SSScout

I once attended a Pack meeting for a totally different reason (okay, I was asked to come and talk about camping programs), but when I finished, I found myself WANTING to compliment the boys on being so well uniformed, which mostly they were. But I gave a SHORT talk (with the CM permission) about the use of the uniform as a way to show folks where one had been, what one had accomplished, that once you knew the "code", you could "read" the uniform and know alot about the Scout. I spoke about the pride of being a Scout. Would they wear the uni to school? I didn't chastize anyone for lack of correctness nor single out anyone for being well dressed. But I pointed to EVERYONE as I spoke, and included everyone in my comments. Made it a point to compliment the PARENTS for being so attentive to their boys appearance. The CM told me later that he had some parents come to him later to ask about uni issues. A first. He thanked me, an ousider, for stirring the pot alittle, as he put it. Follow as the spirit leads... YiS

Boys throw rocks into the still waters of the lake so they can see how far they can throw and hear the KERPLUNK and see the ripples spread. Not to raise the water level.

It is now getting somewhere we are. Many Religions (there's that word) , Quakers among them, try hard "officially" not to do honor to other religions that they deem to be 'incorrect' or 'wrong'. The honorific pagan names accorded in the past to the days of the week, the names of the months, the names of the planets are excellent examples. To totally remove ALL RELIGIOUS (ie, honoring previously believed in and worshipped gods of various hues), one must fall back on the original old time Quaker tradition of NUMBERING the days of the week and NUMBERING the months of the year,and then referring to the years (anno domini?) as "the 4th year from the big snow that crushed the Baltimore Railroad Museum Round House Roof". And we really do live on the third rock from the sun. Somebody once worshipped the moon, asking it to provide big harvests, therefore monday is not a good government choice for a week day name. Must be "second day". January honors the Roman god of time/history Janus, so the government should use "first month". Uh-huh, Month... honors the moon... need a new name for the 1/12th of the year thing...firstwelveth, secondtwelfth... Can't acknowledge any religious belief in any govermentally sanctioned activity. Taxes remind me of tithing. Didn't somebody say a person should render Caeser type things to Caeser type entities? Atheism is a belief, if only a belief in a LACK of belief, and thus is due our respect and (at least) tolerance. Government can't honor it, tho. I interpret that pesky amendment to include the establishment of a "lack of religion" too. Equality of access is important. It won't be me or you that ultimately rewards (or punishes) our choice of belief. ((how we came to that belief is not the topic here.)), That is, if we believe that someone IS going to reward/punish.. oh never mind. No one damages me by not believing as I do, assuming that's ALL they do, therefore I have no reason to mind or object to the way they feel (or not feel). But to totally remove all religious reference from our activity would be not only awkward and difficult, it would be Orwellian in nature. "And the heavens proclaim the Big Bang" doesn't sound quite as impressive. Then to, placques could be set up to educate folks about the attributes of the orbital rocks and you could space them in scale distance from the Central Star. I know from my astrophysics class that Rockone is very hot. YiS.

Happy new year As a poor college student turned poor batchelor new home owner, I worked for a while as a bus driver for the local transit service. I would note what was left out on the curb and often come back to "shop". I have collected (all in working order) a clothes dryer, couch, color tv (yeah it was a tube set, but 24"), floor lamp, a plexi half globe 30" in diameter that I later learned was the navigators dome from a Martin Mariner (served as a sky lite on my porch), steamer trunk, book cases, camp trunk (with casters became a tool chest), reel to reel tape deck (wollensak), turn table deck, automotive floor jack, large camp tent (old Coleman, used it a few years), many aluminum tent poles, shovels, rakes, a spare tire and wheel for the truck I was driving right when I needed one, many, many books. And lots of "etc." I used them until I couldn't any more (irrevocably broke or the new wife didn't like the decor) at which point the item was given to someone else, recycled, or put on the curb again for the next generation. (the tube RCA color set went to an electronic historian/hobbiest. The good tubes therein were literally irreplacable). It's the American way.

I CARRY a square box Primus. Lights first time, everytime. Scouts carry a collection of types, so called pocket rockets, MSR, etc. Troop trailer CARRIES two burner Colemans, all of which used to be white gas fired. We discovered a conversion kit for the liquid fuel stoves at the local Dick's. This kit also saved my two burner J.C.Higgins stove! (God knows how old that stove is. It was my father in laws). The kit consists of a tube and valve/regulator that inserts into the stove where the gas tank tube would insert and a spring to hold it in.. A propane tank (or extension hose) screws onto the regulator. Presto! A new stove! Kit retails for $18. (on sale for $14.50 ) . The stoves can still use the liquid fuel tanks, if desired.

