SSScout

""Some Christians Shun Christmas and Its Trappings" by Jacqueline L. Salmon, Staff writer http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/22/AR2007122201747.html For some Christians, Christmas is just another day. "It's not in the Bible", said Arnold Hampton, 58, minister of the United Church of God Columbia, who hasn't celebrated the holiday since 1966. "Jesus never mentioned it". # # # # Gives one pause.... In the mean time, y'all have a happy Jesus birthday...

Without trying to recount the history of the holiday of Christmas and its many celebratory rituals (visits to Kmart?), I'd like to point out that many 'Christian' religions regard such celebrating as 'vain displays', and unworthy of the faith. Mennonites, Quakers, Hutterites, Jehovahs Witnesses, Amish and others certainly recognize and remember Jesus' birth, but note that no one day should be considered "holier" than another. All are God's creation and therefore everyday must be worthy of note in our actions and worship if we are to be loyal to His teachings and example. But the tree smel

Fscouter: Short answer, Yes. Except substitute "Scout" for the word "Eagle". That is waaaay too limiting. Not every boy will approach Eagle, but all of them can pick up a bit of the 'ideal'. Then, too, not every Eagle is really an exemplery Scout...(previous discussions) I can think of little better than to give a boy (or girl!) the skills to feel confident of their ability and judgement in ANY given situation, be it back in the woods on a cold winters day or in the voters booth or next to a man clutching his throat or in a stuck elevator or in a School assembly or in the fa

Inknprkn: Ditto all the above. Congrats on getting this far along. Hope you had a leetle fun along the way and made a few friends! Three questions for you: 1) What's with this "...need to do 1-2 more of the regular ones"? You don't know exactly how many MBs you have and therefore need? Sit down at your dining room table with your Eagle packet/notebook and figure it out. You either have'm or you don't. Bluecards? 2) I wonder why you are asking a bunch of (well meaning, concerned and knowledgable) strangers about this. Are there issues with speaking with your SM, AdC, ? Have you an Eag

Ditto the 'burning bridges' and new unit vs transfer unit to a new CO. DE would always want to see new units rather than t/f units. Tax ID: For tax free status, the Pack/Troop/Crew buying at our Scout Shop is always tax exempt, covered by Council status, not unit. Then too, the CO (at least in YOUR case, a PTA) should be non-profit/charitable; therefore you might inquire to use their tax ID, since they "own" the Pack. If you buy things for PERSONAL use, then you pay the tax. There's that word again...

It is , indeed, a good day. Thank you Ea.

God and Taxes... Typical subjects for a Scout forum, mmm? "... but teach a man to fish, and you'll never see him on a saturday again." (sez friends wife)

Been busy with my Meetings Christmas pageant... live sheep. Pack: Say, if there is a Christianity test, what's a passing grade and, by the way, who does the final grading? Can I register for pass/fail? Is there a CURVE or PERCENTILE CUT? Can you 'audit' the course? Can one 'opt out'? I always tell my kids EVERYTHING is a test. Lots of popquizzes along the way...Just not everybody passes. Read the homework and take notes during the lectures. AND ask the Instructor questions when they occur to you (some pupils call this prayer). You might not get another chance. Extra cred

Since we have no local source, we must import such gustatory nuanced material. GW: Do you favor Baxter State Park or Quebec's Mont Treblant?

In this era of litigation and medical miracles , why have I not heard the phrase " err on the side of caution"? At my WB weekend, I had TWO embedded ticks in my leg, at the same time. When I realized what the discomfort was, I reported it to the first aider (a paramedic in 'real life').I offered to drive myself home(a 45 minute drive away), but she insisted that this was an ER thing, could be infected, mebbe deer ticks, Rocky Mountain fever, Lyme desease, needs to be documented, surgical removal, etc. Well, I can drive myself, nearest ER's about 25 minutes away. No, no, this is too seriou

Senior Scout earned Eagle. Plan his own ceremony? Sure. Invited the Troop to a camp out on his grandparents farm. Invited Troop family to the campfire saturday night.(bring your own chair). SM and CC and all did the award thing in front of the fire under the Pine trees. Nice fall night. Very Scouty. Brownies not necessary. Hot cocoa and cider and hot dogs on sticks and all the fixins. Sing the Scout Vespers. Go to bed happy. YiS

The AL beanie only works (ie., absorb the high to mid frequency control microwaves) if it is properly grounded. Therefore, don't forget the necessary trail wire. Most EEs I knew in college ran the wire down their shirt and pants leg to the ground plate/heel tap on the bottom of their penny loafers. Seemed to work. YiiiiiiiS

Boy, took a while to wade thru this. Buddhists aren't Chrstian. Muslims aren't. (I'm 'commissioning' a new Troop and Pack sponsored by a mosque). Hindus aren't Christians (met a couple of HScouts at the Jamboree). I've even met some Christians that didn't act much like the Jesus I know. """((joke))Once I saw this guy on a bridge about to jump. I said, "Don't do it!" He said, "Nobody loves me." I said, "God loves you. Do you believe in God?" He said, "Yes." I said, "Are you a Christian or a Jew?" He said, "A Christian." I said, "Me, too! Protestant or Catholic?" He sa

