SSScout

What she said. And Duct Tape. Can't go wrong with one extra roll of Duct tape.

Okay, eightyseven years ago....

Oh, it was fun, I'm glad I went, it was HOT and I drank everybit of fluid I brought and more. There were floats about Eagles, floats about camping (fire extiguisher next to nylon flames), floats about the SPromise, and SLaw. The Scout statues on the floats were ALL uniformly uniformed in yellow nylon, I guess they couldn't find the right shade of tan. Like 1970s female Cub Scout leader blouse yellow. The balloons were rented/organized from/by a company from Detroit, so they said. The balloons included colorful stars; cubes with pictures of Scouts, the prez and Scouts, Venturers and Scouts, rocks and rivers and canoes and SCouts on their sides; Oscar the Grouch (don't ask me); Billy Blaze (think Rescue Rangers); a giant Eagle (the best one, I thought), a balloon balloon (hot air type), and a birthday cake, with 8 foot candles blown up. I helped hold Billy down. Also the requisite antique cars, ww2 jeeps, police m/cs, and hundreds and hundreds of Scouts. A semi flat bed with jitter bug dancers, a Sea Scout (real 1/10 scale) topsail schooner ship on a trailer, and hundreds and hundreds of Scouts. Latino dance team. A 1931 Plymouth pick up truck(!). I tell you, pulling Billy INTO the wind was WORK. Fortunately, the wind was not always in our faces, only seemed that way. The parade ended about an hour before the storm hit. The balloons were deflated fairly quickly. I did not get to claim my souvenir packet (later that), because the wind took down ALL the canvas standing on the mall or by Washington Monument. I ended up taking shelter in the garage entrance to the Commerce Dept. with about 30 other Scouty folks. The wind and rain went horizontal for about 30 minutes. The storm did alot of damage to the DC area, power is still out in much of southern Montgomery County. I did claim a unique souvenir. The balloons are lofted with several individual bladders, and the shape is held taut with a small electric blower inflating the outer skin. Fellow with a battery pack walked along with each balloon. When the balloons are deflated, I was half expecting them to pump out the helium to recycle it. Nope. The crews would try to deflate the bladders to reclaim them, but they just release the helium out into the atmosphere. Some of the bladders burst from the heat, some were knifed to speed the process. So, I picked up a used, burst bladder. Whoppee. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/25/AR2010072503013.html Toward the end of the parade, we would have to manuever Billy to make room for ambulances. Yes, there were heat problems. I was almost one of them, to be honest. I was beat at the end. At the end, the FDept. were spraying water for Scouts to play in. Met old friends, made some new ones, danced the Lindy with a CSDC Director. See you in another hundred years...Ha!

Yeah, I'll call it high adventure... I'm off to the Centennial Scout Parade in Downtown Washington, DC. Leave home in about an hour. I'll be a "Balloon Handler" (think Macy's parade). A distant relative was an officier on the Graf Zeppelin, so I guess it's appropriate. One of the requirements was to be "more than 110 lbs". I think I pass muster there. Later, I'll come back and discuss not attending the Jamboree. Y'all stay cool, now.

Bushwah and bullhockey. Every where you meet this kind of stuff, it needs to be met head on and the truth put to it. http://www.yourmoontownship.com/blog/troop358/eagle-scout-coraopolis-troop-meets-president Strictly speaking, they are "signed" by machine, not by the President's own hand, still, he has NEVER refused to "sign them. It is the same with any rumor or half truth. The hard part is finding the truth to confront it with. Sen. Al Franken, when he confronted Limbaugh and others with their caterwaling, none of them, to my knowledge, could answer him when he pointed out their inconsistancies and catches in outright lies (see his book Lies and the Lying Liers That Tell Them, for some head shaking entertainment). AND, by the way... Mars will never appear as large as the moon in the sky... http://urbanlegends.about.com/od/errata/a/two-moons.htm http://www.snopes.com/science/astronomy/brightmars.asp

