SSScout

Back before the all available,cheap plastic woven tarp, my Scout Troop made their own tarp tents out of 6 mil poly plastic , some really heavy tape (heavier than today's duct tape) that a government dad obtained from his job, and a grommet setting tool. 12' square, grommets every three feet, one grommet set off center in a reinforced diagonal spot, they took them to Philmont . Called the "Exploreer" tent in Boy's Life, I used them for many years backpacking. Seperate plastic/shower curtain ground cloth. Might last a couple seasons if you were an active camper. When the plastic got holed or ripped, you used it for a ground cloth. Made a new one in Mr. Coombs basement. I have demo-ed a tarp tent to our present boys, but no one has taken up the idea. They seem to like the insectless guarantee of the screened in tents. But still, take a 15 by 10 foot tarp, stake one short side down for 5 feet as the bottom, curve it up over yourself, and make an open sided shelter. Four sticks, eight tent pegs, some cordage, enough room for you and your pack.

Look at the title of the thread: Is there, then LAWFUL Harassment?

OOOps.(This message has been edited by SSScout)

Search the site for pages about Districts, you will find that (1) They are a creation of the Council and (2) the member units and Scouters of a District make it what it is. Often, if a District is really successful, as marked by lots of camporees and such, the Council may either try to copy the work or (shudder) split the District to let smalller, more "intimate" Districts share the success. Our home units have have been in no fewer than 5 assigned , named Districts in the last ten years. Didn't change the activities much, just made us Scouters drink more coffee with different people. Award dinners: I like the idea of a real, Scout dinner. BBQ, Dutch ovens, let a Scout Troop cater it for fund raising. Our District(s) have always had "special" awards. "Sparkplug" = for the unit Scouter who makes things run smooth.Name, etc. burned into a wood plaque, old sparkplug glued to it. Shellac/polyeurathane. "Bowline" = for the unit Scouter who helps keep things together. Name burned into a wood plaque, etc. Note the use of the "unit" Scouter. The District still gives out DAMs. The specials are for the rest of the folks that "help make the Pack go". Embarass the heck out of them. Make sure the spouse "drags" them to the event.

The importance of Human Rights Day - celebrated annually across the world on December 10. The date was chosen to honor the United Nations adoption, on December 10, 1948, of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. http://www.ohchr.org/EN/ABOUTUS/Pages/HumanRightsDay.aspx http://daccess-dds-ny.un.org/doc/RESOLUTION/GEN/NR0/043/88/IMG/NR004388.pdf?OpenElement The Continental Congress was "only a debating society" back in 1776. And see what they accomplished.

In the independant spirit of that DIY leader Red Green, I present the Duck Tape Snow Shoe: http://www.instructables.com/id/Gorilla-TapeGorilla-Glue-Snowshoes-from-Scratch/ Or, if you have some landscaping to do, build a back hoe:

Anyone seen the movie "Lincoln"? I especially liked watching the House debates over the proposed amendment. Thaddeus Stevens, now there's a Scoutmaster for you !

Read the label. The originals were 100% wool, thick. The new ones are a blend. And (supposedly) moth-proofed. Made to be neater. longer, but , as has been said, thinner, not as insulative.

Ditto the above. Registered, cerified mail. Document your efforts. ""Even though our COR has made several requests even going up the chain to the 2nd in charge at Council, the DE has refused to meet with our COR."" Refused?? As in "No, I will not meet with you"???? At this point, I would call to meet with the Council Scout Executive. If he should refuse to meet with you (why would he do that??), the next step is to call Irving and ask to speak with the Scout Regional Director for your area. Be persistant. They do not want to lose your charter.

