SSScout

How many commandments? http://www.downes.ca/post/113 Or is it eleven? Or 613?(This message has been edited by SSScout)

"...and from what I know none of us have gone backpacking before." Be congratulated for your self honesty. Many have said "oh, piece of cake" and ended up on the front page of B section, extolling the virtues of our state park service rangers. Listen to Uncle Calico. He knows of what he speaks. Do not do the BIG trip first. Work up and feel good about your experience on the LITTLE trip first. 25 or 30 miles a day under pack is a GOOD days hike. I like Calicos 3day plan. Another consideration would be to find a park campsite for a base (and in July, you will need advance reservations) and hike out for the day to see the various sights around the area. Condition and practice. Break in those shoes AND those muscles that haven't been used IN THAT WAY before. You will end up liking each other better afterwards. (you and your muscles, AND you and your friends).

Could always buy a campground, or (check with the Council) equip a campsite. Masons and Shriners are very good at fund raising. Find a need in the Council and let them know. Could the District CSDC use some adult volunteers? York or Scot?

Vicki: Thank you for saying it right. Vertical and horizontal. I like that. May I use that the next time I present "Scout's Own" at the IOLS? After all, many (most?) other Scout orgs around the world make no Law Point about "religion".

Only on Scouter... The connection between accectance of our Religious Diversity and Batter Dipped French Fries...

My last year as Cubmaster, I had to take down a large Cherry tree in my yard. I announced the same to our Roundtable. More than a few SMs and CMs contacted me for the wood. I chainsawed off a number of "cookies" about 12 inches in diameter. They made excellent placques. I made three for the last AoL Cubs from my PAck. The cookies had a nice split in them, so I drilled an appropriately angled hole (that arrow sure hit hard!)and after I sanded them down smooth, I inserted an arrow stub. Some wood burning of names and words and a glued on Webelos symbol from the Scout Shop and I had three nice placques for our Packs last Webelos Scouts. Don't forget the hanger or routed groove in the back for hanging! The accepting SMs awarded the new Scouts their Handbook, new necker slide and red loops.

I think next to religion, food elicits just about the most discussion. Yep, I've heard of glop cooking. All goes in the same mouth, right? When I want to gross out my family, I tell them (again!) the story of the surgery on my jaw of some years ago. I had to have my jaws WIRED SHUT for 3 months. Only a half inch gap for food and drink. No chewing. I used a blender to pre-masticate my sustinance. I drank my thanksgiving dinner. A little milk, mashed potatoes, turkey, gravy, "puree", and yum. Thanksgiving milk shake. Make the cheeseburger, lettuce and tomatoe, ketchup, cut into small pieces, into the blender, a cup of ice tea, let 'er rip. sip and gulp. Bon Apetit. So?

Yep, read the fine print. Belt Loops and Pins CAN be earned more than once, and the Pack does the Cub a diservice, I feel, if they can't award them when earned. I have seen Cubs wear a belt over their shoulder, bandolier style, to accommodate all their BLs! Now, although the Manual doesn't stipulate, I feel it is reasonable to limit the BL to once a year, but the Alpha Cub can do alot each year! Frinstance: Tiger to Web 2: 5 years. Attend Cub Scout Day Camp each summer, earn the Archery BL automatically each year, at least 4 BLs (maybe the W2 bridges over and doesn't do CSDC the last year?). The Archery Pin takes a little more effort (at our CSDC, you come in at 6am and do all the extra stuff). Same with each Sport. Cub can earn a BL each season. Learn alittle more each year, work up to the Sport Pin.

Hey, didn't we already discuss this.... "repelling" as in "keeping people away from Scouting"? I know the topic has come up in various guises before. I just know it has... ;>)

I guess I've always been suspect of the "too easy". There's always a 'cost'. Extra weight, poor nutrition, extra trash (carry in, carry out), pollution, "leave a trace". Now possible toxic left overs? Leaching plastizicers? Shades OF Bhopal? Mercury in swordfish? Tuna? Well, I still fall back on the traditional. If you don't wish to carry in the cast iron pan and the Coleman stove ( J.C. Higgins in my case)... Site search "Courageous Cookery" and let the complaints begin...

