SSScout

I am reminded of a certain other "makeover" show, where they give the family a really beeyouteefull home that has no bookcases or shelf space for "stuff". Scout theme: *Canoe rack. And paddles and PFDs. *Shelves for camp gear. *Lashed together table and chairs. *Work bench with adjustable clamps etc. for carving, adjustable pegs for beadwork, lots of little drawers for all your leather stamps and knives and punches. * Overhead worklight with stainglass Scout symbols showing thru. * Silva compass for light string pull. * Baden-Powell quote inlaid in tile in the floor. * Scout Promise and/or law around the edge of the ceiling. * Old hiking boots nailed to the side of the garage as bird houses. House wrens love mine. * Coleman stove (or Primus?) permanently installed and converted into a coffee pot warmer. * Row of vintage Scout caps and hats hung decoratively (useable?) along the ceiling edge. * Wall cases to display those old shoeboxes full of patches and neckers your wife secretly pulled out from under your bed. * Doorbell button elicits "Reveille" bugle call. PM me so I can give you my address so they can send my consulting check.

Here's the drill (!): Cubs with power tools: With dad or mom in the home workshop/basement... not your problem. Cubs at Cub Scout activity (Den meeting, CSDC,etc.)... no. There is almost always a manual alternative when working with wood or plastic, or even metal. It is always good to gain experience with hand tools. Take my word for it, small hands can break expensive power tools and get hurt EASIER than with manual tools. Handsaws, screwdrivers, hammers, sanding blocks, wrenches all come in various sizes and types. Let the boy have fun and gain confidence and pride of use with the easy stuff first. Our grandfathers did.

Exibar: Who is your CO? Do they do a dinner or movie night or pancake breakfast? Perhaps the Scout unit they sponsor could offer to help out at that and be rewarded with a share of the profits. The Unit helps serve the CO, The CO gets help, the folks visiting the fundraiser see the Scouts, the Scouts feel good helping, they are doing "work" to earn their unit's share of the profit, hey, win-win.

Ask yourself this: How's the economy in your area? How many folks in your Troop or acquaintance ( the boys pass out R/R tickets, yes?) will go out to eat on your day? Family needs to spend , oh, $10 (more!), each, to feed the gang, and you expect 15% of that, BEFORE tax and tip? And how do the boys learn about "paying my way" ? Do they put forth any effort in this? I might ask R/R to help with my B&G banquet, but not that kind of fundraising. I see this as a donation, not a Scout fundraiser.

I'm making an assumption here, but I will guess you've just discovered why non-stick cookware is not a good choice for Patrol gear. The teflon coating does wear off and flake off. One choice is to sand off the rest of the coating (power drill and wire or sanding disc) and be done with it. If the aluminum (?) cookset is not physically deformed (how?) or broken (HOW?) then you have a good cookset for many more years. I would argue against the fancy, heavy steel copper clad cookgear. Scouts will not treat it with the respect it needs and will not appreciate any difference in heat distribution. A Scout's cookset should last many more years than 4. Gas stove cooking is one thing, but woodfire cooking is another. A heavy duty alumimun cookset is usually the best multi use choice. Until the Scout wants to buy (pays his own way?) the latest titanium jetboil set, let them learn on rugged, indestructable aluminum. I know of Troops where the Scouts are using the same cooksets their fathers used. Not only is it economical, but in one case, the Scouts think it is cool to see the initials of their dad scratched into the side of the pot. Tradition!

Here is what we had to do for one CSDC, the day after the same symptoms appeared: The PaPs were removed from the central location and each (eight of them) placed adjacent to the Cub Den areas. Then, each PaP was ASSIGNED to a Den and padlocked. Staff had our own. The keys (all different, but staff had copies for all) were given to the Den Walkers for the Den on a looooong string, and each had to sign it in and out each day with their Den bag. The Den Walkers were all dissapointed but understanding of the necessity. Only did this one year, that I know of. Not widely publicized. Yes, we had to buy a bunch of padlocks, but each Den had responsibility for it's own. No more vandalism.

Let me see if I understand the chronology and situation, from your description. Everyone gathers in the outdoor amphitheater. They have some last announcements, then the camporee staff "retreats/retrieves" the colors, and dismiss the camp to the waterfront for the evening campfire. The SM in question tells his story of his Scouts jumping down the benches to go to the campfire, thus bumping into other people and not staying in a Troop group, but "getting seperated" from each other. He then asks how the camporee staff can help prevent these problems ? Is that right? I think if I was the camporee staff hearing this (quietly and respectfully) I would have responded "thank you for your story, we are sorry for your troubles. We are certainly open to any suggestions as to how we could have done things better to prevent your boys from hurting the man they bumped into? Please speak to me when we break this meeting." I do see how it might appear the SM could have had better control over his Scouts, but , yeah, maybe they could have asked folks to exit the area one row at a time, having OA perhaps, guide the exiting. I wonder if his were the only Scouts being eager to get in front of the line, or show off by jumping the benches. Doesn't excuse the behavior, but I wasn't there to see it. A small talk about "courteous" and "kind" perhaps. I guess this venting "roses and thorns" session was held after the campfire, so this next idea might not be possible, but maybe a impromptu skit at the campfire about line butting? Or polite behavior toward adults or other Scouts? How did the Camp Staff respond?

