SSScout

Well, what are the most important things in science? Observation? Interpretation? MATH? Testing? Trusting your senses/instruments? MOIST. ? Howcum MATH is at the END of that acronym? Shouldn't it be the FIRST? It is the basis of the Technology, the Engineering and the Science..... E equals MCHammer?

My ustabee "public speaking" class teacher always said first, tell your audience WHAT you were going to tell them.... Second, TELL them what you wanted to tell them...Lastly, tell them what you had TOLD them. Then THANK them for their kind attention, and GET OFF THE STAGE.

The EDGE "method" merely acronymizes what good teachers have done for centuries. Note I said "teachers", not students. The assumption is the EDGE-r already knows his/her subject. If a person does not already know how the knot is tied (and for what purpose?), how would he be able to teach it to others? The "reference" book or video or illustration or whatever is used by the Scout to Explain, Demonstrate, Guide and Empower (I prefer that to Enable) to himself. My dad taught me a lot about carpentry and the building trades, but I also learned a lot about tool use by reading Eric Sloane's books. Did dad EDGE me? Absolutely, over and over until I could push his 9 point saw without binding it in the kerf. Did he do EDGE consciously? I doubt it. He Demonstrated, Modeled, Exhibited, Instructed, Corrected , Encouraged and Provided Practice Opportunities. How else to teach knife and axe safety? Make an Acronym out of those !

Well, what you saw is what I got. I am not even sure "they" are asking for Scouts to help with directions and crowd control as in years past....

FYI, Scout participation promises to be minimal.... sort of last minute requests.... http://dc.about.com/od/specialevents/tp/Presidential-Inauguration-2017.htm and Wanted: Eagles to March in the Parade ! http://www.ncacbsa.org/blog/2016/12/23/2017-inauguration-updates/

Going into the sixth page of ruminations. The child experiments. If I cry, do I get my diaper changed? Aha, it works. If I say "MAMA" , do I get a smile? Aha, that works. If I say "Gimme a Cookie!" will I get one as quick as if I say Please, may I have a cookie?" Is pushing a toy bulldozer thru the sandbox as fun as setting up the dollies for a tea party? Or a Barbecue party? I did both. At age 8, the child is experimenting. I wore flannel jeans, flannel shirts, just like my timber cruiser dad. I also played with "Mr. Bunny" and helped mom cook (she was our Den Mother), and take care of my younger brother. I dare say, with the media what it is, this girl is experimenting with her "role", as she sees it, but to an extreme most kids would (are ) not (s)extend their experimentation to. Mom and dad are letting her experiment. Cub Scouts? Why not? She/he will figure it out eventually. Gender change surgery? Wow, not at 8 years old. Not even close to the Age of Reason. I had a boy in my Cub Pack who would not button up his shirt. His mom said "Billy doesn't like his shirt buttoned, he feels it too confining". One evening, at the Pack Meeting, I kneeled down and buttoned up his shirt and told him how handsome he looked. He came to Pack meeting after that with his shirt buttoned.

If it looks like a camp, smells (!!) like a camp and tastes like Camp Cooking, it's close enough to camping. Eeeeeeease them into it. A daylong hike, campfire at the end, hotdogs and veggie burgers over a woodfire in the back of the church lot, the Cubs are tired and educated in seeing the teeth gnaws on the tree trunk as signs of Beaver (not Justin) activity, that's enough for me to count as a "camp" activity . They get home after dark, sleep in their own bed, Mom and dad are gently stressed out and the idea of sleeping under cloth (or in a cabin?) is no longer foreign to them. What's to not like?

""Follow the money"" The issue here has been and will be where the money to run Scouting comes from. The Unit (Pack, Troop, Crew, Ship) will need some corporate money for patches, camp fees, boat maintenance, etc. The Council needs money for salaries , camp maintenance, property taxes (if any), Xerox repairs, etc. If the Unit sells Popcorn, the Council gets a share by contract. If the Unit sells Christmas trees or Hannakah candles or canned peanuts or flag pole rental, the Council gets naught ,save for the Unit's charity and thoughtfulness. Hence the "begging" of FoS, and Foremost Eagle Dinners and such. Districts are all volunteer (!) and must operate their activities under the Council fiscal imprimatur on a "cash" basis, zero accounting. Pity the poor CSDC Director that actually shows an overage in the black, no "free " pizza parties for the Staff, if the Council Program Director is under pressure to show a (shudder) profit.