My favorite story about Religious awards: I was at a more 'formal' Scout event. I came across a Boy Scout who had a pocketflap full of dangles.. On closer examination, he wore the "God And Country", "Ad Altere Dei" and the"Ner Tamid". When I asked him about this overt display of Diversity, he told me his Troop was sponsored by a Methodist Church, his dad was Catholic and his mom Jewish. He said he liked doing the comparisons. I suppose when he becomes an adult Scouter, he could wear 3 blue and silver knots. YiS&C

BSA is, by definition and example, a discriminatory organization. As are many others. The Scout Unit sponsoring organization has ultimate say as to who can belong to their unit.. This is why some Houses of Faith declare that only boys of their faith may join their Scout Unit (see corresponding thread). This is ultimately why Public Schools may not sponsor Scout Units. If the Public School said that they would allow declared athiests to belong, that would be counter to the BSA definition, hence the sponsoring PS would be in violation of BSA requirements. However, as with any well behaved public organization, the BSA unit should be allowed the same access to rent the all-purpose room, use the atheletic field, etc. as any other. That is how nascent Baptist churches and Cub Packs and Ethical Societies and Cheer Leading Camps and Fight Cancer Societies utilize the schools around my home. And that is how the Scout units in my area put up "Join Scouting Night" posters on the school hall walls and Troop and Crew fliers on the "take one" tables. Equal Access. 'Course, it had to be proven in the District Court, but that's the "American Way". So a boy/parent can learn about the Soccer league or the breast cancer awareness walk, or the Scout Troop, or the book sale or the ice hockey clinic. Just peruse the literature rack outside the school office.

As it happened, the facilitator of our class, an otherwise wonderful person, had no inkling as to the "correct" answer to this conundrum (asked by a participant, evidently from experience). ((NB: correct vs legal?)) We talked about it longer than any other question. The group consensus seemed to be more on the lines of "that's terrible, how can they do that, the boy/parents should be able to join any Troop they want, etc." Bob Whites answer was suggested by one, but not many liked that. I mentioned the mono-faith Troops I had met at the Jamboree. In our 'diverse desire' soaked group, it seemed unnatural to just deny membership out of hand like that. But I feel, as B/W states, that the CO has the legal right to limit it's units' membership. But is that 'right'? The reasoning intuited by the group seemed to come round to , well, if the boy isn't "faith A", knowing their attitude, why would he want to join? He'd feel left out, he might end up thinking he's being "proselytized" unfairly. But on the other hand, the "A" folks might not want their boys exposed to an "unwashed" type, even if the boys are friends in school. So we seek "diversity" and making the Scout program available to every type of social group (religious/economic/physical ability/language/race/education/fill in the blank), but in the real world, it gets messy. How 'bout helping that boy and his folks start their own Troop?

? Goldwings have hub caps? ;>)

The Scene: Commissioner College Class on Diversity. The Situation posited: A boy applies to join a Scout Troop because some of his school buddies are members and have invited him. The Troop is sponsored ("chartered") by religious organization "A", a fairly major faith in the community. Troop leadership tells the boy and his parents that they will not accept him because he, the Scout Applicant, is not of their faith. They think he would be better served to join the Troop sonsored by Religious Organization "B". Turns out Scout is of faith "C" , which is not represented in the local Scout Charter Orgs. What do you do/recommend as the assigned Unit Commissioner for Troop "A", if anything? What, if anything, would you say to the boy and his family? Mmmmm? ((NB: this was meant to be a spin off of "Religious Awards"==Cub scout ))(This message has been edited by SSScout)

wmjivey: I am of the opinion that the Den meeting should be for Scout stuff. If the boys in the Den (and their parents) agree to work on their Religious Awards together, that's great, but it should not be in the context of a Scout meeting. To do so would discriminate against any Cubs not of that faith, and frankly, I do not see how multiple faiths can work on their own awards together. I have been told that Scouting is "religious" but not a "religion". The multiplicity of religious representation in the average Pack or Troop is certainly an advantage to my mind. If the Den in question is truly mono-faith, then take the boys after the Den Meeting and do the Faith thing, but one MUST be sensitive to any who chooses , for what ever reason, not to join the Award class. You may lose a boy to Scouting by such action. Is that what you want?

Den Zero has my vote. Areeely small pack might operate as one Den, and go every where as a bunch, but you, Base, have got at least two Dens. Take the Tigers and their partners and "Go See It". Don't talk disparagingly of the other folks in the Pack, just set a good example. And when you come back to the Pack meeting and talk about the fun ya'll had, see if things don't change a little.

