WAKWIB

This is purely anectdotal and proves nothing, I suppose. I have/had 6 friends that told me they were introduced to homosexual acts by an adult when they were under-age. These men continued their homosexual activity into their adulthood. I don't know, but I surely hope that they did not repeat the cycle. I only keep in touch with one of them, and 3 of them died in the 80's from AIDS.

Well, Beavah. Looking at the Catholic League, I think the one man with the computer has a large board of directors and it claims to be the largest Catholic civil rights group in the country. Just sayin. The AFTAH also appears to be a bit more than some nobody in their mother's basement tweeting to his friends. If you don't want to comment on the content of the article, then don't. It doesn't help the cause of anything to patronize and treat Mr. Boyce like a dunce for posting this link.

I'm going to still contend that the race is very close. Consider this article FWIW. http://www.humanevents.com/2012/08/23/electoral-college-model-predicts-big-romney-win/ I know that the article is over a month old and there has been a bit of erosion, perhaps, in Romney support, but I still found it interesting. I think many Romney voters are playing it close-to-the-vest and not shouting their intentions from the rooftops.

packsaddle sez: "Good question. I'll send an email out to all the families in the CO and inform them of the issue. I'll get back to you if I hear anything from them." Did you receive any feedback on this, packsaddle?

I've heard comments like BD describes several times over the 12 years that I have been an adult leader. I have never heard the opposite, like what was shared on the forums a few weeks back. Maybe it's the community I live in. Scouting is somewhat iconic here in Kansas City. If you've never heard of H. Roe Bartle, look him up on Wiki. He built Scouting in this town and it has always been very popular. Yes, there are many here that don't like the BSA policy, but they don't blast the program as a whole. I think they are quietly confident that it will change sometime down the road. There are also

Moosetracker sez "I think now I only have one Republican who says it is wrong WAKWIB although it seems to be said sarcastically and not seriously" Seriously said, Moose.

"WAKWIB - you must be one of the believers that ALL the polls are ALL wrong" Nope, Moosetracker. You sort of jump to conclusions about people on these forums a lot. The race is far from over, IMHO. Also, if there is fraud and other illegal activities going on with the election process, I would want to see the people responsible prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. I hope I pass your sniff test as to what a good Scout would do, Moose. Packsaddle mentioned Gary Johnson. I'd love to see a Libertarian get more of a foothold in Presidential politics. I find some of their ideas r

I think some of what I'm reading in this thread is a dress rehearsal for a four-year long chorus of, "Romney Stole The Election!"

Congrats to your son! In my first real interview for my first "big-boy" job after college, the employer and I spent about 40 minutes of the one-hour interview talking about our shared experiences in Scouts! Cinched the interview and got the job, and worked very hard at it because of the mutual respect between myself and the boss.

AZMike asks about more/better training.Current YP training is good in content, but I think is suffers in the delivery. Thirty minutes at the computer, a few clicks of the mouse, and your done. Do it again in two years. Easy and painless. When YP was first rolled out, you had to sit with a group of people and learn. It's a bit more sobering that way than to click through it while sitting in your comfy-chair with your beer and popcorn. The YP videos for the kids generally sit on the shelves at the council office gathering dust. Again, kudos to the folks who create these learning tools, but if

Tell your Scouts to always say "Thanks anyway, have a great day!!" Obviously, the folks who pounced on him with their self-righteous pronouncements were not taught to say "no thank-you."

Simple dynamics of Scouting. When a Unit Leader ASKS for and RECEIVES help from a district/council volunteer or professional, then that district/council person will be regarded as a HERO by the Unit Leader..EVERYTIME. Conversely, when a district or council person begins to "help" without being ASKED, then that individual becomes a PEST of high magnitude...EVERYTIME!

The original post says it will be mandated in 2014. How much you wanna bet some know-it-all at your next Roundtable will preach that it is mandated NOW and is the only accepted form.

