Snake Eater

The OT says that men who have sexual relations with one another should be put to death. To say that the bible does anything less than condemn homosexuality is ignorance at least and deceit at worst. The Quran has little to say about homosexuality but in the Hadith Mohamed says that you should kill the one that does it and the one it is done to. It is difficult for me to understand how one can interpret this as anything but a condemnation of homosexuality. So much for "interpreting the Bible in ways that are favorable to their views". I don't have any statistics on it but I would suppose that easily better than 90% of scouts are Christian, Jewish, or Islamic. So we should change a policy to allow people that the three major sects consider immoral to please the tiny minority of sects that say its OK? Give me a break. What you are really saying in your post Prairie is that you wish that the BSA could be divorced from religion so that homosexuals could paricipate. Let's ask ourselves why homosexuals want to have access to other people's children.

And if we find a witch while backpacking....?

I've heard and experienced different versions of this story time and again over the years. The closer you are to a city the more likely it is that only a scout would be able to start a fire properly. Out in the country you are more likely to find that most boys can start a fire - scout or not.

I agree with Cutter - the Victronox Tinkerer is a fine all around knife. I used to carry one in the army and attached it to a belt loop with parachute cord so that I wouldn't lose it. We did this with much of our equipment. They were called dummy cords. I get my scouts to get into the same habit. Belt mounted knife carriers are fine except when you have a pack on your back, then they are just in the way. I've always carried pocket knives ... in my pocket, except for my leatherman. We try to steer our cub scouts toward lock blade knives but every single one of them wants a swiss army type knife because it has so many gadgets. I say give them the knife they want (within reason) and teach them to use it properly.

Hunt said: "I would draw the line at fangs, at least until the Scout has earned his Tot'n Chip." ROTFL! I spewed milk and cookies on my monitor and I'm still chuckling 10 minutes later. johndaigler said: "Why would you have a different rule for BOR than for every other aspect of your Program??" Why would you wear a coat and tie to a job interview when that is not the daily uniform if you get the job? Answer: Because you want to make a good impression. This is valuable lesson for life - you will have to make concessions to people who have the ability to grant you something. This young man won't have the luxury of walking out on an employer if he doesn't like the dress code when he has a wife and kids. I wouldn't have done what the bor member did but I wouldn't have begged the kid to come back either. They were both wrong. FWIW, the rule for the girls in my house is no makeup or piercings until they are 16. The rule for our boy is don't put anything in your body that you don't want me to yank out suddenly on first sight.

There are some great stories about heroes in "The Book of Virtues". My cubs particularly liked the story of Ulyses and the Cyclops when I told it.

busylady, Bravo! I was going to post something similar to your message in response to PrarieScouter but I think you've said it well. I'll just say this... my religious beliefs and my opinions on homosexuality are inseperable. I don't know about other religions and denominations but my own church's doctrine is that morality without godliness is worthless.

I think that the training you are looking for is Range Safety Officer but you'd better confirm that. The web site www.nrahq.org is where you find information on training. If RSO is the course you are looking for then there isn't much to choose from in PA. Here are your best bets from my search... Range Safety Officer * Marriottsville - Saturday, August 13, 2005, Associated Gun Clubs of Baltimore, Inc., $125 Carl M. & Roxanne Byczkowski, 410-875-0664. , sureshottraining@aol.com Class types: Range Safety Officer * Marriottsville - Saturday, August 13, 2005, Associated Gun Clubs of Baltimore, Inc., $125 Carl M. & Roxanne Byczkowski, 410-875-0664. , sureshottraining@aol.com Class types: Range Safety Officer * Takoma Park, - Wednesday, April 13, 2005, 6839 Eastern Avenue, $250 Ricardo A. Royal, 202 529-4724. , Class types: Range Safety Officer

From the back of the circle a scouter clears his throat and says, "Excuse me." Snake Eater steps into the space made for him in the circle. Lifting the pot of coffee in his hand he adds, "Anybody want a cup?" =========== I've only been on the board a couple of weeks but, except for some posts to and from Merlyn and a comment about rednecks, the conversations that I've watched have been fairly civil. Two posters on the opposing (relative to the current BSA policy) side of the gay member issue have been patient and respectful of many people who disagree with them strongly. They are tjhammer and prarie_scouter. On the pro side of the issue it may sound harsh to say that if someone does not meet the requirements then they cannot join or should leave but sometimes the truth can be harsh.

Prarie_Scouter said, "If BSA is out of step in a large way with what is going on in other Boy Scout organizations around the world, that should at least cause us to pause and wonder if BSA is right." You are getting close to the "everybody else is doing it" argument that I tried to use as a kid. It is better to have a set of moral principles based on the guidance of God and sift whatever comes along thru that screen.

In the military I've slept tentless on the ground during a rain storm on the jungle floor wrapped in a poncho with my uniform and equipment still on. I was warm and only a little wet and slept like a baby. On the other hand I spent miserable nights on the top of bare mountains in Turkey and longed for a warmer bag. Hot good - cold bad. The military issue bags served me well but tend to be heavy and bulky. Having grown up in the South without air conditioning I can handle heat just fine. It's difficult to sleep while you shiver. Most of the boys went out and got poncho liners after they saw mine so I think they'll do fine in warm weather lieing in an unzipped bag with the liner as a blanket. Thanks for the advice. I'm putting your advice together with advice from local scouts to pass on to the parents.

"I find it extraordinarly immoral to prejudge a 15 year old gay Scout as "incapable of being the best kind of citizen", and reinforce in his mind that he is unworthy of your association." tjhammer, Now who said that? No one here. What we have said repeatedly is that we don't want our own sons influenced by homosexuals because we consider their behavior immoral. Therefore, we support the exclusion policy of the BSA. It is as simple as that. I have compassion for homosexuals. From my perspective theirs is a difficult and sad existence.

I made my recommendation thinking that it's easy to sleep on top of a cold weather bag with a light blanket thrown over in warm weather. But it is difficult to keep from being miserable when it is cold and you don't have the right gear. Am I wrong? I'm not an inexperienced camper but most of my camping has been a bit different than the type that scouts do (military, fishing camp, rock climbing) The troop that the boys will most likely join does most of their backpacking when it is cold but they camp all year.

Hunt, I misunderstood your meaning - we agree completely on what is meant my principle and decisions based on them. I am neither blind nor self deluded. Attitudes toward homosexuality have changed, even here in the bible belt. I think that it is because more people today know and like someone who is homosexual. My own attitudes have changed. As I alluded in an earlier post, I know several people who are homosexual and I treat them with the same respect as anyone else, I just don't think they are a good role model for my children. There are people who do other things that I consider immoral and I don't let my children hang around with them either. Scouting has the a policy that is similar to the policy of our church... anyone can come in and join us but to take a leadership position you have to meet certain standards of morality.

Please don't take offense but why not consider exploring religion to be sure that there is nothing to it? I invite you to visit a few churches close to home with an open mind. What if you are wrong and there really is a God? According to my beliefs, a lot depends on your decision. If you are not willing or still don't find a reason to believe then regrettably the right thing to do is to drop out. I truly hope that it doesn't come to that.