Thank you,jschlich, for your steadfastness. It has been asked before, but I will ask again: Is there anything an "outsider" can do to help? Amicus Curiae letter, that sort of thing? A small check? (!) a large check? YiS

Since it is generally agreed among Pinewoodies that the critical part of the racer is/are the wheels and axles, make sure that one of the Pack/District rules is that "only official BSA PWkit Wheels and Axles are allowed". This can be easily attested to by close inspection. The axles can be polished and trued and the wheels smoothed to a certain extent, but other wheels and axles should be verboten. Who does the polishing and trueing would be hard to prove, so "Scouts Honor", the car was made by Cub and Parent hands...

Recipe from my Turkish college housemate, Raffi Karahisar, wherever he is (mousaka to be willing to wait for): In a pot sufficiently large: (experience reveals allow for about twice the volume): How many cups do you want to make? That number of cups of cold water plus one. That number of heaping table spoons of coarse ground coffee (Maxwell House will do) plus one. That number of tablespoons of sugar, plus one. Stir once. Put on stove/fire and bring to a rolling boil. Boil for one more minute. Immediately pour into cups. Let sit for one minute. Drink hot, (but not the last half inch of mud!). Do not reuse grounds. Spread on garden for compost. Raffi had an excellent command of english but had a hard time understanding folks from Baustun. eyuh.

Wow. Thank you. Carry on, Anneinmpls. GSUSA indeed. I enjoy being educated, actually, then I can speak intelligently about something, rather than merely pretending. "ignorance is only skin deep but stupidity goes right down to the bone".

Is there a GSA "Irving"? Do they have any say in this? I'm not complaining, I think it's great, I just havta play What If... And if a BSA Troop decided to use the 'traditional' GSA model, what WOULD Irving say? Or do? Or are there BSA Troops that already DO use the 'traditional GSA model, and maybe don't realize it? Ummmm?

Well, there you go. Mars vs Venus. Get 'er done vs work thru a story. Larn how it works vs play thru a theme. Anne, sounds like a fun day (fire, sharp stuff, and dirt and plants. Nothingwrong with them.) Search the forums for "Whitlin' Chip" (the Cub Scout knife safety badge) and "Totin' Chip" (the Boy Scout knife, axe and saw safety badge) and you'll see the collected experience of many people. Which brings up another point: Why limit it to pocket knives? If the girls are old enough, (age 6 to 15? quite a range, but neat for the big sisters to help the younger ones), can you bring in safe knife use in the kitchen (big cooking knives are a bit different than a folding pocket/case/jack knife but you still need good technique for safe, efficient use), and (maybe this is not included in GSA progrm) hand axe use? And as has been mentioned, soap carving is a fun thing and a good souvenir to take home (clean too!) Buy Ivory "personal" size or bigger. Since you would need many bars of soap, maybe KMart or another retailer will give you a price cut if you mention GSA. Never hurts to ask. Sailors use knives, too. Marlin Spike use? Combine knife and knots. Cut ropes to proper length and tie'em together to rescue something? Throw across "gorge"? 2x4 balance beam across the "gorge"? Indiana Jackie rescues the Lost Cookie Bowl? Dah-dee-deedee--dah-dee-dah, (etc). MiF KiS YiS

*sigh* "Alright, ya'll have a safe trip home. Eagles, you're putting the tables away tonite,right? Oh Tommy, can I see you a minute?" "Yes, Mr. Smith?" "How'd you think the meeting went tonite?" "Well .. ((insert stuff))" "Okay. We'll have to talk about that at the PLC next time, huh?" "Yeah, guess so. Can I go now, my dads waiting." "Sure, good job tonite, Tommy. Pete, you got a better than average Scout there." "Oh,yeah, sometimes I even think so, Ken. G'nite." "G'nite." ((sound of lock turning)) And the problem is...?

Well, there's art and there's ART... I always thought a master carpenter or mason created art... I think Req. #1 means to think about materials and tools: Clay, paint, marble, paper, pencils, charcoal, glue, magazine pictures (think collage), cloth, crayons, chalk, speedball pen nibs, brushes, tile, dirt...etc. etc. usw.... are there any limits? Anything that cannot be used? Think Christo... And I second Lisabob. Go to the library and find some books of pictures by the masters, Durer, DaVinci, Heinrich Kley,even Rockwell. Look for the "Golden Rectangle" and other shapes in the overall composition. Have fun.