SSScout

Weeeell... We've been thru the donations versus earning your money, asking for handouts versus accepting money for something of value. Check with your Commissioner. I don't think I'd put the "donations accepted" box out but "dollar a bottle" might be okay. 'Course, if they hold out a check you didn't ask for, that's another subject. Might consider a service project to acknowledge the contribution, none the less.

Smithgall: Let's see now, politely put... *You have evidence of padding the Merit Badge account of two of the Scouts. What does the Troop Advancement Chair know of this? *You are dissatisfied with the way the Scoutmaster and the Committee Chair "handle" the Troop and the Scouts. Have you approached the Charter Org Rep and Head about this? Do you have some consensus, agreement with other parents in this opinion? *You suspect that the SM is overreaching when he recounts his military career. Previous posters have noted places to check on this and people to help call the SM's bluff on this. *You have been told of Mr. SM's education, but have some doubts about it's validity or appropriateness. Has anyone asked where he had his years of "child psychology"? And why he doesn't have an actual degree? The first point of the Scout Law is "Trustworthy". And if your Troop is sponsored by a church or synagogue or temple, there are scripture to be remembered. Mat5:33 comes to mind, among others, in many traditions. Slowly, in confidence, the Scouts involved need to be reminded of this. Ordinarily, the SM might be the one to do this. However... The actions you are considering are difficult, at best, but necessary. Remember our purpose in Scouting is shared by Bob the Tomato: "it's for the kids". If all you say is true, not only must you remove the SM (and perhaps the CCh), but you must remove the MBs from the Scouts. You cannot help but alienate the boys from their parents. I see no way to remove the one action from the other. Confrontation is never easy. You got the Scouts, and you got the SM and CCh. Mr. and Mrs. SM need be presented with the facts as you know them, in company with the COR and COH and perhaps the District Commissioner, if you don't have a Unit Commissioner. Make sure you have "back up" and all your facts and corroboration lined up. Allow face to be saved , if possible, by the Scouts, by just quietly eliminating the MBs from their record. Allow the SM and CC to resign and fade away, so to speak, while the new leadership takes the reins. Let the Scouts transfer to another Troop. They can start fresh, if given a chance. The adults have to do what they have to do. All this is easy for me to say, I ain't there. God guide you in this. As the man said, "your mileage may vary".

Ah, memories... Did the car bash thing back in high school. But we did it in the school parking lot at the Fall Fair. Prepping the car was easy: my dad knew a junk yard that donated the '53 Chevy. Local garage towed it to our back yard where my buds and I took out the windshield, rear window (sold them back to the junk yard), broke out the windows, rolled the debris back into the doors, took out the battery, drained and removed the gas tank, removed the carburator and starter and generator (sold them back to the junkyard),removed the headlights and taillights. Garage friend towed it to the school and we put it up on blocks to keep it steady. Painted stuff on it. we had one 12 lb sledge and a smaller hammer. Folks wore gloves or not, as they thought. We charged 25cents for one hit with the small hammer and 50 cents for a shot with the sledge. For a buck, you could paint something on the fender and then hit it.Made a bucket of money that day. Other ideas I have seen or heard of: One local Troop works at the County Fair, parking cars, running errands, hauling garbage. This is their main fund raiser. RentaScout: one or two saturdays in the fall, line up households for leave raking, trash hauling, yard work, porch painting, etc. Earn the Dramatics MB: Organize and put on a show or play. Good luck.

Went to the haedware store some years ago, and found hanging on the rack a "Fiftieth Anniversary Vice Grip©". Nicely engraved, polished, about $2. more than a regular Vice Grip. Same design, same useage. Prettier. I can always use another Vice Grip. Yep, I bought it. I had a regular job then. But a three hundred dollar book.... not til I get another job. Mebbe not then.

