Trevorum

The Scout Shop probably orders from National. I'd rather support local businesses.

btw, welcome to the forums!

Check with your local trophy shop.

I tried to take those non-Catholics to another church... Exposure to the wide variety beliefs of others is almost always a good thing. Visiting the services of other religions while a youth can be an important element in developing a sense of religious tolerance as an adult. However, some religions are fairly insular and even go so far as to prohibit attendance by their members at other places of worship. That's a shame (dare I say paranoid?), IMO, but those tenets must be respected in the name of tolerance. Several years ago, I presented a short progam on cross-cultural religious awareness to the troop at our meeting before Scout Sunday/Sabbath. Just a short overview of a dozen different religions, world-wide: where, what, when, etc. Most fellows were mildly interested and a few were fascinated by stuff they never knew before. However, I did recieve one or two sharp comments from evangelical Christian parents who did not appreciate my mild attempt to widen their son's perspective. In deference to that minority, I've not repeated the progam. Live and learn.

nolesrule is technically correct. But no one except the uniform police will object. If they do, tell your story of WJ with gusto and graciously thank them for their advice. I wear my current lodge flap (Tonkawa) but occasionally, when the uniform police aren't looking, I'll also wear a small enameled Walika pin. (John and I missed being lodge bros by a year as youth - viva Walika!)

nld is right, Fred. I've proctored many OA elections in our troop. After the first couple, I wondered if more - or fewer - boys should have been elected. After a few more elections, I realized that the troop membership really does have a pretty inuitive grasp of who is ready for the honor and who is not fully baked yet. It's not a perfect system, but it's better than any of the alternatives.

"... how would that affect scouting? " We could develop a Citizenship in Texas merit badge! After earning 5 MB, the fellows would become Lone Star Scouts! The slogan would become, "Remember the Alamo!"

I think that idea was already tried once. It didn't work.

pack, if I'm understanding you correctly, you're saying that Ed and Merlyn will never successfully mate and have fertile offspring?

(sshh ... you're just gonna confuse people ...)

Merlyn, you do realize that religion is ALL interpretation? That is precisely why it fosters so much disagreement, strife and violence. People do not fight wars about the Periodic Table.

Just to be clear: I don't CARE what the bible says about homosexuality any more than I care what it says about shellfish. It is completely and totally irrelevant and any attempt to argue from it as an authority is vacuous.

I see the Bible as no more of an authority on this issue than the Rig Veda or Dianetics. That argument carries absolutely no weight. (This message has been edited by Trevorum)

What about pagan scouts? Do they get their own service, too?

Happy BD to the founder of the feast, ScouterTerry!

Yeah, I agree with John. This is not a wink-wink situation. I would not trust my son with these adults.

Ed, I've always assumed that - for adults - marriage is a fundamental human right and NOT a privilege granted by the state. Indeed, I believe that to be one of the basic themes of literature. As such, the state does not have the power to regulate it except for human health and safety issues (eg., blood tests, incest restrictions, etc.) (This message has been edited by Trevorum)

Hal, In point of fact, we don't "exclude gays", we just talk about it loudly to discourage them from trying to join, and now and then we publicly kick somebody out.

Ed, I'm not sure I follow you. Are you suggesting that, for adults, marriage is not a right but a privilege?

Yeah, I agree. It was pretty shortsighted for BSA to get involved with the issue in the first place. On the other hand I suppose we should be thankful BSA didn't try to resist the civil rights movement back in the 60s.

I'm sorry to see another thread dissolve into bickering. Nonetheless, the original proposition has not been rejected, that American society is evolving in a direction none of us can control. Nor has its corollary, that BSA will also change to mirror the society in which it exists.

(duplicate post)(This message has been edited by trevorum)

I've told you guys about my Ford F150 that exploded in my driveway at 3 in the morning. Even worse was the way the scumbag company stonewalled us. Never, ever, ever buy a Ford. Don't let your friends buy Fords. But I agree with SR540Beav about Chevy. We bought a Silverado to replace the Ford and it's been reliable. (This message has been edited by trevorum)

As America's heartland changes, so will the rest of the country. Slowly but surely, change is inevitable. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2009/04/03/ST2009040303761.html And eventually, BSA will also need to change to reflect the changing values of society. Like it or not, it's gonna happen.