SSScout

Greetings TBM: Ain't it nice to have a place to vent where ya won't ruffle any feathers and you're bound to get a sympathetic ear? Well, it happens that your story is not all that unusual. I would suggest going to your DE and having a sit down with him/her. Well meaning volunteers not withstanding, a CSDC can be either a real turnoff or a real recruiting tool. Be forewarned! you may end up like my significant other! She came into CSing wearing a large sceptic hat . She ended up going to Camp School (on the Councils bill!) and has been the CSDC Director lo these past years! Makes me ... first assistant everything else, I guess. The best way to improve things is to learn from other peoples mistakes. Go to the present CSDC Director and offer to help. You and them and the District DE can do a world of good. We always have a staff picnic before the CSDC. Get to know each other alittle, talk about policy. We REQUIRE Packs to come to the site the friday evening before the opening monday, to pre-register the Cubs, pick up the t-shirts, check paper work and have a walk thru for Den walkers to see the site and learn where everything is, and meet the staff (at least by sight). Makes everything go much smoother on opening day. Make the policy and then politely enforce it. Be willing to change it if things prove the necessity, but make it stick. When we said "no walk up registrations on monday" and made it plain in all our literature, we surprised no one when our DE had to turn away 3 parents who tried to do just that (we were at capacity of 253 Cubs that year), but the next year had no problems. Sorry to disappoint the boys, but the parents learned their lesson, we hope. We have lots of 'special events' and lots of Scout activities. I am recognized in the grocery store as the "Archery Guy". If you "get involved", don't be afraid to ask . They will come. State and county agencies (environment, natural resources, fisheries, State police, national guard, fire and rescue, Corps of Engineers etc.) have lots of programs they can provide to Scout Camps. The big hit every year is the State Police Medivac Helicopter, lands on our activity field in front of the Cubs,and the crew talks about their mission and the aircraft. Wows 'em. Just keep asking. Somebody's mom or uncle knows somebody who works for the umpty umpt company and their president was a Scout and... Just keep asking...REI and Home Depot are prime Scout companies. Big grocery stores, even the local hardware store can give you a discount on supplies if you mention Scouts. You know what the kids would like and need. Step out there and make it happen! Trust in the spirit to open things up for you. I'd be surprised if there weren't a couple of other moms and dads out there thinking the same as you. Find each other and remember Bob the Tomatoe: "It's for the kids". (only don't call'em that. Call 'em Scouts!) Yours in Scouting, (This message has been edited by SSScout)

OOOOHH hum.. snurf.. ah.. Oh hey there.. yes I did have a nice nap. Is it spring already? Each unit's CO has its own "Qualifiers" for joining. Turns out the Brooklyn Jewish Troop that I met at the Jamboree has the same Qualifier as the Catholic Troop from Pittsburgh and the LDS Troops from Utah and the black AME Troop from down the street and the Islamic Center Cub Pack... if you want to ASSOCIATE with THAT type of unit and don't OBJECT to the way THEY do things, then welcome aboard. They are all Scouts. HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE? Some wear yamulkes. Some only shake hands right to right. Some have grape juice at "Scout's Own". Some kneel. Some pray silently. Some turn to a particular point of the compass to pray. Some have highly educated leaders with lots of initials after their names. Some don't have any leaders in particular. Some take turns being each others leaders.... All of them raise their right hands , hold their first three fingers together and recite "On My Honor..." and I believe them when they say it. The particular Pack I am now working with has many folks who see the benefit of the Scout Program (modify it a little here...) but don't really see where they fit in the greater scheme. If the boys enjoy it, if they gain friends from their associations (at camp, making crafty things, earning belt loops...) with other units, how can that possibly be a bad thing? Are we here for Scouting (however you define it) or are we here to make sure that only CERTAIN people are Scouts? Have we forgotten BP's vision of Scouting being a means to better understanding between people and hence a force for (shudder) world peace? My present motto is "Less meetings, more program" All together now, "L M M P !" YiS

As a nascent UC, I have been given the assignment of assisting a struggling Cub Pack sponsored by.... an Islamic Community Association. The COR has spoken with me several times, plans are afoot. He is very sure that the basic tenets of Scouting are in no way in conflict with the values of Islam or the Quran. His wife is a Girl Scout leader. We are working toward training all the adult leaders, getting the Cubs involved in CSDC, and other extra-Pack activities. I am learning as much about the cultural differences as he is about the Scouting possibilities. Yes, the Program has to be 'adapted' in certain ways. More on those things later. Can you say "Diversity Ticket"?

