SSScout

Indeed, sit ye down on a virtual log by the ecampfire and try to ignore the pixel smoke, which will follow one around the server..... You want whipped cream on that cobbler?

We have, we hope, come a long way. The "Youth Protection" policy is accepted as also being a "adult protection" policy. It does work both ways. Once upon a time, there was a man who was (so he thought) happily married . The wife upped and abandoned the family. The court awarded him full custody of their 4 year old daughter. With the help of his extended family, (and ex wife extended family), he raised the daughter. Weathered challenges at work, legalities, medical emergencies, school problems and other life stumbles. Along the way, he discovered that the daughter's school marveled at the situation. School staff home visits were "invited" , (and welcomed. Cookies and coffee). Daughter's school friends had families that did not accept the idea of a single dad with daughter. Friend cannot playdate with daughter, at her home, but at friend's home, that's okay. When he remarried, presto, that hurdle was eliminated. Daughter eventually "morphed" into a lovely young independent woman, and she found a life partner and came to understand and realize her past family dynamic. We Scout people are both cursed with our past history and blessed with our newly accepted education about such. The new YPT (APT?) will serve well in the future, if the lessons learned can be kept in our consciousness. Our knowledge of science (physics, chemistry, math, biology etc. etc.) has been hard won and forgotten at our peril. Medical science has gone from "toxic vapors" to careful sanitation and "innoculation".... So too will all our societal groups need to remember the hard learned lessons. . Religious orders, schools, Scouts,,,,,, The realization of the evil inherent in some poor soul's need to degrade children must lead to an advancement, improvement of our society. Pass the peach cobbler, please. You want milk in that coffee?

You betcha. I just finished a virtual MBCollege. ZOOM can be a wonderful thing, but the email back and forth was a chore. I really prefer the "in person" thing. In person, for BUGLING MB (!), I would always have a GROUP of Scouts and SOMETIMES a volunteer adult in the back of the room, WITH THE DOOR WIDE OPEN> I once had a neighboring MB class come and close the door, but I had to go and explain WHY the door was wide open to the hall. NO OTHER ADULT IN THE ROOM. Would they like to be my "partner"? The door stayed open. One must adapt.... On ZOOM, no problem, group of Scouts, sometimes a mom holding the music for the Scout (!). Email? I have a couple of Scouter friends (the DCommish and the DChair ! bless'm) who understand why I include them in all my emails . Yes. let's go fishing..... Baconfat cornmeal balls for channel cat....

The best/most memorable (other than Scoutson's !) Eagle CoH involved three brothers. They waited until all three were eligible, and then arranged for a campout at their grandparent's farm, which had been a camp site for the Troop for many years , even before the brothers joined. The audience had to park some distance from the campsite, and hike in , maybe 200 or 300 yards thru the woods. The Troop had set things up very nice, campfire, tables, area for the crowd to set up their camp chairs. Candles, ceremony, worthy speeches, songs. Campfire. Refreshments were burgers and hotdogs and salad fixings, (salads were "potluck", burgers and dogs were being cooked while the ceremony went on.... At the end, everyone did the congratulatory things, and the parents went home. The Scouts stayed at camp.

Show the movie "Gandhi"?

Cub Scout visits/field trips.... Check with the parents. Where do they work? The mention of "Cub Scouts" opens many doors. When I worked for the local bus transit service, the maintenance garage manager welcomed us easily. He said it was a "good excuse to make everybody clean up and put stuff away." Local Racing Pigeon Club invited us to visit one of their race releases. THAT was exciting, they talked about bird and care and then a hundred plus birds were released. Trail hikes above mentioned. Work up a scavenger hunt the parents can also get in on. ABSOLUTELY introduce Poison Ivy to everyone.. And remember the Cub Scout Mantra KiS MiF, KiS MiF,,,, Keep it simple, Make it fun.

Sounds like a chance for friendly competition AND inter Troop cooperation. Come normal activities, could be a opportunity. How do they get along otherwise?

Send this to your congrssperson and the court.

