SSScout

"Oh, you can't get to heaven (oh you can't get to heaven) "In a red canoe... (in a red canoe) "Cause the darn Girl Scouts/Moose Patrol/Aquatics Staff/Scoutmaster ((pick one)), (cause the darn Girl Scouts...) "Will follow you... (will follow you) "Oh, you can't get to heaven in a red canoe , 'cause the darn Girl Scouts will follow you, "I ain't gonna grieve, my Lord, no more..." usw.

In my experience, the FoS gimme is done by anyone who is concerned about supporting Scouting. I have seen it done by the local DE, an unlocal DE, a Committee Chair, a DC, the Cubmaster, lots of folks. I am among the crowd who is put off by some of our "pros", however. When I approached one DE about a problem, he asked me why I would want to bring such attention to myself by asking about it? Another time, another was heard speaking to a Cub Parent who had asked him to come to their Pack and speak about the Scout program and he replied that (quote)" I don't do that kind of thing. I have people that do. I'll get'em to call you". Cub Parent told me he no one ever did (call them). I can readily understand how some Scout folks are not welcoming to someone who asks for mo'money, after camp fees, dues, popcorn purchases, and such. But then, it is like alot of publicly visible things , very often the "visible" charges don't near cover all the expenses. We just hope that the PTB don't try and sell off the Council Camps to cover 5 or 6 figure salaries.

Look at the following. Lots of good ideas about Webelos and Readyman in particular. http://www.boyscouttrail.com/webelos/webelos-scouts.asp

In as much as the 13th point of the Scout Law ("A Scout is Hungry") is by far the easiest for a Scout to follow, I think a Patrol cooking award is a fine idea. A consideration might be how far the Patrol has to schlep it's gear. A beef wellington that is produced 50 feet from the Troop trailer needs to be weighted against the peach cobbler cooked from raw peaches 5 miles up the AT. And proper sanitation and camp gadgetry taken into the formula. Judging: Are you just pleasing the SM or is there a vote among the PLC? I remember a "Salamagundi" I attended as an OA staffer( I was one of the fire marshals). There was a Troop that had, I think, 3 Patrols, and each had set up a camp kitchen and lashed up tables. The Scouts had camp stools they carried in. The Patrol cooks actually COOKED, and all had good meals, I forget the details, but I remember baked potatoes and one patrol, something smelled of fish. I remember this, because one of the Patrols had a really big fire and I had to ask them to knock it down, as we were in a drought condition. They were making coals, but too much! Perhaps a cooking contest in a "neutral" spot, a public park and a "impartial" judge, and definite rules and limitations (no steel stoves, only wood and/or charcoal, "only what you can carry in a backpack", whatever is appropriate...). If it is a big enough affair, call in the local press! Bon appetite!

Local Baptist church chartered a successful Cub Pack. Well known in District, at Roundtable. I knew CM. (he later became UC). New Pastor. Story from my friend the CM, at next RT: "he doesn't want a CubPack, he wants to do Awana." So be it. Cub Pack given 3 months notice to NOT MEET IN THE CHURCH ANYMORE!. Pack leadership goes "CO shopping", personal contacts, RT announcements, Commish phone tag, DEs burn up the email. Local Lions club becomes new CO, with proviso that the Pack may move again if they find a new home "with amenities" (Lions Club is admittedly a "CO of convenience", so CP meets in the VFD hall that the Lions Club meets in. Result: Boys remain Cub Scouts.

I heard that in order to free up "future new Merit Badge slots", the BSA is going to combine some Merit Badges... Frinstance, Pets and Cooking... Wood Carving and Forestry... Motorboating and Waterskiing... Might be more...

Thank you, skeptic, I always wondered about that. Wonder if it was "market value". Naw, I guess that's not really a concern. The USArmy is a publicly supported (!) organization and might view helping the BSA as part of it's possible purview. I do like the idea of BSA having it's own site, area politics not withstanding. Now, the USArmy can use it's training site for all of it's time, without worrying about Jamboree time.

Most excellent, o nascent Fearless Leader! Let's narrow this down a little for us advisers/counselors/Old Goats/critics-from-afar... Hike in? How far? Unload the car within sight of camp? Back yard of the CO? You speak of a Patrol Box. Is thisthe storage back at the CO or a carry-it-with-us box? We can talk about splitting up the Patrol supplies among the Scouts or doing it pallaquin style, a "BOX" carried by two or more Scouts. A good breakfast and a lesson in quick co-operative clean up is a real step in the right direction.

