DYB-Mike

Hi Dan, Admittedly my response was geared towards the case of a cub and I had to give some thought to the scout/adult perspective, as we dont have classes of that sort at our Packs Derby. I still would be inclined to let the car race. The scout obviously wanted to participate, he made the effort and built the car, and at least his conflicting event was something worthwhile. Presumably you dont have a set rule in place that disallows in absentia racing. You could issue a rule next time around that clearly states that if you know you cant attend the race you cannot enter and any circumstances that arise later will be considered on a case-by-case basis. I would apply this rule only to adults, scouts, and siblings. I feel that the cubs should be allowed to race in all cases. Thats probably not going to solve all the problems but at least you can make a ruling in a similar situation with a clearer conscience and hopefully minimal controversy. I also agree with you that if the adult leaders and parents want an adult race then why not as they are the workers and fiscal supporters of the pack. Like you, I have no desire to race; Im quite happy racing vicariously through my cub. Cub scouting is supposed to be a family thing and if the pack has the desire and the resources to put on a multi-category Pinewood Derby then go for it. I suppose its good publicity for the pack and including scouts also helps to build stronger pack-troop relations, which are beneficial to the webelos. And, of course, if you are running a snack bar thats just that many more people to contribute to the pack coffers! YIS, Mike

Hi Cubmaster Mike, Im just curious about the rational you allowed the absent boys car to be registered, to race, and to be eligible for all awards except the speed trophy, which I assume would be the overall winner(s) of the race. Why make that exclusion? I havent experienced the in absentia situation as yet but Im inclined to vote for letting the car participate. The boy has invested the time and effort to build the car and to put him in a position of having to choose between things that are important to him (as in your example, the out of town soccer game where his team might be depending on him) just doesnt seem right. Id feel even more so inclined if the boy had no choice, like illness or were going to Grandmas and thats that. I think his friends would understand and cheer the car on if they were so inclined. I know life is unfair, but theyre just cub scouts! I guess Im just an old softee. YIS Mike

We recently had our Pinewood Derby. Twenty-eight scout cars were registered. We had our registration and weight-in the night before. Once registered, the cars were kept at the hall. After that, volunteers stayed to assemble the track and decorate. This saved tons of time on race day the next day. The race commenced at 9:00 a.m. (a Saturday) and was over at about noon. We had a good turn out and I believe we retained most if not all of the audience for the duration of the race. We were not competing with any youth sports so that was helpful. I think it would be safe to say that everyone had a good time. The cars each raced three times on each lane of the three-lane track. We have an electronic finish line and the results of each race are automatically uploaded to software that continually updates the times (best, worst, average) of each car and recalculates each cars rank overall. The top three cars, as well as the top in each cub rank, will go on to the District race. We also gave out awards such as Judge's Favorite and Best Paint Job (Im getting deja vu: I think I just wrote about this on another thread). The leaders picked a couple of cars for each of these and the audience voted by a show of applause. We also ran a snack bar that bought in a few dollars for the Pack. We havent raced sibling cars at least for the past several years I am aware of. We were a little unclear about that this year and one sibling car, made by a sister and featuring a small Barbie with a bad haircut, was entered. We used that car just in our opening test race, where it competed against the amazing S car. As they raced down the track I exclaimed to the audience Wow, look at that S car go! Believe it or not it did get some laughs. YIS Mike

Massachusetts does allow limited distribution of BSA materials in the schools. http://www.doe.mass.edu/lawsregs/advisory/boyscouts.html Im not a lawyer but if Im reading this right the local school committee may elect to create a limited public forum for groups that may have discriminatory policies that the school cannot sponsor. It also appears that they can limit the limited public forum to certain types of groups. Does this mean that they can allow the BSA but exclude the KKK from distributing literature? The date of this memo is 11/15/00 but as I havent come across anything more recent I assume its still in force. Our Pack was allowed to distribute materials in the lobby of our local elementary school on a Parents Night. At our Pinewood Derby recently one parent who is a member of the school council of the elementary school our kids attend suggested that the Pack lend our track (we have a nice aluminum one with an electronic finish line and associated software) to the school and maybe get some recruitment benefit out of it in return. I dont know where thats going to go or if that would be beyond the bounds of the limited public forum YIS Mike

