The Latin Scot

That's quite the claim to make after lambasting our faith in this way, don't you think? 🙄

So, as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I have just a few things I want to address: 1. Please do not refer to our religion as "the Mormon Church." That name was first used as a derogatory term by mobs and persecutors who actively sought to harm and exterminate our people, and though its use has come in and out of vogue (even amongst our own), it is no longer the proper way to address our faith. We are The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. You may shorted it to "The Church of Christ," or "The Restored Church of Christ," but "Mormon" is not the correct

"Let me call you brother; I’m a Scouter too. Let me hear you whisper All the Scout Law through. Keep the Scouting Promise In your heart so true. Let me call you brother; I’m a Scouter too."

There's no such thing as "(just a) random Scouter." Every contribution matters, and we are more than happy to welcome yours here. Thanks for saying hi; I look forward to learning from your comments and insights soon! 😉

I am also very disturbed that all of the family/family history/community connection adventures are being retired. Family Stories, Earning Your Stripes, Tiger Tales, Hometown Heroes, Beat of the Drum, Looking Back Looking Forward, Project Family, Build My Hero - most of the adventures we are losing are not STEM related, but those that connect us to our families, our communities and our history. Honestly I was always surprised that none of these adventures were required, and now to find that they are all being retired - the more I consider it, the more troubling I find it.

Technically that is not an official adventure, but rather a "preview adventure" though I find that nomenclature, like that particular adventure itself, superfluous and irrelevant to Scouting. Unlike the Protect Yourself Rules adventure, which I strongly feel needs to become a required adventure at all levels immediately.

I actually have a number of friends who are color blind! And so was my hero, Mr. Rogers. In face, his color blindness was so severe that he never actually knew what color sweater he was wearing in each episode, and he couldn't tell the difference between pea soup and tomato soup except by tasting them. But he certainly seemed to get a lot of fulfilment out of his life nonetheless, and he passed that on to the children he inspired as well - I being one of them. ☺️

And thus it is in life; about those things of which we know nothing, we seem to care but little; we never feel the lack of that with which we have never been filled, and thus we never know the magnitude to which our souls might have been expanded, nor the heights to which our joys might have reached. I have been privileged to see two magnificent Rockwell exhibits in my life. Both deeply and thoroughly changed me. One was back in 2013 at the Church History museum of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Salt Lake City while I was living up in Utah. The display was in cele

Welcome to the forums @acollings! I have a lot of friends in Layton from my time at BYU, and my best friend is from AZ, so I am sure there are a lot of connections there - welcome welcome, and don't hesitate to share your experiences and bring you questions and comments here! All are welcome! 😄

I can only hope this remark is being made sarcastically or facetiously ... 🤨

I have ALWAYS wondered this! Why not use different knots to represent different types of awards? Square knots for youth achievements, bowlines for heroism awards, two half-hitches for training awards, et cetera. It would add both variety and specificity to the insignia which merely using colors doesn't convey as effectively. A well-spent $0.01!

The irony I observe is that all those who brush of this issue claiming that Scouting is supposed to be "fun" don't seem to be having very much fun commenting on the subject. 😄 Again, I will tread lightly on the matter this time around. Those who make a big fuss over compliance with what should be a crystal clear, easy-to-follow protocol that takes only a few minutes of tailoring to obey, reveal more about themselves than a simple desire to "have fun and enjoy themselves." 🤨 😅

I had noticed the very same thing; it took me five minutes to get logged on this morning. It seems to be working much better now though already.

In truth I wouldn't articulate my sentiments as being offended as such (it takes far, far more than this kind of thing to offend me, if indeed anything can these days), but I am ... well, I suppose disappointed is the best way to describe my feelings in such cases, although some Scouters get so defensive about their preciously-perceived privilege to put on airs that I do sometimes find myself feeling embarrassed for their sakes, or even indignant. But not offended. The policy is articulated plainly enough in the latest Guide to Awards and Insignia; thus, those who choose to ignore it make thei

Boy, I feel as if I have covered this topic SO MANY TIMES over the past few years ... but suffice it to say, I think that to ask "what's the harm?" is to ask the wrong question. The better question is to ask "what message am I sending to the youth and to other leaders by the way I wear my uniform and its insignia?" When I see somebody with enough knots to make a third-world general blush, I don't feel any sense of awe, nor admiration; nor am I ever curious to know the "stories and experiences" that they feel I should be eager to hear with reverent ears. All I can think to myself is "a Sc

I WANT THIS BADGE! 🤺 ⚔️

That depends entirely on what you consider "success" to entail. Needless to say, I am extremely familiar with both programs, and I am not as impressed with them as you seem to be. I hope that doesn't come off too strongly, but it seems we measure success in different ways. HEY WAIT A MINUTE NOW MacLeod? MACLEOD?!?!? Augh, mine eyes!!! ARE YOU CRAZY MAN?!?!? If, glory be, we ever did end up in kilts, (you know, post-Scouting apocalypse) I would think we would choose any tartan BUT MacLeod. We'd blind half the creatures in the woods, we would, in those blazing kilts! P

I agree; the idea of fully co-ed Scouting is, in my eyes and in my opinion, the worst possible thing that could happen to the BSA; it flies utterly in the face of what Scouting for boys is supposed to be, to do, and to accomplish, and all the good it is intended to do for boys will be lost when they are forced to share this program with girls. If they can no longer even have their own, separate troops without girls being part of them, the program loses the very sense of ownership that empowers, emboldens, and encourages boys to try new things, stretch themselves, and push their limits without

This may be one of the most heart-breaking blows to the collective history of the Boy Scouts of America that I can imagine ... https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2020/02/27/boy-scouts-chapter-11-bankruptcy-rockwell-paintings-sexual-abuse-victims/4820331002/ To lose this collection is, in my eyes, worse than losing any campground or property or lands. Absolutely catastrophic news.

Greetings fellow Scouter "from the crossroads of the West!" I lived in the beautiful state of Utah for 10 years (BYU alumnus here) and have a great deal of family there as well. Welcome to the forums - make yourself at home here! They're all good folks in these here parts. 😀

Haha ... well, I confess @otakuforlife, I did have to look up your profile page just to be sure. 😄 But my guess was correct, and naturally I am always eager to see my home council represented here on the forums, even if it isn't quite as illustrious as that venerated olde borough of Londontown. 😉

Yes, if it's an option, take it to the council office - but CALL first to make sure they are open. Our office has some strange hours, and it randomly closes on Wednesdays, so whatever you do, call before driving down there. I know Westminster is a bit of a drive to the council office, so do yourself the favor and make sure to take that extra precaution. Good luck! 😄

Yes; as long as it's the most recent version and it has all the correct signatures in all the correct places, you should be good to go. 👍

Good for you for getting your uniform already! If only I could get all the leaders in my troop to be so committed. 😄 As for getting yourself registered, there can be delays if you let others handle the job of getting it to council. The fastest, surest way to get yourself in the system as fast as possible will be to get the signatures from your unit leaders and then get the application DIRECTLY to our council's registrar, either in-person or scanned and sent in an email. She is incredibly prompt and utterly dependable - if you get it to straight to her, you won't have any problems.

Those "little monsters" had a standing invitation to join my Webelos den when I was a Webelos den leader. Soon everybody in the district caught wind of the fact that all the troublemakers, learning-impaired, and bad apples were welcome in my den, and in they came. But funny how, once those kids knew that I had already decided to love them before even meeting them, and once I proved that it was so by repeating it to them in no uncertain terms, over and over, every last one of them eventually came to believe that they were not as bad as they had been told. Because kids believe what grown ups tel