SSScout

**sigh** I am reminded of a couple of things (being a student of the media world): Steve Martin suggests that if one is brought up before the court on a charge of murder, all one need do is tell the judge "I forgot" and you'll be let off, because all judges are forgiving, good folks. Everybody forgets stuff, right? Woody Allen did a movie, "Sleeper" where the government is doing it's best to protect the populace against all threats of injury. Big puffy clothing (no bumps), only absolutely healthy food, etc. To disobey the rules is to chance hurt or injury and therefore is again

1) Use the Tour Permit process to help you plan the trip in a disciplined way. Make sure of insurance coverage, valid drivers licenses, number of seat belts, cargo capacities, etc. 2) Trip coordinator arranges that every driver has a map and a cell phone exchange list. Who pulls the Troop trailer, if appropriate. 3) Two possibilities: Meet at the church (frinstance) and load cars and leave from there more or less together OR leave from home and make personal arrangements about who rides with who. Our Troop does both, depending on the trip. If the trip is long enough... 4) A lunch/din

I think the problem is us Scout leaders just don't understand and aren't sympathetic to the time limitations of the rest of the world. To that need for understanding, I would recommend we busy multitasking Scouters immediately start doing the followng: 1) Cut our lawns at least twice a week, completely, so it is microscpically neat and even. 2) Prune all our hedges and shrubs twice a month (see #1). 2a) Edge all our walks and driveway curbs. 3) Attend all the school dances, stage shows, sport games and concerts. 4) Make sure our children have at least 4 other clubs/sport teams/c

Hokay, enough politicosexireligiosity... Let's talk about stuff that's REALLY important. Camping gear! The Troop of my youth made stuff. We were famous for an ultralight tent: Use 6mil black plastic. It comes in 10' wide rolls, so we made 10'x10' tarps and occassionally an experimental "Baker" type tent. But we found the tarp to be emminently adaptable. I guess the only drawback is there is no 'skeeter netting included. You need someone's rec room floor, swept and vacuumed clean. Take off your shoes. Stretch out the 6mil plastic and cut NEATLY using a straight edge and a long bo

Is there any local publicity or editorial comment? How "known" is this in the Chicago area?

"Arrrgh... The Pirates' Code... we be thinkin' it be only guidelines, really..." Capt. Barbossa. "Morality cannot be legislated, but behavior can be regulated. Judicial decrees may not change the heart, but they can restrain the heartless." Martin Luther King Jr. "No turtle ever made progress but he stuck his head out" unknown.

(Justice Scalia): Counsel, let's posit the following situation. A church sponsors a Scout Troop and Pack. Scout Sunday comes up, and the Troop and Pack participate. Lovely uniformed Scouts sit in the up front pews. Previously unexpectedly to the Scouts, the Pastor gets up and announces that the collection today will be "dedicated to our Scout units". Question: According to BSA regulations, may the Scout units accept the collected plate donations? It seems to me that the church, being the sponsoring organization, represents the Scout units and may not solicit on their behalf. Am I mistaken in t

What infoscouter said. Gold Shoulder Cord: Be a Den Chief. see www.scouting.org , Cub Scouts, Den Chief. Red white and Blue Shoulder Cord: Den Chief Service Award. Take the training, be a Den Chief for a year, and do some other stuff. Encourage'm. How they gonna be DenChief if'n they don't know they could be? Train'em. How they gonna be a good Den Chief if'n they don't know what they should do? Use'm. How they gonna feel good about bein' a Den Chief if'n they don't do it? Attaboy'em. How they gonna keep doin' it if'n they don't know they doin' it good? jblake: Keep pu

GW: Llikely, BW llooks to describe the lliscensing rulles the llocal units need to folllow. Often, I don't think llocall lleaders reallly consider the "officiall" rulles when they pllan their fund raising. After alll, when you're concern is paying the billls and sending the boys to camp, one might not stop at merelly sellling popcorn. Then too, other non-Scout follks might take it on themsellves to help raise a llittlle money from the spare change that comes into their store, and then pass that on to the Scouts. More worms in the can! They put the sign on the bottlle tht says ""FOR T

To be specific, the Den Chief does not absolutely require "official" training, but it is definitely a good idea. Check with your Council, there is a DC training curriculum, about half a day. Also, there is a good on-line training at www.olc.scouting.org and look to the right column. Den Chief is not necessarily included in the NYLT, but it should be. My experience is that if the boy completes the District/Council NYLT, he gets the "Trained" strip, but not Troop sponsored training. Hasn't happened for the DC course, which has always been a seperate Saturday morning. One more particula

Show "Bridge Over the River Kwai"... J-u-s-t k-d-d-i-n-g....