I love it when the band does a unique "entrance" . I always thanked the football team for warming up the crowd for the band's halftime show. Nice they have a purpose. Now let's reference the original, in Zulu . (331) Miriam Makeba - Mbube (The Lion Sleeps Tonight) 'Vinyl' - YouTube

Good on ya, mate. The best awards are the ones you didn't know you were working to earn.

*sigh* Who gets hurt by all this back and forth? You? Me? Nah.... Any organization, BSA, GSUSA, 4H, MYF, CLDSoJC, BPS, KoC, VFW, AL, NHS, RR, Campfire, name any acronym you like, they all have a "standard", a "program" , a "highest award" that a member can aspire to. Youth or adult. The difference between the GSUSA and the BSA has always been one of policy and program. Regardless of any mono-gender requirement. Firstly, BSA has always had a program and training to match that REQUIRED an outdoor, active, lifestyle. The adult leaders were (are?) REQUIRED to buy into this. They were REQUIRED to participate in the hiking, , camping stuff. The possible "watering down" of the BSA program is not at issue here. BSA reputation has ALWAYS been one of outdoor activity. Not so in the GSUSA. If adult leaders (yes, only women, another discussion please) wanted to do the outdoorsy stuff with their girls, they could IF THEY IF WANTED TO. Such was not required or expected. So girls who wanted a more active, down and dirty, physically challenging program might not be able to see that in their local GSUSA Troop if the leader(s) did not see that possibility. This is regardless of Ms Low's original desire and design. Today, therefore, each GSUSA Troop is unique, and need not have the same possible program as the one in the next neighborhood, regardless of what folks may say about the various "adventures" in the book. "This Troop doesn't go camping", so I have heard. Second, the GSUSA design officially does not include the continuation of a GSUSA Troop. The usual thing is for a group of "brownies" to form, and that one group works thru the program of their particular adult leader until they graduate, and that GSUSA Troop disbands. I have heard of GSUSA leaders who welcome younger girls into their Troop , such that that Troop has an ongoing life, being chastised by the local GSUSA group (Council?) for doing so. No GSUSA Troop should exist past 10 or 12 years. How does that square with the BSA tradition of Packs, Troops, Posts, lasting many , many decades? Third, The adult leader may limit the number of girls they will ALLOW in their Troop. Yes, I have been told, "oh no, we have enough girls. We don't want any more Brownies in our Troop." Huh? And we are so in favor of the BSA we have recruitment drives and "Scout Nights"? I have NEVER heard that from ANY Cubmaster or Scoutmaster. Fourth, we forget the capitalistic tradition of depending on "The Market Place" to determine the rise or fall of any particular endeavor. If there are girls who want what their brothers have had, and the BSA can adapt to provide it, why not? If the GSUSA does not see the opportunity being missed, of course they may react defensively. But that does not explain the public ignorance of the GSUSA Gold Award, worthy tho it may be (and is) . The first group of young women who have worked to be awarded the BSA Eagle need that accolation. Yes, after the initial brouhaha dies down, we will be more able to celebrate the "usual" Eagle. AND the "usual "Gold Award". And perhaps the GSUSA will see the need to be more allowing of Julia Low's original outdoorsy challenging program..... .

What, you mean this isn't Westminster Maryland?

No need to wait.... BSA has already been there. At least on paper.... Boys' Life - Google Books

Bought my GS cookies the other day.. The moms at the table outside my local restaurant were friendly. When I mentioned that they didn't look the GIRL Scout type, they laughed and said the daughters were in the car (nodding at it) keeping warm. I said I'll see you when I come out with my order. When I came out, the girls were behind the table , the moms were in the car. Very polite, "thank you sir ! Have good day !" Very tasty, worthy cause, but . . . 12 Lemon Ups in a package that looked like it could have held a few more. Worked out at 45 cents per cookie. Oh well. Popcorn anyone?

It's time to watch some tv..... A Scout named the spacecraft/lander/rover.... Perseverance pays off: Meet the Scout who named the next Mars rover (scoutingmagazine.org) Another Teen named the aircraft.... Q&A with the Student Who Named Ingenuity, NASA's Mars Helicopter – NASA’s Mars Exploration Program And we can watch it all from 480,000,000 KM away....... . Watch Online: Mars Landing - NASA Mars and/or How to watch Perseverance's Mars landing on February 18 | Space | EarthSky and/or your local PBS station . . . . . Nail biting par excellance......

