Davej775

Even if you confront the CM with documentation and the Dr. to explain you medical situation, the accusing rumor spreading CM will NEVER acknowledge his errors. His character flaw of meglomania permits him to always be right and to discount everyone else around them. He is the true psychopath and I can't imagine how he's tolerated by the other Scout leadership. These character types do not see the positive developing Scout as a a goal in Scouting, only the boy in their power to use for his own glorification, "I'm the boys' LEADER!"

You need to let the CO know what went on and Council also. You need to find another Pack and bring the Cubs whose parents were fired.

You have a legal avenue for the charge of slander. You might want to persue this as you have been maliciously hurt by this individual as others have formed an opinion of you by his slander and have acted upon it. YIS, Dave J!

This month's OUTDOOR LIFE magazine has a very good Cub Scouting Article. Dave J!

Our DE is always at Roundtables. A quality Roundtable is priceless for information and fellowship.

I took a hiatus from this board at or around the "Wheeler" discussions. Looking in now at this time I see, perhaps, like the groundhog on Feb 2nd seeing his shadow, its still cold and unpleasant on this forum. Behavior here as in camp, and in the conduct of our daily lives is defined by the Scout Law. Anything otherwise is just bad behavior. Steal a penny from your employer, or steal millions....its still theft.

I thought this forum was for getting advise, giving advise, getting answers or giving answers and support. Any contributer offering otherwise simply needs to find another place to see their offerings in print. I just read here that spel czech isn't used as often as a few other individuals want. We're not all rocket scientists, we're not all idiots, either. Don't get all hung up off the point.

This "getting specific" isn't just here. Look at our former leader and the dialog of what "is" is and means. This from the highest office: shame.

As some of you already know I work in a prison. We have a very big law library, filled with hundreds of volumes redefining the Ten Commandments. Really, why does it need to redefined? Don't do this to this forum.

Stick to the forum for help, to give and to get and in the Scouting spirit.

Dave J! I guess I'll look in in about six weeks?

My son has Asberger's, too. He's high end functioning and a little genius. Scouting was tough at first for all the above reasons. I'm just writing this to let you know to stay in Scouting and find a good leader. Any good Scout leader will help. There's been lots of Asbies in the past that went through Scouting before it was recognized as a specific titled condition. he Scout law has a lot to do with this.

My son has grown socially far more due to Scouting than he would have otherwise. Unfortunately he doesn't share the degree of social interaction at school with non-Scouts as with Scouts, but he now has the ability to do so if he wanted to.

We're still in Scouting after 4 years; and Jesse has been inovative and excelled in many projects that the Troop does, and this has smoothed the way a lot.

For what its worth I'll add that Jesse has always been fine being alone and it was I who pushed the Scouts and tried to get him socially involved.

The family services psychiatrist told me it was I who had the "problem and needed to be fixed" by understanding Asberger's and that it was a situation like having blue or brown eyes. It won't ever get "better."

I was told that there's a very strong possibility that he will never marry or have even a few good friends. Of course I'm the one anguishing over this possibility having a great wife and friends.

I had to learn and adapt to that fact. Jesse has always been very happy and is fine with his situation. To my surprise he went out and got a job working fo a neighbor. I was understanding when I was told that 3 girls asked him to the prom and he refused! I didn't push what I would have done: taken then all!

Now if I have a problem to be solved at home involving engineering of any sort I would ask Jesse to solve it and he has, sometimes with solutions that go beyond the envelope.

The latest surprise was his final art project being selected for permanent display in the new high school. The only one out of 80+ entrants. I never even saw him pick up a crayon or play with clay to do art, always doing some engineering with sticks and string.

Every day now brings surprises.

Well I wanted to say give Scouts a chance for the both of you. It made my son blossem into an exceptional young man and maintained my sanity by getting me involved as an ASM!

YIS, DAve J!

Now you've learned something about human nature, the dark side. Fall back on our Scout Motto, 'Be Prepared!" Its more than just remembering to bring those waterproof matches to camp!!

YIS Dave J775!

I also believe that a merit badge councellor for riflery must be a NRA certified instructor. I responded this info to an adult youth leader who asked how one becomes a MB councellor. The adult youth leader snarled up his face and scolded me for pulling his leg, "That's crazy!", he said, and continued that he "wouldn't have anything to do with an organization that said he couldn't be a councellor. I've been shooting for 30 years, I know all about guns!" he replied. As I mentioned, "shooting doesn't necessarily mean knowing all that need to be known....." But he had walked away from me by that time, insulted at my comment.

