SSScout

10) And when the Taliban came to power in Afghanistan, it was with the support of whom, as a counter to the Russian presence? And was there somewhere a mention of a proposed oil/gas pipeline ? 11) My memory may have some gaps, but when the French were reticent to give up their colony in Indochina, what happened to the elections mandated by the Geneva conference? TBC...

Usta be a Scout had to be First Class to be able to earn MBs. Now, Scout rank is sufficient. Some Troops use the MBs as a structure for passing the rank requirements: earn First Aid MB and you've automatically passed Second Class and First Class first aid requirements. Is this appropriate? It seems to be the way to go. There are other examples. Check with your District and see if there is a master MB Counselor list.If there isn't, harrass your commissioner and DE and DCuntil there is one. Your Troop probably has a cadre of MB Cs for their own use, too. Encourage your Scout to make his own arrangements ("mom taxi") to meet with the counslor, and be aware that the good ones will insist on "two deep" meetings, you may be called on to stay for the Counselor meetings. Your Scout would be at an advantage if he can get a buddy or two to work on the MB together. More fun too. Let your Scout set the pace. Do some fun ones first, the ones that play to the Scout's talents and interests. There will be time for the ER ones when the desire developes. YiS

1) We have the bravest, best equipped, best trained, most loyal "Citizen army" (note the adjective) in the world (singular scandals not withstanding). They go where they are asked to go and do the best job possible, under the conditions. (and why do we need so many civilian 'support staff'? Paid to what corporation?). And I thank God for the safe return of my step son. 2) I pray daily for President Bush, that his decisions will be correct, that he has all the information he needs to make those decisions, and that his health remains good. I also remember that Mr. Cheney is Vice president and Nancy Pelosi is the Speaker of the House and I again pray for Mr. Bushes health. 3) I marvel that when Iraq was invaded, the places that were guarded included the oil fields and the ministry of finance but not the museums or power plants or other civilian places. 4) I marvel that the armaments that couldn't be found previously are beginning to show up and are now killing innocent Iraqis. But the WMDs are still lacking. 5) 9-11 was a well defined event and the perpetrators were identified. None of them were Iraqi, if memory serves. 6) Saddam Hussein was originally "helped" to take power by...? 7) I recommend "War is a Racket" by USMC General Smedley Butler (awarded two Congressional Medals) for some thought provoking reading. Look it up on several web sites. 8) "We were knee deep in the big muddy and the big fool said to press on..." 9) Let us pray that we can educate our Scouts to not make the same mistakes that their grandparents made...

"!! Donner! Party of fifty! This way please!" And 'A Modest Proposal' by JSwift is related to the 'Rule of 25' because??? Some of BSA regimen gets, as Alice said,"curiouser and curiouser". Is the goal to encourage the boy in his famiy's and his chosen faith or what exactly?

I have always been surprised at GS organization (or lack of it). Some years ago, the Scouts at our school decided to have a "join Scouting " day. We arrnged with our neighboring Troops and Cub Packs and went to the GS leaders and invited them to join us. They told us (!true!)that they had enough girls and didn't want anymore to join! Can you imagine a Cub Pack reacting like that? I second the words of GWD. It would appear that the BS program depends on the program, and the GS program depends on the Leaders. If you can become the GS leader that breaks the pattern and helps to create the GS Troop that your girls want, I believe you will be doing a very good thing. I have a good friend that is a Scout Camp Director summers. Until his son is old enough (he's 3) he is his daughters Daisy Troop leader. A happier bunch of 6 year olds , (and mothers) you'd have to go far to see. They do more than make cookies and draw Valentines (tho they do those too), if you see, but study nature, go hiking and visit every firehouse and museum in the area. I can also recommend 4H.My son is both Scout and 4H club member. He revels at both. Then too, there's rumored to be a group, calls themselves "Campfire". I know little of them, but then... Nothing venture, nothing gained, eh? And as Bob the Tomato says, "It's for the kids". YiS

