SSScout

I think GW's comment needs atttention. Your working name for your activity "Advance-a-ree" does sound like a MBU. But CS and BS activities do this all the time. The difference is the advancement is a CONSEQUENCE of the activity, not the GOAL. We camp and hike and go and do stuff, and the advancement happens. Well, yeah, we may design the activity to lead to rank requirement fulfillment("Jesse can be cook so he can meet his FC requirement"), but it is not there purely for requirement meeting. Cub Scout Day Camp is designed for fun and involvement and sure, wolf, bear and Web requirements are met. We even provide a page at the end of camp that lists the rank requirements that may have been met by whatever activities that were held. We also note that the rank requirements met MAY depend on the Cub's participation, and that (" a Scout is Trustworthy"), the Cub leader should ask the Cub about how he met the requirement, what he did at the camp. It is not and should not be automatic. After all, the CSDC doesn't pass on or present the award, only the CS leader does that. Where possible, utilize Boy Scouts to lead the activities, Den Chiefs especially. Let the adult leaders lay back and watch. We have had "Cub Scout Field Days" where various Belt Loops can be earned thru playing Ultimate Frisbee, Marbles, Softball etc. and the boys have a blast. Their choice, and it is a family picnic, too. So plan the "field day" or "day camp" or "Cub-a-ree" or "Salamagundee" (look it up!), or "Cub Jambo", or whatever. Don't try to limit it only to Wolf or Bear, try to include all your Cubs, make'm feel included. But don't make it an "Advancement" Day or such. The advancement should come from the fun, not the other way round.

("Darling we are growing older") While the bell tower peeled potatoes, Lard was rendered by the choir. While the clairon rang the dish rag, Someone set the church a-fire! "Holy Smoke" the preacher shouted, In the rush he lost his hair, Now his head reembles heaven, "For there is no parting there!"

(sorry for the interruption) The Flag Code is an informal guideline for the respectful display and (when appropriate) retirement of US flags. It is rather like Emily Post, a reminder of what are good manners and appropriate behavior in many situations, in other words, what is least likely to offend. And, like Emily Post, manners in one locale may not be appropriate in another. And, like Emily Post's suggestions as to behavior, such suggestions are ripe for ignoring. Folks are always able to adapt or ignore the Flag Codes guidlines to their own situation and other folks are equally able to ignore them when they think they have a better or more appropriate way to respectfully display the US flag. Lots of Urban Legend is available here. " Blue field worn closest to the heart". "If it gets dirty, you have to burn it". "Patch should have the blue field attached as it would appear on a wall". "Blue field should be as it would be flown in the wind while advancing (and if the wind is at your back?)". "The patch is not a flag and should't be treated as such". "If it is a throwaway item like a toothpick flag on a cupcake, do we have to burn it respectfully?" Each military service, each public entity (Scouts, Campfire, police, fire & rescue, the garbage collecter), all seem to have their own idea as to how to deal with WEARING the flag. All that I have heard of, thru this forum and elsewhere, have as their goal the reminder that THIS is a symbol of our nation and its ideals. THIS is an important part of the wearer. Nowhere have I heard or seen any PROOF that one variation is superior or "more right" than another. The only thing I've heard is vague implications that one variation shows more "patriotism" than another. Poppycock. But as a uniformed group, the BSA should adhere to its own established guidelines and be glad to do so. None of them show any disrespect for our nation's symbol, do they? If another uniformed group chooses to wear the US flag a slightly different way, well, I for one see no problem and would not seek to change it. Could show it vertically, I suppose...nah. Show the US flag and be proud of it and be done with it. (This message has been edited by SSScout)

Man walks on, carrying a suit on a hanger. MC asks "Hey, where are you going, can't you see we're having a meeting here?" Man replies "I'm taking my suit to court." Next , man walks on carrying a big suitcase. Same query, he responds "They told me I have to take my case to another court". Man walks on with lots of small signs plastered on him, all of which read "SUE". Same query, more frustrated. Man replies "I"M being SUED!!" Next, Man walks on carrying a step ladder. Response: " I'm taking my case to a higher court!" Next the man walks in, dejected, dragging a large duffle bag. Reponse: "I lost my CASE!" Chase him off stage... This one requires an atheletic boy and a mat to fall on. Boy runs/walks on, jumps in the air yelling "GRAVITY CHECK!!", lands on mat, gets up, dusts himself off saying "yep, still works".

