Campfire Fairy

*salutes*

I tried really hard to restrain myself from getting involved in this, I really did, and I might regret it later, but I just have to say this...

Bob White and FOG bicker like schoolchildren.

I would like to say that you are both very useful resources for information regarding the wide spectrum of boy scout knowledge, and I have no doubt that you both harbor an incredible passion for scouting, but you also seem to harbor an incredible passion for fighting with each other.

Yes, maybe I shouldn't get involved, but keep in mind that there are youth members of this forum as well. What kind of example are you setting for them, being grown men and nitpicking every detail of each other's posts? And not to single out FOG here, but he supplied me with the most recent example of this:

[to BW] "...When you're talking to a friend, assuming that you have friends..."

My 11 and 13 year old sisters are just growing out of that "insult." I'm somewhat disappointed that it's being used by supposedly respectable adults.

Sorry if I offended either of you, and I regrettably suspect that not only will this post do no good whatsoever, but I'm sure one or both of you will attack me now. However, I had to say something. I'm sure I'm not the only person on here who feels this way.

In Spy Game with Robert Redford and Brad Pitt, Pitt's character was a boy scout.

During the Vietnam war, Redford, a covert operative for the CIA, recruited Pitt's character to be the sniper for some mission to kill some South Korean [i think] head honcho. Redford interview's Pitt's character, and one of his questions is, "Where did you learn to shoot?" Pitt answers "The boy scouts, sir," and at first, Redford thinks he's kidding [he's not, though:)] Pitt, along with a Vietnamese soldier fighting with the Americans, agree to take on the mission, but are seen by an enemy helicopter. Blah blah blah, action, gunfire, shooting from and at the helicopter, and in the midst of it all, Pitt's Vietnamese buddy is shot in the leg, and somehow the chopper is shot down, and they take cover in some bush or something until Redford comes along, looking for the two men in his own chopper. He circles around a couple times, is ready to leave, then spots them below, several hundred feet away, with a pink sunset behind them slightly obscured by a pillar of black smoke from the downed helicopter, with Pitt supporting his wounded fellow soldier. Redford's closing remark in the scene is, "Hell of an ad for the Boy Scouts."

I probably didn't do the scene justice in my description, but I thought it was a good movie, so if you're bored one day, I suggest watching it Pitt's character is portrayed as admirable and moral, I think. He's later recruited by Redford to be his undercover CIA partner and Pitt's conscience and personal values/ethics cause rifts between the two.

Alas, a witty, inspiring movie critic I am not...

I must admit that I'm not very well educated in the politics of boy scout issues such as these, but being a Venturer myself, I feel I am qualified to make a few comments.

First, I have benefitted in a great many ways from my four years in Venturing. I first joined because a few friends of mine were members and they lured me by describing the trip to Assateague, VA they were planning for that summer, a place I'd wanted to go ever since reading the "Misty of Chincoteague" books. I met a lot of new people through Venturing since then, and I've been exposed to a great many situations that I think have not only expanded my knowledge (and wisdom, perhaps?), but they've also strengthened my character, I feel. And the personal victories made on events like rock climbing, weekend backpacking trips (ah, the joys of being hot, sweaty, and stinky and sharing one latrine with 20 other people:P), and even volunteer activities make the deal even sweeter.

So I say, okay, maybe The Management went about obtaining members in a shady way, and I'm not saying it's right, but I think, as long as they're given the opportunities Venturing has offered me (and promised to them for joining), maybe it will end up being a kind of blessing in disguise.

NJ- Oh, eye-rolling schmeyerolling. It's fun to be silly and ridiculous. Heh, I'll probably end up to be an embarassing mom some day... either that, or a really cool mom.

*ponders*

No, I'll most likely be horrid... muahaha (This message has been edited by Campfire Fairy)

OT- I can indeed picture a rockette-esque kick, as you described it, being performed by OGE and the like, and I'll bet it was hilarious! What a coincidence that it's a rockette-esque kick and Mistah L is... well, I won't say...

OGE- I'm sorry I couldn't make it to your beating- I mean, beading ceremony, but my grandparents needed me to help them out again with some things. Congrats!

MK- "I also love to sing all the patriotic songs. And most everyone either knows the words, or can fake them well enough to get by until they learn them for real." ...........I am a very good faker

Adrian- spontaneous singing is the best

SMT- I think singing campfire songs is a good 75-80% of the campfire fun. Boys are silly, and you can tell your kids I said so... not that that'll mean anything to them...

Anybody out there watch Jeopardy this past Wednesday night? I happened to catch the Final Jeopardy round, and the question went something like this:

"In 1908, the techniques he used to train Army troops were also used to write the handbook/manual [i'm not sure which word they used] for an organization he founded for young boys."

The answer: Who is Baden-Powell?

None of the contestants knew the answer, but due to my Boy Scoutness, I did. This excited me greatly, but I settled down after my grandfather made fun of me for whooping and doing a little I-knew-the-answer dance.

Oh, oh! I know the Streets of London! Well... most of it...