May I suggest your Lifesaving MB Scouts watch the movie "The Guardian"

I would never say that medical considerations, allergic reactions etc. to include Covid deniers. Forgive me if I gave that impression. I have a personal mild reaction to some skin tests, nothing life threatening but still there. The unfortunate folks that try to rationalize their desire to not be inconvenienced by masks, restaurant closings, church attendance limitations ("personal freedom"). . . The 1918 Liberty Loan Parade comparisons between Boston, Philadelphia and St. Louis are educational. St. Louis Medical director convinced the city to close public gatherings and canceled the parade. Philadelphia went ahead some days later and the number of influenza cases sky rocketed in the days to follow. Google is your friend. Philadelphia Threw a WWI Parade That Gave Thousands of Onlookers the Flu | History | Smithsonian Magazine

Not US deaths, 1918-1919 deaths world wide. Hyperbole is not needed, only to learn from the past. To gain "Herd Immunity" ,naturally, without scientific help , all one has to do is wait. That is just about all folks could do world wide in 1918-1919. History of 1918 Flu Pandemic | Pandemic Influenza (Flu) | CDC

The deniers all need to be strapped to a chair, have their eyelids taped open and made to watch "Influenza 1918 " on PBS. Herd immunity? easy to obtain. Let the virus kill off everyone who is NOT resistant . Presto, everyone left is resistant/immune (maybe). Might take 40 or 50 million early deaths, no problem. Vaccine? They had none in 1918-1919. The two or three global sweeps of the viral epidemic (when did the term "Pandemic" come into use?) took care of that. See previous sentence. Maybe the Hong Kong or Swine Flu. Does the conquering of Polio count? There were folks back then that debated the "value" of the various vaccines. Were they even necessary? No worse than the "regular " flu? Ask the folks that became cyanotic and died drowning in their own pneumonia within days of first symptoms. Our present medical science can help alleviate and even prevent such, but not in all. Did not have that back in 1918. Can't wait? Don't see the use of preventive measures like masks and distance and hand washing and "sneeze" barriers? Don't worry ""It’s going to disappear. One day — it’s like a miracle — it will disappear. "" Just trust him. He knows.... I want to buy Dr. Fauci a beer.

Well ,Q, same here. I work part time for a retirement community and so I was in the first group. First Pfizer three weeks ago, I went home, felt some lassitude the next day, took a nap, no problem. Second Pfizer this past monday. the next day, tuesday, I usually wake up about 5:30am, but when I awoke, I felt like I had been chopping wood for the past three days. I was so stiff and achy I could barely stand up. After coffee and breakfast I went back to bed for about 5 more hours. No fever, just achy stiff muscles. The next day, wednesday, I felt much better physically, but a little fuzzy in my thinking. No headache, just .... fuzzy. That went away as the day wore on, went to bed early. And today I am fine, back to my usual snow shoveling self. Talk to Scouts? I talk to everyone who will listen. Masks, handwashing, social distancing, vaccine when available. My family is all well, they all know and acknowledge the risks and preventions. All are on the appointment lists and waiting....

Screaming Eagles. Love it. More like screeching parents? Email to Scoutmaster: Why didn't you help my son more? "I coulda been somebody. I coulda been ... an Eagle.....

Are there still time limits "in rank"? so many months in tenderfoot, etc. ?

I still say they could hire Blue Man Group. And include Venus Hum while you're at it.

Why a beaver.... Marx Bros. Why a Duck? - YouTube

Very neat. Congrats to that young lady. It was obvious that the article did not get proof read by any Scout leader. She is described as being in a Scout Troop, but belongs to and is wearing a Venture Crew uni. Interestingly, on another Scout FBPage, the discussion was spirited, and wonder of wonders, the Scout's GSUSA uniform came in for critique. Sonofagun, the Uniform Police have a precinct in the GSUSA....