Ditto all the above. High class tent looks like this: Floor: Should look like a plastic tarp. Tough and Crinkly. Walls: Lowers are coated, uppers are screened for ventilation. Rain fly (topcover): Coated: One side looks like a piece of cloth (top) and other side (bottom) looks like a shower curtain, smooth like. Sewn Seams are ALL taped. If not, get the SeamSeal stuff, in a tube, like glue (the spray can stuff may or may not work, depending on the material and construction of the tent). Turn the tent or fly upside down on a table, and work goo in systematically. Smooth it on with a finger, so as to fill in all the thread holes and edges. Here's the test: Try to breath thru the fabric. Nylon taffeta is porous and prone to drip and leak. My experience...

So I announce at the committee meeting that the National Web site has a new training page titled "Committee Challenge" and the boys and girls around the table react "so?" and we discuss the need for training of the Scout leaders in the Troop. Seems the Charter listing notes that certain of the Adult Leaders don't have the 'Y' in the 'Trained?' column . Other than practising our splices on hands and feet, how to convince them to go get "trained"? of the utility of getting "trained"? After all, we've all been 'trained' in the ole school of 'hard knocks'; been Eagles, been to Philmont (twenty years ago), led the boys up the Appalachan trail, what's to be gained? I always thought the coffee and donuts were pretty good....

On Line Training::: Keep looking. Our Council has both "Quick Start" and "New Leader Essentials" on the Council site. Which leads to anew thread.....

Hey Joe: Always liked your films, especially the one about the model trains... What scottteng said. Maybe a SMminute about loyalty, always being there for each other, "Band of Brothers"? "Sullivan Brothers"? "Momma always liked you best" I bet if you asked either of them if they think dad or mom favors the other, they'd say yes. Share a tent? maybe not. the tent might not survive. But give the both of them a project to complete together, and make sure they do it. Conservation, pioneering, something hands on with an obvious result. Also, if you can, observe the family dynamics. How does dad settle things? Are the boys merely following his example? Then there is the obvious thing that no one ever does. Take each aside and ask each: Hey Bob, How come you don't get along with Tom? Might be interesting that no one ever asked him before. Good Scouting Luck to you...

Sounds like a real benefit to the community! When I first saw the title to this post, I immediately flashed to "Veggie Tales", the cartoon show, but this is even better if one can bring your Cubs to learn about nutrition and the 'other'foods. I love it when big corps like Wegmans put their corporate selves out there for the community. Home Depot will do crafty things for your CSDC, REI will do LNT for your training camps, Trader Joe's will provide materials at a stiff discount or donated depending...Ya just gotta ask far enough ahead for scheduling. Look for these opportunies and make sure that the media knows about them and how they help SCOUTS along the way. YiS

Being in a semi=urban area, the sites for our WebWeekend and Camporees have no firewood at all, down to pick up or dead to cut down. We have to bring it in, cook over "oil can" grills off the ground or gas stoves. Evening campfires are usually shipping pallets torn up and stacked up. Now these pallets are usually seasoned oak, and boy do they burn pretty, you risk a first degree burn or at least a good instant tan if you sit too close in the front row. " Leave No Trace"? Naturely speaking perhaps, but I'd like to think I'm leaving a little trace in the spirits of the boys I work with. Somebody could develope a good SMMinute about that. Mmmmmmmmmmmm.....

The boys in our Troop were surprised when I noted that the Troop flag was the same one that the Troop used when I was a Scout in it. That makes the Troop flag at least 45 years old. Now, the American flag we now use is not the one I marched to , as this one has 50 stars on it. And my Scout years flag had 48 to start. (no,no,no, not 13...) Note for your Scouts any history to your flags, meeting places, even flag stands... (my father made two of them. His name was on the bottom...) the boys will get into the history if given a chance. YiS Jim L.

Greetings donert, welcome to the virtual crackerbarrel. Eagle Palms: If the Scout has 26 MBs by the time he racks up his final Eagle required MB, he is eligible for his Bronze Palm to be awarded along with his Eagle rank. I've known Scouts to be awarded Bronze and Silver Palms concurrent with the Eagle. Double posting: Apparently, some connections do it. The topic has come up before and happens to some of us, regardless of how carefully we only hit the button ONCE. Making up the rules: Well, some of us need to read the book, which I do not happen to have at hand at present. The idea is the TOTAL number of MBs, not when earned. YiS...

