Trevorum

A buddy on Patch-L has informed us that the proposed Keystone - Juniata merger is off. Yesterday, the Keystone Area Council voted 69-7 in favor, but the Juniata Valley Council voted 52-39 against the merger.

I found that when I was searching for prayers to use in a Scouts Own service. It is unattributed but is entitled "Great Spirit Prayer" on this interesting website: http://www.angelfire.com/md/elanmichaels/prayers.html

Our troop doesn't have that problem. One of our SAs was born on the Indian subcontinent and he is very active.

I've heard of flat earther's, but I didn't know there were still geocentrists alive and kicking. I know of some people whose cosmology says our earth rests on the back of a cosmic turtle (not sure they really believe that, though). Religion is a strange lens sometimes. I doubt whether any of them work for NASA...

Also, here in Texas, everyone can pass the Horsemanship MB by the time they are Tiger cubs...

I'm not certain I understand the point of this classification scheme. Yes, some MBs are harder than others, but I think the scouts can and should discover this for themselves. Setting up a priori age groups can discourage scouts from pursuing MBs that the adults think are "too hard". A case in point: one of our brand new cross-overs - barely Scout rank - just earned his very first MB - Wilderness Survival. No one told him it was difficult even for 15 year olds, but he did great and had a blast.

whoa! hold on there pardner! Don't blame those pants on Texas! They were designed by a fancy-pants New Yawk City designer. Somebody, get a rope...

I don't mind the long pants. They are clearly designed more for "parlour Scouting" than for outdoor activities, but I actually wear them on campouts. It's the uniform shorts that are dorky. During warm weather, I tend to wear khaki shorts from Old Navy or zip-offs. My sons refuse to wear the shorts.

Prairie, a hearty welcome to the forum! I look forward to more of your thoughtful, articulate posts. You'll find a surprising number of Scouters who agree with your assssment (but Rooster ain't one of 'em )

Along the same lines, but from a different faith tradition: Oh, Great Spirit, whose voice I hear in the wind, whose breath gives life to all the world, Hear me; I need your strength and wisdom. Let me walk in beauty, and make my eyes ever behold the red and purple sunset. Make my hands respect the things you have made and my ears sharp to hear your voice Make me wise so that I may understand the things you have taught my people Help me to remain calm and strong in the face of all that comes towards me. Let me learn the lessons you have hidden in every lea

"Perhaps, a God who set the wheels in motion and is content to let the wheels spin as they will ..." Interestingly, that is the God that Newton believed in.

A friend said, "Theories explain facts lots of facts, considered together and thats what science is about. The sun disappears below the horizon in the evening. Thats a fact. Then it reappears the next morning on the opposite horizon. That, too, is a fact. To say that these facts are caused by the rotation of the earth on its axis is a theory. The problem is that some well-intentioned people do not understand that in science, a theory is not a hunch. Its not some kind of half-baked, unproven guess. Put another way, theories dont aspire to become facts when they grow up. In science, its

Reminds me of: "There is no such thing as 'bad weather'. There are just poor choices of clothing."

totally irrelevant but interesting sidebar: Newton didn't know about so-called virtual particles, which are constantly arriving in our universe and immediately departing. Google "virtual particles" for lots of interesting reading.

"Since matter can be neither created nor destroyed..." I'm no physicist, but my understanding is that matter is constantly being created and destroyed. Is that what E = mC2 is all about?

Interesting question, Semper I've heard that a lot of the early units were converted from Beard's Sons of Daniel Boone and Setons Woodcraft Indians; I wonder how they were organized...? I wonder if the CO was a BP idea or if it came from elsewhere? I'l bet our resident BSA historian, Miki101, has some good information regarding the early years.

From what I could tell from another news article, this is a type of voluntary probation program. No one is forced to join a troop, but they have the option to do so and have their infraction expunged from their record. My first concern was for the safety of the other guys. Scouting should not be a "boot camp" for offenders. In most troops, everyone is there because they WANT to be (excluding the occasional parental mandate). But these guys are told they HAVE to be there (or "else"). That seems to be a recipe for conflict and potental violence. Still, the article suggests that it h

Back when I was a CM, we saw the Tiger to Wolf transition as the biggest "leak in the pipeline" (even worse than the Webelos to Scout transition). Despite our best efforts with program, we could not retain much more than 50%. At the time, I attributed this to two factors: 1) the "us vs them" distinction created by the orange and blue uniforms, and 2) the fact that the Tigers are much younger (and smaller) than the rest of the pack and program activities that appeal to a 5th grader are not interesting (or even reasonable) for a 1st Grader. And vice versa. Now that Tigers are integrated i

Meanwhile, in Houston, a precinct judge is sentencing kids to serve time as Scouts! "Another juvenile program that he spearheaded two years ago is one in which juveniles that have committed serious crimes such as arson, sexual or weapons offenses are matriculated into Boy Scout troops. "We have sent more than 125 boys into the program... the parents have to be involved with their children in order to make this work" http://www.hcnonline.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=13801215&BRD=1574&PAG=461&dept_id=533251&rfi=6

Interesting thoughts (and perspectives), all. Luckily, "Joey"s mom was camping with the troop that weekend, so she was able to check him into the hospital herself. We did have the standard parent's permission sheet, but did not have to use it. I certainly do not want to make anyone a "laughing stock" or the butt of any joke! My idea was to honor him (for participating in the day's events even though he was not feeling well) and recognizing his bravery and cheerfulness (for undergoing the operation). Maybe this would be better as a SM minute than as a "gag award" at the CoH.

Welcome to the forum! We look forward to your contributions! Which Jambos?

I agree with Semper. There is a certain threshold of minimum size and lack of experienced leadership below which a unit will almost certainly fold. It happens all the time and, IMHO, not all units are worth saving. New units are constantly starting up to replace those that have failed, for a variety of reasons. As lynncc suggests, reviving a pack can be done with dedication, patience, and a lot of "1 hrs/week" But, where can your son get the better scouting experience now? If he is thinking about making it to Eagle, you owe it to him to give him the tools he needs for success. In this c

"I have no doubt that many supporters of these types of laws would also seek to have Jesus arrested if he were preaching in the streets today. " You're right! That's because he was a liberal who spread a seditious message of social change which threatened those who held political and military power.

Welcome to the forum! I suspect we'll be hearing a lot from you in the months to come! The troop is stuck in a rut that has been dug by untrained leaders who think they know what scouting is. It will take some time to turn around this MB mill. You won't be able to fix this alone and you'll need some allies. There may be strong personalities involved with vested interests in the status quo. Have you spoken to the other adults yet? do any of them share your concerns? How about the unit commissioner or the District committee? They should be involved in finding a solution. Have you had a pr

It was late, after a busy day of hiking, lashings, and cooking, everyone had finally gone to sleep. The new Scout patrol seemed to be coming together nicely. Suddenly, well past midnight, one of the new boys came running over to the Assistant SM's tent. "Joey's being stabbed!" The SA ripped open his own tent and hightailed it to the Patrol area where Joey was screaming in agony. There was no blood and Joey was actually complaining of "stabbing pains". Some gentle palpations indicated that a trip to the ER would be wise, and 12 hours later, Joey was recovering from an emergency appendectomy. He