times. When camp was still our thing, the hats went to camp, and flags in evening, and morning had them all wearing the hats or caps. I limited smokey hats to older scouts and adults. Even have one or two of the old green explorer caps. While we have some berets, I avoided them, as we did not have enough to go around.

Interesting discussion, and it remeinded me of how my older youth stood up for Uniform at camp one year. We had problems with some scouts getting to classes late after morning flags, so the next year, I told them that morning flags could be attended without full uniform if they had some class issues especially in time frames. I thought they would find that agreeable. But my senior scoues informed me that they would go to morning flags in proper uniform and deal with other issues later. So then, I had to scramble to personally be prepared to also be in uniform, then return later for more comfortable and flexible dress in the heat and dust. And that was the rule for the rest of the camp, and for a number later. Sadly now we have no camp, and we struggle to find options while I too have age related issues and am limited. Still, we do try to assure that the youth are neat and proper for formal appearances.

They would never ask if you bought something for someone not there. I remember when I got my black bull for the red jacket I was told the tail went over the shoulder only if you climbed the Tooth. Not an issue for me, but today, if I had not done it long ago, I would not even be allowed to do the climb. They have cracked down on older or out of shape hikers just taking off while in a training class or just passing through, or at least so I am told. I climbed the Toot on my day off from a training class in the seventies, but since did it both as part of a trek and also just for fun on another training visit. That first trek, we spent half a day working on the Tooth helping a new alignment of the trail. Hot and dusty and still had to hike into Base.

Definitely back in the day.

You can only do what you can do; by that I mean offer the options and tools and then let them use them. Eagle is, and should NOT be the goal, but rather self sufficiency and good citizenship. Having pride in themselves, whether or not the Rank is achieved. We can never win them all, but if we give up, we will lose them all. My frustrations are greater now due to my age. I can no longer just do some things and get others to join. Other than simple drive in camping, and preferably a good cot, my body rebels. And while the troop refuses to take me off officially, I am mostly a symbol or something; and I Am Able to do conferences and teach many skills still, though much more slowly. My greater frustration comes from the poor support from our council and the seeming impediments they put in place under the guise of avoiding "issues". Just CYA. And I have been labeled silently as someone to put off and ignore or keep from others, as I might infect them somehow with expectations of doing scouting in its truer sense. Yet, I will not drop out completely and hope to find a way to encourage other younger leaders to keep the good fight up and stay the course. And when obvious wins show up, it moves us forward, and it plants that seed in the youth, if we are lucky.

As noted already, it's not really new. Even in the early years, I am sure that the level of attainment varied widely from unit to unit. Our small unit struggles with the amazing loss of skill regularly with our own youth. Last week, the primary adult suggested they may want to consider a complete review of pioneering stuff. When I was still actively working with COR events, generally the compass area, I was frustrated how many patrols had no clue how to even use the compass, much less orient it with a map and so on. I had a couple of senior youth that walked about 30 percent of the patrols through the courses each year. I was always glad to see the two or three expert backpacking goups come through, as I never had to help them much. We rand a pioneering event that had them lashing the traditional travois, but then taking it apart to create a flagpolt to hoist their flag on, though a few had to borrow a cloth for that. Again, some did well, but most had little idea about raising a flagpole and the attaching guys. Round lashings were a mystery to most.

Can never remind too often. Aaron on Scouting on YP https://blog.scoutingmagazine.org/2025/04/14/when-it-comes-to-child-protection-we-are-all-mandatory-reporters/

Aware and taking precautions. "Be Prepared".

Simply a fabulous video about a major donation to the Museum. https://www.facebook.com/nationalscoutingmuseumbsa I likely will not have the pleasure of seeing it now, as travel is difficult, but I was fortunate to see part of this at least at the 2010 Jamboree.

Not sure I understand your question. No, I was or am not at the current international event. I have in the past attended three Nationals, and I observed many attendees either not getting the heat and humidity challenge or simply ignoring it for some reason. In my active adult life, I have encountered many extreme temperature and weather situations to which I needed to pay attention. Point is that heat and cold are major factors, but they include the levels of humidity as well which often are overlooked. Precaution is always the main consideration, and most of the time, those precautions are warranted. It they do not come into play, then nothing lost.

I first learned about humidity at Lackland AFB in 1965. I arrived in San Antonio at 7ish PM in the first week of June, coming from So Cal, 29 Palms. It had been over 100 every day the week before I left, but there humidy often was single digits. I got off the plan at the airport; it was in the high 80's, much lower than when I left home, by the thermometer. But I sort of just become a puddle of water right there on the tarmac. I had worked in an open pit salt mine in the Mojave just prior to that time, and I was used to hot, really hot; but as noted single digit humidity most of the time. We did have the occasional clothing clinging thunder storms on occasion; it smelled good, but everything just clung for hours after the storm moved out. Pay attention and do what has proven to help.

One of our long time adult staffers who was in charge of first aid and medical stuff for campers would get up in front of the group every morning at flags and say "drink water; don't puke!' While we were at a bit over 5000 feet, summer was very dry, as it was on the edge of the desert off the 5 between Bakersfield and L.A. I am a bit surprised that when the known weather is known, why the do not automatically furnish neck cooling rolls or similar devices. Also, making the youth, and some adults keep hats on is also a given. Today, we do have options not known at one time, wicking long sleeve shirts for example. A.P. Hill was hell due to humidity, and I guess the The Summit has that challenge too.