OneHour, I have always taken a philosophical approach towards great institutions like our government, my church (Roman Catholic), and scouts. Each holds forth lofty ideals and goals but theres one problem the administrators and participants are mere human beings and as such these institutions will always be less than perfect. If a politician falls in disgrace because he or she failed to abide by the law does this mean we should just give up on our laws and our Constitution? The sex scandal that has rocked my Church has outraged and tested the faith of many, but I remind myself that for every disgraced priest there are many thousands that have faithfully ministered to and inspired their congregations. So it is with scouting. If you really believe in scoutings principals and you feel good about abiding by them and teaching them then dont let your experience with a couple of bad scouters destroy the whole edifice of scouting for you. Read through the threads in this Forum and youll see some crazy stuff going on but mostly youll see good people who are excited about scouting sharing ideas for the greater good of the program. I have had problems (even a telephone scream fest at my place of employment) with committeepersons that Im not very fond of but I dont let these folks spoil it for me. You said that some parents have asked that you return this should make you feel good because obviously they appreciated your talents. Its the same with me Ive been complimented by parents and other leaders for some of the things Ive done so to heck with those bad apples! Most of the other leaders and parents in my Pack are great people and I focus my energies on working with them to improve the program for our boys. I know it must gall you that the bad-apple Eagle will take this honor and use it as a reference for schools and employers but ultimately if this boy is not a true Eagle it will come out. Poor character and sloth are hard to hide. Thats not a good reflection on the BSA but, like in the Church, for every less than perfect Eagle there are thousands out there that are worthy and that you can feel proud to be associated with. If you really dont want to go back to your old troop (but your son seems to be able to stick it out with his friends) then take the advice that others have offered here and try to find something scouty to do my Pack is looking for leaders, come on over! Whatever you do dont let one bad experience ruin scouting for you, or anything you enjoy for that matter! What doesnt kill you only makes you stronger! I hope this helps. Good luck! YIS Mike

Our webelos recently participated in a Klondike Derby with webelos from another pack. Although the Derby itself was a District event, our Pack organized a series of practice sessions and invited the webelos from the other pack to practice with us. It all worked out very well and our boys got to know boys that might be crossing over into our big brother troop, as they will. YIS Mike

Thanks everyone for the comments, history and advice. RememberSchiff, I was thinking more like 20 years for the considerable length of time. As for hot water heaters, we had one that did the job for well over 30 years. It came with the house when we bought it and I did my best to keep it functional, replacing the heating elements on several occasions. Finally it rotted out at the bottom and we had to say good-bye. Thanks again! YIS Mike

Greetings all First, let me say that I mean no offence about what Im about to ask. Im a new leader and hoping to take Wood Badge in the fall. Im a cub leader now and plan to stay in cubs for my younger son (Tiger) but my older son is just about to Cross Over and I hope to have some involvement with the Troop. I have pieced together some notion about what Wood Badge is all about, what I can expect, and what it might do for me going forward. I was curious about RememberSchiffs comment: Long ago, one's commitment to scouting had to be firmly established BEFORE one could be "considered" for the Wood Badge course. One had to have been a SM or ASM for a considerable length of time usually to show that commitment was beyond one's own son's years as a scout. And you had to be voted in attend a WB course by current WBer's much like the OA still is. It seems to me that, back at that time, at the point one would take Wood Badge ones scouting career would be just about over. What then was the point of Wood Badge back at that time? Were you expected to mentor up and coming scoutmasters and assistant scoutmasters? Was it purely a personal thing, the culmination of a successful scouting career and just done for personal satisfaction and/or prestige? Am I overestimating what a considerable length of time was? Again, Im just trying to get an understanding. YIS Mike

Greetings david.self, We dont dry clean our uniforms at my house; they have held well in the washer. I suppose the greatest advantage is that its a lot cheaper! Shortly after putting the Centennial Quality Unit patch on my Webelos II sons uniform shirt it was necessary to wash it (he spilt tea all over it). It was dried in an electric dryer. The patch came out intact. YIS Mike

I believe the early Roman state was built by the assimilation of tribes first Italic, then Celtic (Gaul, Spain and Britain). Then add the former independent states (Carthage, Egypt, the Greek states, etc.) that Rome conquered and absorbed and welded into a powerful state loyal to the central authority of Rome. If tribal or civic loyalties could not have been overcome, or at least subordinated, then how could there have been a Roman Empire in the first place? Peace and prosperity are pretty strong motivators. At any rate, as Skeptic said, This debate never be settled to the satisfaction of all. And I wouldnt tell a Scotsman hes been Anglicized or hell throw the Stone of Scone at you! YIS Mike