I wonder how much rent BSA paid to the USArmy for use of Fort APHill?

Okay, so if "past is prologue", as the philosopher said, put your leetle gray cells to work. We all know where scouting has been.... where is it going? What might we see in the future of Scouting? Here? Abroad, around the world? Out of the world? New activities? New gear? More of the same, only different?

If you pay attention ("Ahm so poor Ah cain't even pay attention"), you'll notice more than a few Scouterdotcommers from the Old Line State. Welcome to the eeelectronic campfire. Pull up some bytes and set a spell. "...helping out a little (in MD?) until we can sell the house (in Michigan?)" Whoa, some commute...

Talk about digression...

Ipad installation? Coleman microwave? Breadcrumb distributer (retro hiking director)? AP paper dispenser? Peterson Guide holder? Wet clothing holder (bottom drain)? Water bottle holder?

Walt Kelly, call home...

Lots of possibilities to help remember the leetle dots and dashes... http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Morse_Code_Mnemonics But practice makes it permanent. Wig Wag: Directions: Patrol patch is DOT, Troop patch is DASH, wave the flag to pass the message. Vertical up is between letters, vertical down is between words, up and down is "end".

If you do Scouty things, and you have a modicum of Scout experience, WB can only help. The course applies to Scout stuff, work stuff, family stuff (keep an open mind!) and personal stuff. The WB is held in high esteem by corporate America, some colleges will give course credit for it. If finances are a concern, some unions will give scholarships (how I went!), some companies will too, Scout Council will have "WBerships". Ask around. What better way to learn than by having fun doing what you love and seeing how you might do it better? At the worst, you can always come back to Scouterdotcom and chastise us for being wrong, or stupid or oblivious to the obvious shortcomings that the WB course promotes or something... Either way, you're out in the woods and not in the office. I'm sorry, what was your question again?

Absolutely. Teach the Turk's Head. Make each Patrol a different color. If they go to a special event, create a small "coin" or "button" and glue it on the front of a particular color T/H. A new Troop, new traditions... and come to think of it, why is it called a Turk's HEAD? Ain't no head look like that... More properly a Turk's HAT, I say. YiS

Eamon, most excellent. Back in college, we had freshman chem labs starting at 7:00am and officially lasting 3 hours (really!). In December, we literally got to lab in the dark. Sometimes, not on time...The dorm dining room even had coffee and donuts up for us at 6am. Some of us got together and decided one of our dorm floor mates needed an "initiation". So, the pigeon's roomie set his clock BACK three hours, set to go off (in reality) at 3am. The pigeon got up,looked at his clock, saw he was late for lab, threw on his clothes, went out in the hall to find the usual suspects up and getting ready for the day. He rushed out, across campus to find NO ONE at the lab. Coming home, he heard the campus clock striking 4:00. When he got back to the dorm, he found all doors locked and everyone back in bed. Beavah: Didst thou receivest mine PM?

Scoutfish speaks my mind. If Scouting IS the uniform, then there will be no Scouting as we know it. The Uniform SUPPORTS Scouting, it does not define it. I say again, it is unfortunate that it appears National seems to REQUIRE the uniform in order to be a Scout. Going back to Scouting's origins, it was recognized that the Uniform certainly represents Scouting, much like a flag represents the organization(nation, state, VFD, school, Troop). If the Pack or Troop makes Scouting the goal, the boys will want to be Uniformed. But to absolutely require, or you are not a Scout, no, that is not right, not the intent of the founder, not a realization of the ideals. Help the boys be uniformed, but require it or else? Not right.

My home troop has the "use it before or after, not during" camp policy. If you bring it "for emergencies", your responsibility if dropped over the cliff, into the creek, stepped on, etc. I was at an overnight on the USS Constellation in Baltimore once. Cub had a good time thru the day program, helped set up his hammock(!) and was asleep until about 3am, then made his way up on deck to me (I was night watch)and almost in tears, really H/S. I cellphoned his dad, 5 minutes on the phone, back in his hammock, all ok. Became a Scout, on the first Troop O/N, he was the one helping a fellow crossedover Webelos with the H/Sness.