One of the neat things about the Scout uniform (and by that I mean all versions: Cub, Boy, Vanture, Sea) is that it can be "customized" to a certain extent. The necker is the usual place to start. Originally, it was meant to be part of the Scout's "Be Prepared" kit. The slide made it easy and quick to get off and use. Signal flag, first aid bandage, arm sling, pole repair, dust mask, sweat bandana, I have an old book that lists no fewer than 25 different uses for a Scout neckerchief. Then, it became (in USA at least) more of a decoration, like a man's tie. No real use, just a symbol. The necker in my son's troop is a good 5" smaller than the one from my Scout days. And a money maker (how many Cub neckers?) By regulation, a Scout Troop may design and wear it's own, custom, necker. There is no prohibition about the slide (woggle, traditionally), so custom, hand made slides are to be encouraged. Nice Cub craft. Commemorative item. Award a special slide instead of a patch. Come to think of it, I can't think of any prohibition of a Cub Pack just wearing the yellow Cub necker. Our Troop occassionally has a slide contest, we invite a local professional artist to judge it. Ask local stores to donate some prizes (ice cream cones, tacos, cupcakes,smoothies. Very popular!). Categories have included "most useful" (small flashlight), "most Scouty" (75th anniversity of Cub Scouts), "most colorful" (treasure chest), "Best overall" (a carved long horn head). I spoke to a Scouter who had visited South Africa. He reported visiting with a Scout Troop there who had yellow Tshirts and red neckers. That was their whole uniform. They were glad to be Scouts. Carved their own woggles from local tree stems that happened to get hollow naturally. Ranks were recognized with ribbons pinned to the shirt. Beaver Patrol wears a Beaver tail carved woggle. Eagle Patrol all wears a bird's head. Et Cetera. Necker too warm? Loosen it up alittle. You might like it again come wintertime, but wear it well.

Okay. Now that we have all but established a de facto "Faith, Religion and Chaplaincy" forum, I'd like to suggest to you viewing the Jamboree Scout Handbook at http://www.bsajamboree.org/filestore/jamboree/pdf/410-153.pdf scroll to pages 33, 42 and then 75 to view the Jambo's devotion suggestions. Graces, meditations, topics for discussion. Drawn from, what Holy Script? What is included? what left out? What might have been included but wasn't? Scout's Own? Which Scout?

The very latest.... http://www.aolnews.com/weird-news/article/inventor-hopes-to-make-dough-with-the-candwich-a-sandwich-in-a-can/19560214

My Eagle medal dangle is packed away in my "Scout Box" and it comes out for Scoutson to look at sometimes, along with the neckerslides, MB sash, old MB cards, and such. The ESknot is on my uni. I realize that tradition is no real reason to continue to do something (nothing wrong with questioning the rationale for anything, "because I said so" is never a good ultimate reason...), but really, why change the emblems or how they are worn now? After how many solar circuits? The FC badge is the same, granted no longer on a square patch of cloth, and this year surrounded by a special note about the special year earned, but it is the same. Recognition of accomplishment is important, but more bling does not a Scouter make. Why not relabel the other knots to make them more self explanatory? Then we could have folks staring at the pocket top like some do at name tags (" Hi there, ah, Jack..."),figuring out that that one's Arrow of Light, that one's Scoutmaster award, Hornaday, Commissioner, ah, ...Hey, we already do that!. I would never chastise an adult who wore his Eagle dangle on a "civilian" suit, but I might wonder why. I have a small lapel Eagle pin that is on one of my suit coats, it trades duty with my OA lapel pin, the Red Cross pin, the University pin, the musical note pin, and whatever else I have in my pin tin on my dresser. They all indicate something and are sometimes conversation starters. Meant to be. Then too, we do have the back of the shirt with nothing on it, yet...

"Faith, Religion and Chaplaincy" thread, anyone? As I have shared in anecdotal form before, I think most folks join Scouting and then self select out when they discover the more overt religiousity of our organization. I know most kids when they join certainly don't give it a thought. Camp, hike, fire cooking, fun, nature study maybe, that's what they join for, not theology. Late night tent conversations, campfire bull sessions, that's when the BIGGER things come up, that's when the adults and the older Scouts start thinking about can they truely promise a"...duty to God" and what does that mean? Some will see the connection to the faith of their family, some will deny it (whether they are aware of it or not, ALL parents give their children something to either rebel against or accept, after all), some will be drawn to another faith, and some will find no reason for any faith at all. These last will either keep it to themselves, or raise hue and cry about it, or quietly drop out or resign. Again, I do not feel it is our place, as Scout leaders, to actively seek out the doubters and force their issue. Our personal example and directing their attention to the Scout promise and Law should be sufficient. Now as to " Scout's Own"...

Without the chapter and verse, I think one will find that the project must be done to benefit something/one that is not Scout related. For the CO? Possible, but not new shelving in the Scout closet in the CO's basement. Paint the classrooms, but not the Scout room. New picnic benches and landscaping/sidewalk/BBQ fireplace/outdoor pavilion/ but not the Scout sign outfront.

