dsteele

Eamonn and Fuzzy Bear: Gentlemen: I am standing up and applauding your behavior. You managed to find insult in each other's posts and still conduct yourselves very well. I can't accept the apology that isn't directed toward me, but I can applaud it. Unc. BTW -- it's difficult to type while standing and clapping, but evidently it's not impossible. UG

Boleta: I feel your pain, my friend. I've launched quite a few bombshells that were, indeed bombshells. However, I make it a personal policy to re-read all of my posts before I click submit. Quite often, I hit the back button on the browser or the backspace key and don't post. I once over-reacted to a poster who didn't even know me at the time and blasted him in my own posting. I now regret the incident, but am very grateful for the friendship he and I now share. That was on a different board, but I think it applies here. To all, I think where we get into trouble is when we attempt to apply just about any other term to a poster other than their handle or name. One time I thought the term "Dear China" was offensive until I asked the one who used it. He informed me it was a high term of endearment and I was happy to be so honored. It pays to ask. Unc.

Mommascout: Come on back in, the water is fine! Of course, there have been a couple of lunatics here that have been sent on their way. Sure, Scouting passion runs high in your district, in some units, and certainly here on the wide open world (wow as opposed to www,) there is the occasional misunderstanding or vehement disagreement. But it's well worth the time spent here in good discussion and swapped ideas. Come on back! Unc.

I don't know much about awarding camperships, and haven't given it much thought. However, something about the money vs. working at beaver day or camp work day, whatever you call it triggered a mental synapse. I'm all for donated labor at camp -- done a fair amount of it myself. However, when we as volunteers paint the lodge, fix the siding, build picnic tables, what have you . . . where did the money for the materials come from? Sometimes it's donated by a company. Sometimes it's a troop pet project. Most of the time the money came from the council's budget -- which is raised by such things as popcorn sales, FOS, camp fees, and United Way. If there is no paint, no lumber, no bricks or mortar, all the free labor in the world won't keep your camp running. Just a thought or two. Unc.

A google search on "Scout account" yeilded a lot of pages. The first one I looked at was obviously written by an attorney, and scared me. I suggest you run the search and steal whatever ideas work for you. Unc.

I think I know this one . . . is it Ad Altare Dei? Welcome to the forums! Unc.

Eamonn, dear friend that you are: I believe that you mean that you would like to leave Shane with us for a while. We would take care of him and give him the kind of reverent send off that he deserves, gladly and sadly at the same time. Unc.

I love all you guys! (Sniff, whipe the sleeve under the nose.) Luv ya man! You go! Unc.

I had a cat named Zehe (prounounced Zeee.) My wife and I have no children, but that cat Zehe was our son -- you may or may not understand what I mean. The cat was everything I would hope a Scout, or myself, would be or am. He was trustworthy, especially loyal, etc. We got Zehe (who we named Ezekial after the Old Testament prophet) and and his litter-mate. The littermate never took to me much, but Zehe (as he ended up being called by my wife and I) did. Zehe was a very loyal cat. He would hang out by the front door if I had a meeting and would fret all night long if I didn't come home (I would be travelling or at a Scout campout.) Wouldn't rest, or eat unless I was here. Zehe was my boy. I laid my head down and used him as a pillow and he loved it. I could rub his fur the wrong way and he would purr and love it. He learned to look me in the eye when I talked to him and would come running when I called him. In a way, we're talking about a cat. In another way, we're talking about a Scout. He took leadership when it was given to him, he took his own counsel when he had the need. After 15 years of being my son, he was diagnosed with cancer. Given 6 weeks to live. 6 months later, and after a move of 350 miles, Zehe was ill. My wife and I had moved into our new house. Zehe's litter mate had died. As a last move, on a night when he was not well off and after 14 years, we finally allowed him to sleep in our room, Zehe made a fuss at 2:00 AM. I asked my wife to turn on the light. My loyal "son" crawled into my arms. I petted him, he purred, and then he died. Peacefully, loyally, and in my arms. Now I have purchased a kitten, we call Jake. We love him as a new son -- not the same as the old, but loved nonetheless. My "Scouting" trek with the kitten becomes the path I followed with Zehe. Zehe, for those who have read this far, was given to his Lord, our God, and rests with his favorite toy, on our soil near the steps to the deck. Let us hope all of our Scouts outlive us, but let us all know we've made a difference in their lives. God Bless. Unc.

Sorry to be disrespectful, but I couldn't even make it through the origional post without thinking to myself (I'm not saying this out-loud) pbbbbblllltttt! Unc.

I like the works of Csatari, but not as much as I like Rockwell's work. Rockwell captured the faces in a more realistic manner. Csatari has the modern uniform, which I like, but he doesn't have the age or humanity that is evident in Rockwell's work. I always imagined that I could meet a Norman Rockwell character -- in a Scouting painting or other portrait -- just about anywhere, whereas Csatari's people seemed to be models. Just an opinion. I'm greatful to any artist who portrays Scouting in the right way. Unc.