Im gonna regret this but I couldnt let the Roman stuff go. their established cultures fit the Romans quite well. The rude Roman shepherds and the sophisticated Greeks fit quite well? Eventually they did but not right away. Conservative Romans looked down on some aspects of Greek culture as effeminate and even went so far as to enact laws to keep these Greek influences at bay. There may have been more of a kinship between the traditional Roman of the early Republic and the barbarian tribesman of later times but of course the traditional Roman had become more sophisticated through cultural assimilation by the time the barbarians became a real issue. The Feoderati system of granting land to potential enemies in return for military service had been in use with much success since the Republic. In The Army of the Caesars Michael Grant speaks of the forces used by Julian the Apostate to win the battle of Argentorate as displaying amply that there was nothing degenerate or disloyal about the massive Germanized Roman armies of these later imperial times. I had stated that the Romans had mistreated these barbarian immigrants. Please investigate the events leading up to the catastrophic (for the Romans) battle of Hadrianopolis and you will see that it was Roman mistreatment of the Goths, through such means as withholding food and attempted assassination, that lead to the revolt of these immigrants. In my humble opinion had Rome used these barbarian immigrants more effectively things may have been different, but due to the economic factors I had previously cited and political instability after the breakdown of Diocletians Tetrachy system of government, Rome didnt have the ability to really deal successfully with this situation. My comment about learning from the Roman barbarian immigration experience was not to emulate the Romans, but to be pragmatic: people want to come here (the United States) because they see wealth, opportunity, a vibrant culture, and a lot more freedom than in most places. The majority are willing to work, pay taxes and defend the country in return for acceptance and respect. They want to come here and are using any means possible, even at the risk of death, to get here. Our current immigration system cannot cope with the current influx and needs to be fixed. Ill admit I dont have an answer but building walls to keep out potential loyal and contributing citizens is certainly not the answer. And as far as cultural assimilation and acceptance, the Romans were able to borrow from the Greeks and others and still be Roman and continue on their path of greatness. One might say that it is when the dominant power refuses to accept and enfranchise its subject peoples that problems arise. I suppose we should be thankful for Britains careless attitude towards its American colonies.

Recovering from Pinewood Derby Day! The Scout, to some of your points: Romes collapse had little to do with cultural change. Rome absorbed the Greek states in the later days of the republic and, while adopting aspects of Greek culture to compliment or enhance its own inherent national traits, Rome continued on almost two more centuries of expansion before leveling off. The granting of citizenship I mentioned was primarily to expand the tax base but at least it gave some benefits to peoples who had been living as Romans for centuries. Barbarian immigration actually helped Rome stave off collapse, as these peoples, now perceiving that they had a stake in the empire, became the first lines of defense against external enemies. Romes mistake with these peoples was that they failed to fully enfranchise them and through taxation bordering on extortion and legal inequality turned, in many cases, willing would-be citizens into enemies. We could learn something from this as we try to deal with our own immigration debacle. When the end came for Rome it was more due to economic factors such as currency debasement, rampant inflation, excessive taxation for military purposes, and high unemployment through the proliferation of slave labor. Rome, in its days of greatness, actually thrived on cultural assimilation. My comment on Jefferson was more to point out the value of this modern history of which you speak. I dont know whats so modern about it these facts have always been there, it just that now they are focused upon to, in my humble opinion, provoke thought and add dimension to events and personages. In Jeffersons case, Im surprised a man as deep and brilliant as he could not have a feeling of hypocrisy when he wrote all men are created equal, especially in the context of his relationship with Sally Hemings, contemporary British anti-slavery legal rulings and a budding British abolitionist movement. I find this three-dimensional history more enlightening than the one-dimensional parade of dates and facts that was a history class when I was in school. The addition of a focus on diversity is another aspect of this. My 5th grade son still studies the Pilgrims and learns about the first Thanksgiving, but now he also learns about the Wampanoag lived. I cant see anything wrong with that; it puts the times and environment of the Pilgrim Fathers in better context. As to America in a thousand years if we live to the spirit of words such as all men are created equal and give your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to be free, then we have a good chance to survive as a great civilization for a thousand years, but if those words only pertain to white Europeans as you seem to indicate then I dont share your optimism. Like Skeptic, I intend on calling it a day with this thread as we have strayed far from topic and even farther from scouting, but Ill end with this: If 2,000 years ago pagan Greeks and Romans were not willing to open their homes, minds and hearts to some traveling strangers, Jews no less (future members of the Old World antagonisms club), who were talking about something called the Good News, then I guess we wouldnt have any Christian traditions to talk about. YIS Mike