Sctdad: If you witnessed a physical assault, you did the right thing. Since the arresting officer did not witness the assault him/herself, it was up to the assaulted party to bring charges. Then the officer would arrest the assaulter (dad?) on the charge of the assaultee (mom?). Matters not his alcohol level, still his hands doing the assault. Surprise! He cannot use alcohol to excuse his actions, they are still his actions. You would be called to court to give testimony as to what you saw. If she withdraws her charges, then, no case, he is not brought to trial, he has no conviction record. If they are married long enough to be parents, especially step children, the suspicion is that this may NOT be the first such physical abuse in their relationship, and it probably won't be the last. Especially if she first brings charges and then withdraws them. I'll not go into the dynamics of spousal abuse here. What if you had witnessed such an incident in the grocery store? Does it make a difference that the drunk dad is a friend/Scout person? Talk to other Pack? Ummm, not unless they ask. And then I would be of the opinion to first ask the other Pack what they had been told. And only limit your answer to what you KNOW of the family's participation in Cub Scouting. Say you would rather not comment further. But be ready to, it will come up again. Speak to the DE? Yes. Make sure he understands the full situation, he has a responsibilty to keep things confidential. Nothing has been "proved" as of yet, but chances are , they will be. This is about the kids, right? How can you benefit the boy and help the mother and help the dad see his responsibilty? If you were friends with this dad before, draw on that connection and pray alittle about the right way to approach him. Is there a mutual friend you can ask to help? Can your wife speak to the other? Make sure she knows she has a friend to turn to if necessary? It ain't gonna be easy, and the boy will suffer no matter what you do or don't do. The boy already has suffered, yes? I assume he was on the camp trip and saw the assault too, I would guess. No boy should witness his dad (EVEN a stepdad) assault his mom. Spousal abuse is a great challenge to our charge to KiSMiF. God guide you, my friend.

Washington Post Sunday 30 August 2009, Pg.A1 "Soul Searching On Facebook" by William Wan "For the longest time,the question just sat there on his screen. Cursor blinking. Waiting quietly, like a patient priest in a confessor's box. "Religious Views: ___________." "...Amid the endless trivialities of social networking sites - the quotes from Monty Python, the Stephan Colbert for prez groups, the goofy-but-calculatingly-attractive profile pics - the tiny box has become a surprisingly meaningful pit stop for philosophical inquiry. "... (a selection of religious views from facebook)... Amor...I am a Jedi Knight, like my father before me...Bong hits4 Jesus... It's complicated... Waiting for Godot... God knows... Christ follower... Love God/love others/change the world... Pastfarian... Strong believer in asking questions... Do unto others... "Top Ten Rank of assigned defined views, nationally: Christian (include just about all denominations), Islam, Athiest, Agnostic, Hindu, Buddhist, Jewish, Spiritual, Sikh, Jedi... "....so after several days , she finally settled on this answer: "Mathew 25", the Bible chapter in which Jesus urges his followers to feed the poor and help the imprisoned. His words represent the part of Gordon's faith that she holds most dear. ******** Maybe this self selected sample is not truly representative, maybe it is. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/29/AR2009082902400.html(This message has been edited by SSScout)

In my stint as a Chaplain at the '05 Jamboree, one of my duties was as a"welcomer" at the Relationship Tent. Here were displays from various organizations with "Relationships" to BSA: Lions Club, American Legion, and such, and many of the faiths that charter Scout units. Scouts at the Jamboree could earn a Rocker patch named "Duty to God" for their Jambo patch. One of the requirements for that rocker was to visit the display of your faith and speak to the reps there. If your faith did not have a display there, speak to the Chaplain on duty about your DtG. I signed off on many Scouts DtG page, because they came from small unafiliated churches or synagogues. And some bigger denominations that had no display (presbyterian, frinstance). I also spoke to a number of Scouts who sought to earn their rocker, but said they "weren't sure about that God stuff" . If the other Chaplains had a similar experience, we figure there were about 350 Scouts "not sure" out of the 43,000 in attendance at the Jambo. That's a respectable number. BSA defines one of the requirements of membership to be a belief in a "greater power", sometimes called "God". I for one will not "call out" someone who is already a Scout but has doubts or questions. I agree with the previous posters about not trying to CONVINCE the Scout of anything. That is not my role or duty. I will listen. I will share my beliefs if so asked. But I will not accuse or defame. I hope that my (and other Scouters') demonstrated adherance to the axioms of the SPromise and SLaw, and the chance to view and marvel at God's creation (the OUT in Scout!) would help lead the Scout to see the profit of belief, whatever form that belief may take. See BP's original counsel about Scouting and religion, I'll not quote it again here. I see nothing wrong with encouraging an open mind and an exploration of the many ways we have developed to worship and honor the Creator. If one has no family tradition to either accept or rebel against, then one is left to poke around until something seems right. And there are lots of proselytizers and evangelizers out there for the maturing Scout to listen to and consider; by role, the neighborhood Scout leader should not be one of them. The "unsure" Scout will eventually settle in to a faith or decide he can no longer belong to such an association as the BSA. Such a "seeker" is, I find, usually too honest with himself to be so hypocritical as to deny his disbelief (if it developes to that) so as to continue in Scouting. His alternative is to declare himself and face the consequences of trying to fight to remain in Scouting, which will then (unfortunately) boot out the disbeliever. But it ain't for me to be that booter. I signed the unsure Scout's DtG page, as he had done it as he saw fit. His duty, right then, was to question. I did not hear of any of my fellow Chaplains doing differently. We Quakers have a saying, based on a quote from George Fox. We counsel one should "wear thy sword as long as thou canst". If you are questioning an action (or belief) you are doing (or not doing), then you must continue your present path until you have no other choice in good conscience. YiS&C

