Trevorum

A more interesting scenario - what would have happened if W had keeled over after Biden had taken the VP oath of office, but before Obama did? Would Biden have become the 44th President, if only for 15 minutes?

gwd, I take it you're not a counselor for the Coin Collecting merit badge ...

This is a tangent, but have you seen the designs for the bicentennial Lincoln cent? Go to www.usmint.gov. There are 4 new designs for the reverse. I especially like the last one (1861-1865), suggesting that the nation was still a work in progress, not yet finished.

I use plastic.

Maybe the implication is, "Why did you move to the Panhandle (of all places)??"

Gotta admit, I did a double take. At first, me eyes read "Sex Kittens". At least that makes more sense ...

Funny, I live in Texas, where no one admits to being from New York, Colorado, or California.

Yes, I agree, Hal. I certainly would advise any of the fellows in my troop against paying for the labor in their Eagle projects (and I would have absoutely vetoed the idea for my own sons). However, having successfully played the Devil's Advocate, we have now obtained a ruling from BW that paid labor on an Eagle project is not ipso facto unacceptable. (Bob, I'm just ribbing you). So, that opens the speculation: if a trust fund scout can pay for the labor, what's to stop him from planning, directing, and leading a massive effort that involves thousands of hours and tens of thousands of dollars?? That would be a terrific learning experience for a future Captain of Industry, no?

Right, but what if he doesn't *have* to "raise" any money. What if he can simply shell out for the labor out of his trust fund? Or, what if some wealthy benefactor gets wind of the project and offers to pay all project costs -including labor - because it will help her favorite non-profit? Now, that might not seem fair to other kids, but is it really forbidden under the rules?

Hal brings up a fascinating point. If the Eagle project is supposed to provide a service to the community while allowing the Scout to have an opportunity to develop leadership skills, what is wrong with paid labor? As long as the Eagle candidate plans the project, manages and directs the effort, and documents it by himself, why can't the heavy lifting part involve paid labor? I'm not aware of any rule against this (if I'm wrong, please tell us all). Although it *seems* wrong, and would probably stir up a strong argument with the district folks, I can't see National vetoing such a project.

Thank you for that link, Hal! Her perspective as a family member is especially interesting. The author notes that the episode was "a typical, if exceptionally blinkered, product of [the] era." As we have noted above, all of us are products of our own era; I hope that we can nontheless strive to see beyond our own blinkers.

That depends on whether he's a ridiculous president or not...

Over the Christmas holiday, I saw The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. An excellent film, reminiscent of Forrest Gump in some ways. I recommend it. There was one scene in which Button meets a young gentleman whom we are told is an African pygmy. The man is cultured and well spoken but he tells Benjamin of a "job" he formerly had being exhibited in a zoo, interacting with monkeys for the amusement of zoo patrons. Ghastly 19th century racism I thought, did that sort of thing really happen? Researching this bit online, I found the story of Ota Benga (1881-1916), a Congolese pygmy who was featured behind bars at the Bronx Zoo in 1906 alongside an orangutan. "Bronx Zoo director William Hornaday saw the exhibit as a valuable spectacle for his visitors, and was encouraged by Madison Grant, a prominent scientific racist and eugenicist." Yes, it turns out, that's the same Hornaday. Who knew? (No point, just curious.) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ota_Benga http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Temple_Hornaday Reminds me of the time I discovered that Sir Issac Newton was also a crackpot alchemist. I guess we're all artifacts of our times.

Bob, then stop telling people they have to believe in YOUR "God" in order to be Scouts. Many scouts and Scouters do not beleve in ANY ASPECT your mythology, including Buddhists, Hindus, Wiccans, and UU's, and we are just as good citizens as Christians, Jews, and Muslims, despite what you think and despite how you want to interpret the DRP. How about respecting OUR beliefs for a change.

... "respectful of each scouts individual beliefs. " Except, of course, some people evidently think it's OK to tell Scouts who don't happen to believe in the Judeo-Christian deity that they're not "the best type of citizens" ...

For several reasons, some personal and some ancient, the winter solstice is a special day for me. I wish all my fellow Scouters a great day and a just, peaceful, and productive new year. May your Eagles soar high and your Tenderfeet quickly learn how to treat their blisters. -trevorum

Dang straight, Ed! I'm never gonna wear my tuxedo again!

Yeah, but if we admit we do not believe that God is the "ruling and leading power in the universe", some Judeo-Christian supremecist will tell us we do not qualify to be Scouts.

Rooster, like it or not, you are 98.8% identical to a chimpanzee.

Moreover, humans also have instincts.

I always thought that since humans ARE animals (Homo sapiens, remember?) other, similar animals are excellent models for explaining human behavior. Or is that just another of those crazy notions they taught us in Anthropology 101?

Not that there's anything wrong with that ...

There are folks who collect such Scouting ephemera - you might try asking at Patch-L. Good luck!

Y'all lay off ol' Beavah's accent now, hear? Or I'll be fixin' to whup ya' upside.

Several years ago, we had two LDS brothers in our troop who told me they were also registered in their LDS troop. That took me by surprise, but they said it was not unusual. They liked our program better, but were nonetheless required to register with the other unit also.