“â€When the song of the angels is stilled, When the star in the sky is gone, When the kings and the princes are home, When the shepherds are back with their flocks, The work of Christmas begins: To find the lost, To heal the broken, To feed the hungry, To release the prisoner, To rebuild the nations, To bring peace among people, To make music in the heart. “""†= Howard Thurman =

Latin: You have the right idea. There is nothing so aggravating to a Manager (leader?) as a crew that expects and REQUIRES a leader to lead. If your Scouts EXPECT and REQUIRE their Patrol Leader to lead, what might happen? Now there's a motto for you... EXPECT and REQUIRE.

As is often the case, the problem is not simple and not limited to one person. I hear a "hands off" CO in the background. Since the Pack is the CO's, and the treasurer of the Pack has control of the funds, perhaps there is more to this than first OP can tell. What a blessing is a totally open and "transparent" treasurer. I hear (again, in the background) more monetary rumblings. The transferring Wolves didn't need to pay any dues? We had "left over" money? Ummmmm.....

The "Outdoor Code" is an ideal we strive to live up to. So too the Scout Promise, the Scout Law, the Pledge of Allegiance, the Smith System Keys to Safe Driving, the Direction to the Players from Hamlet, the Preamble to the Declaration of Independence, the book Common Sense, The Beatitudes, The Lord's Prayer , Kum By Yah, Leaflets Three Leave It Be and the Golden Rule. Making the Scout Sign merely re-enforces the idea. Some are "required", some are "good to know " and think about, and some are "tradition". Some are perhaps held as more important than others. Hold the Scout Sign as long as thou canst.

Now three years ago, I hiked the Camino de Santiago in northern Spain. Many stories to tell from that jaunt. Apropos to this thread, I made it out to the fishing village known as Finisterre, "the end of the earth", where there is a small museum dedicated to the fishermen and their craft. Old boats, tackle, techniques. With my tourist Spanish (Rosetta Stone is very useful), I had a good conversation with the Docent there (same word!) . He had a placard of knots, and rope useage. I do not remember the Spanish names, but I recognized almost all the knots and splices and rigging. In maybe an hour, I was able to give him an English label for almost every item in the display. Muchos Gracias! He gave me an autographed book (in Spanish!) about the scallop industry. Scouting 'round the world. On the bus trip back to Santiago and Madrid, I met several Pfadfinder und Pfadfinderren (boy and Girl Scouts from Germany. Met no Spanish Scouts...

"Follow the money" How much do YOU owe of the National Debt? How much did YOU OK? How much will your Grandchildren (Great Grandchildren?) be paying? Consider... http://www.forbes.com/sites/mikepatton/2015/04/24/national-debt-tops-18-trillion-guess-how-much-you-owe/2/#17b065dc698e Mr. Trump's fortune was created in real estate, which has as a credo, "use OPM as much as possible". Other Peoples Money. The NatDebt is money that went from us to somebody else. Who are these Somebodies? They ain't me. Who is they, to be ungrammatical? It looks more and more that we average americans have become the Other People whose money "they" have learned to use. Public works? National Defense? A new F35? Retired Social Security folks? The interest paid on the Natdebt is more than many nations GNP. This is what will defeat us. Weimar Republic, anyone? Oh, I'm sorry, we were talking about Scout connections in the new incoming administration, weren't we?. Well, how to encourage (remind?) those good people to live by the Scout Law and Promise, "...stick to your Scout promise always – even after you have ceased to be a boy – and God help you to do it."" As I remember it...... Perhaps that is what we , who hold Scouting as the ideal, should do. Remind those "Eagles" what they learned oh, so many many years ago.

Over, under, over, thru....Three types of Bowline, only one good one. Bowline with running end INSIDE the working loop, next to it's other part. This is the good one. "Pass" this version. Bowline with the running end OUTSIDE the working loop, still adjacent to it's other part. This is a BAD bowline, but it still might hold tight. Bowline with the running end INSIDE the working loop , but NOT adjacent to it's other part , separated by the edge of the "rabbits hole". This is the other BAD one, and will slip.