My question still stands. However, I must say that when I was a Scoutmaster a Scout told me about the empty water bottle in the tent idea. When I said it was idiocy, he said he'd read it in the handbook. This was several versions ago. I challenged him. He called me on the challenge. He was correct and I was wrong. That is exactly what the handbook at the time specified. I'm curious if it still does. I for one, would rather "shiver me timbers" outside than keep a questionable bottle in the tent! What does the current handbook say? Unc.

Fuzzy: So far you're the only one who caught (or at least commented on) my oblique reference. I stand by my point. I also compliment you on having an extraordinarily "good eye" yourself. Unc.

I think the dirty sash is an urban myth. It's origins may lie with the romantic conceptions young men tend to have about black belted martial artists. Back in the day, martial artists had only one belt. When they were new, the belt was white. Over time, depending on the amount of use, the belts gradually darkened until they appeared black. The belts of the day were not easily washed, and the term "black belt" came to denote status and proficiency. I don't think the legend should carry into the OA. A guy with a "black" sash is a guy with a dirty sash, not a guy who "earned the Vigil Honor." A Vigil is selected by the youth Vigils of the lodge and is an honor to bestow, not an award to be earned. Having said that, however, the sash will eventually wear out. Whether through mis-use by dirt, or over-washing, sooner or later you're going to buy a new one from National Unc.

I read this thread after reading the replies in the ones about How does council and district influence unit program and the one about commissioners. Interesting tie in that the first couple of answers in this thread refer to the district and council advancement committees and the national organization. I'd call that use and support. Unc.

Didn't even have to look that one up, which means I need to get a life. Here's my question -- true or false, the Boy Scout Handbook recommends having an empty water bottle in your tent, in case you "get the urge" during a winter campout. If true, please cite the page number and reference. If false, please justify your answer. Unc.

Truth and Knowledge Unc.

I've been involved in commissioner service in my district for many years. I believe my first duty -- the bottom line -- as a commissioner is to make sure that my units recharter on time, at strength, and as quality units. That's the bottom line. The way I make sure that goal is accomplished is to visit the units regularly during the year, give them good advice toward achieving those aims, help put out or avoid fires, and to keep them informed of priorities and resources available from the district, council, and national organizations of the BSA. It isn't simple to do, but it is rewarding. I don't consider myself a spy for the district. I go to the resources "above" me if I feel I need help in assisting the unit, or if the unit has problems I don't understand. But, in the end, I'm on the side of the kid who signed up for a program. No mystery. No hurrah. Just the reward of seeing a kid smile and learn from the BSA. Unc.

I think this is one of those areas in Scouting where a tendancy to make things more difficult than they need to be manifests itself. Unlike merit badges, badges of rank, etc., there is no form to fill out and no counselor required. There is an inherent "safety" to make sure the interpreter strip has been well and truly earned. The wearer of an interpreter strip is advertising to the world that he/she has proficiency in a language. They should be prepared to converse in that language at any time they wear the uniform. If you're wearing a strip over your pocket that says "Duetch," you'd better be prepared to have a conversation in German. Just something to think about. Unc.

For a longer trek, try http://www.hikemore.com/hiking/hiking-trails/michigan-hiking-trails.html It goes through the Huron-Manistee forest from Lake Michigan (west) to Lake Huron (east.) I'm not familiar with the trail, but I am familiar with the area. It's fantastic and about 3 hours north of Detroit on the East side. Unc.

How long is your trek? When I was a kid, my troop used to do a couple of days on the Pottawottomi Trail around Ann Arbor. We liked it because the trail leads through a town called Hell, MI. When we got back, we could say we'd been through Hell together . . . and we weren't even cussing! Unc.

If what fires your older Scouts up is doing stuff unavailable to younger Scouts -- you need to start a separate Crew. They'll be able to admit young women on an equal basis, earn the Ranger, Quest, Bronze, Gold and Silver awards, etc. They'll have their own identity. If want to be separate, equal, and slightly different in the troop, then it's a Venture patrol you need. Whichever way you go, they certainly deserve an education in the choise and a voice in the choice. Voice in the choice -- I'll be darned. I rhymed! Unc.

Bravo! Under every number (unit number) there is an arm. That arm is warmed from the blood of a heart and driven by a human brain. It's important to grow packs and to grow new packs in new areas. Unc.

Women have been able to hold any position in the BSA since fall of 1988. I think women in Scouting is good and have reaped the benefits of having them around. I think it's a completely different issue with homosexuals. Female is a gender. We would not be complete without females. I don't think it's fair or right to try to combine female and homosexual in the same sentence any more than it is to bag apples and oranges together and sell them at one price. Unc.

To answer Dave's question directly, the answer is, I believe "No." I've been around camps for years and have seen the national standards once or twice. There is no set policy for handling alchohol caught in a Scouting enviornment that I have seen. Only a policy in the G2SS regarding use. Happy to say I haven't had to deal with it, having never seen, heard, nor smelled it. Unc.