Dedicated Dad

I thought tour permits were only needed for activities where auto-transportation is involved. Its part of the insurance release, isnt it? And, I also thought patrol activities were scout supervised and didnt involve adults. If there is no need for group transportation, there is no need for adults, ipso facto there is no need for a tour permit. Can anyone cite the regs. On this?

I thought tour permits were only needed for activities where auto-transportation is involved. Its part of the insurance release, isnt it? And, I also thought patrol activities were scout supervised and didnt involve adults. If there is no need for group transportation, there is no need for adults, ipso facto there is no need for a tour permit. Can anyone cite the regs. On this?

Helms' provision is now the law of the land. Three cheers for that! GWB was very complimentary of OLE Teddy Kennedy for his role in passing the bill. Go figure? I wonder what concessions were made?

Here is the only reference (I could find) on the BSA site that addressed any parameters for meeting the activities requirement. I found this cite listed under the Patrol Method. Patrol Activities Most patrol activities take place within the framework of the troop. However, patrols may also conduct day hikes and service projects independent of the troop, as long as they follow two rules: h The Scoutmaster approves the activity. h The patrol activity does not interfere with any troop function. It would appear that there are no true standards other than approval is at the discretion of the scoutmaster. It seems this rule, like many others in the BSA, is equivocal in interpretation allowing each troop to make its own policy. This reminds me of my churches official position on certain controversial matters, we call it Blessed Ambiguity.

not unlike you. Woops, thats a double negative. It means with great respect to you.

waitaminute....I've gone Senior! Congradulations Mike, its deserved well beyond any arbitrarily accumulated amount of posts. Your knowledge and writing skills are appreciated for the betterment of this great institution we all love and respect, not unlike you.

Also, I tell them that it must include at least half of the troop and be approved of ahead of time by the adult leadership in the troop and the invitation is open to everyone in the troop/patrol. Note that it can be a patrol activity, but applying the same criteria (while counting 1/2 the patrol) would seem reasonable. Im assuming Chippewa29 meant patrol and not troop as the requirement clearly includes patrol activities all though its only polite to invite anyone else interested, including leaders. I agree with the friends clause, it has merit and should be scrutinized for the requirement. My question still remains what BSA characteristics need to be attributed to the activity to qualify? I mentioned Six Flags jokingly but if included a bike hike to get there I would assume it would meet the requirement. Does a trip on the metro to see the Smithsonians and the Mall need to include a visit to the Baden-Powell exhibit (if there was one)? Does a bike hike need to include a community service like picking up trash on the way or exceed a certain mileage? I think that any patrol activity outside of meetings (agreed that it should have 1/2 of the patrol) shouldnt need to be any more involving than a bonding experience with a goal achieved. All IMHO.

Here in Florida a 10-15 mile day is easy. It's flat. That would explain much; Ive never backpacked flat before, I sure wish the Taum Sauk Trail was in Florida. Heavy packs for preparedness usually involve cold weather camping with a winter sleeping bag and more clothing. Thats why I think spring and fall are ideal for its weather. Pack-weight is a big issue. Unless you have a large budget and some high tech gear you will not hit 20lbs and be prepared. My 20lbs is an arbitrary estimate in relationship to size and ability and would only affect the patrol/company issue of sharing an objective balance of weight appropriate for the individual. Redistribution of pack-weight along the trail is usually remedied upon the recognition of distress to the Scout but I think the mental trauma is lasting to the younger scouts. We use 25% of body weight as a max guideline for backpack loads. I like this method and agree the higher weight individuals would struggle with the 25%. I think 35-37 is max for tough terrain and the redistribution of all gear with all team members is essential for a happy experience, IMHO.

Im looking for mainly patrol activities suggestion's that would fulfill this requirement for First Class. Do patrol bike/hike day trips, on a well-known trail, need a to have some kind community service attached to fulfill the prerequisite? What kind of patrol activities do you recommend, fund raisers, fun-stuff, fellowship building, I assume a trip to Six Flags doesnt count?