The piece of cloth that represents our country and reminds us of it's ideals is the same if hung from a ships spar or ten penny nailed to a wall. The Code for it's "proper" and "correct" display is neither legally required (which would imply a criminal offense and some punishment) nor, it would seem, widely agreed upon. (to be continued)

"...and on earth, peace, good will toward men".

As it happens, one of the participants in my WB Troop last April created just that game... "Are You Smarter Than a Tenderfoot?" and another ran a "Scouting Jeopardy" game. They only lacked the flashing lights and Alec Trebec. Put us all on notice that as Scout leaders, we need to be knowledgeable and ready to answer with authority (or know where to find the answer) any Scouting question. 'Course, this was adults among adults, not adults in front of young Scouts. Maybe a Game Show ran for the Scouts? Part of the Patrol competition? At the WB, it was fun and challenging. Perhaps not for adults at the Camporee, which is for the Scouts?(This message has been edited by SSScout)

oh - my - gawd...

Bullying is not Scouting. It is a fault, a problem. Scouting at it's best is the learning and practice of what is called in modern terms "Servant Leadership". Along with this comes the practice of "Cooperation" and the realization that what benefits you can benefit me: Cooperation. Bullying exists when, as someone wiser than I said, "good people do nothing". Those good people can be one of the boys or an adult that listens and believes what the boy tells them. The something can be as simple as saying "no". It does take a certain amount of courage, learned by watching adults who act on their convictions and principles (Scout Law?), despite the peer pressure of others. It needs a Scoutmaster and ASMs and committee that are willing to not just say "boys will be boys". It needs a parent who notices his boy is out of sorts, listens, believes and calls another parent to share the possibility that "we have a problem". Not YOU, but WE. Then, too, one may meet the parent that refuses to believe that their Scout would ever be so mean. Or perhaps the parent approves of little Johnny's behavior, proves his superiority. Then the Troop parents may have to get together and form another strategy. It needs the teaching of cooperation rather than the teaching of subjegation. And that is what bullying, in any form, really is, one human subjegating another for purely personal reasons. Such problems and troubles should never be tolerated. Dealt with in "SM Minutes", personal counseling, parent to parent contact, boy training and boy to boy contact (and no secrecy!), bullying can be overcome and all can learn and benefit from the solution. Try http://www.lifespan.org/services/childhealth/parenting/bullying.htm Good Scouting to you.

Beavah has a good point, but so does Scoutnut, CNY Scouter and others. Oldsm son could present himself as the audience might expect. He could present himself as his membership and rank exist. He could present himself in some hybrid combination. And probably only he would know. Perhaps that is the most important consideration. What does HE consider himself to be. Is he a Scout? A Venturer? An adult ASM leader? If I was asked to speak about my time as a Scout, I would certainly not come in my Scout uniform (even if it fit!). I could wear my UC uniform or my ASM uniform or come in a suit and tie with Scout lapel pins and Scout tie, and still speak well about being a Scout and how THAT helped shape me. If he has passed his Eagle, he may represent that on whatever he clothes himself in. Patches, pins, medals, knots all have their proper and correct place. I would counsel him to decide what he is NOW and present himself properly to reflect that. At a recent CSDC, a (very) youthful DE came by in his old Scout uni. We used him as an example to the Cubs as an "historic" artifact. We pointed to all the stuff on it and explained how he wore his Scout history for all to see. But it was understood that this was his OLD uni and not where he was NOW. A Scout is Trustworthy. How Scouting has shaped oldsm's son has led him to what he is now. What is it, now?

Welcome 914SPL: Gotta remind these folks all the time that electronics and fire don't react well together. This is a virtual Cracker Barrel. Grab some gigabytes of cheesey Ram and come on in. My Troop brought back some sunburn from Seabase year before last. A number of them earned their Triple Crown by attending Northern Tier last summer and Philmont summer before that. So how's the water?

Copschick: Welcome to the electronic cracker barrel. Pull up some ram and sit down. Aside from the "practical" ideas listed above to make your campsite useful and attractive, ask your Scouts what they think might make THEIR campsite stand out from the crowd. At Webelos Weekends (what we call'em 'round here) and camporees, I've seen lashed up gateways, streetsigns ("Cub Corner" and "Web Way"), defined paths (logs and rocks line the path), door bells for tents (tin cans to rattle), and other stuff. KiS MiF YiS

Class Names: (fill in curricula as necessary) " Using the Media: Taking the Bushel off your Scout Candle" " How to plan and hold a Cub Scout Day Camp" (Workshop not to supplant Camp School) " How the Public Library can help your Scout Unit" " Is your Charter Partner really a Silent Partner? " " Den Chief: A key to successful Dens" Round Table workshops??? Have the class (and make sure they know about them) and they will come!