Thank you, Ea. As Willy Sutton said, "because that's where the money is." So, taking the suggestion, if you wish to find BOYS, you ought to go to where the boys are. Schools (we've been thru that), TV, libraries, newspapers (well, the parents read'em, we hope), mebbe blogs are next? But the point is that, just like alot of Scout stuff, one can't depend on National or Council to do it. As way opens to you, just do it (outside of that reserved one hour a week, of course). Because if the boy doesn't want it (quality program, boy led, etc.), the parent ain't gonna support it. And

...because no one uses candles on camp trips, that's why... Don't trust Council or District to put Scouting in the public eye, you local unit folks gotta do it. On the inside page of your local paper are all the phone numbers and email addresses you need to get started. The smaller and more local the paper, the more they will love to "cover" your Scout event. Cub Scout Day Camp, Camporee, overnight visit to the local historic warship, local boy earns Eagle, local group (!Troop!) to hike 200 miles thru New Mexico mountains, if your Scout group is going to do it, TELL SOMEONE. If you

After all, we all depend on each other , right? We don't drive to the grocery store except for the skill and efforts of our friends the auto workers union and OPEC. Thus, we must realize our responsibility to provide for the archeologists of the future, by LEAVING STUFF BEHIND for the curious students of the early twenty first century. LNT but L alittle T every so often, even on Mars. "Frank! Look at this! It has a hinge and... are those numbers? and this smooth surface, What are those.. figures.. looks like ...N...O...K..I.. oh, I can't make that out...A? no...H? I bet Professor

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/02/AR2007120201896.html?sub=AR In Pa., Scouts Refuse to Lift Ban Chapter to Ignore City's Order to Alter Policy Excluding Gays By Dafna Linzer Washington Post Staff Writer Monday, December 3, 2007; Page A03 The Boy Scouts in Philadelphia are refusing to break camp. The city has given the local chapter until today to renounce its policy of excluding gays or forfeit the lease on the grand, Beaux-Arts building it has rented from the city for $1 a year since 1928. By refusing the city ord

""Knife? Yew caul thet a knife?"" Yes, Mr. Dundee, I call that a knife, so do my Scouts...

When teaching Whittlin' Chip or Totin' Chip, we always teach safe handling of ALL types of knives/axes/saws. Then, as G2SS or District rules dictate, we note that (ie, no "survival" knives, etc.) and we make LARGE note of school restrictions (knife possession equals suspension). Folding knives (clasp and lockback) only on Scout activities. Others not necessary (except for perhaps kitchen knives for cooking use). ASM shaving with super sharpened axe will be considered later...

Troop 1390 and Troop 1396 Partnered for the tree sale. Douglas Doerr is Scoutmaster of Troop 1390. His email is: doug_doerr@msn.com I spoke to him this evening and he gave me permission to publish his email here. He said that he has had offers of support from as far away as Alaska. He said that they have received donations that more than make up the loss of the trees. What a lesson for his boys, that so much good can come from such a poor example. One man asked to "buy a stolen tree, not a real one, a stolen one". So Mr. Doerr said the trees would have been priced at $45 and $

"Spider Web Carry" Create the following: A ring of cord or other material, maybe 6 inches in diameter, diameter depends on the size ball you will use. On this ring tie 5 or 6 (or more) lengths of cord about 5 or 6 feet or so long, spread out in a wheel spoke array. Now, Place the ring on the floor and spread the cords out radially and evenly around it. Place a ball (basket ball, dodge ball, tennis ball, depends on size of the ring and vice versa) on the ring. Participants grasp rope ends and ((working together!!)) carefuly lift the ball up off the floor and carry it to another location

Dale City, VA. Scout Troop raises money by selling Christmas Trees. When they return the next day after unloading the delivery truck the day before, they discover someone has made off with a goodly portion of their stock. They already have pledges of aid to make up the loss from folks as far away as Alaska and Illinois. http://www.wjla.com/news/stories/1107/475907.html(This message has been edited by SSScout)

Our Troop got it's trailer after the conjunction of several lines... (1) Troop had accumulated alot of gear. Over flowed the Scout Closet in the CO. Spread around in several Scouter garages: 2 burner gas stoves, water coolers, Troop tents, Tarps, cook sets, etc. (2) Patrols (once 5) all made Patrol boxes and Camporee type tables. (3) Troop got smaller (1 Patrol), dads left too. (4) Eagle Scout graduated, gave his Scout Acount to Troop to purchase trailer, spent project converting empty trailer into storage and carrying racks. (5) Another Eagle project built a storage shelter for t

As with the boys trou, we usually iron on patch material INSIDE the knees of the cotton/poly trou pre-emptively, thus reinforcing the area that wears first. We haven't bought the switchback types yet, having not really liked previous 100% nylon stuff. When and if we do, should we consider the reinforcing of the knees? Will iron on stuff STICK to the nylon anyhow? Nylon always does "pill" in reponse to abrasion. Goes with the territory. Chinese, eh?

As with the boys trou, we usually iron on patch material INSIDE the knees of the cotton/poly trou pre-emptively, thus reinforcing the area that wears first. We haven't bought the switchback types yet, having not really liked previous 100% nylon stuff. When and if we do, should we consider the reinforcing of the knees? Will iron on stuff STICK to the nylon anyhow? Nylon always does "pill" in reponse to abrasion. Goes with the territory. Chinese, eh?