Backpacking promotes physical fitness. 30 to 45 pound pack, 10 to 15 miles, one day; need I say more? No, my neck and shoulders are cramping up just thinking about it. I think there should be a limit of 20-25 pounds for the young kids and 30+ish for the more able-bodied if youre going that far in one day, IMHO. I think you stand a chance of loosing interest from those not physically/mentally equipped doing that kind of mileage. Regardless, excellent post! I think all troops should have at least two backpacking trips annually, one in the spring and one in the fall so the heat doesnt become deterring factor.

Ed, I am so sorry. I should have made it clear that my thoughts were sarcasm plagiarized from a lampoon on PC that I thought was a bit too un-PC to publish. http://www-personal.umd.umich.edu/~nhughes/htmldocs/pc.html This version of the definition I thought had merit in demonstrating the absurdity of the movement behind PC, I think it speaks to the Orwellian quote every one is equal, but some are more equal than others and how if youre different you should treated differently. Anyway, it was all tongue in cheek and not intended to be totally serious, Im sorry it forced you to waist your time writing a response. Respect and being politically correct are not the same. I agree 100%!

Politically Correct is belief system that recognizes people are diversely equal, and we rejoice in this equality by treating people differently based on their equal individuality.

By the way, I think PC should stand for "Please Cease" You mean it doesnt stand for personal computer? Oops!Mr. Speaker, permission to revise and extend?

Baden-Powell wanted British youth to be prepared in every way, including for warbut there is nothing wrong with learning this skill so one may defend his nation. Shhhhhhhh(whispering) Dude (a little louder) DUUUDE... I hope nobody heard that because, like, you are being soooo un-PC!

Oh, PLEEZE! The boy needs to learn how to handle a gun.MOM, youre alright with me.

but the school cannot lead you in saying it. I fail to see how a school doing such establishes a national religion, the concept will forever be foreign to me. I believe an elected school board stands in judgement from its local constituents each and every time there is an election, if the community at large wants to have prayer in school it should be guaranteed that right by the free exercise clause, IMHO. All this could revisited if Justices Rehnquist, O'Connor, Ginsburg, and Stevens leave. How many TRUTHS do you think there are? I didnt realize that there was a finite number. How many are there? If youre going to usurp Wittgenstein you may want to be more detailed. Where would we be if people didn't question the truth? The world would be flat, the sun would revolve around the earth, there would be no cures for diseases. Some "truths" must be questioned, not to prove them wrong but to understand why it is the TRUTH. Jews do not accept that Jesus is THE savior. Does that mean it is just their "opinion"? Only Christians are right and everyone else is wrong? Ahh, so many straw men and so little time. I never said truth cant be questioned and I dont understand how the questioning of truth makes your point, if truth can be changed it was never truth to begin with, if truth is fact then it is unwavering and stands the test of time. As far as misconstruing faith with truth, I would point out that faith is the firm belief (opinion) in something for which there is no proof and distorting that definition with specious analogy serves no purpose. Existential philosophy of what truth is will never change fact into opinion.

BTW everyone, Happy New Year

I had no intention of bringing homosexuality into the discussion. Um, that would be me, I brought it in as a parallelism of how political correctness allows the truth to be distorted to accommodate depravity. Truth means fact not opinion and blurring the two with specious analogy simply furthers this common misinterpretation. Those who choose not accept the truth as absolute and unwavering are those who need to make the truth just an opinion. Somewhere along the line, the term became identified with the absurd and inane desire to eliminate all "differences" This is a correct assumption and like I said on the other thread, PC-ness in an attempt to right the wrongs of our society. It throws out the good with the bad leaving a sterile environment for baseness to flourish in equality with what is good, right and true. In my view PC is common courtesy that has been twisted and perverted into an ideology used to attack and subdue traditional thoughts and customs. Big bump to that Mike! the PC crowd usually fights to ban all public Christian prayers (regardless of circumstance or place)Apparently, they equate hearing with participating. Well put Rooster, it would seem that the establishment clause should be independent of the free exercise clause when it comes to our freedom of speech. If we were truly free to exercise our religion we shouldnt have any boundaries of access to public property, show me the tile in the school my taxes paid for so I can stand on it and recite the Lords Prayer.