I've been looking all over the web for this exact information and I cannot find it. How about archery, swimming, all these activites have organizations with certified instructor ratings.

Could someone here please direct the rest of us, me, to those sites. Thanks so much. I need some sort of official documentation for MB Instructor criteria. Thanks, Dave J775, ASM, 584.

How can Scoutmaster slide thru training to become a Scoutmaster and have been with these boys all this time prior to becoming Scoutmaster not be discovered as the individual driving Scouts out of the troop? Was she hired out of the blue?

I want to refer to an earlier statement somewhere here about 'fairness and the law.'Something like fairness is point of view, not necessarily the law. In any arguement the winner winning would consider the judgment is fair. The loser in the arguement would consider losing unfair. Perhaps the older Scouts finding out that having to keep after the younger Scouts for completing choirs is unfair and not fun as they haven't developed a method to make it fun. Only when a senior Scout can have the junior Scout follow thru on an unpleasant choir, as in washing dishes, and look foward to the opportunity to do the dishes can we say the senior Scout has developed leadership skills.

Perhaps having followed thu on this they might thank this SM for her perserverence on their training, following the law, if that is the problem issue here.

Perhaps she's over compensating with the troop in order to deal with her son's affliction which may be clouding her manner of leadership.

In any case, the CO needs to concern themselves with what's happening. Dave J775., ASM

What happens when parents and leaders have bought equipment for the troop in the past, never submitted receipts for reimbursment and just donated for the cause as the troop thrived. Now the troop is all but dissolved due to very poor recruitment and all of the Scouts, now 17 and older, have moved on or are moving on. I have been approched to return Dutch ovens, fry pans,gas lanters, and lp gas cylanders they had let the troop use while it was active. The Church Budget had always been only $100.00 for the Scouts per year! I gave as did other parents, leaders, many times over as $100.00 per year hardly covers anything and is a token amount. Do I return the requested items listed here, to the origional owners or say, "Sorry, they were donated to the Church, the C.O."

Is there a statute of limitations on ownership here? DaveJ775, ASM. Thanks for your responses.

Dave J! is sorry for the error in mixing up uniform designers and apoligies to Oscar de la Rente. I also read that I wore 'leggings', not spats. Thank you for the correction! YIS, Dave J!

Run a background check. It might cost $10.00 at the local Police Dept. Isn't it a requirement anyway? Any warrents will show up and the rest will be history. Why take chances where there's doubt? If he passes the check, his comment was just inapropriate. If he fails the check he'll be picked up and somebody like me, in Corrections, will be feeding him lunch. Good hunting! Dave J!

This is an interesting thread! I hardly ever come here, having arrived, I'm jumping in. Wheeler says it for me. My specific observation is the uniform as BP invisioned it, 'used military uniforms that are cheap and wear well. The Scout hat is certainly the Campaign hat of the Doughboys, WWl.

I have before brought up the fact that my current uniform without badges etc, designed by Ralph Lauren( at what great cost, I wonder) looks almost exactly like my USMC dress uniform I wore daily, while working in HQ CO. Camp Lejeune. It was designed to get away from the military image?

I also learned to march in file and rank as a boy Scout in the 50's. It was FUN! We marched in parades in town and I loved even wearing the spats, and bloused trowsers. In the field spats are extremely valuable considering ticks, spiders, crawly things of all sorts. Too bad, not available today; and that marching is out of the program, I read somewhere, here on the forum. Why is the Military being dismissed? I see it erode away quietly, just as Wheeler has seen other aspects fade away. The Scouts was about making boys into men with leadership skills, strong faith, and be able to think for themselves. What Wheeler has discovered is that that isn't necessarily so today. One of the results of this situation is the growing of other Scouting Programs, Which I also read about here on the forum. This new program, not our BSA, as we know it, will be the future, I believe and encourage for boys to learn how to be men. Davej!

I work in Corrections and in my facility we're allowed to shift trade. I also work rotating shifts. I luck out on 8-4. So on those other Fridays I can elect to shift trade or pay out $125.00 for another C/O to work for me. At times, camping gets real expensive! Dave J!

'57 and those Scout pants had pockets that could actually fold up the top and snap down so the pocket knif wouldn't fall out. My Scout knife had those blade locks, it wasn't a lock blade, and it had a special blade just for mumbly peg.