**Bicycle panniers made from plastic buckets, specifically cat litter buckets. Rethink this into other baskets on bikes, old folks walkers, crutch carriers, motorized wheelchair carriers, etc. See http://www.instructables.com/id/KITTY-litter-pannier/ for one example. Perhaps too simple, but rebend wire coat hanger to hang your Christmas wreath on a storm door. I like the rope trivet idea. See http://www.designsponge.com/2009/06/diy-wednesdays-knot-trivet.html for one example. there are others, most notably the "Irish Love Knot" or "Celtic Knot" which is usually only a drawing, but with some effort, a flat trivet type item can be created using the pattern as a guide. A little judicious use of Goop or hot glue to hold things together.

Ideas: 1) Add panniers to the crutches. 2) Crampons on his cast. 3) Let the Patrol practice their rescue carries.... 4) And do relay races at the meetings. 5) He will only be "temporarily disabled". Use this as an opportunity to discuss how we are all "temporarily abled". 6) Have everyone tie up their leg and try being crutch borne for a while. 7) Have a contest for the best alternative to "the crutch". Brainstorm ideas and build them. Must be a MB in this somewhere.

I had a chemistry teacher in high school who knew and loved his subject, and was so good a teacher he could inspire catfish to fly. (local jargon). I also had a physics teacher who ,I am sure, had the proper credentials, but too often had incorrect items on his tests and even when the students would show him IN THE TEXTBOOK where the test was wrong, would not accept it. We learned how to pass his class, not necessarily what physics was. I think from hearing about some WBcourses, it's sometimes like that. The first part of the course is partly about what Scouting is, and this is a very cursury review for folks that have no large experience. Blue and Gold includes a graduation, Cub Scouting into Boy Scouting and from the Den to the Patrol. That smiling overly solicitous fellow that was following you around should have gone from being a Den Chief to a Patrol/Troop Guide: From telling you what to do, to telling you what should be done, to helping and enabling you to do what YOU know needs to be done. The whole course SHOULD give one alot of snippets (Gmoms jargon) of different types of leadership styles, different Scouting experience, alot of fellowship and networking among Scouters, and finally a overseen chance to use what you've seen and learned (and been inspired to do?) in creating and hopefully succeeding at some useful Scout projects. I like jrush's comment about "reflecting on why you're in Scouting". That part seems to slip aside sometimes. It (WB) can't only be about "here's how to do it Scout style" but needs to be about " why " YOU do it. Hopefully, that reason is similar to why I do it. It also needs to be noted that WB should never be considered only about Scouting. Much of the course can be applied in the workplace and at home. And the self reflection is also approbriate, and painful for some (see tne threads about the (Get All You Can game). So I came to WB and found that some of my instructors were very like my chem teacher and a few were like my physics teacher. I nodded my head at what I already knew, appreciated when my collegues had their "aha" moment (if they did) and was grateful for the new stuff I had'nt known before. Of my 5 projects, 3 were fully successful, one is still ongoing (2 years later) and one was fully finished and garnered many congrats from folks (both Scouty and non) but I considered a failure. I think my time in WB was useful. And too, it was fun to camp among adult folks and leave the family behind for a while... (This message has been edited by SSScout)

mmmm... I put it here some... ah! Here tis... "When you are given lemons, make lemonade... No, that's not the one... "No closed door hasn't included a new window... mmmm, no. "Way will open thru faith... aaahhh, not quite right. "When you come to the fork in the road, take it... nooo. *sigh* Well, I guess one thing you should do is celebrate the man's Scouting career and the (hundreds? thousands?) of boys he has helped along the way. Recognition at the next B&G and /or District award dinner would , I think, be in order. Find some of the (now)old Cubs and Scouts from his history. Has he been awarded the Unit Leader Award? Or the District Award, if appropriate? After that, I honestly feel that the right person to take the Ad Chair will come along. And sometimes, with a little encouragement, even the CCfH can be brought around to the best use of their talents.

ABOVE what?

Mssr. Scoutfish set ze leetle grey cells roiling when he said: ""I hope everybody understood that this would be something that was up to the scout....not anybody else"" Well, what would happen IF Scouting really were left up to the Scout? Would the Handbook look the same? Would we even have a Fieldbook? Would there be as many Eagle Scouts each year? Would there be a "FIrst Class in the First Year" movement? How would the uniform look? If the mentioned broken ankle Scout had HIS way, would WE be having this conversation? How much of Scouting has been "up to the Scout"... ever?

Either at the next Den Meeting, or the next Pack meeting. I would favor the Den Meeting, where you would have a small opening and closing ceremony, and lots of neat stuff in between, yes? The Pack meeting gets crowded with minutiae and can be a slow going thing for the Cubs, make that different and for BIGGER awards. Oh, and give'm a "round of applause (clap in a circle)" or "a big hand!" (open the hand up wide above your head).