I have a car dealer that I MUST go to because the car CANNOT be worked on by my neighborhood garage (okay, a Prius, and no local garage knows beans about'em, yet). In for a usual oil change and repair of a broken piece of trim. Phone call day before, the fella says, "no problem. Gottem in stock. Do it during the oil change." Get there at 7am, first in line. Sign in, be in and out in an hour. 9am, I go to the service writer, where,s my car? "Oh, I'm sorry, we forgot to put you in the computer scheduler. It'll be ready in an hour". 11am, service guy comes to me and says, well, the trim part I need is not in stock, gotta order it. It'll be in tommorrow (??from Yokohama?). I take a deep breath and say, you know I was first in line this morning,right? and the fella on the phone yesterday said he had it in stock? "I understand fully", the service guy says. He says, "would you like to bring it back tomorrow or leave it overnight and we will call you when it's ready? Would you like a loaner?" I say I'll leave it, and pick it up after work tomorrow. He says great, come this way to sign out the loaner. I go home in a 2007 model, take the family out for pizza in my "new car". and go to work and get called the car is ready and go back, turn in the loaner, ask for my bill. The service guy says "no charge". For anything.Free oil change, free part, free loaner. Went to my local video rentel/sale place. Find a DVD I'd like. Sticker on it reads $9.99. I takr it up to the cashier. He scans it and says "that's $14.59, please". I say, no, the price sticker says $9.99. He says the sticker is wrong. I say, then ALL those DVDs have the wrong sticker. He says, well the price with tax is $14.59. I say, no, it's $9.99 and tax that. He says no, I can't sell it for that. I ask to see the manager. He says he is the manager. He says the price is $14.59, and starts to peel the sticker off. I say I can buy it for $9.99? He says no. I say, well, your sticker computer just lost a sale and walk out. Now, which business will I deal with in the future? Which will I recommend to my friends? Give'm a chance to "make it right". And what wingnut said....

...and the group paid him how much to hear that?? I'm in the wrong career... Then again, I am paid well in my Scout career. My pay just doesn't seem to include money. Maybe I'm just thinking about my other life...

Okay, at 15 dollars a can of popcorn but the chocolate covered corn tin is 23 and the lite is...divided into.... oooo my head hurts. I still have to wonder what those boys must be going thru, and their parents. God and therapy help them. My son broke something, he worked to pay for it. When the neighbors kid and my son were rough housing and my sons arm got broken(!), insurance paid for the care but the neighbors boy was made to realize (by his father) that even tho "accidents do happen", he had some responsibility for what happened (along with my son, together). Whole lotta popcorn and some new Council fire prevention (Fireman's Chit?) classes? YiS

God's Drum By Hartley Burr Alexander (from "Gospel of the Redman"==Ernest Thomas Seton) The circle of the Earth is the head of a great drum; With the day, it moves upward - booming; With the night, it moves downward - booming; The day and night are it's song. I am very small, as I dance upon the drum-head; I am like a particle of dust, as I dance upon the drum-head; Above me in the sky is the shining ball of the drum stick. I dance upward with the day; I dance downward with the night; Some day I shall dance afar into space like a particle of dust. Who is the Drummer who beats upon the earth-drum? Who is the Drummer who makes me to dance his song? - * - YiS

Does a Bear fry frijatas in the woods?

Let me add my personal favorite... Contact your state police aviation division. I would assume there is one. Ours (Maryland) was quite cooperative about local tours of their helicopter barracks. The best thing, tho, was for our CSDC. When a Dauphin Medivac 'coper lands right in front of you,ooo the Cubs go crazy. Lots of up close and personal conversation with the pilot and his EMT about the aircraft , missions, flying, physics of flight, etc. And then they take off!!! 200 mph winds blow everybodys hats and everything everywhere. I might think, with the right place and polite invite, your state police might do the same. Check also local radio control model flying clubs. They love to welcome visitors and show off their skill. Don't forget, ""Take offs are optiional, Landings are mandatory""

OWLS... ""Rulers of the night,, Conquerers of the Day""

"Heart desease is natures way of telling us to slow down" Seriously, follow your docs advice, take it easy, call in those markers and get the friends to take your boy to Scouts. Make sure the boy knows how proud you are of his activities and accomplishments. Do the background stuff like wingnut suggests. Take the boy out on one-on-one things, as you are able. Invite him to come along on your walks or therapies. Does he have any competitors for your attention? It may be the case that Scouting was "his time with you" and he sees the need to sacrifice FOR you! You can still make that decision unnecessary. My dad had never been a Scout, altho in his younger days he had been (among other things ) a timber cruiser. He liked the outdoors but couldn't do too much hiking or active camping WITH me, but he was very supportive of my Troop. And when he had HIS 'minor infarction' (twice), he made it clear that my life would proceed as before, with certain adjustments on his end. Mom drove me to meetings for awhile, etc. He lived to see my Eagle and graduate from HS and college and marriage and granddaughter. Make it clear to your boy that he ain't done with you yet. God be with you and your family.

