SSScout

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?

David CO: ""“If you prick us, do we not bleed? if you tickle us, do we not laugh? if you poison us, do we not die? and if you wrong us, shall we not revenge?". - (Merchant of Venice, Act III, scene I).â€""

Museum moved from a College in Kentucky to Irving because... not enough visitors. Museum moving from Irving to Philmont because.... not enough visitors. Irving: Close to the Headquarters. Any street traffic? Any tourist cooperation with local visitor bureaus? Public transportation? Publicity? Newseum in downtown DC had to up their PR to make a go of it. Every time I stop at the Visitor Center on the Interstae, there is a rack of cards/brochures for every little museum/attraction within 200 miles. I wonder how much ScoutMuseum did about that. Our local Town Museum is almost out of the "celebrate history" business and now is in the "Artist/craftsman show, Wine Bar/Brewery tasting, Wedding reception/party" business. They even took out one whole gallery of displays to make room for a "Sculpture" garden. Philmont: Almost guaranteed audience., But hey, this is a specialized museum. Not everyone wants to see Scout memorabilia. Philmont just about guarantees no one NOT Scouty will ever go see it. It was suggested it be moved to The Summit (!!). Talk about inaccessibility.... Maybe the next move is the HQ to Philmont.....

Gentle Scouters: I found this on the wall of the Counseling Office in a school I subbed at, and did some research to find the source (no one in the office knew. It was just a poster). This is credited to = Amy Maddox, age 16, Franklin Community High School, Bargerville IN = It seems she was 16 about 15 years ago . “Underneath, We’re All the Same†“He prayed -- It wasn’t my religion. He ate -- It wasn’t what I ate. He spoke -- It wasn’t my language. He dressed -- It wasn’t what I wore. He took my hand -- It wasn’t the color of mine. But when he laughed -- it was how I laughed, And when he cried -- it was how I cried.â€

Wonderboy: Welcome to the virtual crackerbarrel... If you ask any ten Scouters their opinion here, you are sure to get eleven good ideas. Always remember the Cub Leader Mantra: KISMIF< KISMIF< KISMIF ... Keep it simple, make it fun!

If you want your "Adult" members ( how are they registered? Committee members? ASMs? Patrol Dads? ) You can make sure: ** they attend IOLS in your District (by design, it is supposed to lead the attender thru the Tenderfoot , Second Class, First Class requirements) (Totn' Chip too). ** Look up in your Council Training section. Take the ones there (Wilderness First Aid? Climbing Wall, if you have one? Dare I say,,,, Wood Badge?) ** If they truly want to help Scouting, URGE them to become active in the District activities. Too many Dads on the Troop campout? District could always use some more Commissioners . My Wood Badge folks told me "Commissioners can do anything" (!!) Plan Camporees, help with OA, plan Merit Badge stuff. Present at the Round Table ("oh, we never go to that, it never is interesting or applies to my needs") Help fix that.... ** Service for your CO? Adults can "provide the role model" for that. My dad took me to ALL his Lions Club activities. Of course, I didn't have Minecraft back then.... ** Help plan MORE "High Adventure " stuff for the Troop. The Scouts need that support (delivery of supplies on the AT, meet and pick up the Canoe Expedition, who has the cousin who owns the Horse Stable? Who knows the manager at the airport? ) An Adult Patrol may seem like a god idea, perhaps , but it should not be an excuse to NOT help the Scouts do Scout things.

""The Work Is Done By Whoever Shows Up."" If your Troop establishes guidelines and hold to them fairly, so be it. Teaches responsibility, discipline, etc. My home Troop holds BoR when requested, "if possible", whenever the Scout(s) ask for it. ComChair or his designee heads, available Scout parents (anyone is considered a "committee member" if they attend) sit in. It tends to be educational for any parent who "dares" to be available during a Troop meeting.... We are not bashful in asking.

I like BSAGCMOM. I wish all GSUSA units had that much faith and dedication. My intro to girl scouts was when my daughter came home from her first GS meeting and said she did not want to join , they were too crafty and artsy and fashiony. When this old Eagle Scout offered to help , they said no thank you. My second time was when son became a Cub Scout and I became a Cub Scout leader. Our Pack decided to have a recruiting event, rented the school gym, and then thought, hey, why not invite the GS to join us? Brownies are Scouts, too.... So I looked up the local GS leader (she happened to be the PTA president) and asked. Her answer was , no "We already have enough Girl Scouts and don't want any more". They don't want any more???? And here we BSA folks are bemoaning the paucity of Boy Scouts and the inherent decline of civilization. Such is the difference in philosophies.

