BrentAllen

When is the course you are staffing? In our Council, we offer 3 courses a year - Spring, Summer, Fall. Since I took the course in the summer, I'm on the summer rotation. I staffed this past summer and I've been invited back for Summer, '08 (August). Each week at Summer Camp, a Scoutmaster/Scoutleader Dinner is held on Thursday evening. I drove up to camp a couple of times and made a pitch during that dinner. Lots of prospects in those groups. Does your council offer Webelos Encampments? Those would be good opportunities, as well. Check your Council calendar for any training events, and go recruit at them. We just held a Wilderness First Aid Course this weekend with around 40 participants, many of them were not Wood Badge trained. I think our council has something going on just about every weekend, so there are lots of opportunities to get in front of Scouters. Check District web pages for camporees or similar events, and hit them. You may have to do a lot of walking, but it's good exercise. Carry plenty of brochures, but also right down names and email addresses of those you meet and express an interest. You want to be able to get back to them after the event for a little reminder. Once you get a recruit, ask them if they have a friend who would be interested in attending with them. Most people would prefer to know someone else in the course, so let them do a little recruiting for you. Contact your patrol mates from your course and let them know you are recruiting. Ask them to pass the word on and send you any leads. Good luck!

So, belief equals worship?? Inseparable means equal?? Sounds like someone is on a Rocky Mountain High, and not the kind John Denver was singing about. Yes, things that make you go hmmmmmmmmmm.

I'm not trying to be difficult, but I don't know how to clarify "Is God a myth?" Being a Christian, I believe in God and I believe in Jesus. I believe the Bible is the Word of God. The Bible tells us that Satan exists, so I believe it. Is Satan Lucifer? I don't know, and I don't know if that is important. I do believe Satan is real and not "just a fictitious being that we invented to personify evil or something." If one believes God exists, I don't see why it would be that hard to believe that Satan exists.

pack, I wasn't asking how different faiths felt about whether God was a myth or not, or how the word "God" is interpreted by different people and faiths. I was asking you about whether or not you believe God is a myth. You stated you believed that Lucifer/Satan was a myth, equivalent to a monster in a kid's closet, and you implied that everyone else either does think that, or should think that. I really didn't think it was that difficult of a question. A simple yes or no will suffice. "Heh, heh, everyone knows I hope, that Lucifer (whatever name you wish to apply) doesn't really exist? He's (it's) just a myth. Kind of like the monster in the closet that scares the little kids. Just a fictitious being that we invented to personify evil or something. Right?"

pack, You asked/stated that Lucifer (whatever name you wish to apply) doesn't really exist. Based on that statement, I was curious if you felt God was a myth. Pretty simple question, I think. I'm not asking this in the context of the DRP, just in the context of your earlier statement about Lucifer/Satan being a myth.

pack, Is God just a myth? Is/was Jesus just a myth?

I, for one, would like to know which Wood Badge Course Kudu attended - dates, location. Was this an indoor course, similar to the cabin camping your troop experiences? BTW, your disdain for your beads has lead you to make a mistake on your inquiry pages. You state: "Actually, it is doubtful that the beads ever belonged to Dinizulu. B-P's letters and diaries of the time record him removing beads from a dead African girl, with no mention of Dinizulu [Jeal, page 134]. Over time, the so-called "history" of the beads has changed to suit the intended audience." If you read Jeal closely, he does not state that "beads" were removed from the girl (as you do), but instead a necklace. Also, considering Dinizulu was a large man (6' 7") and the beads wrapped around him several times (12 feet long, over 1,000 beads), I find it hard to believe an African girl would be wearing them. Jeal mentions the photo of Dinizulu wearing the beads, and that B-P likely acquired them in 1888 or later. My question - if B-P didn't get them from Dinizulu, then where else would he have gotten them? The corner market? The South Africans appear to believe they were originally Dinizulu's, as they explain here: http://www.scouting.org.za/seeds/woodbadge2.html Of course, to a WB hater, this info won't change anything.

eolesen, I guess we have different SM Handbooks. Mine has a section titled "Sexual Issues Among Scouts" on page 136. "Scoutmasters who have established a relationship of trust with troop members and who are willing to listen carefully and compassionately to what boys are saying have the best chance of understanding the Scout's concerns - sexuality included - and the greatest success in providing them with guidance that will have real meaning."