Scout "Districts" exist for two reasons: ONE: The Council needs smaller organizational junks to help keep track of the numbers. DEs are the paid folk that head up these mini fiefdoms. They get paid for their numerical reckonning of these areas. Bigger Districts, bigger numbers, ultimately bigger pay. Younger DE's get the smaller and more run down neighborhoods (read "Districts"), then get promoted (sometimes despite their desires) to other Districts. TWO: The volunteers need "neighborhoods" so they can have opportunities to cooperate and work on things that no one unit or person could accomplish ( bigger camping activities like camporees, Merit Badge Days, just meeting folks of like Scoutmind, getting a further approval for Eagle projects, etc.) Sometimes the two don't mesh. When I started in Scouting as an adult, I worried about my unit and my son's activities in it. As I got to know the "territory", I discovered the DISTRICT. Cool, a DE to talk to about problems, Webelos Weekends, Camporees, other Scouters. But DE got promoted. Three times, our DE was promoted, or resigned. Then, it started. We have not physically moved, or our units moved or otherwise changed, but in the last ten years, I have worked in 6 (six) Scout Districts. I have the patches to prove it. . These re-arrangings were foistered on us by Council, and every Scouter I know of has responded with "ho-hum. Here we go again". The DEs have been shuffled, and the usual District committees have been assigned and re-assigned and staffed by much the same good people each time. Our goal is to have Camporees, and PWDerbies and Klondikes, and Shotgun/Rifle Meritbadge days and CSDCs (the same three sites we have always had) and all the other stuff a Cub or Boy Scout might come to expect in an active Scout area. When the Districts were re-designed, the volunteers said "thank you sir, can I have some more" and adapted. The email newsletters were divided and rewritten and shared. The various committees were constituted. Commisshers who used to roam the big prior District now lived in District 2 and served the units in District 1. In some ways , the new present Districts are better: smaller, more intimate (?), more neighborly. In some ways, they are worse: What happened to that fellow that always planned our PWDerby? Oh yeah , he's in District 3 now. Mmmm. Guess no District PWDerby this year. We can visit District 3, they said we could. DEs are more available. I have met each of the three(3 Districts, now, instead of one big county wide District. Now.), but that does not guarantee that the responsive, personable, Scout-dedicated fellow we have now will be there in another year. Or that the prig of a martinet that District 2 seems to have will not be ours next year. Still, the District is what we are given as a tool to use for our Scout "networking". We know which SM does a good camporee, which IOLS trainer does Totin' Chip and Whittlin' Chip right, which CSDC is more pioneering than the others, and which has the archery range you want your son to learn on. So what else is new?

Sort of "Hatchet" with an audience (think Gary Paulson has seen it?)... Very interesting, I will pass along.

Oh, heck. This is a special situation. And it isn't awarding more awards than is deserved, , it is just a delay in the presentation. Celebrate the past year(s) accomplishments and fun. Two years worth of cake and ice cream in one party, nothing wrong with that. Maybe you need to celebrate the DE's departure, too? Maybe not officially?(This message has been edited by SSScout)

Must be something to this stuff. Went on line last night to research a new stylus and cartridge for the old Victrola, and sonofagun, banner ads from amazoon for "stereo equipment and turntables..."

BR: I assure you, multiple registration numbers are not only possible, but not that unusual. "Once upon a time", I applied to staff at the National Jamboree. I had to prove I had certain training. The record said I didn't, but I did have the leetle blue/gray cards, so I trundled down to the Council office and the registrar and I sat down and discovered that I had no fewer than four registration numbers. From the days I was a DL and CM, thru my work as a ASM, and Commisher, I had been re-registered under various permutations of my name, with and without the middle initial or name. Also, to complicate things, it seemed that there were at least 5 (five!) other men in the (large!) council with the same first and last name as me, but I was the only one in my county with my middle initial. Never changed address, or SSN, or unit. But there it (they) was. Council problem? Filling out forms correctly problem? Trainer problem? Unit re-chartering person problem? Never found out. I presently have ONE membership number and a suitably long list of training certs. So: Assume nothing, and ALWAYS re-register and sign up for training under the EXACT same name , every time.

Gotta do this quick before it becomes "ancient history" Need: Big paper shopping bag, or clean 5 Gallon bucket. stack of 3x5 cards. Broad tip marker Write one word on each 3x5 card of the Cub Scout Promise and the Law of the Pack. Put the cards in the bag/bucket and shake'em up. At the start of the Pack Meeting, just before Johnny Cub is about to lead the Pack in the CSP & LotP, step up and announce "wait a minute Johnny, I know YOU know the Cub Promise but I wonder if the PARENTS remember it. Here" and you walk around offering the bag to all the adults, "pick a card out and then (come on Jack!) let's see if they can line up in the right order, WITHOUT TALKING!! Come on up front, here you go...A-A-A, no talking! ssshhhh quiet now, let's see how they do." the Cubs love it. Neat to watch who takes over to arrange the adults in the line-up.