Oh the tangled webs we weave...no that's not right... Do as I say, not as I do... nope, not quite... Danged if'n I do and danged if'n I don't... mmmmm, getting closer... Because I'm the daddy, that's why... mmmm. no. Is you is or is you ain't my baby?... I agree we would rather our Scouts earn their way. Sell something of worth, do a service for a price and not go around with their hand out saying please. However, what do we say when someone points to our United Way connection, or the DE's duty to "fund raise" or even the (shudder) FoS campaign? I know for a fact that many

My Llama. . . (sings) The most beautiful sound I ever heard: My Llama, my Llama, my Llama, my Llama . . . All the beautiful sounds of the world in a single word . . My Llama, my Llama my Llama, my Llama . . . My Llama! I've just met a ruminant named Llama, And suddenly that name Will never be the same To me. My Llama! I've just kissed a south American mountain ruminant named Llama! And suddenly I've found How wonderful a sound Can be! My Llama! Say it loud and there's music playing, Say it soft and it's almost like praying. My Llam

Vicki has a valid observation. So does BW. And so they may never come to a meeting of the minds. If I see a Scout that wears a First Class badge, I think " yep, First Class Scout. I earned First Class umpteen years ago". But then I realize that MY First Class is different, not quite the same as his First Class. I learned Morse Code, among other things, he didn't. Both First Class, but different. Who defined the standards to be met? Who certified that the young Scout then and now knows his stuff, and met the standard? National/Irving is / was different, from National/New Brunswick. Different

When I was a little younger, "the truck" we refered to held ice cream...

Google "flag carrying belts" Then, too, they do make duct tape in colors now...

A way out west, they've got a name For wind and rain and fire. The rain is Tess the fire's Joe and they call the wind my llama! My llama! My llama! They called the wind my llama! My llama blows the stars around and sets the clouds a-flyin', My llama makes the andes sound like folks was up there, dyin'... My llama blow my llama to me, I need my llama beside me.... My llama! My llama! They call the wind my llama! Andes is how to peruse good music.(This message has been edited by SSScout)

Thank you Liz, for speaking a good deal of my mind. See the previous thread: Pledges, Promises and Creeds: On My Honor... Wearing a uniform is another issue. What is ON the uniform is (was?) the issue in this thread. I knew a troop that wore the state flag on the sleeve under the USFlag. Had little replicas made up special. Looked good. Official BSA? ummmmmprobably not. Course, then too, I know another Troop orders their Patrol Badges from Canada because they like the look better. No one has called them on that either. Oh, Welcome to the Forums, Liz...

Well, arguing from the other end, if the BSA is NOT a "RO", what are we doing worrying about the Scout's religiious obeisance? Should not the twelve point be "A Scout is Respectful"? instead of...?

When I teach "flag ettiquette" to Cub Scouts (see Wolf... #2G), the toughest thing is learning to fold the US flag in the triangle. But when they 'get it', boy, are they proud of themselves. For some reason, kids these days aren't as ''manipulative'' as I remember, I sometimes have to actually take their hand and turn it the proper way to get that right triangle. The mantra is "thumb under", "thumb under". The average 7 or 8 or 9 year old tends to let his hands STAY palm up, no matter what, so the folds get messed up, UNTIL they realize they must turn the hand OVER with the folding, starting w

Ev: Right on, brother! Now, since we ask the Scout to "do my duty to God", to the best of his ability, what exactly is the Scout required to do? We can observe his skill at knot tying, and we can test his knowledge of aviation and award him a Merit Badge in Aviation. We can number the nights he camps out of doors, we can count the miles he hikes and award him ranks thereby. How to judge his doing of duty? Does not our organizational "requirement" of a religious duty require us to be a religious organization? Howbout that Killebrew, uh?

Okay, so I think we are in agreement about what a "religion" is, but not as to what a "religious organization" is. We have a group nearby named the Community Interfaith Service Committee. It is made up of representatives from many churches, synagogues, mosques and Meetings. I have done work for it. The CISC has counseling, homeless assistance, teen activities, and other things. Is this a "religious organization"? By comparison, there are many other groups that do alot of the same good works, but have no religious connections, either in support or purpose. NOT "religious organization"?

Glad I could help. You are always welcome to join us in silent worship. "Still not the same" Which is not the same as what? Howbout them Terrapins?

Eeyep. This is not a "who's on first" situation... The first day of the week is (in ordinary company, on the usual calender) called "sunday" (named after that bright circle in the sky that provides all that we need). Visit your neighborhood Baptist church and your kids will attend the "Sunday School". If you attend your local Friends' Meeting, ("worship after the manner of Friends"), they will escort your child to the appropriate "Firstday Class". There, they will find out why the Religious Society of Friends will also answer to Quaker. Thus, not honoring the pagan god, "sun". . S

A Scout is asked to recite a promise, and be true to it's implications. We ask Scouts to base their lives and actions on a list of adjectives. How best to show him (or her) the benefit of doing so? How best to encourage the avoidance of hypocracy?