Faith based petition to show our solidarity with our Muslim friends: Consider it, please. https://action.groundswell-mvmt.org/petitions/sign-the-religious-freedom-pledge-standing-together-against-anti-muslim-bigotry-1

K: "Hello, Jimmy, please sit down. You know Mr. Hoskins, and Ms Schmidt? " J: "Yes, Mr. Kenney. Hello..." K: " So, It says here you are here for your Life Board of Review. How are you doing? " J: "Okay, I guess." S: " Do you know all your knots? I always am impressed when Scouts know these Scout things. Us girls never had a chance back when I was growing up. Could you show us a , what do you call it, a Bowline?" J: " A Bowline?" S: " Yes, a Bowline." H: "Now , Betty, you know he doesn't have to show us that, but you do know that knot, Jimmy?" J: "I guess so. Here, and here, ... here." K: "Ummmm. That isn't a Bowline, is it. When was the last time you had to tie that, Jimmy?" J: " I don't know. Maybe last year at the Camporee?" K: " Well, that might show we need more knot tying practice. What do you think, Jimmy? By the way, what Position do you hold in the Troop?" J: "I'm the Cougar Patrol Leader ". H: "Let me ask, do you teach Scouts in your Patrol, Jim?" J: "Yeah, I do, but Jake is our Troop specialist in Pioneering, I guess. He always builds those tripods and things." H: "Well, if you are having trouble with a knot, I bet other Scouts have the same problem, too, What do you think?" J: " Uh-huh. " K: "I see what Mr. Hoskins is getting at. These Boards of Review are a good way for us to find out how to improve the Troop. Sometimes us poor adults don't get the big picture you Patrol Leaders see. How do you think we can help the younger Scouts "get it"? Got any ideas, Jimmy?" ***Like that , maybe? ***

""The only sitting Cabinet member to attend, that I found, was Secretary of Defense Robert Gates."" Yeah, but did he sleep in a tent? :-) Hiker67: You sound like someone of my vintage. I would point out (in agreement with the College Board Testing Corp.) that the only prediction of future behavior/activities is past behavior/activities. And that is not always accurate, yes? Still, if we look at Mr. Trump's past statements, pronouncements and activities and behavior, what could we expect? He made his monetary success based on strategically declared bankruptcies and not keeping his corporate word or being really concerned about the ultimate results of his decisions on other people. There are too many times Mr. Trump has stated something as "fact" and refused to retract or correct his statement when it has been proven incorrect or flat out wrong. The world really is round. There are too many times when he has denigrated a "type" of person or one individual purely because he has not liked what they said about him. This is a politician? Is this someone who is willing to work WITH people toward a jointly beneficial goal? Perhaps we really do get the president we deserve. """Politics is the best show in America. I love animals and I love politicians, and I like to watch both of 'em at play, either back home in their native state, or after they've been captured and sent to a zoo, or to Washington.""" = Will Rogers =

SO this will be not too soon after the Nat Jam? I wonder what will be left standing for the Spartan race to use. And the Spartan ("Remember the Spartans") website notes "Free Beer to the Finishers"? I agree with Remember Schiff, what must happen with our concern about alcohol use on BSA property. Not to mention when the World Jamboree comes along.... Perhaps the finish is in Glen Jean... Seems there will be new artifacts for our Scouts to find along the trails..... And what happened to Mount Hope? That's a nice little town, Summit has a new post office? There goes the neighborhood.