Beltloops are fun and the Cubs love to wear these pieces of mini armor. Let me point out a few things I noticed as a CM and as a CS Day Camp person: 1) The Pack should try to utilize BLs as a means to bring the Cubs together. Earn'em together. Play the team sports as a group. Take the boys skating, bowling, frisbeeing, etc. 2) Go to the Day Camp! Automatic BLs! And about the only place to earn some of them (archery for one, map and compass?.) 3) Don't dissuade the parents from helping their boy in the pursuit of the BL, but encourage them to include the other Cubs in the Den. It is a VERY good thing to have JohnnyCub pass the requirements for something before another adult besides their parent. 4) Nose around and find some "experts" that might help your Cubs pursue the more esoteric BLs (astronomy, chess, science, etc) 5) Organize a District "Cub Activity Day" and do the BL thing. We had one that included Geography, Ultimate Frisbee, Marbles, Chess, (and more I don't remember) and some other neat things like Neckerchief Slide making, Den Flag Making, and some really loud cheering!And a new patch! 6) And check the general requirements... You'll find that the Cub may earn the same BL more than once. Not unusual to earn the Archery BL each summer at the CSDC! Most packs I know do limit it to once a year, and the Cub is expected to show some improvement, yes? 7) Of course the awarding of BLs should be included in the Packs budget. BLs are an award the Cub can earn! But it should be understood that the BL is earned AT THE TIME, not because Johnny Cub did it last year on the family vacation, say. But again, if the family said Johnny Cub earned the BL, perhaps they can lend their expertise to let other Cubs earn it! 8) I've known some Cubs that pursue BLs like some BS pursue MBs. They end up wearing a seperate belt with the BLs on it! Whoa! KiS MiF!! YiS...fromwaybackwhen

Whoa!! Like connections! I'm impressed. YiS!

And what is the news from Chicago and Owasippe? Hello?

I must say that I only know my council number because one of my professionals mentioned it in passing at a District Committee meeting. It is used as short hand for THEIR correspondence. He also told me that he doesn't know of any master list of such, except at National. National Capital Area is #82. Just get the NAMES right, they tell me the secretaries will get the numbers right. YiS.

I don't know, never heard of any, but if the Jehovahs Witnesses wanted BSA recognition, (I think they have their own Sortascout organization) even tho they are a very large, well recognized religion, they would be REQUIRED to sponsor at least 25 BSA units? Hypotheticaly, a JW boy might join a BSA Pack/Troop/Crew/Ship and want to earn his faiths award, but since the JWs don't sponsor ANY BSA units, he could not earn a BSA sanctioned award? I got that right?

So (frinstance)the Buddhist award was accepted by BSA because (among other things) "at least" 25 Buddhist 'temples'(?term?) charter/sponsor a Scout unit? Is that right?

If you please, What is the "Rule of 25"? twenty five what?

Smoke sifters, camp edges and snipes My friend had lots of these types Of pranks at his hand. Though renowned thru the land, He succumbed from Scouts' sour gripes.

Frederick, Maryland Tue, March 27, 2007 Frederick News-Post Home > Local News ""Working for a common goal"" Troop helps fellow scout become Eagle Originally published March 27, 2007 By Pamela Rigaux News-Post Staff Photo by Travis Pratt ((Boy Scout Matthew Acosta leads Troop 1023 installing benches along neighborhood trails in Urbana as part of his scout project)). IJAMSVILLE, MD -- Rain didn't stop Boy Scout Troop 1023 of Kemptown from helping their fellow scout, Matthew Acosta, become an Eagle Scout. A dozen scouts took turns digging holes deep enough to set four handmade benches alongside walking trails in the Windsor Knolls subdivision Saturday morning. "An Eagle is one of the highest ranks you can achieve," Acosta said. "When you go to college, people will look at whether you're an Eagle Scout or not." The rank doesn't come easy. It requires a project. Not just any project will do. "For an Eagle project, you have to have a beneficiary to benefit from the project," Acosta said. "A lot of people walk these trails." The pine wood benches took a long time to make, he said. First he had to find a model. He did that via the Internet. Then he had to make the benches using a chop saw. "We cut all the pieces, put them together," he said. Digging 33-inch holes into the ground to place the benches next to the trails took endurance. Scouts used a regular shovel, and a few extras such as a post hole digger. The tool looked like it had a pair of blades fastened to the end of a long handle. Acosta kept checking the hole's depth with a measuring tape. At one point, he picked up a rather longish looking pole called a digging bar, and jammed it into the hole. The pole jammed against a rock. "It sounds hollow," Bill Hagen, an adult supervisor said. Acosta repeatedly jammed the rock, then let another scout take over. "It's shale," he said of the piece scouts eventually broke through. The benches are designed to stand 15 inches up from the ground. Originally, Acosta had made the seats 18 inches high, but learned it would not be as comfortable for women and kids, he said. He will help his friends achieve their Eagle projects, he said. Chris Cervenka said he is going to make a sand volleyball court for Urbana High School. Joe Abretski said he is building storage cabinets for The Hartley House.

