david.w.rahfeldt

CONCUR ... a GOOD ceremony should leave everyone trying to control themselves emotionally and failing. How do you know the ceremony was good? When folks need to wipe tears from their eyes you did it right When the end of the cermony is marked with automatic silence out of respect for the intensity of the shared feelings, you did it right. When folks shuffle off bored to find a place to rest their tired feet and bored souls ... or run for someplace to seek amusement ... you did NOT do it right. SHORT, HONEST, INTENSE, REAL ... is the guage for ceremonies. A bugler at

At the bottom of the newsletter you see what happened to his Cabin. http://www.saintemariefoundation.org/Current_News_Newsletter/Newsletter_Winter_2010.pdf Never met the chap, but he sounds, indeed, a good fellow. Scouting is filled with un-sung heros who have changed the future of many boys and men. Scouting is a bit like Masonry ... Change the future of humanity, one man/boy at a time. One never knows when that kind word, the bit of encouragement, that one extra skill, whether how to catch catfish or how to set a bone in the wilderness ... will save or change a li

What makes this so confusing is that there is no NATIONWIDE BSA policy with regard to knives or sharp tools other than what you find relative to safe knife or ad / cutting yard policies and such. (guide to safe scouting, etc) BUT Many cities / counties have restrictions on the size and nature of knives that can be legally caried. and MOST Scout camps have restrictions on what kinds of knives and tools are acceptable in camp (for kids or adults both). Most of our camps here in Washington State ban combat knives or other large fixed blade knives. NO you CAN NOT bring you

This is why in Scouting ADULT patrols are kept separate from YOUTH patrols on hikes and camping trips. IF the old folks think that they have a better way ... let them do THEIR PATROL or THEIR CRUISE ... their way ... but when they are along on YOUR CRUISE, they need to, with exception of health or safety issues ... or coaching folks on METHODS ... keep their good intentions and great ideas safely tucked away in their heads or notebooks ... till they use them on THEIR CRUISE ... and yes ... the adults should get it out of their system doing their own thing now and then ... separately.

Time to take them aside and diplomatically but firmly state that BSA like any large organization has standards and requirements if they want to participate. Those standards are NOT optional and NOT subject to interpretation and NOT flexible. IF they want to be an adult leader, they MUST take YPT ... and this is THEIR responsibility to get accomplished. I would ask them flatly what the problem is, do they have a problem with the computer or a problem reading or some functional problem you can help them work around ... and if NOT, how do they expect to be regarded as a viable leader in

I learned NO new woodcraft or camping or outdoor skills I spent about 30 minutes doing breakfast and the cleanup from it daily (our patrol) I learned that sitting on hard seats for hours listening to inane lectures about stuff that was lame / trite "leadership" training stuff from the 60's was really boring. I learned that standing around watching ceremonies for hours makes your feet tired and your soul bored. Ceremonies need to be impresive and brisk ... not droll and slow and endurance exercises. Ceremonies are NOT a place for lectures while everyone stands around. I lear