Can we agree that the pummeling of this non-breathing equine is finito ?

Go to Jack London. Read thru "To Build A Fire" and "Call of the WiId" It is called "Klondike" for a reason. * Crossing the ice filled rushing river == *Measure a distance without actually crossing it. **Throw a rope (25 feet) accurately to a target. *** Lash together a "raft" with a given amount of poles/sticks and rope. Timed? Pull it across the "river" on an overhead rope/pulley without getting "wet". Forget the old "Sled" races. At each event, they collect a gold colored rock. (spray paint'em before the event.ake a lot.) * Do the snowshoe race thing: Multiple Scouts on two 2x4s, held up with rope handles. Rewards for even completing the course without falling off much less winning it. ** Crossing the ice filled river on the rocks/board bridges. (cinderblocks and 2x10's of various lengths). Patriotic? Get a regular 4x6 American flag and find a LARGE (car dealer?) flag. I have one that is 12 X 25. Patrol chooses one of them. Patrol Leader speaks for Patrol. Challenge:: Fold it up correctly, by Patrol, IN SILENCE. 10 points for the small one, 20 points for the large one, your choice to try. Points off(1) for SPEAKING (1) if it touches the ground (1) if any red shows when they say "DONE" (5) if not a "Right" triangle (Isosceles doesn't count) Time limit: 5 minutes. Over time & not done? no points.

Once I was asked to serve as the Scoutmaster for the Troop at summer camp, as the "official" SM would not be "in country" that month. I have been ASM for many years, and do "other" Scouty stuff (Commisher, IOLS, etc. ). My "two deep" person would become the Scoutmaster some years later. The SPL for the summer would become SPL for the Troop that fall. I had twelve Scouts of various experience. In our pre- trip meetings, I made it clear I expected uniformed Scouts , at least for flag recovery and dinner. When we arrived and set up camp, we were "informal". I called my SPL over and asked he assemble the Troop in Patrols (two) in uniform for dinner. He arrived with a full mini desert camo BDU (his father is ex Marine). Asked him where was his uniform? He said he thought this was better. I said are you in the Marines now, or are you in Scouts? Turned out he had NOT brought ANY Scout uniform at all. We had to go to the Canteen and assemble a "sort of" scout uniform for him. He was a good SPL during his term, very active in Leading, but he was abashed at my insistence that he dress the part while he was in Scouting. I think his dad spoke to him after camp , too.

Two comments: first, I respect the fellow that questions his faith rather than blindly following or accepting what is presented him. I like William Penn's comment: "" 522. It is a sad Reflection, that many Men hardly have any Religion at all; and most Men have none of their own: For that which is the Religion of their Education, and not of their Judgment, is the Religion of Another, and not Theirs."" = from Some Fruits of Solitude (1682) Let your boy do his searching. He may find God elsewhere, or he may come back to your fold a stronger believer. Second, a story. I attended our Council's University of Scouting . I met a young man with FOUR medals on his pocket. I recognized the Eagle, the Ad Altare Dei (the Catholic award), the Ner Tamid ( the Jewish award) and the God and Country, which I had earned as a Scout. I asked him, "You know I HAVE to ask you, how do you come to have those three religious awards"? He replied that his mother was Jewish, his father was Catholic and his Troop was sponsored by a Methodist Church. He said it was easy to earn each of them. I smiled and shook his hand. I did NOT ask what House of Worship he attended. There is no BSA limitation as to which religious award a Scout may earn. That is between him, his conscience and the faith whose award he seeks. See you on the trail.

"" Yet another right winger complaining that too many stupid leftists vote. "" Yep, the decline in voter apathy is encouraging.... First, some people decided that somebody else (not just the king) should make decisions. Let's start with "White Male Nobility Property Owners Born In Our Country" Naw, that's not enough. Let's include ALL White Male Property Owners, not just Nobility. Ummmm. Maybe we should include White Male Property Owners, and White Female Property Owners Over 40 Years Old. (during WW1 in England) Born In Our Country. Getting better. Howzabout All White Male And Female Property Owners etc.? Okay Now we are somewhere getting. Let's fight a war and then allow People Who Are Not White, but can pass a "literacy" test..... Okay, how about Anyone Who Is A Citizen (requirements?) and not a felon? Good, good. Let's make it, "Any Citizen Over 18 years of age who wants to vote " (must voluntarily register in advance). Now to figure out how to encourage the registering AND voting

""Youth may not drive other scouts."" But they CAN drive adult leaders.... crazy at times...