Knots and awards depend on (1) What you do and/or (2) what people see you doing. Thus, some awards are EARNED and some are AWARDED. For instance, one can BUY a James West knot. One must be "nominated" and awarded the District Award of Merit (the DAM knot) knot. There are various knots for Scout Leaders, Commissioners, and other folks. It does take some research to find out how each one is obtained. There are forms and score sheets to fill out. When my good wife was going to go to Camp School for Cub Scout Day Camp Directors, we decided (she thought) it would be good to have some bling on her uniform, so we did some research and discovered she had qualified for a couple of Cub Leader awards. Presto! she had two knots. After her stint as CSDC Director, she was awarded the DAM for her efforts, well deserved in my humble opinion. As to the religious awards, as has been said, they are not BSA bling and should not be considered such. The BSA says they are allowed on the BSA uniform, but the faith decides how the Scout should earn it. Speaking as a Jamboree Chaplain, I do not know of any adult faith award that is individually, purposely earned by the Scouter, perhaps some faith allows that, but I do not know of such. The faiths I am familiar with require the adult be "nominated" for the adult recognition. It always entails an active involvement in Scouting and the faith. The trick is that anyone can nominate someone for the adult recognition, just find out the responsible body (committee) that administers that faith's awards and contact them. All the faith liaisons are listed in the BSA (http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/Awards/ReligiousAwards.aspx ) website, do not depend on PRAY (https://www.praypub.org/) for that information, as PRAY has become very particular about what faith awards they help administer. As ordained clergy, you should be able to contact your Scout Liaison Committee to find out about this topic. Granted, some faiths are more Scout friendly than others. As to your Tigers earning their Religious Award, I trust they are all of your faith? It would not be correct to try and require any Scout to earn any particular Religious Award. You can, of course, encourage them to earn (with their parents help!) the emblem of their particular faith. Good Scouting to you, KevinRiner, remember the Cub Scout Mantra ! KiSMiF, KiSMiF.... keep it simple, make it fun! See you on the trail!

I once heard a stand-up comedian claim that he was multi - lingual. That he could have a meaningful conversation with anyone in the world, so long as they were less than 6 months old......

No real knowledge of this, only opinion, but it certainly seems that ol' Rudyard is being/ has been retired. Perhaps "The Jungle Book" is thought to be no longer "relevant" to modern Cubs. No mention of the origin of the Cub critters.... Wolf, Bear, Lion... Sher Kahn is the villain, so don't mention HIM to the nascent Tiger Cub. When was the last time your Cub Leader was referred to as AKEELA? Don't have that mention in the Scout Promise , only in the now obsolete Cub Promise. We are only offered ETHAN as a peer Cub... led by example? We have, I feel, lost something in the translation. Perhaps the repudiation of Kipling's literary examples was decided by the realization that ultimately he was not the type of person BSA finally wanted to espouse. Regardless of Kipling's reputation as a chauvinistic , racist , colonialist, (read his poem "The White Man's Burden " ) the Jungle Book and the Just So stories are classics of English literature and evoke imaginative adventure that every child can relate to. I hope today's parent still reads their children to sleep. I still remember "How the Elephant Got His Trunk."

I know that by the time I was 7 or 8 years old, I knew my address and if I had to, could ask a taxi cab driver to take me home. Dad told me to ALWAYS just follow New Hampshire Avenue, from ANYwhere to Norwood Rd. My mom and I had walked the length of it in both directions so I knew where my house was. Cooking? I knew how to use the can opener. Knots? My dad had lost his left arm in a construction accident before he met my mom. He was a one armed Journey Man carpenter (thereby couldn't earn his Master's paper) and taught me how to tie my shoes one handed before I learned two handed (!) Mapreading? Compass? Surveying Merit Badge. Dad's friend gave me a job as a "Rod Holder " when I was , I think, 12. Darn socks? When I started wearing 100% wool socks as an adult, I learned it was easy to repair those expensive socks rather than toss'em to the rag bin.

I still say Irving was somehow misguided when they created the "pilot" program for Kindergarteners. I agree that the progression (even some Cubs have said as much to me) has no logic. Don't forget, "WEBELOS" originally was a contraction of W(olf), BE(ar), L(ion), S(couts), the original rank progression. "We (will) Be Loyal Scouts" made some sense then. The Lion rank became the Webelos 1, and Webelos 2 was meant to be the Arrow of Light year, transitioning into REAL Scouts. "Well, we've got this historic rank name, let's use it for something". Lion 5 year olds. Bobcat probably is a remnant of the Daniel Boone or Woodcraft Indians. You think we have a hodge bodge of ranks? Try understanding the Brit system. Beavers, Cubs, Scouts, Rovers, Core badges, activity badges, Interest badges, five different Scout Promises, You out there, Cambridge?

Ditto the previous posts, ssgjbroyles. Was she a "uniform" person? If so, the posthumous award might be appropriate. Otherwise I like the idea of naming a Scout award for her memory or the PWD track/event. Maybe creating an ongoing scholarship in her name for Woodbadge?