By implication, the policy of uniforming by the greater BSA authority should apply to the parts, ie., Cubs. The uniform is one of the methods, no argument there. The reason for the methods should not be in argument. The REQUIREMENT for a uniform is in argument. Mr. James E. West, the first Chief Scout Executive was quoted as saying "As I have said so often, it is not necessary to wear the uniform to be a Scout. It is much more important that you live Scouting in your daily life so that the people who know you best, see in you an embodiment of courtesy, kindness, courage, - in a word, of the Scout Oath and Law....If you do get a uniform, see that it is... correctly worn and that the insignia are correctly placed..." There are countries where Scouting is highly regarded, but they can afford only the simplest of uniforms. They may wear a colored Tshirt and the neckerchief and are recognized as a Scout. It is sad that our National office finds it necessary to make folks think one can not be a Scout WITHOUT the uniform. When I came back to Scouting as CM, (son wanted to be a Cub), I discovered to my surprise that the BSA had changed the Cub uni to include a new uni EACH YEAR. New hat, new necker, more money. I am surprised parents haven't revolted and not bought the extra stuff. I know many Packs and Troops have opted for blue jeans as uni pants, rather than the "official" uni pants. Thankfully, the new ones ("switchbacks")are more practical in many ways, and more poular with the Scouts. Put your efforts and money into the PROGRAM. Take your Cubs places and do things. Encourage the uniform, but don't require it to the detriment of the boy's participation.

*sigh* MLR: BSA is a discriminatory organization because it encourages Scouts (and Scouters) to espouse a religion, ie., a belief in a "higher power". Ev etal: The BSA not only encourages such, but asks members to agree to a statement that makes that belief "public". If the person cannot agree to this statement, then they either will cease membership voluntarily or be asked to leave. This is in agreement with the first point of the Scout Law that all BSAers are asked to abide by (hypocrites not welcome, either. Used to be a mention of that in the Scout Law explanation. Another time...)) MLR: Any USA governmental entity (school, police, water district, rec department, etc.) can not "discriminate" or exclude anyone on basis of age, gender, sexual orientation, skin tone, ethnic origin, religious belief, or political persuasion. Therefore, if a governmental entity denies entrance or participation to anyone on that basis, it is against the law. Ev et al: So? MLR: So if a School seeks to sponsor a Scout unit, and the Scout unit denies membership to someone who displays a particular form of something on the above list, the School, by virtue of being the "owner" of the unit, is responsible for the actions of it's unit and therefore is doing something illegal. Ev et al: But the BSA is a private organisation, and can define it's membership as it wishes. MLR: Agreed, but the "Charter" organization ALSO defines who can join. Some Churches require that only folks of a certain faith can belong to "their" Scout units, yes? If the CO is required BY LAW to NOT deny admission or participation, then their Scout unit MUST admit any breathing human boy that wants to join. Otherwise, the School should not even seek to sponsor a Scout unit, the local DE should not seek to get a School to charter the Scout unit, and the BSA should not allow entities with governmental duties to sponsor a Scout unit... Ev et al: You mean... MLR: Yep, only private organizations should/can legally/ought to sponsor Scout Units. Ev etal: Churches? Temples? PTOs? Volunteer Fire Companies? Hardware stores? Civic Clubs? Saloons? MLR: I'd agree to all of them. Ev etal: Not Public Schools? MLR: Nope. Uh uh. Ev etal: Private school? MLR: No complaint, except... Ev etal: What now? MLR: I think that BSA is so much a public entity that it ought to admit everyone, regardless of religious persuasion. Ev etal: You mean God or god or nogod... MLR: Exactly. Ev etal: Thank you. MLR: Thank you.

Do you like Tastycakes new box? Now they have an aluminum pan inside where before it was all paper. Not as eco friendly, I say. Used to date a girl who worked in the TK HQ in Baltimore. She even took credit for the creation of TK's breakfast Danish. hummm. Daughter sez she prefers "naked pie", that is to say, pie filling sans crust. Just sweet goo.

I was escorting some Webelos to a Webweekend. In a slack period, I explored the camp and found a pile (literal) of 5/8" hemp next to a staff tent. I took a judgement of it's length, sat down on the camp stool next to it, and proceeded to weave a Turk's Head with it around the tent pole adjacent. Might have taken 15 minutes. Many folks passing by, no one ever stopped to inquire what I was doing. 'Course, it was loose around the pole, I guess a 5bighter. Firmed and neatened it up, coiled the rest of the rope flat at the base of the pole, and walked away.

No more 504 bad gateway? THAT'S what I'm talkin' 'bout... Thank you and mega kudoes to you, Scouter Terry!