DanKroh

Gonzo, "When the criteria changes, of course there will be more diagnoses." I disagree. Sometimes there will be more, sometimes there will be less. In the case of Asperger's, the diagnosis didn't exist before about 1994. For ADHD, the diagnostic criteria was refined in 1994, as well, in an attempt to differentiate exactly the kinds of things you are talking about; kids who have trouble with attention alone vs. kids who have hyperactivity/impulsivity, etc. Before 1994, diagnosing ADHD was a trial and error system; if the medication worked, that confirmed the diagnosis. We've found bet

Hmm. I'm glad to see that some of the misinformation presented early on in this thread has already been corrected, but I'd like to add my belated 2 cents, as well. As a mental health professional and parent of two boys with ADHD, one of whom also has Asperger's, I can tell you that ADHD and Asperger's are NOT the same thing. My older son with AS behaves very, very differently than my younger son who only has ADHD. As far as medication holidays, yes, they were mostly advised for kids on Ritalin, but Adderall and Concerta are both still amphetamine derivates, and have the same appetite

Although, I have to admit that when I got flattened from behind by an inattentive snowboarder while I was skiing last week, I did find myself muttering something about banning. But a hot bowl of chowder later, I was over it.

Excellently put, OGE. Couldn't agree more. Instead of treating the symptoms (by banning stuff), it is much better to treat the underlying cause (lack of respect).

"We only had 195 people (vs. 320) and we had Jeff Foxworthy (vs. Oliver North) and we raised $212,000 (vs. $160,000) in one morning." Now that there's funny, right there, I don't care who you are... Kudos to your district, Brent. I would definitely prefer Foxworthy over North any day.

ASM, I like the Jamboree idea. But for the favorite cuisine, do you really thing the others would be willing to partake of freshly sacrificed babies? (Sorry, could resist...) As far as your other question, I'm an initiated Wiccan clergy, who also attends a UU church on a semi-regular basis. I was a United Methodist until I was about 20 or so, and I was also married to practicing Jew for 12 years. I continue to expose my children to the Jewish faith as I am able to honor her memory, as well as any other faith that they show interest in, and support whatever decision they make about their

"Your post reminded me of something my daughter asked years ago, "Dad, do pagans eat people?" I nearly choked on my breakfast. So I responded, "Only during communion, punkin'." At which time my wife smacked me on the back of my head with a sausage. Doesn't get much better than that!" Nah, Pack, only on full moons and bonfire nights.....

Both the Bear and Webelos requirements read "Earn the religious emblem of your faith". Notice it doesn't say "Earn the BSA-approved religious emblem of your faith" Wicca has a religious emblem, a curriculum developed by a group called Covenant of the Goddess. However, it is not, and probably never will be, BSA-approved. I would not be surprised if other faiths that are not listed on the BSA-approved list also have emblem programs. However, my reading of the requirments is that any religious emblem that has been approved by *your faith*, NOT the BSA, meets the requirment. My son

ASM915, while there may be some American Indian religions that have absorbed the idea of Jesus as divine, I think most of them are still polytheistic in nature. On a couple of Pagan forums that I interact on, there are a good number of people who identify as NA who also identify their spirituality as Pagan. Just because they "believes in Jesus", doesn't mean that their religion is Abrahamic (depending on *what* they believe *about* Jesus). I like the idea of a religious diversity award. I think the BSA has a great opportunity to teach about other religions. Even for Pagans to learn about

Trev says: "I can not speak for Wicca, but UUs are fully accepted and supported by BSA at all levels (notwithstanding possible misunderstandings at the local level by scattered units here and there)." While the BSA, at least on my local level in my personal experience, is fully accepting of Pagans, the national organization has put a few roadblocks in place to keep Pagans from ever having a religious emblem program. Part of it is due to the nature of Pagan religions and their organization (or lack thereof), but it seems to me that the BSA is certainly not being very accomodating of the un

"We also have found that kids with ADD/ADHD, that toward the end of their medication day, when their meds are wearing off and they are going toward a "melt-down", we have found that caffine helps calm these kids down. We give them Mtn. Dew, Jolt soda, coffee, etc. (After explaining to the parents and showing them studies that support the facts), the scouts calm right down and usually want to go to bed early." Yep, isn't the paradoxical effect of ADHD medications wonderful? Give the kid a stimulant, and it calms them down. Caffeine also being a stimulant, mimics the effect of the ADHD medi

this is one of my favorite Yule stories, which we have used in our Yule ritual: THE FIRST SONG taken from the CD 'This Winter's Night' by Mother Tongue. This story begins a long long time ago when Earth and Sun made the first beings. -- the very first plants and animals and people. It was springtime and the Sun shone warm and bright from His high perch above, and Earth, proud mother that She was, held and fed Her newborns and relished them with tenderness and love. It was a time of joy, it was a time of great delight. The Moon waxed and waned time and again in the night s