Huh-oh, the infamous BadgeMagic... Check the previous discussion first. A mixed blessing. http://www.scouter.com/forums/viewThread.asp?threadID=202786#id_204107 among others...

So it is still up to the (shudder) volunteer to make the program work. Flag ceremony? Bobcat relay? Learn the CSP and LotP? Salute? Sign? How is this different from the past material except it is MORE regimented? Sounds like a market for the old Program Helps. Still, MiF, KiS....

Second method: Use "GOOP", stick anything together adhesive. Two patches, don't even have to be the same size/shape. Take a small length of cord, fray out the ends. Small amount of GOOP on the back of one patch, spread it around evenly. Lay the frayed ends into the GOOP to make an appropriate loop (make sure it will hang right side up!). Mash the second patch onto the first (back to back, natch). Squoosh the two patches together, clean up any ooze carefully. Place patch sandwich between two pieces of wax paper, put heavy book on top and leave for about an hour. Alcohol will clean GOOP off fingers.

That's the attitude I like.... It WILL be a great trip... not waiting til after to judge how great the trip was or wasn't. It WILL be a great trip!!

Is Leupold & Stevens still in business? Good solid equipment. My L & S compass is still pointing north, and the degree ring is very accurate, declination settable.

Use a big needle. Quadruple a heavy thread thru the needle eye. Whip stitch sew two patches back to back. Include a loose loop of thread, about one inch long, for button hanging in your stitching, make sure loop thread is twisted together. Hang on pocket button, turn over for other patch. Twofer.

"BUY water? In seperate little bottles?? In a store??? Are you crazy? NOBODY would EVER do that!" ((this CocaCola VP is now selling propane in Arlen))

Keep'em coming! Concerning Rabbit Raising.... The old one did seem to be about raising for meat, "market rabbits" as they are called. Soon-to-be-Life son raises our lagomorph friends for pets and show. He (and mom!) have earned many ribbons at shows sponsored by 4H, county fairs, Rabbit Breeders Associations. He has learned about public presentation, genetics, hygiene, gardening (manure!), construction (a new barn/shed), finances, nutrition, care for a living thing (many, many, actually), acceptance of death and the pride of accomplishment from hard work. The "AHA" moment for me, the dad, came when I realized that the fifty or so recognized breeds of show bunnies were bred from the only 5 (or so) wild, natural species of rabbit/hare! Longhair, short hair, big (30 pound rabbit!) or small, short ear, long ear, up ear, lop ear, black, white, spotted, grey, lavender, brown, amber, tan, the combinations of shape and color is amazing. All from the DNA that is already there. None of the show breeds could exist in the wild. Check out the Flemish Giant and the Netherland Dwarf. As in any human endeavor, there is it's own subculture, equipment and industry. But I digress. Any more "old " MBs to reconsider? I remember a demo table at the 2005 Jamboree touting Pigeon Breeding/Racing as a MB.

A corrolary to the 121 MB discussion is: Why only those 121? I have been told that Irving regularly culls those MBs that are less popular (?less than ten awarded in a given year?) and institutes new MBs, as tastes change and new skills and technologies evolve. Notably Computer Science, Composites, etc. But how 'bout Blacksmithing? Is that only to be included in Metalworking? Phillipine Scouts (according to my research) still awards a Blacksmithing badge. Could a Scout earn that? (by correspondance?) Even if a MB is "obsolete" it is never "eliminated" , according to one source. See http://scouters.us/mb.html If one could still earn the Rabbit Raising MB, how to obtain a badge to award? The above site notes that "theoretically", our over achiever Scout might earn as many as 239 MBs! Think of the possibilities! What "old" MBs would you like to see available, again?