Basement asks: What changes? A somewhat bigger committment to supervision would be one. I realize that, as a rule, Venturing crews have been pretty good at policing themselves and holding their own accountable for behavior between the guys and gals. This would be a whole lot different with the middle-school crowd. If you have a co-ed Scout troop on a campout and especially at summer camp, you better recruit some leaders that are used to working the grave-yard shift. For the 11-17 program, I don't think there would be a lot of changes. The girls can and should learn the skills and act

This would be an anectdotal,"for-what-it's-worth" comment on my part. I reignited my Scouting career as an adult leader shortly after BSA vs. Dale in 2000 and I heard just a few comments at that time from those outside of Scouting and they seemed affirming of BSA's policy. It was still somewhat "in the news" at the time. I didn't hear then, nor have I heard recently anyone personally, face-to-face, speak against the policy. Maybe I just don't get out much. I think this topic gets a lot more traction on internet discussion groups or in the comment section under an online article that it does i

In my years as a camper, staffer, and adult leader the mealtime "entertainment" at camp has always been a high point for me. I love walking away from the dining hall and hearing the kids continue the singing as the wander through the woods back to their campsite.

It's been awhile since I have posted or commented here, but I really like your story,lrsap. Your young Scouts win the "cooking gold-medal" in my opinion, even if was just hot dogs. They were doing for themselves what momma usually does for them, and that's always a good thing. Meal time for your troop was a learning and practicing experience. For the other troop,it was just another chow-line.

Oh, it's coming John. It's been a process, not an event. We've had 20 years of getting adult women firmly planted, comfortable and competent in the organization at both the volunteer and professional level. That was a very essential first step. It's complete now. Give it about another 10 years or so to incrementally bring girls into all aspects of Scouting. Our boys, who will be leaders someday, will see to that. I think, based on observation, that our Mic-O-Say program in KC is very slowly preparing for that eventuality.

Seattle sez: "Frankly, I'd consider this ample good reason for a troop to drop OA. You're handing adults a broom and a dustpan and asking them to smile." Frankly as an adult who was nominated and chosen to be in the Order, I'm delighted to take up a broom and dustpan or whatever tool the Lodge gives me. It's just pretty cool to be a part of building and maintaining some of the best Scout camps in the country. Our council is tops in all metrics and that is due to the adult and youth membership resources of the Order of the Arrow and the Tribe of Mic-O-Say.

I'm not really a OA purist. Entered the program as an adult. I like it a lot. I'm not an expert at what has gone on in the past. I do think one change in my local council in the last 10+ years is significant. The Order used to be an exclusive summer camp thing. We're a little weird here. Since a merger the 70's we've had one camp OA and the other Mic-O-Say. The OA camp is much smaller and not heavily used. So maybe that was the reason to start up Fall and Spring inductions to build up membership AND involvement in the Lodge. I have a feeling that if not for that, our Lodge would have wit

"The Boy Scouts of America prohibits the use of alcoholic beverages and controlled substances at encampments or activities on property owned and/or operated by the Boy Scouts of America, or at any activity involving participation of youth members." Beavah sez: "It's a Guidebook"..... Does that mean that the word "prohibit" means "suggestion" nowadays? I get Beavah's point, to a point. G2SS is glorified common sense. But not all folks have common sense. So...adults are drinking at Cub Scout functions. CM is ok with it. CC is ok with it. CO is ok with it. Everybody is ok

WestCoastScouter, Do what you believe to be the right thing. However, you mentioned it has previously been reported. No results. I'm not surprised. If you report it again to the DE/SE I would predict the same zero response. Now, were you to indicate to them that you sent copies of this report to the area media....well, they would probably shut down the offending unit immediately, and have TSA-style searches at all Scout functions. On issues like this, the professional staff has two speeds: snooze, and hyper-space. They never can seem to find the middle-ground of supporting the clearly wri

I suppose that if I was currently a younger adult, a tat might just be something I would do...but being a fairly hairy fellow I don't think it would serve much purpose. It would have to be located in a not-for-public-view area. I think the art and science of tattoos have come a long way. Some of it is pretty amazing. Scoutfish's being a good example and I've seen some even more elaborate. I am surprised at the number of ladies who get it done these days. But, I guess since the artwork has improved dramatically over the sailor and biker stuff I knew as a kid it shouldn't surprise me that m

Why are atheists interested in a holiday display anyway? Shouldn't Christmas just be like any other day for them? There seem to be a lot of atheists who spend a great deal of time talking about God and religion. I don't get it. If you don't want something, walk away and forget about it.

Well, I suppose there is not an alumni association on the planet that does not ask for a membership fee. The question of where that fee goes is valid. A small part would go to the operation and "give-aways" of the association, but the rest...who knows? Personally, I only belong to one local Scouting alumni association and am told where the money goes; to scholarships for college students serving on our camp staffs. However, since this association is under the auspices of our Council, I have my qualms. Designated funds have been tapped into before for reasons beyond their designation.