Gern: So, the "Adult Protection Guidlines" require: 1) Scoutmaster conferences in the corner of the meeting room, one on one, with lots of other eyes around. 2)Always have a buddy. Either another adult or two or more boys around. One adult driver and two or more boys in the car. One adult takes the injured boy to the hospital with THREE boys or one other adult(?). 3) "You have a pet wolf, a chicken and a bag of grain and must cross the river in a boat that is very small..." 4) BoRs are multi adults and one boy. 5) Our meeting place put windows in ALL the doors in the place (even the janitor closet and furnace room). 6) Can one adult take multiple boys on the hike? No. Can Two adults take multiple boys on a hike? Maybe but... Need three for good procedure. 7) Maybe we should encourage boy only (patrol) hikes... 8) etc. usw. It's still worth it.... YiS

Very neat. I will pass this on to our Council and my District...

Yes and no. A belt loop may be earned more then once, frinstance, each time a Cub attends the CSDC here (once a year!), he qualifies for the Archery BL. If our Pack went skating each year, the boys could earn another skating BL. Same knowledge and skill demonstration. But Webelos requirements are a seperate thing, and must be earned seperately, not by being given credit for past activities. After all, it's all good!(This message has been edited by SSScout)

Yes, when I signed on this evening. First time.

Omnes Philimontes est in tres partes divisibus...

As the past CM of a very successful (on paper) Pack*, and now a ASM and District Officer (Camp Chair and CSDC Asst.) I will offer the following: You are not alone in wanting the "Pack to help the CS grow". What hurts is when the parents WON'T "help the Pack GO". It boils down to the idea that BSA does not stand for Baby Sitters of America. It is very unfortunate, but if the parents can't be convinced that their 7, 8, 9, year old boy will only be 7, 8, 9 years old ONCE and this is the only time they can be with/affect/teach/ their 7, 8, 9, year old boy then there is nothing you can do except concentrate on YOUR boy's Scouting time. Soon, the boy will be 12, 13, 14, and the time to connect with them, to affect their mind set, is past. Set the example. Get involved. Get trained. Make friends with a couple of other parents and drag them to training. Drink inordinate amounts of coffe, but get them to go. Make offers, keep everyone included, if they choose not to participate, don't you feel guilty but try not to lay into them too hard either. I have a feeling that they know. The non-participating parents set their own priorities, same as you and me. And they will gain or lose accordingly. Sometimes you can get to the parents thru the boys, but again, balance concern with possibilities. Does that make sense? * About the "on paper" comment. Our Pack was very active, many things to do and have fun at. A supportive Committee. We had good membership numbers right up until one year that we had a recruiting drive, garnered 14 interested Tiger families, and dispite our best effort, had NONE of them sign up. "Oh, I could never do that", "This is going to be too much time". " I have to stay with him? The Karate coach doesn't require that". "Jimmy doesn't like doing that" (not what jimmy said to me). So from that year on, we had no new Cubs and the parents still involved saw the hand writing on the wall. I made sure that at least a few "younger" parents had the training, had one dad shadow me for the last 6 months of my tenure (actually had a dad ask if he could PAY me to stay on as CM!), and altho the Pack had plenty of notice that I was moving on to BS with my son, (the last meeting/picnic was in June) the Pack folded. No one was willing to pick up the reins. The dad who shadowed me: I gave him most of my books and materials. When I checked back in September, he and his family had moved. No one knew where. When the assumed CM didn't take the lead, the lady who had said that she would be PCChair declined. No one would come forward. With out the central influence of a concerned CM, the other families scattered to other Packs and Scout Troops. Our CO could not stop the hemmorhage. Neither could the DE or the UCommish. But don't let my horror story dissuade you. It is worth it. I see my use-ta-be Cubs all the time, both in other Scout events and in passing in the community. Go to your District Exec, your Unit Commish, your Charter Org Rep. If you don't recognize those titles, dig alittle and find out who they are. They are there to help. Ask for help. Even if it is only a sympathetic ear to listen, you can make a difference. Go to Bob the Tomatoe, he'll tell you: "It's for the kids". YiS KiS MiF