I was going to come up with a "No Uniform Method" patch and socks for a few people here, but I think a "No Uniform Method" knot will be much more popular. Everyone who objects to the BSA Uniform or certain parts, or wants to protest BSA policies by wearing silly illegal knots, can now add another one to their shirt. A white knot on a white background, symbolizing "we surrender" when it comes to the Uniform Method. How about another knot protesting the age of 18 discrimmination? The expanded SCHP legislation defined "children" as those up to age 24. If the government wants to declare them as children, why shouldn't the BSA? How about a pretty pink knot protesting the discrimination of girls? Hey, Gonzo - you ever see one of those anti-BSA rainbow knots on a uniform in your council? I've never seen one here in the AAC, and hope I don't.

It must be a real drag being born in the wrong century. robvio, If the course is presented properly, you should see the BSA Patrol Method modeled throughout the course. You will learn the steps of team development, which should help your Troop in building high performance teams with both your Committee and SM/ASM corps. It is so much more than I thought it would be. Go be a sponge and soak up as much as you can.

When we set up camp, the adults camp as a patrol, away from the boys. If something like this happened in our Troop, it is extremely unlikely the boys would have heard or seen anything. IMHO, if the boys were close enough to hear/see what happened, they were camping too close to the adults. Some campsites don't allow a Troop to spread out as I have described, and that could have been the situation in this case.

Down here, some folks claim to have seen the new uniform shirt. It is described as brown (sorry, I didn't ask if it was light or dark), and similar to the tan Action shirt, but with a little heavier fabric that will hold patches better. They think it is a nylon/poly blend that should be much more practical in the outdoors, probably something similar to one of Columbia's nicer outdoor shirts. The timeframe I'm hearing is early next year, possibly even January.

Eamonn, 12 - 15 years ago, one of our former Council Presidents gave a $1.2 million endowment to the Council to help Scouts from low-income families with camperships, uniforms, etc. The account has grown to over $3 million. The Council doesn't pay out all the interest every year, so the endowment keeps growing. Might be something you want to think about - setting up an endowment from which only the interest will be used, and only for purposes you specify. Not totally unrelated, but I read a story about someone who set up something similar at his favorite tavern. After he died, every year on the same date, at the same time (I think the date was his birthday), the bar would buy everyone in the house a drink and raise a toast in his memory. An interesting stab at immortality. :-)

#6. William D. Boyce New-Unit Organizer Award - Worn by those honored for starting a new unit. We started a new Troop in September, so I'm very familiar with this one. Description The William D. Boyce New-Unit Organizer Award is presented to recognize volunteers who organize one or more traditional Scouting units. The award may be worn on the adult uniform. The award is a white square knot placed over the three colors representing the three phases of our programCub Scouting, Boy Scouting, and Venturing. A volunteer can earn the knot by organizing one traditional unit, and a program device can be earned for up to three additional units organized. The award recognizes volunteers for organizing traditional units after March 1, 2005. http://scoutleaderawards.com/awards/boyce.asp

OK, all you lawyer types. If Bears aren't allowed to cook hot dogs over an open fire, then why does the Bear book show a Bear Scout doing just that? Granted, it is a cartoon drawing, but it clearly shows a Bear Scout with his mom and dad on a campout (tent in background) all cooking hot dogs over a fire. page 106, Achievement #12 Achievement 9g With an adult, cook something outdoors. One of the two items mentioned is S'Mores, showing a marshmellow on a stick, complete with instruction.

GW, I agree about the confusion on uniform terms. As much as the BSA says the Class A and B terms aren't part of the program, you will hear it used frequently, and it is easy for everyone to understand. If I were King, I would use the terms Dress Uniform and Camping or Outdoor Uniform.

Is that crickets I hear?