Considerations as they occur to me::: Hold a patrol campout in THEIR backyard (dad should be able to arrange this). Does the boy have a friend or two in the troop? have them come over to visit with the boy, lobby the mom, talk about the fun, pride, etc. Again, dad can facilitate this? Make sure the mom is included in Committee things. Ask her to help plan something. Be in charge of the "welcome home" picnic, perhaps. Good Scouting to you!

Spinning pins.... Look to the rear of the pin, clean it well with a little alcohol on a cloth. If the back is really smooth, rough it up a bit with a little fine sand paper or scratch it with a knife blade a little. THEN... A SMALL dab of hot glue on each side of the pin/pin. Not too big a dab, now. Let it dry. When you attach it (pin the pin with the pin) to your uni or hat, it will be not spin. You're welcome.

The single biggest hit at our CSDC? I contacted the State Police and arranged for their Medivac helicopter ("Trooper Eight")to land, on cue, as all the boys are sitted around "Akela Heliport". Blew tents, tarps, hats, Denwalkers shirts all over. The pilot and his EMT spoke about the aircraft, the equipment, their missions, the schooling they needed for almost an hour. The boys got to meet some real live local heroes. And when they took off, 300 MPH downwash wind from the rotors made everyone smile and hold on to their hats again! Make sure you have a large enough area. Call the State Police Aviation Section (or what ever their local title) early enough, and ask their advice.. Paint a "Heliport" symbol (big 'H' in a triangle) on the ground and enclose it with safety tape on posts. Keep the State Police Air Dispatcher phone number on your cell phone for the day, just in case. Bet your woggle we'll do it again this year! "Ask and they will come"

Discuss the computer concept of "G I G O" with your significant youngers.

"Religion::n. 1) the service and worship of God or the supernatural 2) devotion to a religious faith 3)a personalset or institutionalized system of religious beliefs, attitudes and practices 4) a cause, principle or belief held to with faith and ardor. Religious organizations that are not religions::: National Council of Churches, Habitat for Humanity, Tolerance, Inc., Interfaith Council, Cops for Christ, The Christian Childrens Fund, The Gideons, The Red Crescent, Knights of Columbus, American Friends Service Committee, any Department of Religious Studies at your local College, usw, etc. "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment..." don't mean Congress can't encourage the people to pursue the religion (or religious organizations) of their choice... hence, some orgs are tax exempt, without regard to their flavor of religiosity. I think the Ethical Society nearby is also tax exempt. It's all good. "By their fruits ye shall know them". Seems to me it's not so much what the persons action is, so much as the rationale that is in debate here. Our country is notable because of its protection of the minority group in any debate/conflict/discussion/argument. If the Majority wills one thing, the minority is free to do its thing so long as that thing does not interfere with the Majority. If the M wants to do rites and practices and does not coerce the m to also participate under the same conditions, we're OK. So if a m enters a XYZ church and the m starts making a commotion, the M of the XYZ church has the right (not rite) to remove the m. If the m wants to participate (or watch) and the M does not object (Mormon Temples are "private", Masonic Temples are "private"), then come on in. ??? At least here in the US... (This message has been edited by SSScout)

Go to "Oriental Trading Co." Wade thru the glitzy dross in their catalog, they have a very passable compass, colorful plastic, rotating bezel, degrees marked by 3s, on a string. DO NOT order the black and white compass without the string, it is NOT magnetic, only for looks. About a buck each, less if you order by the dozen. Used them for CSDC for Cub M&C Belt loop. Here's what we did: Maps on the wall, graded down by scale: National Geographic map of the universe, then the Solar System, then the world, then North America, then the State, then the County, then the Park and lake. Talked about scale, symbols, latitude, longitude,etc. Oriented the maps to each other. Then some fun "On three, everyone point NORTH! 1,2,3!!" Talk about confusion. Pass out compasses. Talk about magnetic north versus geographic north, east, west, south. Play with compasses, attracted to steel columns, table legs, etc. Stay away from them! Walk a set compass course, practice pacing off a set distance. Practice walking a straight line by sighting a compass angle, sight on and then walk toward a landmark.. All done in less than an hour. String on compass lets it be looped onto the totem cord or belt. KiS MiF YiS