Check the material. Is it the older cotton/wool canvas? or the more modern nylon stuff? Go check with a couple of cleaners before you go with a particular one. You want to ask for new, CLEAN solvent, not the end-of-the-day stuff. Often rust type stains can be spot cleaned with OTC stuff like "oxyclean". Perhaps it's time to think about retiring the ole faithful. Maybe a glass case on the wall of the CO? What about all those ribbons? Many years of ribbons would make a heckuva display. Any signatures around the edges? What's it's history? YiS and Happy Christmas

Gateways have their time and place. Consider ... Building comeraderie, team spirit, Patrol/Troop spirit, pride of belonging, memories, encouraging creativity, pride of accomplishment, sense of space, skill acquired, leadership and working together experience. Hiking the AT, aloooong time ago, my Troop once came up to a shelter site that already had another Troop encamped. We took a less desirable area, but we made it ours, at least temporarily, by instantaneously creating some "streetsigns" a "welcome to" gateway and labeling the cooking area a "restaurant", the SM and SPL tents "city hall". Lashings and notepaper and sticks. The other Troop looked on in wonder. We had a joint campfire later. Camporees, Jamborees, perhaps longer-term sites are better suited to such efforts, but I remember the fun. Next morning, before lunch time, we dissassembled it all and were on our seperate ways, having left only footprints and fire circle ash (duly scattered).

""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 smells nice in the house and it is better to look at than the TV set it replaces in the corner of the living room. All things in moderation. And the Sabbath was created for man.

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 family kitchen. I can think of no situation where Scout Skills and/or the Scout Law and Promise cannot find purpose. How 'bout them POTUS candidates? Any place they could apply Scout experience there? (if they had any?) I guess that's where my mission lays, kinda like the definition of "art". I know it when I see it? Also see the small booklet "In The Founders Footsteps" YiS

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 Eagle Advisor in your Troop? (oops, more than three questions) Any contact with your District AdC yet? Don't forget to keep your PARENTS informed........ 3) What are you doing wasting time reading this? Get cracking, boy! Good Luck and God speed! YiS

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 credit?

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 serious, call the LSU from the fire station down the road...and so I was wisked away in the back of a state-of-the-art ambulance in the company of a crusty old veteran paramedic and her cute, blonde, 19 year old 'apprentice', both of which insisted on inspecting the sites, on the old mans inner thigh. ummm. Oh well, the ER doc excised the remains of the ticks, took them in for culturing and some time later my home doc put me on a 'profilactic course of antibiotic'. All is well. I doubt if a camp RN would have done less. In the older days, that RN would've swabbed the sites with alcohol, gently teased the ticks out with some tweezers and sent the Scout back to camp. This is better? I don't think so. As I told a friend who had broken his foot, "That's why God created orthopedic surgeons".

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 said, "Protestant." I said, "Me, too! What franchise?" He said, "Baptist." I said, "That's great! Me, too! Northern Baptist or Southern Baptist?" He said, "Northern Baptist." I said, "Me, too! Northern Conservative Baptist or Northern Liberal Baptist?" He said, "Northern Conservative Baptist." I said, "Me, too! Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region, or Northern Conservative Baptist Eastern Region?" He said, "Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region." I said, "Wonderful! Me, too! Northern ConservativeBaptist Great Lakes Region Council of 1879, or Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region Council of 1912?" He said, "Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region Council of 1912." I said, "Die, heretic!" And I pushed him over. So ya pays yer money and ya takes yer cherce. If a LDS person considers themself a Christian, it ultimately isn't for me to say nay. but still, "by their fruits ye shall know them." I think it was Gandhi who said that the most Christian person he ever met was Muslim. (This message has been edited by SSScout)

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 if the boy doesn't know about it, he isn't gonna want it. I guess they all go together, don't they? So you tell the parents about the opportunity and the boy about the opportunity and then try to clear your calendar's saturdays for the next 5 years...