Yep. Norton noted a malware attack when I tried to enter the site sunday eve. (just got back from Hemlopen State park).

Carbo loading at it's best. But I will take my share of Mr. Graham's crackers and Mr. Hersey's bars and leave Mr. Marsh's mallows for others. (don't tell my dentist).

"It is a sad Reflection, that many Men hardly have any Religion at all; and most Men have none of their own: For that which is the Religion of their Education, and not of their Judgment, is the Religion of Another, and not Theirs." #522 = Fruits of Solitude, William Penn = Keep on keeping on, brother.

"Character is what one does when you think no one is watching" = H. Jackson Brown =

... and only 42 more pages for the record. Oh well. A sure sign that the subject has been settled and no more discussion need ensue. Suuuuurrrrreeee.

!Aye! Macarena! Had all the Cubs singing and doing the motions, THEN I read a translation of the words... Never again...

Morality... Ethics... Politics... Religion... Faith... IF (God forbid) the military draft is reinstituted (another thread) and IF the idea of being a Consciencious Objector is still accepted and IF the local draft board does the judging (!) and allowing of such standing, the DB would use some standard of the sincerity of the person (M? F?) as to their CO desire. The usual standard, in the past, so I have been told, is usually one of faith. The Board desires a convincing that the applicant is, indeed, obeying a "higher authority" and can do no other thing. Membership in and attendance at a historically pacifist faith, an oral presentation, an essay explaining ones reasons in claiming CO status, letters attesting to the belief/standing in the community, all might be needed to prove the applicants "sincerely held belief." Opinion is not proof. Pleading as to ones belief is not proof. Believing that a particular war is unjust or wrong or illegal is not proof. ALL wars must be held as wrong. In my small experience, I have not heard of an irreligious CO, not that there may have been, I just have not heard of one. Slavery... present on all continents, in almost all civilizations at one time or another. Usually (if ever), it was not the econonmical reasons for the demise of the "peculiar institution". The US south certainly did not end it's slave society due to economic reasons. When the British empire ended it's internal slave trade, it was not economic reasons that demanded it. The "market place" did not demand it, altho it should have. The Quakers of the 18th century did not manumit their slaves due to economic reasons (Baltimore Yearly Meeting came to agreement that slavery was against God's will in 1775), but soon realized that a free labor society was more productive and ultimately more rewarding. A Methodist circuit rider that visited Sandy Spring MD in the early 1800's commented to his Quaker host on the fertility of his fields compared to his neighbors. The host replied that "never had bound hands" worked those fields. It occurs to me that it is not morality that is of human invention but immorality. We are constantly finding new and improved ways to cheat, kill and otherwise do "bad" things to our fellow creatures. When have we discovered "new" ways to be kind to them? The same ways have always been there. "Good" and "Bad" can be defined by Gregory IX, Hitler, Genghis Kahn or Jesus or Gandhi. They can be defined by you or me. But , as with every other definition,such definitions ultimately must be based on previous standards. How far back do you go? What do you ignore? What accept? Do you only trust in the "innate" good in people? Which people? I do not say that avowed athiests cannot be good, morale people. The ones I know are every bit as G&M as anyone else I can name. "by their fruits shall ye know them". They have made their choice, with the good sense and mind that (evolution/environment/parents/God) has given them. I just think that, for whatever reason, they are leaving out a large chunk of the the algorithm. Perhaps ignoring a bit that we Quakers call the "experiential" of our faith. It is a dropping of the need for the ego, and admitting the need for something bigger. Scouts...Alot of teenagers are not ready to do that. Kids, after all, are all about "me". They look for reasons to NOT admit to any other authority than themselves. What can I get away with? OKAY, that leads to the question of , "away from WHOM?" or WHAT?" Time to go to Meeting. See/read you later.

Every so often, cartoonist Greg Cravens honors us with a knowing look at Scouting. Specifically, Cub Scouting. Eventually his kids will grow older... Recognize anyone from YOUR Pack or Troop??? http://www.gocomics.com/thebuckets/2011/08/22 fifth day, we see the results of texting while hiking...

Scoutfish: Been there, done that... "The Humble, Meek, Merciful, Just Pious and Devout Souls, are everywhere of one Religion; and when Death has taken off the Mask, they will know one another, tho' the divers Liveries they wear here make them Strangers." #519 = William Penn = "Some Fruits of Solitude" 1682

**Boombox with theme from "CARS" playing. **Cub leaders/Cubs, waving checkered, green, red flags. ** Helmets, goggles (not googles), oil cans, loose spare steering wheels, extra tires... ** Anyone know a REAL race car owner? Contact the local SCCA and invite them along.... Car on a trailer, or being pushed along, or revving the engine...however... ** That's Sports Car Club of America. Usually very Scout friendly.

Reallyreallyreally need a "Faith and Chaplaincy" Forum. Your rabbi is very wise. I also like his explanation of the relatavistic quality of "human based" morality. I forget where I read it, but here 'tis: "After all our new technological advances, we still haven't invented any new sins after 2,000 years."