blade1158

Extortion.

No.

If pinewood derby was just about racing little wooden cars, just have the Scouts drop them off and have a couple of people run them until the winner is found.

If pinewood derby is about more than just racing little wooden cars, like teaching sportsmanship, dealing with winning and losing in a proper way, having fun regardless of the outcome, the excitement of seeing what you made race down the track, then the Scouts must be there.

What we do, meetings, activities, outings, are a means to an end, not the end themselves.

"I'm going to do what I want and nobody can tell me different." The kind of answer I would expect of a 10 year old.

Character is what you do when nobody is watching.

No, you can't wear it as you wish. The uniform and insignia are owned by the Boy Scouts of America and they have the right to regulate how and when they are worn.

This topic is a joke, right? If you have to ask the question of tucked or untucked you are looking for an excuse to do it the way you want to do it, to hell with the uniform guide. Untucked is sloppy and lazy. And if you are too fat, tough, don't bastardize the uniform.

The two gentlemen in question create a false dichotomy, Order of the Arrow OR Wood Badge. It's not either or, it's both and. Each is different, obviously, and created for different purposes. Participate in both, enjoy both.

Now, is Wood Badge worth it. Depends on where you are standing. A newer Scouter will probably get more from the course than a more seasoned one, but one will only take from the experience what one wants. I just took the course in the spring. While I didn't get much from the course material, I did enjoy the time with my patrol and the staff was truly outstanding, there for all the right reasons, they were inspiring. So for me, when my ticket is completed, I think it will be worth it.

Opinions, opinions. Bottom line, if you have earned or received a knottable award, you may choose to wear it or you may choose to not wear it for whatever reason. My pet peeve is Scouters who wear more than two Cub Scout leader award knots. BUT, if they've earned them, they may wear them, my opinion means absolutely nothing.

If you want to wear them, fine. If you don't want to wear them, fine. Your actions will speak louder than what is, or isn't, on your uniform.

BP,

you are a bigot and (CENSORED OGE)

It is foolish to argue with a fool. (This message has been edited by a staff member.)

Happy birthday BSA, screw you Scouts and Scouters.

A little dose of cynicism.

IF the new uniform is required for the jamboree next year, that's a whole lot of product that will be sold by next summer. With the proposed price increase, mucho money to be made.

Prices set low to lure people in? Hmmm.

I'm not impressed with the fit, the shirt tail is too short.

Most I've talked to HATE the smokes pocket on the sleeve.

I, like Eagle92, am both a Roman Catholic and a Vigil Honor member of the Order of the Arrow.

I read part of the article and must say that the author is a serious whack job.

I've been in the order for 30 years and have never seen or done anything that conflicted with my faith or the teachings of the Church. Let's see, brotherhood, cheerfulness and service, all ideas that undermine the tenets of Christianity.

I have the pleasure of working with a Scouter who has received not only the Bronze Pelican and the St. George awards, but has worked for many years on the National Catholic Committee on Scouting, is the current chairman of the vocations committee and has received the Silver St. George award for his work on the national level. He is also a Vigil Honor member and a strong supporter of the Order of the Arrow.

My bishop, a recipient of the Silver St. George, Silver Beaver, Silver Antelope and Silver Buffalo, has no problem with the OA. I think I trust his judgment over the author's.

This thread reminds me of a gentleman I saw at the last jamboree. I saw him after mass on Sunday morning. He was older, at least mid 70's, and wore a pristine pre-1980 uniform. He had chosen to wear only three knots, Silver Beaver, Silver Antelope and Silver Buffalo.

I'm an NESA member but not a lifetime member so I don't qualify to wear the new knot. I really don't mind the new Eagle knot variety, though.

Doesn't some of the money from NESA dues go to fund some of the scholarships they award every year? As a recipient of one of the NESA scholarships in the mid 1980's, I appreciated and still appreciate the money Eagle Scouts have paid in dues. That money helped me go to college.

If a life member wants to wear the new knot, great, and thanks on behalf of all NESA scholarship recipients.

Q; Is a Scout who earns Eagle at 14 MORE of an Eagle Scout than one who earns Eagle at 18?

A: No.

Q: Is an Eagle Scout who earns 100+ merit badges MORE of an Eagle Scout than one who earns 21?

A: No

Q: Is an Eagle Scout who earns multiple Palms MORE of an Eagle Scout than one who earns none?

A: No

After you turn 18 no one cares how many merit badges or Palms you earned, just that you earned Eagle Scout.

No one cares.

This knot exists to entice Eagle Scouts to become life members of the NESA. It was created to encourage a certain behavior. If one looks at all the awards that are represented by square knots, most exist to encourage a desired behavior.