WoW! A few words, images, and I'm a Tenderfoot again, Troop 35, Northport, NY.

While at out Winter Camporee this last week-end, going thru March's Scouter Magazine one of the 10 essentials for survival was .....A fixed blade sheath knife!

"Not for hanging on a belt.." When you buy the official BSA belt a brass attachment with a snap comes with it. I always thought it was for the Scouts official BSA folding knife.

Well, I guess you could hang a compass from it, after all, the brass will not have a negative effect on the magnetic qualities of the compass.

...Semper Paratis, Dave J!

our troop is a Latter day Saints troop and all the adults a r called 'Brother.' I'm surprised this hasn't been mentioned as 70% Scout troops across America are LDS. So, I'm Brother Jacobs at Scouts.

On the street, or by the campfire, I'll be Mr. Jacobs also which is fine.

If I hear "Jake," I know I'm being addressed by a parolee or a probationer that was in my unit and again, noting that 70% figure, has a 70% chance of returning to jail. And yes, one of my former Scouts did show up in my housing unit as an inmate for a while. Scouting doesn't reach everyone, I suppose..... Dave J!, Brother Jacobs, Jake!

All librarys should be controlled and licensed. Knowledge can cause pain and suffering. Ignorance is bliss. Independent thinking is dangerous!

Scouting is about gathering as much information as possible and then thinking outside the envelope. Taking responsibility and encouraging others to be responsible, too. Experience has a learning curve. Scouts, as others, grow thru experience. Experience is gained knowledge. Knowledge is power. Power requires responsibility.

Eagle1984, is this handle a coincidence? I think I want you to read 1984 by George Orwell. Hope it helps! Dave J!

Please accept my condolences.This is tragic for us all. This sad story will be told at my Scout meeting tonight. Alex will not be forgotten.

Davej775.

I received my AOL at the Blue & Gold dinner, 1956, Ocean Avenue School, Northport, L.I., N.Y. Had to have been many, many witnesses. Anyone on this forum there at that time? All my paperwork is lost long ago. Allow me to say have a good New Year on this thread, too! Dave J!

I'll take a bite on this one, too. The wages of Sin is Death, so, really going out on the ice when you're told not to do so, to save a drowning person, or a dog, as I once did, should not be a Sin, as Death was cheated by this author for the moment. As I will eventually die. Perhaps the one Sin, Eve eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge defying the Lord, includes all my lesser sins. Is there a lesser Sin?

I think those who employ the justification, 'The ends justify the means' are up to some smoke and mirrors. Where do all those McDonalds Happy meal toys come from? Reading info about North Korea's gulags and 'laundering' manufactured good thru China is a good start. Is the horror that produces those toys justified to make a child here in the USA smile?

By going on a frozen pond, illegally, was I justified to save a pooch? Dave J! The Truth is Out There!

Davej! here and thank you for the kind, honest response. I wasn't entirely right when I used just the movies to describe my entire knowledge of y'all Down Under. Your latest, describing all those battles, brought to mine Australia's greatest battle: personal possession of firearms! We here are very aware of what happend there. Have you been keeping up with Canada and their attempts to disarm their honest citizens? Its turned into a financial monster and turning most of the prior honest citizen population into felons for non-compliance in turning in their home defensive firearms. I can only guess there is no shooting sport program for your Scouts anywhere, there. In Scouting, Dave J!

Here's some answers for FOG....

My son was invited to join by a local tradesperson who happened to meet us and he was the SM of that troop. I was invited along to help out that first meeting, with knot tying, as being a sailor on the week-ends, I was told I would be an asset. Next thing I'm wearing a uniform, managing Scouts in the wild, and learning, learning, learning! Thats how I got involved I'm was not of their particular faith or a member of the church. No one has a problem with that. As far as policy goes, its written in stone the youth programs incorporate BSA as their program and the BSA programming gives way to church policy.

I did offer my son a change to a closer troop, which is run very well, however, my son was against it havong to start all over. He has Asberger's Syndrome; and change for him is a very real ordeal. Look up Asberger's on the 'Net for further understand. Dave J!

Dear Ozemu, Sorry about missing the help Australia sent to California to quell the fires. I wasn't aware. We just get the bad news, generally, and I guess that information just slipped thru the cracks. Or perhaps theres just so much bad news daily, I've turned a blind eye to what's really happening having gone into overload.. In addition I can only report my limited knowledge of Australia is via the movies: Quigly Down Under, Pappillion, Crocodile Dundee, and A Far off Place.