John Walker Lindh's father moved out of the family home in 1996 to take up housekeeping with his male lover. That was the year that the young man went astray. Could there possibly be a connectionI happen to know first hand, though anecdotally, that there is a connection. This has happened twice to two different relatives in my near family and its the children who have suffered the most. This kind of dysfunctional environment easily challenges ones faith and the practice perversion by ones parent ranks among the most flagitious and insidious threats to their childrens well being. an out of the closet homosexual is a political conservativeWith all due respect, he might be Liberaltarian (fiscally conservative and socially liberal) but calling him a conservative is as repugnant to its definition as (insert favorite simile here).

"what is truth?, is truth unbending laws?, we both have truths, are mine the same as yours? This smacks of the kind of political correctness needed to justify homosexuality, if truth can vary from one individual to another, it is neither truth nor righteous. It goes back to that individual morality thing, if everyone has there own morality then nothing is truly moral or absolute.

Try using tailors chalk. Mark a dotted outline around the patch or use reference marks on both the patch and shirt. The chalk washes out or can be steamed off.

What is it with my Edit Message feature, I cant get it to work? It seems as complicated as that insidious machine in our kitchen that you put plates and silverware in and when you turn it on it makes a humming sound like hmmmmm, Ill never figure that one out either. I see OGE use his edit feature all the time and mine keeps saying not a valid account, what am I doing wrong? And yet Im always left with one too many articles or the absence there of and dangling modifiers galore.

I think etiquette classes run jointly with girls would be the most effective way to do this. Thoughts? I think this would be the wonderful. And dont give up on the cotillion, I did it and my sons doing it currently and loves it. I see no problem with polite supervised female interaction with the intent of educating for the social graces. Courteous should be expanded to merit badge standing.

Like the feather in Forrest Gump, these threads go wherever they will and who am I to try to direct them? I love that movie, its on my top ten list. OGE, I was trying to be serious for the most part and I honestly didnt intend to take your thread away from the direction you intended. Quilting and the man who gets to spend a day with a bunch of women who hang on his every word, I thought, deserved a response (where were you?). NOT that theres anything wrong with a man/boy who quilts (MOM), its just not a boys theme for Scouts and doesnt belong in the merit badge program. (Maybe for the girl scouts though) may I buy you some new diamonds now right after I clean the bathroom? The howl of laughter followed by the spray of milk surging through my nose and eclipsing the screen of my monitor would pay tribute to youre witty retort, nevertheless, Im still waiting for your response to a Barbie Doll Maintenance merit badge. BTW, how will your son find an extension cord long enough for the Easy-Bake oven Cooking on the Trail merit badge? The solution is a riddle for generations to come. Serious question -- do the current badges adequately show the boys about careers in different fields? SeriouslyNo, they only serve as a catalyst IMHO, however, the time spent needed to achieve such a career may begin in our beloved program. Is it just me or are Feminist Mom, Liberal Eagle and Right Wing Extremist Homophobe Dad monitored by Moderate/Conservative Eisley with guest star appearances from Traditionalist and Harmonious Rooster7, et al, (all label analogies tongue in cheek) establishing new ground for sincere and candid debate in this forum? Its probably just me.

I'm not wanting to feminize boys or boy scoutsI would like to respond but apparently this would constitute a high jacking or be against the implied rules and regulations for this thread. In the spirit the thread New Merit Badges I would like to offer some Merit Badges that IMO wouldnt very good New choices. Manicure Repair and Up Keep, Crocheting and Embroidery Study, Make-up Design, Easy-Bake-Oven Cooking on the Trail and Strategies for reply to Do these pants make me look fat?