Ho- hum. One starts off with the beliefs that one's parents/raisers impart by instruction, example or lack there of. One then has the freedom to accept that belief or reject it or find an alternative to it, as one is led by one's life and experience. One's actions and life direction is, determined in large part, by one's underlying faith or belief system. Indeed, one's actions indicate the actuality and strength of the belief,expressed in words or not. Hence the term "hypocracy" comes to mind. If someone comes and challenges that belief, I think that is a good thing. If one can not defend that faith with logic or experience or just plain "feeling", then perhaps that faith needs closer examination by that believer. Or the questioner. "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 Judgement, is the Religion of Another, and not Theirs." = William Penn = YiS & C

Welcome to the colonies, chug. Scout units in the US of A can be sponsored by almost any non-profit entity. I have known units chartered to volunteer fire companies, school ptas (not so much now), private schools, service clubs (Kiwanis, Lions, American Legion), hospitals, and religious groups (churches and synagogues and mosques). All to varying degree of success and loyalty. We have real "hands on" charter partners who want to be in the thick of Scoutings issues and programs (LDS) and "hands off" partners (go forth and Scout, why do I need to do anything?). It depends in large part on the attitudes of both the Scout unit leadership and the sponsoring entity. Stand off or jump in. As GW says, the LDS use the BSA program for their male youth program. And it, again, depends on the attitude of the local leadership. And the male youth can view it as a neat, fun thing to pursue or it can be something ya have to do 'cause the adults say I gotta. Their numbers are many because every young male is automatically enrolled. Comes with the family membership in the church. Youth females, when of age, become Venturererers, but it is a mono-ed program, not co-ed, in my experience with the local Stakes. So howbout that Manchester Union, eh? eh?

Yes,every so often a "sub group" is required by the "main group" to prove themselves. When I became a single parent and took responsibility for my then 4 year old daughter, I found most of the folks I would look to for support (my mother, the preschool, the in-laws, my bosses at work)all had opinions about how I was not the appropriate one to raise a daughter. I was asked to accept a "home visit" from the staff of the preschool. Just routine, I was told. Not really, the other parents told me. I constantly had to reassure my friends and relations that I was up to the task, and later, sometimes years later, many of them admitted to me their misgivings and congratulated me on my success. If my child had been a son I feel there would have been no such misgivings. The same problem is apparent in the Dad - GSUSA disconnect. Dads should deal with sons, Moms with daughters. Seems only natural. But it is not that simple. Possible sexual deviancy? Always a possibility, but we're talking fathers here, not strangers. There can be a certain amount of jealousy about the capability of the female leadership vs the possibilty of a male leader "taking over". If the purpose is to help the GS to be a strong, skilled, self reliant human, than why limit her example and leadership to females only? Chauvinism? My, my. Perhaps the dads just need to be persistant and be very available and better than perfect. They need to "prove" themselves even moreso than another mom would need to. Be aware of the unease and be ready to allay such fears. I agree, it is more a local concern (personal leader?) than an "official" problem. Oh yes. My daughter chose not to join the GSs. Back then she thought the ones she knew were "too dorky". We went hiking by ourselves and with friends. Later, camping and outdoor stuff might get her dirty, so she avoided other Scouting opportunities. Oh well. She is now 24 and happily married.

Paraphrase:: "But you don't understand, he has asperger's" "Yes ma'am, I do understand. My brother lives in a group home for emotionally challenged. And do you remember? I went over all the safety rules for the range. I remember you sitting in the back there with the other Den Walkers. I asked the Cubs if they thought I was strict, and all of'em including your son, said yes! And when I asked them if they thought I had reason to be strict, they all said yes. " "But Johan is different..." "I'm sure he is but I'd really like to avoid having to ask YOU to explain to another parent WHY Johan shot an arrow into their Cub's foot. And I'd like to avoid having to fill out 3 hours of insurance reports AND having to shut down the range for the other boys, too. Have I helped you to understand my position?" Motto Be clear, Be strict, Be glad you were. KiS MiF YiS

Can't be any worse than using the washers spin dry cycle to pump water out of a flooded basement (it was either that or bucket it out the loooong basement stairs). Washer needed replacing anyway, right? It was twenty years old anyway, right? Saved my back, right? Burning smell was gonna happen eventually, right? Avocado green didn't match the rest of the rec room, so it came out good all around right? Rec room had to be redone too, right? uh-huh...