Certainly the James E. West is meant to encourage larger donations. The William D. Boyce new unit organizer award encourages starting new units. The Whitney M. Young Jr. Service Award, the ScoutingVale la Pena Service Award and the Asian American Spirit of Scouting Service Award encourage service to certain communities. Even the other service awards, District Award of Merit, Venturing Leadership Award, Silver Beaver, etc, are designed to encourage service.

If you want a certain behavior to increase, reward it.

Unless I missed it in the Insignia Guide, the only place a national jamboree patch is to be worn is OVER the right pocket, not ON the right pocket in the temporary position. If I'm in error, please correct me.

I love seeing my fellow Scouters wearing patches from jamborees past. It almost always sparks a wonderful coversation about our jambo experiences.

My fellow Arrowmen,

by now we know that the conference fee for NOAC 2006 is $345. My question is, how much are your lodges charging as a contingent fee and what are you receiving for said fee? I'm doing a little research to take to my lodge's executive committee and all information will be greatly appreciated. Many thanks.

cubbingcarol,

I certainly hope three generations of your family will be going to the next jamboree. This year my father, my sister's son and I are all going with our council's contingent. It's going to be a very, very special experience.

Ex,

thanks for the info, I appreciate it.

The position patch explanation certainly makes sense, I hadn't read national vice-chief's comments.

The loop explanation makes sense, too, but all the loop switching would be a bit of a pain. I'll think I'll stick to red. Thanks again.

LodgeChief,

I believe you are incorrect. A Scouter wears the loop color of the position of his primary registration. Just because you sit on a district or council committee doesn't mean you wear silver loops. Your primary registration has to be as a district or council scouter to wear silver tabs. I am an assisstant scoutmaster, associate lodge advisor and I sit on the council camping committee and the council NESA committee, but since my primary registration is at the unit level as an assistant scoutmaster, I wear red loops.

If I am incorrect in my posting I welcome correct information. Please cite the source.

meamemg

thanks for citing the reference, you beat me to it.

Some lodges are continuing to use the lodge number on flaps and other insignia. My lodge is keeping it in the same place it's always been. Another lodge in the section is ghosting the old number in the patch, a very nifty way of keeping it on the patch.

What an interesting thread. Since the death of John Paul the Great I have been most fascinated by the number of non-Catholics who praised him and the number of Catholics who condemned him.

Backpacker,

the number of people leaving the Church says more about the people and less about the Church. It is not for the Catholic Church to change its doctrine to fit the whims of the people, to become morally malleable to conform to the latest trend. Rather, it is incumbent upon the members of the Church, if they seek to be obedient to God, to conform their behavior to the moral dictates of the Church. Truth is eternal, not transitory.

Praire,

I would encourage you to review the documents of the Second Vatican Council. These documents have been grossly misunderstood and even more grossly misinterpreted and misused since they were release in the early 1960's. Pope John Paul the Great didn't abandon Vatican II. On the contrary, he finally started to give Vatican II its proper interpretation and implementation.

Unc,

as a Catholic, I believe the selection of every new pope is guided by the Holy Spirit. You, though you state you aren't Catholic, state you believe the new pope's selection was guided by God. Wow. I've not encountered a whole lot of non-Catholics who think that and I appreciate your stating it.

Ill-chosen words in the former post. I guess I'm not infallible like you, BW.

Funny, you are the only poster to this thread who misunderstood my meaning even though I could have chosen a better way to express is. Perhaps you aren't infallible after all.

FB,

apology gladly accepted and any offense taken is forgotten.

I didn't mean to imply you have anything against Evangelicals, I was merely drawing an analogy to my former prejudice and that I was able to overcome it by learning about my fellow Christians. Sorry for the misunderstanding and for my poor wording.

No, BW, I don't need to study each and every religion in the world to respect them, I have respect and tolerance because anything else would be a sin against the human dignity of their practitioners.

However, knowing a bit about other faiths, Christian and non-Christian alike, helps me to understand other perspectives and deepen that respect, foster understanding and help me to live harmoniously with my neighbor. I know next to nothing about Buddhism, Taoism, Shintoism or Zoroastrianism, but I respect their spiritual quest. If I took the time to learn more about each faith, I'm sure I'd gain an understanding of each groups perspective and outlook and reach a deeper level of respect.

FB,

as I suspected, ignorance with a touch of bigotry. I suggest you educate yourself about the Catholic Church before you say derogatory things about it. Don't get your information about the church from those who are against it in the first place. If you want to know about the Church go to the source, buy a copy of the Catechism of the Catholic Church and start reading.

Your original post is akin to me saying that all Evangelicals are inbred redneck Bible thumpers. I have chosen to learn about what Evangelicals believe so that I can respect them and agree with much of what they stand for, especially from a moral and social stand point, and even learn from their fervor and love of Scripture. Would it hurt you to do the same in regards to the Catholic Church?

BW,

I don't criticize lack of understanding, I criticize foolish statements born of lack of knowledge.