Ye sons of France, awake to glory, Hark, hark! what myriads bid you rise! Your children, wives and white-haired grandsires. Behold their tears and hear their cries! (repeat) Shall hateful tyrants, mischiefs breeding, With hireling hosts, a ruffian band, Affright and desolate the land, While peace and liberty lie bleeding? To arms, to arms, ye brave! The avenging sword unsheath, March on, march on! All hearts resolv'd On victory or death! Whoa...Sounds better in the French. "You played it for her, and you can play it for me"

I also suggest you write a letter expressing your observation and feelings on the matter. A collection is appropriate, and most protestant denominations "pass the basket" . Other faiths have a "collection box" near the door, which I favor in this instance. The box near the door can be accessed later, without holding things up. I have seen contribution boxes in many venues: museums, Scout camps, US Parks. We do need to finance "God's work" (and, if properly addressed, most of it is God's work, in one form or another). That said, I also agree that the amount collected could certainly be expected to exceed the requirements for printing up prayer cards. It would have been good to allocate the remainder to Haiti relief or the Red Cross or CARE or some other worthy cause. The Chaplain missed an opportunity.

Any boy can join Scouting. All boys should. When speaking of faith and religion, whether they remain depends on their "trustworthyness" and desire to not be a hypocrite. "...duty to God" and "reverence" and the religious stuff inherent in the Scout Handbook and elsewhere in the Scoutworld (see DRP, which should be DFP) will make it clear to the Scout and his parents that certain things are to be considered when the Scout makes his Promise. We had a very fine mother sign her Cub up for CSDC and then because of the quality of the staff, volunteer herself to help. We gave her an Adult Scouter application (gotta be "registered"), and then she read the fine print. "Did my son fill one of these out when he joined?" Well, one of his parents did, Uh-huh. "I'm sorry, we are not religious. Nothing personal, you folks run a fine camp, but I must withdraw my boy from Scouting." We thanked her for her frankness and shook hands goodbye. Our Highbush BBs were picked clean two weeks ago. Mebbe two gallons off three bushes, and the catbirds got the rest. Still picking raspberries. Just built an arbor and planted two grape vines. Oh the jam.

I would like to thank Mr. LeRoy for inspiring Beavah to write as he does. That last piece was very good, and speaks my mind. Beavah: Are my PMs still not reaching you? I have had some email conversations with some others of late, but no response from you.

"We really do need a Faith,Religion and Chaplaincy forum." The answer to your titled question, as has been previously enthusiastically stated, is YES. The diversity of faith in Scouting is, some other's opinions not withstanding, truly one of it's strengths. In few places can a boy (or any child, or person) expect to meet folks of such diverse culture and belief, all included by a love and loyalty to two things: The Scout Promise (or Oath) and the Scout Law. My advice to you is to approach the Taoist temple/church and offer to help them charter a Scout unit. Cub Pack, Boy Troop, matters not. I know a Viet Namese community in Virginia that includes Catholics, Buddhist, and Taoist families. They have several active Scout units. It works because they see the value of the Scout program. Unfortunately, I have more than once had to disabuse a Scout leader of the opinion that Scouting is inherently Christian. No, it isn't. Altho it is not "official" BSA policy/dogma, I still like to refer to The Founder's instructions in this regard: "Reverence to God and reverence for one's neighbour and reverence for oneself as a servant of God, is the basis of every form of religion. The method of expression of reverence to God varies with every sect and denomination. What sect or denomination a boy belongs to depends, as a rule, on his parents' wishes. It is they who decide. It is our business to respect their wishes and to second their efforts to inculcate reverence, whatever form of religion the boy professes." =Robert Baden-Powell, Aids to Scoutmastership If the definition of "God" is the sticking point, I must leave that to the adherent; I will not attempt to define or judge them as to their suitability for Scouting. My job is to teach Scouting, not religion. Welcome to the ecampfire, again. Come back as often as you need, to refresh yourself. YiS(This message has been edited by SSScout)