Ladies and gentlemen, I would ask that someone, after they read the following ramble, will respond and tell me what it is I am trying to get at. The DRP is just that. If you can agree to it in good faith, you sign it. If you can't, you find a way to rationalize your fudging and sign it. If you REALLY can't, then you don't become a Scout/er. We had a wonderful lady sign up her son as a Cub and throw herself whole heartedly into the CS Day Camp. She was the best Nature person we ever had. After the camp, she came to me (wife is CD) and asked about the form she signed. What exactly was expected of her by her signing? She explained that she really wasn't religious, in fact they were careful not to teach their son about any religion. She said they found religion to be a real stumbling block in their teaching their son about the world and how it worked. And what about this "duty to God" in the CS promise? I had to say it was what it was. Scouting expected the parents to work with their son about their faith, whatever that was. I could not (would not) try to interpret the words any more than that. I did say that one's duty to God would be different for each person, and no one in Scouting (to my knowledge) would ever try to impose a particular faith on a Scout. She later resigned (formally!) and withdrew her son from the Pack. "By their fruits ye shall know them" As a first time Chaplain representing the Religious Society of Friends at the '05 Jamboree, I met many men and women of many different faiths (and some not so sure which, if any, to claim. More on that later.) The Jamboree had at least 25 different named faiths. We had Chaplains of many different flavors: Jew, Catholic, Mennonite, LDS, Methodist, Baptists, Episcopal, Congregationalist, RLDS, Lutheran, UU, Greek Orthodox, Christian Scientist (and Friend!). The only obvious absence were Presbyterian and Muslim and Buddhist. Us Chaplains worked surprisingly well together. Among other things, we established worship space for Muslim Scouts and a meditation space for Buddhist Scouts. A Muslim Imam came by three days to visit, but did not stay on the grounds. The last Sunday (First Day in Quaker parlance), the first and only Buddhist Navy Chaplain came to lead that religious service. (no mention of the different flavors of Muslim was ever mentioned. I met several Muslim Scouts, one a young lady Venturer). One of my duties was as a welcomer to the "Relationships " tent. Here were reps and exhibits of many faiths and service organizations. The Chaplains job was to guide the visiting Scout to the table of his/her faith, or, if there was none, talk to the Scout about his faith and thus fulfill the requirement for the "Duty to God" rocker for his/her Jambo patch. I have to say that I did meet several Scouts who honestly told me they weren't sure, probably did not believe in a god, let alone God, and had no idea what the purpose of "church" was. I listened but never cast guilt (?) on the boy for his searching. There are, after all, alot of choices out there. I noticed that when the Chaplains got together, each was very polite when probing the others about their faith. The Greek Orthodox taught about Icons, the Baptist taught about water immersion, etc. I learned some "polite" jewish insults! But Catholic went to the hospital with Quaker, Mennonite set up Muslim prayer space with LDS Deacon, and everyone helped as they could the Alaskan Troops. So what about the dozen or so doubting, unsure Scouts I met? 35 Chaplains times 12 Scouts equals 370 non-yet-believing Scouts? Out of 35,000 (at the Jambo)?? Are they to be summarily kicked out of the brotherhood? We do, after all, have to find our own way. I became a Friend, because that is where my searching led me. That is where, I felt, God wanted me to be. Most Friends are said to be "discovered" rather than converted. The old Friends used the term "convinced", if one was not born into Friends. I certainly cannot argue that my way is appropriate for YOU. (like Paul, I often tell folks "come and see") One may be born into a certain tradition, religion. That is how one starts. After that, I believe one must decide for onesself what, exactly, is ones "duty to God". No one else can. Perhaps another can help one define that "duty", but it cannot, should not, MUST not be imposed by another. At the Jambo, I met Troops that were totally Jewish, Catholic, LDS, one that was (I think) all Church of Christ. There were probably some more I was not aware of that were totally of one faith. Each of these homoginous Troops served their Scouts well, I've no doubt, I only hope that the non jewish Scout, say, who approached the jewish Troop was not turned away out of hand. Who am I to tell a Scout that HIS duty to God is not correct? It is, after all, not his duty to ME! But in conversation, perhaps I can understand HIS understanding and he can understand mine, and together we can see alittle more of what God might really require of us. I think it was Gandhi who said something to the effect that the most Christian person he ever met was a Muslim? Something like that. Could someone find the Kipling story about the blind men trying to describe the elephant to each other? I have to put away the dinner dishes and go to bed. YiS