"christmas is 6 days latter" Huh? 6 days later than what? This year Hanukkah started on the 15th and ends the evening of the 22nd (it changes from year to year, btw). So this year, Christmas is either 10 days after the start of Hanukkah or 3 days after the end of Hanukkah. My boys had a great Hanukkah visiting with their grandparents, and I wish everyone who celebrates it a great last couple of days of Hanukkah!(This message has been edited by DanKroh)

Thanks, Trev. Happy Solstice to All! I for one am greatly looking forward to the return of the sun.

gwd-scouter, your COH sounds like it was a wonderful experience for everyone involved. It's great when the scouts are dedicated, and you can perhaps see some of where they get it when you see the parents and other family members there with them to recognize their achievements. If I may, I'd like to add my own little bit of positive news (ok, I 'fess up, to also indulge in a parent's pride). I'm attending my older son's COH tonight, and while he is not advancing tonight, he is receiving one merit badge--Communications. This is his first Eagle-required MB, but more importantly, represe

Wow, tominrichmond, you really hit the motherload of being offensive to homosexuals here: "Moreover, a line has to be drawn somewhere. If we suddenly decide that, despite 6,000 years of Judeo-Christian belief, homosexuality is OK or just another viable lifestyle option, then what's next? Bigamy? Pederasty? (take note of that one, scouters); bestiality?" Homosexual is NOT comparable to pederasty or bestiality. And the only bigamists I've heard of are heterosexuals. How offensive would you find it if I said that we have to draw a line because if we accept Judeo-Christian tradition

"Well the NIH was founded in 1930. The United States did OK for over a century and a half without it." Hmmm, smallpox, cholera, yellow fever, influenza epidemics. An average life expectancy of about 45. Oh yeah, I want to go back there. "And instead of spending it in Iraq or anywhere, they can give the money back to you and me. It is ours anyway. I can spend it better than they can." No thanks. I'd rather have the heart surgery that allowed my older son to survive past 8 years old. I'd rather have the cure for cancer that may come in time to prevent my sons from suffering from t

Brent, The article I referred to in The Scientist (http://www.the-scientist.com/article/display/23813/) was actually a response to that JAMA article, and examined the sources of funding for the most frequently cited articles. It suggests that the percentage of federal funding is cyclical, and has reached a higher precentage just the year before the JAMA data you quoted. But yes, there has been an overall trend in the last decade to increase private funding sources. I don't have access to the original JAMA article, so there are several questions I would have about their data. The sum

"I do not think it is proper for the government to be spending my hard earned money on researh that is not related to the core functions of the federal government." So we should abolish the entire NIH? Nothing that the NIH does or funds is a core function of the federal government. I'm sure that $20 billion that the NIH gave out in research grants last year could better spent in Iraq, huh? Heck, while we're at it, lets get rid of the CDC, too. They don't do aything core to the federal government either, right? BTW, in the federal vs. private funding argument, federal funds generally

Eamonn, My prayers are with you, your son, the boy's family, and all those touched by such a terrible, terrible tragedy. Hopefully OJ's school will have grief counselors on hand. Encourage him to make use of them. I've got 4 more years before my oldest is 16, and him driving does scare me witless. When I was 16, being able to drive seemed like the most reasonable thing in the world. Now a 16 y.o. with a license is one of the most terrifying thing I can imagine.

Actually, Barry, that was EXACTLY what I was looking for! Thanks for sharing your experiences.

What do you think are the most important skills/lessons/interests that a Cub Scout leader can teach/foster in Cubs to prepare them for Boy Scouts? And, as a follow up, when should preparation for Boy Scouts start? As Webelos, from the beginning as Tigers, or somewhere in between?

"Bush says we don't torture." And I guess that makes it true? At least in the mind of Mr. Bush, it does, huh? Even when photographs from Abu Ghraib and first hand accounts from the soldiers involved in these "aggressive interrogation techniques" contradict him. Sometimes I wonder if there is anything Mr. Bush could ever do that would drive away that small minority of blindly faithful. Has anyone else been reading the accounts of the young servicewoman Alyssa Peterson, who it appears may have committed suicide after objecting to those same interrogation techniques? No, the e

My understanding (which could be wrong) is that because fire departments are municipal services, they are funded by the town, and are therefore under the same restrictions as public schools. Likewise, police departments or any other municipal department supported by tax dollars could not charter a unit. Interestingly, our troop is chartered the local water and light company, which is not supported by tax dollars, so they are technically separate from the town, even though many people think they are part of the town services.

Hi Michelle, Most kids who have moderate coordination problems like those you describe for your nephew have a legitimate neurological foundation for those problems, especially when you mention problems with proprioception (the body in relation to space). Such disorders fall under the blanket term dyspraxia. Now, I'm not a neurologist, but I do have some experience with dyspraxia because it is one of disorders that commonly goes hand-in-hand with Autism Spectrum Disorders such as Asperger's (which my older son has) and also with ADHD (which both my sons have). Those that suffer f