Very interesting.... Church sponsors Scout Troop. Church did not understand that it is an option (underline option)for Scouts to learn about safe firearm use. Church (understandably) is concerned about youth and firearms. Will not allow firearms on Church property. In my family, we do not allow firearms (or their representation) in our home. It is understood that games and activities (paintball, war world, etc.) that make shooting humans seem like "fun" is against our faith and we will not pursue or support them. Yep, we even get into a discussion about waterguns at CSDC, but another time for that. This does not mean that we did not allow our Scoutson to earn his Riflery and Shotgun MBs. Knowledge and awareness are important. I have a stepson who has turned his life around (another nother time) and returned from a stint in the army as knowledgeable about firearms as anyone can be. He well understands our belief. The church is not changing the requirements by saying the Scouts in it's unit may not earn the shooting MBs (how about Archery? also dangerous), it is merely giving vent to it's own moral compass and it's results. The shooting MBs are "optional", not required. Actually, come to think of it, all rank requirements are "optional". But again, knowledge of an issue often results in the lack of desire for further activity. The church must sit down with them and make sure the Scouts understand the reasoning, the faith requirements inherent there in. Otherwise, there will be much resentment and that will be a worse result. Quakers have always been on the non-violent side of things, and when the VFW and American Legion come to decorate some graves in our cemetary on Memorial Day, they respect our wishes and do not bring firearms on our property for their ceremony. Pioneer Quakers often had a rifle over the mantlepiece (so to speak) but it's "intention" was the important thing, not it's mere presence. Scouts use .22s and shotguns in the safest possible environments. If there is any doubt about the quality and supervision of the shooting range teacher/leaders, it is incumbent upon the accompanying Scout Leaders to speak up and do something about that. Learning the safe handling of a firearm might save a life in the unknown future of these Scouts. Knowledge is never a bad thing. The use of that knowledge needs guidance. That is where the faith comes in, I think. YiS

Miquinn1978: Howdy, Pull up some magnetic bubbles and join the virtual campfire. It's entertaining and thought provoking. Provokes other things too, but you'll see... Yeah, when I was Scout, working on my Dinosaur Herding Merit Badge, I sure wasn't concerned with the stuff that concerns me here, now. Scout HQ migrated from New Jersey to Texas, instead of selling donuts on Saturday morning (Troop fundraiser,) we have corporate popcorn, Eagles have a project to plan and complete, GPS gets you lost instead of a paper map. It is a brave new world, but very similar to the old one, after all. Oh my, don't wait for the Fall, Get your TD off early, summer picnics and hikes are not to be missed. Your boys are waiting for you.... YiS

we really do need a Faith, Religion and Chaplaincy forum. Can I have an "amen"?

To what end? I have better things for my thumbs to do, if I was at the Jambo, which I will not be.

I like to sit them down on our deck, pull out my Bible, with all the notes attached, and discuss their arguments. Very often, they are surprised to find that their Bible does not agree exactly with mine. This leads to a discussion about which translation is appropriate, which verses were left out or "edited", which translation ( I don't speak greek or hebrew or aramaic) we can trust. If they ask about such and such a verse about (frinstance) blood tansfusion, I refer them to another about testing the truth of testimony by making folks eat dirt and, if the Bible is , indeed, infallible, which do we obey and which disregard? " An old timer was asked which translation of the Bible he favored and he replied, 'why the King James, of course, if it's good enough for Jesus, it's good enough for me'."

We really do need a "Faith, Religion and Chaplaincy" forum. "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." =William Penn, "Some Fruits of Solitude", 1682

Magnets are useless for Cub Scout recruiting. You need to convince the boy it's fun and the parent it's good for the boy. I like the idea of a craft to make, and take home, even if only a paper airplane race. Local Cub Pack makes up stickers with contact info on them and then gives away popcorn (popped!) at the local school fair. Stickers stuck to Popcorn bags. Cubs in uni and or Tshirts. Flags, photo board of activities, folks to answer questions. Cub books to look at.

In this article about New Delhi's new airport, there is an accompanying picture that shows a wall with some decorative sculptures of hands, one of which is VERY similar to the three fingered Scout Sign. Can anyone explain the reason behind these sculptures? http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/02/AR2010070203125.html

Among the Quakers, we call these "queries". Go to any Yearly Meeting website and search "queries". Sing "Scout Vespers" to yourself... Say to your self... Have I been Trustworthy? and pause for the answer to come. Repeat thru the Scout Law... As to Scout bureaucracy, and being the best SM, CC, ASM, etc. you can be, yeah, "feedback is a gift", but be willing to accept the answers you get without defensiveness. Just accept the answers. Don't try to "explain", just accept the answers others may give you. Compliments are nice, but knowing who feels slighted can be good too.