AkelaT

(This message has been edited by a staff member.)

(This message has been edited by a staff member.)

Man, talk about beating a dead horse. This topic has been hashed and rehashed so many times in here and nothing new ever surfaces, some of you should read the past threads on this topic before you drag it out again. The bottom line is that those who think homosexuals in the BSA is wrong will never change their minds just as the pro homosexuals will not change their positions. What is humorous though are the so called Bible experts proseltyzing their own intolerance hiding behind biblical quotations being interpreted out of context of the time and culture in which it was written. Using the

I had the rare privilege to take WoodBadge at Gilwell Park while I was assigned to London for three years a while back. My beads come directly from an oak in Gilwell, and I am very sentimental about them and the experience I had. I still hear from a few in my group who thought it was fun to constantly tease the only American in the group. I felt no elitism, just friendships and experiences that will last a lifetime. So my advice to you is to go for it, you won't be sorry.

Anyone who has been involved in scouting for a while realizes that the Silver Beaver, and Buffalo are very political in who they are awarded to from the council level to National. They are given for favors granted, or to curry favor with those in power locally or nationally. If you really believe they are not then you are just being naive or as Brent put it "living under a very small rock." Is it wrong that the BSA awards these for favors, when the government does the same thing locally and nationally? Is this an issue that scouters should be name calling and questioning ethics? The answer to

David I think it is both naive and rather simplistic to blame the jambo tragedy for loss in Boy scout numbers. I agree with Eagledad and Brent here, losses in large numbers are due to poor programs and untrained leaders. The scandals didn't help either, but on a unit level not a major factor. Where is your evidence to support your case? Losses also occur because professional scouters are setting up weak units with weak leaders to boost their numbers, and they are gone after the first year which also attributes to these losses. Quantity has replaced quality units among professional s

OGE, An impressive and lofty plan by your council, at least they are trying something unlike mine and most other councils. My only question is how are they going to enforce mandatory training since it is not a BSA mandate? Second, when number crunch time comes around and they want to look good to National what do you want to bet that the professionals start letting these training standards slide. Still it is the first well thought out and designed plan from a council I have seen or heard about. May the force be with them. And yes every scout deserves a trained leader.

The sad truth is that none of us have enough first hand knowledge of this situation to give truly good advice as to the proper course of action. This is a matter that can only be settled between the SM, WL, and parents, and only after discussions with the boy. As a few posters have noted this is not an either/or situation, let the appropriate parties make the call to avoid what could result in a lifelong traumatic dilema for the boy.

Scoutldr Oh contrare, the eastern diamondback can be and has been found as far north as Maine,as well as in my homestate of Mass. Audubon Guidebook to North American Reptiles is my source.

It could one of several snakes but without seeing a pic and from your description it sounds like a eastern diamondback rattlesnake. The exact shape of the head would be another clue.

Are the cost of scout goods high? You bet. Is the quality of the scouts goods not as good as it used to be years go? Again yes. A recent case in point I purchased some new Cub Handbooks and shirts, within a day the covers were coming off just from looking through them, not heavy use. The shirts, brand new, had loose threads and buttons coming off right and left. Could supply division do a better job with suppliers without raising prices, Yes they could. Now the other side of the coin, the BSA takes a lot of money to keep running, registration fees are not nearly enough, so where does that

John is right on in his assessment, unless it is a large amount and unless you have solid evidence that they took money not owed to them your COR and CO will not even bother with the matter. A letter probably won't work if the leader feels it was his money so the only option left is to sue. With lawyers billing out at $500 an hour and higher these days you really need to ask yourself, is it worth it. Thats why all unit bank accounts should have a two signature minimum requirement for all checks as well as to open and close an account. Good luck and I hope you can appeal to the guy/woman s

I have to agree with Baden and Gern, there are a lot of Christians who claim to have read the Bible, but few of them really understand it or can interpret it accurately. I am no thelogian but my pastor has pointed out many times stories in the Bible which are indeed fictional but were included to teach by example, Job was one of those.

My council tried this trick as well with our pack the first year in order to help a troubled district look better than it really was. I have always told my boys that an award you did not earn or deserve means nothing. The boys as a group wrote a letter to the council and returned the QU award. The upside is that every year since then the pack has earned the QU award and the boys and adults are really proud of how far the pack has come.

My webelos den attended a local city council meeting where they were invited to do the opening flag ceremony and were on local television. That night the council was discussing among other things improvements to the local zoo, there were zookeepers there with a few sample animals. The boys had a ball and at the same time learned how local government worked. They enjoyed it so much they wanted to go again. So like others have said it is not the subject but how you find new ways to present it to the boys that makes it interesting.