Let's see now... 121 MB, divided by 3, that's 41 rows. Allow 2" per row, that's, umm, 82 ". One long, drag-on-the-ground sash. Or two sashes. Custom make a four across sash, that's 31 rows, 62" long, not including the pointy bottom and shoulder curve. I hope our over acheiver Scout is tall.

Planting a tree as a remembrance or memorial is an excellent thing. I've seen and participated in such several times, most recently in memory of one of our Troop's adult leaders. I too think $1500 is a mite rich for a stripling tree. The plum we planted was about $85 , 3 years old. We added a small plaque in concrete block and a teak and wought iron bench for another $250. All installation was volunteer. This was not a Scout project, purse, but involved many folks who had known the Scout leader, and our Meeting. I guess the ERI is trying to promote a fund raising for themselves and suggest a Scout project. Obviously, if it becomes a 100th BSA Anniversary thing, it cannot be an "Eagle" project. Planting such a tree could be part of another, larger memorial. But I would buy the tree outright and forgo the broohaha brochures. Plan your own, as appropriate.

Once upon a time, I went camping with some friends. We decided we needed to go someplace new, someplace none of us had ever been before, but that was not too challenging. We figured 6 ,7 miles in, about the same out might be about right. One of us picked up "Guide to Trails in the Otter Creek Wilderness". Well, that was a place we all knew by reputation, but, strangely enough, altho we were all experienced hiker/campers (ex Scouts, AYH tour leaders), had never been to. Decided. OK, He plans the meals, he picks up the food and supplies, she borrows the tents, he plans the route. I ended up being one of the drivers. So we set out. Leave one car at the end of the chosen trail, drive everyone to the beginning. Shuttle set up! Guide is quite specific, names sites along the way, old farmsteads, rock formations, etc. The fellow who had studied the guide, and had previously navigated us to the trailhead and trailend leads off. Nice trail. Pretty scenery. Pleasent company. Guide says a ruin should be about... here. Where is it? Ummm. Oh, here it is, further on. But we already passed that old orchard. And the quartz outcrop, too far along... Well, it turned out that our "navigator" had us on the right trail, but was reading the directions BACKWARD from our walking direction. A memorable trip, none the less.

The amount is not "insignificant", niether is the "principle" involved. Here in the Old Line State, the sales tax is 6%, that's $3.00 on a $50. purchase. Three burgers at the King. Pursue it.

A better question: When was Bugler not considered a PoR appropriate for any rank? I've known active Buglers and really inactive Chaplain Assistants, and Troop Librarians who were all considered good to go for rank. I thought all listed PoR (possible exception: Assistant Patrol Leader) were appropriate. Is there a master list or something?

In your conversation with CSE, might point out the extra expense accrued by the action of the reimbursing staff: * time spent with unhappy volunteer. * Loss of FoS or other contribution. * Extra postage, paper, check printing, bookkeeping, etc. when CSE orders apology letter and new check and policy standard written and adopted and ordered. * Has this happened before? How many other unspoken unhappy unsatisfied Scouters are there out there? * Was the missing tax payment really absorbed by the Council coffers? I remember a movie (Richard Pryor?) about a creative accountant who ammasses a fair amount by skimming off the fractions of a penny in multiple insurance payments where the payment is calculated as, frinstance, $432.678. He skimmed off the $.008. * General frustration, in that front line Scouter has not been supported by the Council office in the way he expected and had been supported in the past. Please follow it thru, for all of us.

Whoa ther, big fella... slow down, calm yourself.... "...is old the size" ? Very nice... Quantity discounts, perhaps? Outfit the whole Troop?

In as much as God is "all purpose", here is our "all purpose" grace/blessing/prayer.... Dear Lord, we are about to go canoeing/have another busy day at CSDC/begin hiking/rock climbing/white water rafting. In a short while, we will be very busy. Please forgive us if we should forget about you. Please do not forget about us. Amen.

NB::: Make sure everything is installed right side up.