Good a time as any,I guess... (bada dum bum bum bum...) I'm looking over my dead dog, Rover, That I just ran over with the mower! One leg is missing, the other is gone, The third leg is scattered all over the lawn. No need explaining the one leg remaining It's spinning on the car port floor... I'm looking over my dead dog, Rover, He just doesn't move any more! I'm looking over my dead dog, Rover, Who I just ran over with the mower! My dog's not eating, he no longer barks; He hit the propeller and turned into sparks. No need explaining, there's no dog remaining; He's part of the lawn you see... I'm looking over my dead dog, Rover, Who I sent to Eternity! (badalalala....)

The Rabbi put this question to his students: "How can you tell when night has ended and the day has begun?" One student suggested: "Could it be when you see an animal and you can tell whether it is a sheep or a goat?" "No, that's not it," answered the rabbi. Another student said: "Could it be when you look at a tree in the distance and you can tell whether it is a fig tree or a peach tree?" Again the rabbi answered: "No." After a few more guesses the students said: "Well, please tell us when night has ended?" The rabbi answered: "It is when you look on the face of another human and there is enough light to recognize them as your brother or sister." "Until then, it is night, and the darkness is still with us".

Just finished watching "Castaway" with Tom Hanks. Talk about camp skills. Part of the problem is the NEED for the skills. Tents come with preattached ropes and tensioner do-hickeys. No need for tautline hitch or double half hitches. Plastic and metal tent pegs and poles included. Axe and hatchet skills? All the poles for the dining tarp are automatic. Lashing, knots? Naw... Cooking comes in a precooked package (Troop leadership encourges Scouts to use "precooked" burgers and sausage etc. to avoid underdone meat problems). Cell phones and GMRS radio. Why know morse code or wig wag or semiphore? I don't need to ID Poison Ivy, SM will keep us away... Piezo electric clickers and Lucifers (matches). Flint and steel? Gas stoves alleviate need for regular camp fire building skills. Yeah, yeah, we can't burn up the forests by too many campfires (LNT not withstaning), but still... All this leads to the idea that the GAME part of Scouting must become more important, the encouragement of the FUN part of OWNING the skill. Being GOOD at something that other boys may not know anything about. Howbout a Castaway Camporee? Think Mr. Hanks or Mr. Zemeckis would come?

While announcing upon the ra-dio There are words one must simply omit Like @%!! and &*^%% and !@+(** Why, hell, you can't even say SH- AVING cream, keep yourself clean, shave every day and you'll alwaysbe keen.

Stimmt das. "Speak truth to power". Pack has part of the meaning. The term must include the idea of telling those 'in power' or who have, in some sense, authority over you the truth as you know it, REGARDLESS of what the authority might want or expect to hear. It means saying to those who can harm you what you know they MUST hear, regardless of the consequences to you. The concept has a religious basis and the origin of the phrase can be traced to early Jewish writing and the Q'ran. Although there is no record that he actually said the phrase, George Fox is often quoted that he was "moved to speak the truth to them" , referring to whomever he was with, whether mayor or magistrate or Cromwell. It is being "trustworthy",going beyond merely "yes".

I like to go out jogging, I must keep physically fit. But last night when I donned my Addidas, I found they were covered with SH AVING cream, Keep yourself clean, shave everyday and you'll always be keen...

Wannabees? Naw, no way. Lessee now... We now have Tiger Cub, Bobcat, Wolf, Bear, "Webelos" (whatever that is). Usta have Lion, then Webelos (that's a singular noun!). Never really liked the Tiger Cub moniker, when the rest of the ordering is smaller to bigger, fiercer animals. Breaks the trend, don't you think. If we look over seas for inspiration, I really don't know what our Brit friends do. I have heard that the UK have Scouts now, not Boy Scout and Girl Guide anymore, only age distinction. So what to name a kindergarten Scout? Some small, possibly fierce animal....Badger? Ferret? Ocelot? Mongoose? Shrew? Vole? Pergrine? Echidna? Lynx? Prairie Dog? I like Ocelot...alot...Or peregrine to begin... Maybe Lynx...Bob Cat...Badger...Wolf...Bear...Webelos... The old Lion rank was an African Lion, not an American Puma Lion. Maybe that's why the rank was eliminated, not an American animal? Yeah, you could make the series all-American! I hereby suggest: Lynx...Bob Cat...Badger...Wolf...Bear... smaller, fierce animal to larger, fierce animal.