GW, I don't know the history of uniform terminology - I wouldn't be surprised to see that from the past. This question has come up before, but usually more about using the terms Class A and Class B. The issue was addressed by Scouting Magazine in the May-June 2006 issue. http://www.scoutingmagazine.org/issues/0605/d-lett.html Saluting in uniform In addition to the official Class A Scout uniform, the BSA also has a Class B uniformofficial Scout pants or shorts with a troop or camp T-shirt. My question regards protocol during flag ceremonies: Should a Scout use the Scout salute while in a Class B uniform or place his right hand over his heart? Christopher Dillon Assistant Scoutmaster, Troop 24 Bloomsburg, Pa. First, when referring to uniforms, Class A and Class B are military terms that are not used in the BSA. The correct Scouting terms for the two versions of the uniform are "official uniform" and "activity uniform." Although less formal, the activity uniform is still considered an official uniform, and therefore it is appropriate for boys to use the Scout salute while wearing it during a flag ceremony.

pack, Being black is not a sin. Homosexual sex (the act) is a sin. Just because a man is attracted to another man does not mean he has to follow those urges. If a married man is attracted to another woman, if he follows those urges, he is committing the sin of adultery. Some here will say a homosexual following that lifestyle is just being true to himself. What would those same people say about men who are attracted to women other than their wives? Should they act upon those urges? Are they not being true to themselves? "Likewise, if you can identify a large group of scientists who are threatening violence on some other group of people because of a disagreement on some theory or experimental result, I'd like to know about it...especially if they base their threat on some kind of 'scientific scripture'. I see no evidence of any such interaction. " I can identify a crowd, and their "science" has become religion - it is based on faith, not science. The Global Warming crowd. Give them another year or two, and they will start a war. They will scare some people so bad that they will feel their lives are threatened, and when those people can't get the "non-believers" to follow their "doctrine" to save the planet, they will resort to violence.

I didn't realize the United Methodist Church had come to a different conclusion. I thought their position was "The practice of homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching." Did this change? http://archives.umc.org/interior.asp?mid=1324

So, you were reading the Bible and being taught that blacks were inferior and cursed. Yet, blacks were using the same Bible in their churches. My guess is they weren't seeing the same message you were. The prejudice and hate came from society, not from the Bible. Maybe we are seeing the same thing regarding homosexuality, but I don't think so. There are some major differences here. One issue is about skin color, the other is about an act.

awesome1, Thanks for the clarification - that certainly adds more to the story. Balancing previous duty with setting an example for the Troop is tough job. It sounds like you are trying to be as fair as you can. Good luck with it.

pack, What book or bible were the black churchs using back in the 50's and 60's for religious services?

"I think objectivity is the purview of the researcher, not his/her funder." I wish Global Warming advocates believed that. According to them, anyone who has a different opinion is branded as an oil industry hack. Those of us on the other side see the GW advocates as hacks seeking out grants to push the agendas of George Soros and other liberals. Yep, nobody is clean anymore.

Gunny, Sure, I'll try. First, let me thank you for serving our country. I have deep appreciation for those who serve our country, so don't let me last post let you think otherwise. Blaze orange isn't just for hunting. Forest Rangers and others in the woods during hunting season wear it for safety. If I had Scouts in an area near hunters, I think it would be a good idea for them to wear some. The uniform shirt is not a Field shirt, and the BSA does not use the term "Field Uniform." BSA calls it the "Official Uniform", as opposed to an "Activity Uniform." That being said, your comments about LNT are correct. The BSA has the Switchbacks (as you mentioned) and also a tan nylon/poly Action/Activity shirt, which meet the desires of LNT. As an aside, I really push these pants and shirts with our boys. They are very functional and meet several other goals I have - keep the unit looking somewhat uniformed when in the woods, and keep the boys from wearing cotton. When we travel, we wear the Official Uniform, ideally with the Switchback pants and a Troop poly t-shirt underneath the uniform shirt. When we arrive, we shed the uniform shirts and throw on the tan Activity shirt. If we need the Official uniform shirts at camp, we pack and carry them. If not, we leave them in the vehicles. When we are ready to depart, we throw the uniform shirts back on for the trip home. If the boys just take/wear the Switchbacks to camp, they don't have to change anything other than shirts to get into uniform. The parents are starting to see the simplicity of this plan, and it makes packing so much easier. erickelly, we are in a fairly affluent area, so cost isn't a big problem. I'll let you in on a little secret. Councils (ours does, anyway) have financial aid programs that will help in providing uniforms to those who can't afford them. We have had those in need, and our Pack just picked up the cost, instead of going to Council.