Once upon a time, in a galaxy far, far away..... Our DE really wanted a local mosque to pick up Scouting. They sponsored a "get to know Scouting" event for all the Muslim families. Folks came from (I am not making this up) 30 miles away. Must have had 100 people there, 25 or 30 kids. They even built a new (permanent!) campfire circle (concrete and brick) in their back yard, one of the mosque leaders was a pro-astronomer, set up a serious telescope for the event. And the DE arranged for Council archery equipment, but when I showed up late in the afternoon, no BSA Range officer. Well, this was not a "BSA " event, it was a "mosque" event. Glad I was not asked to help with the archery.... Ho hum. The mosque Troop lasted three years.

"Chartered by businesses" I know a Cub Pack chartered to a Hardware store (locally owned). They don't do anything but sign the charter every year. Oh,and supply lumber for CSDC. And nails and loan hammers for Cub nail pounding. And maybe recommend folks to the Pack for "other things". As to the restaurant flag ceremony, I second the ideas about , what is their true desire. Who raises the flag ordinarily? Maybe the teenage clerks could learn something. What publicity was sought? If the Scouts did a nice flag ceremony without an audience/tv crew, who would salute? I must assume they were expecting some public visage. If it was to be held in a public park, under the sponsorship of the restaurant, would that make it different? Businesses/restaurants sponsor sport teams all the time ("Joe's Diner Tigers") . 'Course, now, we Scouts don't walk around with "First Baptist Church" emblazoned on the back of our uni shirts. Leastwise, I've not seen that as of yet....

Owasippe. Yes, that happened. But what followed? The Council was rebuilt, the publicity was wonderful, the federal court case was unique, and Owasippe was ultimately saved as a camp ground. The CORs have the effect they can have. Or they can stay home and let things happen. Phone calls, publicity, "follow the money", refuse to back down to bullies (even in Scout uniforms), enforce zoning regs. Sounds like politics as usual.

Our last IOLS did not teach "first aid". We had an open discussion about "emergency physiology".

In several months, Mr. Trump will be asked to assume the role of "Honorary President of the Boy Scouts Of America".

Neckerchiefs.... Let's remember that the necker was ORIGINALLY intended to be an emergency tool, that the Scout wearing it (in uniform!) was wearing it so he could whip it off and use it. It only later became a purely piece of fashion, or "bling". Superfluous to the modern Scout. But considering the attitude of our international brothers, perhaps the first idea is coming around again. Necker as ID for a Scout.... Necker as brotherhood trading item.... Necker as utilitarian item (warm neck, perhaps arm sling, sweat wiper? ) In my yoooth, the Troop designed it’s own neckerchief. 36 inches on the side, bright red with a 4″ custom patch in the corner that proclaimed “Always On The GO!†They were used for first aid practice, hiking, camping, signal flags, “steal the bacon†games… Mine is folded up nice in a plastic bag, except for when I take it out to show the present day Scouts in the Troop. It has holes in it, It is frayed on the edges. The patch is wrinkled, a lot. Starting in December, I promote a small contest that I hold at the February CoH. I give prizes (Baskin -Robbins coupons for free milkshakes! Just ask’em for them!) for the creation of hand made woggles. Sometimes I get really neat creations, sometimes rolls of duct tape. If it looks like I might get a good selection, I ask an “independent†judge to attend (art teacher, pro wood carver) . During the CoH, I am allowed to do a show and tell about neckers and woggles. I read from an old Scout book about the “USES†of the necker: Bandage, dust mask, horse bridle, crowd control (tie a lot together, use the Scout Staff), sail boat emergency rigging…. I compare the BIG Troop necker of my day with the little necker the Troop used til last year ( a bigger, “stock†necker is now given out). . Photos show the red necker did reach down past the Scout’s belt. He grew into it. In my collection, I have neckers and woggles “earned†(OA, Troop, Camporees, Wood Badge, Jamborees, Eagle…) and “collected†(Smokey Bear, Jamborees, Cub Scouts, “Troop One, Wilmington Delawareâ€) . Some Scouts OOO and AAAH at them , some ignore them. If I had attended a Jamboree, I would have been tempted to trade for my necker ( I guess I could have got another one), but the one I have in that plastic bag is important to me. I hope it will be important to my Scoutson.