OT, I definitely agree that we should teach the boys a few of *our* songs. And I do know One Tin Soldier. *smiles angelically* We'll have to get Campaholic and serenade them sometime. Except that... I can't sing... so it won't be too pretty

I would greatly appreciate your songbook. You'd be my newest hero. Again... because I think you were a hero in the past for something, as well...

At any rate, OGE, I like that one with the meadows... it has horses in it

Oh, and I would like to state that I fully appreciate the smileys. In other forums and such, I find it disheartening that they don't have the emoticons. They just add a certain something to your comments.

DS and eisley~

Many thanks for your suggestions. I'll definitely look into finding a songbook.

OGE~

Alas, perhaps my Muse-ness expertise is limited to the area of the visual arts. At any rate, I will work on my boy scout songs for the next camping trip.

I thoroughly enjoyed both recitations. Or should I say, all three, since The Maker of the St. Crispin's Day Speech also recited The Raven for us. I had decided not to recite the one poem I have memorized; it would have been quasi-blasphemous for me to follow the St. Crispin speech and the Ballad of William Sycamore with Shel Silverstein's "Sick" (I cannot go to school today/Said little Peggy Ann McKay/I have the measles and the mumps/A gash, a rash, and purple bumps..." etc. etc. etc...) Perhaps I should work on my own recitation as well as songs

It was interesting, though. Just one more reason I enjoy being a boy scout more than I liked being a girl scout

(This message has been edited by Campfire Fairy)

While I'm not necessarily new to Ventures (I've got four years under my belt now), I am ashamed to admit that I know virtually no boy scout camp songs. *is shamefaced*

This was made painfully clear to me when, on a recent camping trip, everyone else burst into song one night sitting around the campfire. They took pity on me, The One Who Didn't Know the Words to Sing Along, and generously sang a song I knew: (I am almost embarassed to admit this...) Bingo.

Apparently my repertoire of girl scout songs isn't cutting it.

So, to spare me any further embarassment (don't get me wrong- I thoroughly enjoyed the weekend, and it was ridiculously hilarious to witness teenagers and the adult advisors singing Bingo:P), I would greatly appreciate some suggestions as to what camp songs I should know. Any favorite/traditional/must-know-or-be-relentlessly-teased songs?

Knowing OldGreyEagle and OutdoorThinker, I apologize to everyone in advance for giving them this opportunity

Shanksh.

Girl Boy Scout Power

I love how we brought in the cruelties of the world in general into this thread about the Scout Oath...

I say to each his (or her!) own. The US Constitution has been around for 200+ years and we're still interpreting it in a zillion different ways. Just because the Scout Oath is a fraction of its length doesn't mean it won't have the same problem.

Like OT, I don't have an answer, only my humble opinion. I firmly believe that this scout should NOT be asked to leave the troop. I'm sure it is a terrifying experience and to have any solid rock of support in this time would mean the world to him. I can't even begin to imagine the shock and remorse and the myriad of other emotions the father-to-be would be feeling, and to insist he leave Boy Scouting would only add more pressure and strain to an already-stressful situation. Like many others have already written, this boy probably needs Boy Scouts now more than ever.

While I agree with OGE that this scout isn't the ideal role model among the rest of the troop, just because he got a girl pregnant doesn't mean it's going to become the latest craze. If I were a leader in this situation, I would listen without judging when the scout needed to talk. And to deal with the rest of the troop, I would have a talk with them about the consequences of these actions. They say knowledge is power... well, give it to 'em. Granted, some boys may not be mature enough to deal with this situation politely, but you probably won't need to worry about those particular boys being copycats, either then.

And though I may not have ever been a boy scout until I joined Ventures, I am familiar with the Boy Scout Oath and the Law and such. Perhaps the Scout Oath says a scout is "morally straight," but does it not also state that a scout will "help others at all times?"

I would just like to give props to the Boy Scout Camps for hiring females for ~any~ position. Girl Scout camps have yet to staff boys for positions other than groundskeeping and the cook, both of which have very limited exposure to the campers.

As far as any behavior problems related to having female staff members in a boy scout camp, I think I would be surprised and suspicious if there weren't any such problems as secret admirers, and distasteful remarks. If you throw a girl in with a group of guys, regardless of location and affiliation with the boy scouts, there's going to be crushes and crude comments. It's called hormones and typical boy behavior (this being said at the risk of getting comments of retaliation on female chauvenism and stereotypes! )

FatOldGuy-

It's pretty much a proven fact that positive reinforcement works, and I highly doubt that the results are limited to kids and teenagers; adults respond just as positively to rewards and incentives. While I do agree that it's silly to spend the money for prizes for something a person does because he or she wants to, you can't honestly say that you don't like hearing a "Good job" or getting some sort of appreciative comment because of your presence or effort. That being said, I like SM406's suggestion of a Cheer Box. Though it might be cheesey, it's practical, thoughtful, and cheap, and I can pretty much guarantee the kids would enjoy it.