...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 your Cub Pack has a PR person, very often the local editor will love to include the results of your Pinewood Derby and you know the boys will get a kick out of seeing their name in print. MAKE THE CALL. WRITE THE NOTE. TV stations are a possibility if you have "eyecandy" to go with the story. Monkey bridge, flag ceremony, lots of Cubs cheering, watergun fights, rock climbing. Radio stations are not as good sources of PR as they were because most are into music and not so much about local news, but ya don't know until ya ask. The phone call is best to pique their interest. Ask to speak to the NEWS editor, they will send you to the right person. Be persistant. You may have to repeat your story many times to many people. Be patient and upbeat every time. **After 6 phone calls, speaking to at least four different people, I convinced the "Metro" editor to cover our visit to the USS Constellation. One quarter page story, two scouts interviewed. Of course it was worth the effort. **Umpteen phone calls, several emails, and the Washington Post sent a photog and reporter to our CSDC. One half page with 4 photos in the local County insert!! Even the reporter said he had a good time! **District makes contact with a local weather TV man. Guess who speaks about Scouting for Food on TV for a week!! **How 'bout the traffic 'copter overflying (flpflpflpflpflpflp) the Camporee? Now, I have no idea how many (if any) new Scouts we gained from these, but they cost NOTHING but effort. All it needs is SOMEONE to make the calls. 'Course, if National wants to get Mel Gibson or somebody to do voice over for a thirty second rockclimbingflagraisingtugowarrafttriphikealongmonkeyropebridgearcherybbgunsoccergame interlude, well, nothing wrong with that. Oh, that's Mathew 5:15.

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 Velikovsky will love this..." op cit. "Great Moments in Architecture" by David Macaulay And "Motel of the Mysteries" by David Macaulay (This message has been edited by SSScout)

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 order, the Boy Scouts in Philadelphia face losing their headquarters by June 1, or else must pay market value for the property. (By Michael Perez -- Philadelphia Inquirer) "We're ignoring the deadline," said Mark Chilutti, a member of the Cradle of Liberty Council executive board, which operates the local Scouts chapter. "It was the least bad option we have." The decision is likely to intensify a four-year standoff with city officials who have been trying to enforce a 1982 "fair practices" law that bans municipal subsidies for organizations that discriminate. The city solicitor, Romulo L. Diaz Jr., had given the chapter until today to change its policies. If the Scouts refuse to do so, they will have to leave their historic headquarters by June 1 or pay market value for the property, which the city has placed at $200,000 a year. Diaz said in a recent interview that he would begin looking for a new tenant for the 100-year-old building tomorrow. The confrontation between the city and the nation's third-largest Scouts chapter began in May 2003 when the national Boy Scouts held their annual meeting in Philadelphia. During the conference, a local Scout challenged the organization's policies by announcing on television that he was gay and a devoted member of the organization. He was promptly dismissed by the council. When the city responded by threatening to evict the chapter, local Boy Scout officials considered breaking with the national policy. But they were soon facing the prospect of another eviction, this time from the national Boy Scouts, who said Cradle of Liberty would lose its charter if it opened its ranks to gays. "We are a franchisee of the national council," Chilutti said. "If we were a McDonald's franchisee, we couldn't sell Whoppers, even if we thought it was a better product." The Supreme Court ruled seven years ago that the Boy Scouts of America, as a private organization, has the right to exclude gays from its ranks. The Boy Scouts also prohibit atheists and agnostics from employment on the grounds that such beliefs are inconsistent with the values of the country's largest youth organization. Two years ago, Congress passed the Support Our Scouts Act to protect chapters from local government attempts to strip them of access to public facilities in response to the anti-gay policy. The Cradle of Liberty Council tried to satisfy the city and the national organization by issuing a four-line statement that concluded: "Prejudice, intolerance and unlawful discrimination in any form are unacceptable within the ranks of Cradle of Liberty Council." But gay rights groups worried that "unlawful discrimination" gave the chapter cover to continue anti-gay hiring practices. Jeff Jubelirer, a spokesman for Cradle of Liberty, said the chapter has not faced any discrimination charges in recent years and has since adopted an informal "don't ask, don't tell" policy for its support staff. But potential scout leaders must affirm that they are not gay. Cradle of Liberty says it serves more than 64,000 youths, mostly from the inner city, and that, as a result, its programming is centered on mentoring and after-school programs instead of suburban camping trips. It also hosts the oldest scouting event in the country, a three-day annual encampment at Valley Forge to commemorate the harsh winter that George Washington spent there with Continental Army soldiers. Chilutti said the Scouts are still weighing their options and are looking forward to reopening the issue in January when incoming mayor Michael Nutter is sworn in. "This is a city with a very high homicide rate and many other problems. I doubt the mayor's first priority is going to be to evict the Boy Scouts," Chilutti said. (This message has been edited by SSScout)(This message has been edited by SSScout)

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