Hopefully, more of my country men/women are far better informed! Thanks for the tip, Dave J!

Mike, in answering how this happened I can only allege that the troop started out as Cubs with little Scout leadership. Crafts, field trips, a lot of fun. This is a church sponsored troop and so when they all matriculated to Boy Scouts they did so as a group. Now, if a Cub wants to join this troop they must wait for 1 year to join as the church has another program for the boys around 11 years old. This means that any Cub, crossing over will not join out troop. They'll join another troop so that they'll hit the road running and why switch after a year and start over? "A natural gang of boys..." BP said. Switching doesn't happen without cause.

We don't collect dues, i.e. there is no personnel investment into the troop. The reason is the church tithes and the the church programs will not allow to further charge for a church youth program.

Everything revolves around the Eagle. When I mention I understand the BSA policy is 'every Scout a 1st Class' I'm reminded how many Eagles the troop has produced in the past. I understand Eagle is a Scout generated goal, not a parent goal, and would ordenarily follow a sucessful leadership plan the Scout has participated in. Last meeting we had a Scout we havent seen in over a year announce his Eagle project. He doesn't participate in the meetings at all, and when he was present was unruly. I told the SM I would not support this. The project was a quick, a no brainer, and this child being very smart should have come up with something more meaningful and present somewhat of a challenge to acomplish. Because his parents are goal oriented and with position in the church, The Scout may get, not earn, his Eagle with no real effort on his part.

What has kept us together is the fact we do stress positive character growth, the Law, the Oath, and the Scouting is a church activity under church leadership. This last is a good thing for the boys and made a big difference in the development of my son.

What can I do to change it. Not a whole lot. as a non-member of this donimation I have little say when it comes to the conflict between the pure Scouting and church requirments. 1. Camping and campoorees are limited to only friday night. That 11 year old Scout cannot join out troop. Last year we only met once per month and that hastened out demise. We're starting this fall with 3 meetings per week, however all of out Scouts from the past, all those Eagles are now 18! We're starting over with 3 new scouts each of which had sporratic attendance. The SM is not to prompt either. I've made overtures to another troop, but My son isn't interested in moving to an unknown arena at this point being 17 soon to be 18. I think this troop has to fail totally, having a meeting and no Scouts showing to make a change. I'm slow to let go having invested so much in training, time and the fact that Scouting really is in my blood. Scouting is, I believe, forever. Dave J, ASM

Regarding the "Festival of Lights"....eight spellings: one for each day of celebration! And that celebration is a war victory of isreal over the Syrians. I'm sure the Syrians are offended each of the 5,000 years since that war( That number may be off by a few centuries, but the point is made)If everyone everywhere is proud of their own flag that's fine. Recently, in Iraq, if one showed even the slightest lack of 110% enthusiam they and/or their family were in peril for life and property. Nazis,KKKs, etc. are proud of their flags and their adjendas ( why the BSA will not permit Scouts to wear camoflage as they do for their youth groups so as not to confuse the groups and who stands for what)....And here we are back to the origional idea of this thread! Pretty good segue? Dave J!

Mrs Red, please accept my apology if the offended reader comes from a country that sent aid and assistance for the folks who were in trouble when the Mississippi over flowed it's banks. Thanks to all those in other lands that sent financial aid for those displaced by Western fires that rages throughout our land. When the World Trade Center was attacked we received how much aid to be distributed to the surviving families and all those displaced who lived right close by Ground Zero. How many survivors of U.S Servicemen fallen in the line of duty protecting foreign interests on THEIR soil. Is our flag offending them? I can answer that myself as I watch news today about Iraq. If they can get their hands on our flag its history. Yes, that poem would offend them.

A line is being drawn in the sand and its a dotted line. www.sierratimes.com has a story of a school system honoring a week of Muslum culture where the school kids MUST participate in Ramadan, read the Koran, and are not to be excused due to personal religious beliefs! This same system will not allow Christmas pagents, etc. Read the articles there at sierratimes.com, Mrs RED. Lincoln said it best when he said 'you can please some of the people some of the time, but, you can't please all the people all the time.'

That flag represents freedom for all, without qualification. It should be higher than the rest as a beacon to all to that the ultimate place, thus far for the land of the free, is the USA