As long as it seems important to some to "pick sides" there will be issues. A bit of irony with how when BSA stood against the changing societal issues they got clobbered, losing sponsors and being sued. When they knuckled under, it just reversed itself and caused even more problems. Nobody wins with the refusal to simply find the middle ground and work within it.

Have no words: https://www.aol.com/news/pete-hegseth-senior-adviser-pushing-150435751.html Pete Hegseth senior adviser is pushing for Pentagon to cut ties with Scouting America Courtney Bruce Kubec

As in the beginning of this thread and its variants, nobody wins. The suffering and trauma never goes away, even with money settlements. Sadly, it almost seems as if the larger part of the iceberg had to show after the Catholic and BSA tragedies. The fact the issue is not limited to youth organizations or churches or whatever is finally being acknowledged. What is frightening is that the depth and expanse of this problem is still only beginning to be admitted. We live in and have lived in a society with seriously sordid and harmful personalities and problems that have been swept wherever or simply denied for decades. Sadly, it is likely no matter what the responses are or will be, the problem is tied to the human animal and its worst inclinations.

I tried to not say more, but the bill makes an effort to stop the lawyers from milking things. That is important, as it makes the whole process far more difficult for all concerned. The emotional insults were expected though, as ruined lives will always have pain, though putting that pain on others with no logic is sad, thus the sad emoticon. As far as my personal pain from a long life, it is nobody's business and I choose not to blame those not involved directly, nor to expand my scarring onto others if I can avoid it.

This just hit the net. Too little too late, but a step in the right direction IMO. https://www.aol.com/emotional-vote-bill-limiting-claims-093139185.html

The last few years of our scout camp operation, the camp is now gone, they had developed a flag retirement as part of the campfire program. When it came time for Taps, they had a real bugler, though his back up was a trumpet or coronet; but the interesting part was the response from afar on a trombone, repeating the notes like an echo. It always moved me. We lost our troop bugler to age out, and right now none of the few scouts care to learn. But our official bugle is almost a hundred years old, and we also have number of others that are newer. The hardest thing as I understand with the bugle is that most of the work is done with the mouth, though it appears there is a small slide of some sort on the instrument. We also have locally the what seems now requisite playing of taps with the bagpipes.

https://blog.scoutingmagazine.org/2025/04/01/breaking-scouting-musical-to-premiere-at-jamboree-2026-then-move-to-the-sphere-in-las-vegas/

That is actually the best response and I apologize for bringing it in. Separating frustration from places it should be left from.

I find myself wondering if we might no longer automatically call the POTUS the Honoary president/ Honorary suggests the root word, or so I thought. Just saying, and just my own observation.

Who knows; it may relate to the person involved and his idiosyncrasies. Many Scouters had harsh words for him during his last administration, especially after the Jambo. We will see.

While I agree it should have been no huge issue with proper prep and back up. But I also know that today, common activities we did with little thought are now preexamined for ANY type of legal problems. And, knowing it might get really cold could be one of those. When we still had our camp, and we did Winter camp, prep was stressed, but we also had a fireplace in the dining hall and one of our out buildings and the dining hall was kept with a fire. So contingent plans were in place, which were sensible and available. Today we are in constant CYA mode which does considerable harm to simply learning to cope. I have no solution for over reactions and fear of problems, as too many people refuse to take responsibility for anything that comes up, even if the situation had a way to deal with stuff. Johnny or Susie came home with a cold and had a miserable time, so here is our medical bill. And they will no longer participate. It is sad, and dealing with it is frustrating, but each one that somehow survives such awful experience will mostly smile later and wonder why they did not do more. We had annual flashlight wars after dark at the winter camps, and some units went to separate campsites and did their own program, but joined with the larger group as well.

It has been a while back now, but I, along with most of the leaders in camp years ago, when the North Korean leader was much younger and just becoming a fixture in TV news, my scouts did a skit for campfire that spoofed him and brought down the house. At the time, we had a relatively new member, I think he was 12 or 13 at best, an immigrant from South Korea. The youth made him up with pillows and such to be Kim, and then proceeded to do one of the best satirical skits I have ever seen. Won is now in the Navy, having gone to Annapolis after graduating number one in his HS class, and also becoming an Eagle. He stayed with us through HS and until recently I heard from him regularly and we visited if he came home. His life has gotten complicated and too full I fear, but still hope to have him call and we can catch up. Point is that the youth completely caught me off guard, as well as most other adults. I suspect their skit may have been a victim of our modern society today, if the adults actually paid attention to its theme when submitted for approval.

Finding dependable news sources is itself hard. Newspapers are almost gone, and any real journalism in most is lacking. Once in a while something good is in a column or editorial or political cartoon. The time when it took me half the day on Sunday to make it through the paper is long gone. Online often has pay walls, so getting access to some good discussion is harder, as I refuse to pay them, though on occasion I might if it seems important enough. Few of those come along though. I used to get the Sunday L.A. Times, but it got so bad that I stopped it. Our local paper on a good Sunday takes maybe a half hour, including the comics, and only a few good local pieces show up. There are a few descent online mags, and once in a while I find something in them, though often have the paywall thing again. And we all know how great the various TV "news" outlets are. And now it is harder to verify things, as the fact-checking is suspect as well much of the time. Thanks for views shared; they helped a bit.