Tampa Turtle

(I had a 1969 Austin Healey Sprite. (like the MG Midget) What a piece of junk but 4 guys could move it.) Well I stored my compass next to the box with the really, really big magnet in it. Not smart. Gee my webelos patrol had 2 dads who were trial lawyers so I guess I dodged a bullet. I also had 2 dads who were Marine officers so it kinda balanced out.

Santa! Again! Now my must block all your posts! Nah, it was the "myth" thing. And I think Beavah expressed it far better than my poor writing skill. And I am getting kinda tired of the whole subject anyway. Not with me handing out weapons and molotov cocktails to minors. Just yesterday at the Troop Festivus celebration a scout shared his families faith tradition of the four turtles carrying the disk of earth on their back. He was quire reverent about it as part of his living the Oath and Law.

Basement, Oh that's what you chaps call a spanner! Now all those issues of Popular Mechanics makes sense. Ingenious!

Yes, for this year, my sons. When I had a Webelos 2 patrol (yes thats what we called it) I gave out knives, fire starters, and compasses (boys got to pick with parents approval). Of my 10 boys one year: 6-Knives 3-Fire Starters 1-Compass The fire starters already had knives. The compass went to the kid whose parents did not let him into scouts for fear of danger. That was 2 years ago--I did not hear of any disasters.

Packsaddle, Let me rewind. I am not really sure what your point is. Are you generalizing about people. If we were around a campfire would you still say things that way? I just don't get it. I am not afraid of ideas. I ran a research center of various disciplines at a university (biologists, anthropologists, geographers, urban designers). We had many interesting intra-displinary talks. The wars between the plant biologists and critter biologists went on and on. Yes I am a christian and I believe in evolution. I have read all of Stephen Jay Gould's essay collections except his magnum opus, I have read Dawkins. I stick to my Dad's advice of subscribe to Scientific Americana and be happy if you understand one article. I have a father who was a die-hard atheist and a mother who was a minister. I have a wife who is a mathematician, computer scientist, and a pure-bible baptist. We have lots of muslim and hindu friends through my wife and I Jewish ones through me growing up in South Florida. My family is a bunch of yankee debators and I married into a family of die-hard southerners. So I get exposed to a LOT of ideas and yeah they slam into each other. But that said words have power. And when you enter a discourse with people over certain topics -religion, sex, how fat they are -common sense says to tread with some tact and discretion. You gotta build trust. Humans are complicated and contradictory. I saw scientists who did treat their belief system in their area of expertise pretty much like a religion--you had the wrong "religion" you would never get tenure. But you must be very careful not to lump people into one category or other. (Same with those liberal or conservative labels) In a civil society we have to agree to disagree. If asked we can reply truthfully. If an atheist asks me if I think he is going to hell, I will think and reply "yep. That is my belief". I then ask him what he thinks "Nope this is all there is". We can go deeper if we can maintain some civility. Such discourse can enrich us all. Give the other guy the benefit of a doubt and if he is touchy about a term or question give him some respect. I gotta a co-worker, pretty nice guy but low people skills. Purposely will not be "PC" and go up to a bunch of a black folks and say "well I hope you aren't the ones still **** ing about slavery" or to jews "hey I don't want to hear about the Holocaust". Leaves a trail of misery in his path. He aint ever getting a promotion because it shows a lack of common sense. I don't know if I am making any sense or I get your point.

Packsaddle, I do not find ideas threatening but rudeness, out of disrespect, offensive.

Whats a wrench?

Man I gave my boys a knife AND a fire steel this Christmas. I must be living with reckless abandon.

Hawkins: Scouts.Must.Use.Periods.After.Every.Word. "Be Prepared" is now too quaint.

The wickipedia had some good articles on DEET and others. Apparently the USDA and Consumer Reports did several tests on effectiveness. That said sometimes bugs just swarm and not a darn thing you can do about it but leave their neighborhood.

Basement, maybe you need a new job doing a part you like. Yeah it can be a lot of work and yeah it can be VERY discouraging at times. But it SHOULD have its fun moments... resqman, well now the name makes sense! I got a Wilderness Medicine book for Christmas...man real serious stuff. All guys are expert at something; if nothing else an extra adult hand you has a good rapport with boys can be useful. I know as a guy who is having a lot of on the job training you need to have the humility to admit you do not know and ask for help. (and of course get training)It is humbling to ask an older boy how to something you don't know but a nice side effect is you get greater credibility.

Accident...yeah sure.

I remember a Cub Master/Scout Master Sam who had a booming bass voice and always settled us down with "Gentlemen, gentlemen...". We were always a "Mr Smith" and not a "Billy". Seemed very respectful and I try to copy it to less effect.

I do know as a diabetic that when my blood sugar is really high for several days I seem to attract some bugs. I know then my body is shedding sugar as fast as possible in my urine I suspect my sweat may be as well. Dang sugar gets in everything! When my Blood Sugar is in control I seem to attract less bugs. Not no bugs just less. Best defense is to camp with a guy more bug attractive then you!

Kudu, That will work. I have a way of over complicating things...

Ah yes it is great for the adults to have fun but there is still a-lot of work that needs to be done. The payoff is the benefit of trying to do the job for the boys, I have little patience for some Dad's who treat the Troop as a campout travel agency...wow for our annual beach/surf campout the Dads you rarely see come out of the woodwork. I was in one Troop where the focus was really on the Dad's --drinking, smoking, poker-playing Dad's weekend out...

Yeah, all things in moderation. I have a "one hour a week" temp patch I put on from time to time. All in fun...a Scout is Cheerful and all that.

Boyce, Kinda figured that one out on my own!

Perhaps I was too sensitive, perhaps not. However I chose to no longer to play in this particular topic sand pile.

I use DEET on myself and a Permethrin spray on my gear (boots, hammock, etc). I hate the DEET and have some sensitivity to it but it does work pretty good. Also the long sleeves, etc. Some bugs just keep coming no matter what...

Perhaps a practical first step would be for each Scouter on this forum to calculate how many paces it would take for 300'.

Ann, I think this has been discussed in the past...I hate to leave a sinking ship. But I know when I switched packs I ended up a lot happier, appreciated, and less frustrated.

Because they were wool socks and cotton kills!

I am no tax historian (yawn) but I read that income tax was retired in 1876. In 1913 the 16th Amendment passed in order to make an Income Tax constitutional. Not that will change any minds.

Opps I guess I missed the point. Sorry. Wont be the last time.