"Vinny, it is good to see youse once more. Come, sit down. There, sit down. A drink? No? It has been a long time, I agree. So, how is the mother? Good, good. Now, what can I do for youse? "No, I have not been apprised of any troubles vis a vis your work for the orgnization, but we can always talk should you feel the need. You know I feel toward youse like my own son which I have not had. " So? You are not happy? Not happy how? I see. No, I have not heard that. A-ha. Well, perhaps a new... " Now, Vinny, youse must know that is not possible. Once youse is a member, youse must realize youse is ALWAYS a member. Even I must realize that. Even I in my admittedly exhalted position of responsibility, I could not think of leaving the organization, it has done so much for me... for YOUSE, Vinny. Have youse no gratitude? No sense of belonging? Oh, I see. Um-mmm. "Well, if that is the way youse must think, I must remind youse of certain realities in this world. Vinny, do you remember Gino? Yeah, That is the guy. Wore that yellow fedora. Yeah, that is him. What a guy. Mmm-mmm-mmm. I would urge you to remember Gino. Why? Because youse can not TALK to him, can youse? That is right. Now we understand each other. "Now, youse should go home and think about our little conversation. Come to me again tomorrow, and I think I will find a way to help youse. Okay? That is my boy. Always good to talk to youse. Arrivaderci. Ciao." "Georgio, come in here. I may have a job for youse."

He was,like, "I have to go to school now, but mom was like 'don't forget your lunch' but I was like, 'got it, mom' and she was like 'ok, have a good day' and I was like "see ya later, mom'. I mean, she's a smart lady, and she's like only 45 years old, so she should be like aware of my like responsible nature, don'tcha think?"

try Paul's Camp supplies... Lot's of neat kits, and readymade stuff, too. http://paulssupplies.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=12

I refer youse guys to my previous link showing the Maryland 3rd Congressional District, which to my mind resembles the remains of a toad who tried to travel from the north to the south sides of the Baltimore Beltway. At rush hour. in the rainy night. This insult to geographers links pieces and parts of five of Marylands 28 counties, requires the farmers of western Montgomery county share representation with the out of work steel workers of Dundalk, the commuters north of Balmer, the yachtsmen of Napolis, and the folks of the inner city. Not that these citizens are not worthy people, but would it not be better for the urban folks to have their concerns represented by someone who does not have to simultaneously be concerned with the agriculturalists 70 miles away? And the shape of this District strains the credulity of why it was created this way. It surrounds, literally, another distrrict. It has connections between areas that are sidewalk size. So a group petitioned to have it on the ballot, to refer it back to the planners. And the plan , as published, was approved by the voters of the state. I guess enough folks like it that way.

Kudos to Mr. Burch for knowing what to do. We should all play the "what if" game more often, both personally and with our Scouts and children. Wonder if he was bare armed (please, no puns about "rights to") or wearing a nylon jacket, perhaps?

Murlen's 3rd Congressional District: http://www.planning.maryland.gov/PDF/Redistricting/2010maps/Cong/Dist_3.pdf Referendum to refer the redistricting plan back to the planners APPROVED the plan as written. 63% in favor of the plan. Watcha gonna do.

"Okay, boys, I'd like to stretch your minds a little. See if you can get what I'm trying to get across. We all have the same NOW. You youngsters and I , we both have the same amount of NOW. Where we differ is that you have alot more LATER then I do. But then, I have alot of BEFORE, where you boys don't have nearly as much BEFORE as I do. So, see, we have to let my BEFORE benefit your LATER right NOW. Because I have many more BEFORES than you do, but I know your LATERS will soon enough be your BEFORES for someone else's LATER, during a LATER NOW. SEE?"

Aha... Now I see... most folks do have 20/20 hindsight... Maybe just walking over to him at that point and saying , "excuse me, Did I hear my name mentioned?" and wait for his reaction.

Base: All that you have listed are indications that a good Roundtable is NEEDED. One can learn rules and regs from the book or 'net. One can even get ideas and skills for your own unit from those sources. But the need to find common ground and be enthused about what we are doing can best be gotten from others IN PERSON of like mind. Now, obviously, if the R/T is redundant, boring, uninformative, devolved into a goo' ole boys back slapping session, then there is a problem there. The R/T in question is obviously not fulfilling its purpose. Recruiting a creative R/T Commisher is the big problem. Succeed at that, and the rest will come, I feel. Usually, the R/TC is already a fully engaged Scouter, respected and known for "doing it well " already as a SM or UC or some other label. It's not a mattter of replacing the R/T or elliminating it because of inadequacies, it's a matter of doing it better. I have seen R/T that were informative, and nothing else. The R/TC was excellent at informing. I have seen R/Ts that were entertaining AND informative. The R/TC ran it as a Cub Pack meeting, and the attenders were Cub Scouts to his Cubmaster. I have seen BS R/Ts that were ran as campouts, and the attenders were campers that went from one "station" to another as if at a camporee to practice skills and learn new policies. They "earned" beads, and gained "panache" patches for R/T attendance. It is what "SOMEONE" wants to make it. Guess which of the above examples were the best attended?

Do they REALLY want to evoke Maurice Chevalier?