Amen to all that's gone before. My nickles worth... Here is how I have explained it to my son. And Scouts.... The english language has a large vocabulary. Many words to describe many situations. Using ONE word for so many situations is first , lazy. And uncreative. And unworthy of you. You are better than that. The words in question are intended to be provacative, to evoke a emotional reaction. They are unnecessary. If you intend to impress someone with your manliness by useing "grown up" words, you haven't impressed me. Impress me by BEING grown up. A word has a meaning. That's what communication is all about. If you would communicate a painful mistake, (thumb instead of nail), I always suggest yelling at the object, not the emotional reaction :: "HAMMER!!" Each of the words has a meaning. Usually, they are used incorrectedly. Sexual connotation? Nope, not that time. Excretory connotation? Nope, not there. Show off your KNOWLEDGE by being CREATIVE in your choice of words to describe what has happened or what you are talking about. It's more fun any way. And it sure doesn't annoy the adults as much. Why not get a reputation as a good talker, not just a talker. YiS.

Slumgullion.. at last I know... two l's... That was my dad's favorite name for whatever he was cooking when mom was out for the evening. Always looked alot like hamburger stew to me. YiS And the thirteenth point of the SL is...

My best bud and I would connect over our college vacations. We went up to my favorite campsite late one friday afternoon intending to camp there friday and then hiking out the AT some miles to a rock climbing site and then back for sat evening. Trout fishing before we head home sunday. Our menues: Fri dinner: Burger king. Sat morn: eggs and sausage and bread and jam and oj. Sat lunch: bread and sliced ham and left over oj. Sat dinner: Dinty Moore and fruit cocktale Sun morn: left overs. Trout fishing in the stream (rainbow !). Take the trout home... Sun lunch: Same Burger King (don't mess with tradition) Now the sad part. I had been to this campground a dozen times before. We drove in to the park and went round and round. Couldn't find the road down into the valley to the campsite. I finally gave in and went to the ranger station to ask. Was my memory so faulty? No, it was just that in the intervening two years since I had been there,the state had damed the stream, flooded the valley, and created a lake. So we camped elsewhere, fished in the lake. And ate dinty moore. Ah, youth..

Never like to interfeer in stuff I'd much rader jes sit back and watch the conflagrashun transpire. Now that we are all educated as to who will (has to) pay for the fire service overtime, I'd like to ask an importune question: (keeping in mind the purpose of our organization::: What happens to the boys who (alledgedly) failed to properly extinguish the fire they never should have lit? Do they gain from the insurance settlement, perhaps some counseling? How do the PARENTS deal with the boys reaction? Can any of us, far removed from the incident, possibly imagine what must be going thru their minds? How do the UNITS support these folks ("a Scout is Loyal")? Revoking the Fireman's Chit? LNT retraining? They don't seem like the best thing to me, but one wouldn't just cast these folks lose to drift with the tide, if you will. YiS safely...