And anyway teaching history as it was taught for many years before liberals took over the American education establishment is not a shame. There was a time when our schools celebrated the greatness of American and its heritage, not diversity. What kind of a statement is that? Are you saying that owning up to the fact that other races and cultures contributed to American greatness by their sweat and blood is a shame? You dismiss my comments about the blatant bigotry and violence committed against other European Christians as simple Old World antagonisms brought to the New. I guess that makes it all right than. I guess theres nothing to be ashamed of. Thats not saying much for our country SSDD. Lets look at that old time history. Thomas Jefferson wrote that all men are created equal A noble thought by a great man and thinker. But watch out, those nasty liberals are going to tell you that while he wrote that he was a slave owner and even had a conjugal relationship with one, producing descendants that survive to this day. I prefer the facts, The Scout, not some crap about somebody chopping down a cherry tree. As I stated in another thread, the prime reason for studying history is to learn from it, to emulate the good and not repeat the bad, and you cant learn to avoid the bad unless you hear about it. You do make correct observations about other groups becoming part of the American fabric. However, they all become part of the European Christian culture of America. All our institutions and ideas stem from that. America is a fairly young nation, only 232 years old. It took Rome about 900 years before it came to the realization that it was a good idea to grant citizenship to all its peoples. The Battle of Hastings, the beginning of England as we know it today, was almost a thousand years ago. I wonder what American will look like in a thousand years, heck I wonder what America will look like in one year with a possible black or female president!

Oh wait, this is the heritage of the country, the beliefs that made this country great. America is a European/Christian country; and a very successful one too. So I guess the Native Americans who were here first, the African Americans who were carted over here in chains to work the plantations, and the Chinese who helped to build the transcontinental railroad in the 19th century (just to name a few) can all just pack their bags and leave because it appears you think they have made no contribution to America's greatness? I like America how it was. The European/Christian thing worked pretty damn well. Yes, things were great for the European Christians, unless you were Irish (need not apply), Italian, Eastern European, or, god forbid, ROMAN CATHOLIC! Were still coming down off our high of being able to elect one of Our People as president! Weve come a long way from burning down convents here in Boston. I guess, TheScout, youre unfamiliar with what is inscribed on the Statue of Liberty? Calico Penn, I too scratched my head and wondered what this post had to do with scouts but being new to the Forum I just figured anything goes in Issues and Politics. A couple of questions for those who posted: What would your reaction be if the gym set aside a special time for the elderly or disabled to exercise? Would you be upset? Would you care? Would we even be discussing it here? Has anybody thought from the perspective of the devout Muslim women? How they must juggle their schedules to accommodate this little window of opportunity that they have been given? As for the naughty Muslim men leering at the scantly clad exercising females, well, thats a double standard for Muslim women to address. Ill bet many of us good Christian men are probably leering right along with them. As for the intolerance in other nations and cultures, yes, thats wrong, but my mom always told me two wrongs dont make a right. I think we can be proud of ourselves as Americans for being willing to accommodate and assimilate. Those words on the Statue of Liberty again. YIS Mike

Our current crop of Webelos II (my son included) received their Arrow of Light at the Blue and Gold this past February but will not formally Cross Over until a special camp-out in May. As to when the previous crop or Webelos II got their AoL I cant say, but the May Cross Over camp-out has been a tradition for our Pack a number of years. No one has been able to tell me why we do the May Cross Over but I have read in the past about not subjecting new scouts to the tribulations of winter camping. This is probably not an issue in warmer climates but it is a real issue here in New England. I for one think a late spring crossing in our neck of the woods is a wise approach. Some may feel that we are depriving the boys of several months of scout-level training but I dont think thats the case for us. Because my son was a Webelos II Ive had a lot of first-hand experience with his Den/Patrol (they are now called the Dragon Patrol and organized as such). Their adult leaders have seen to it that they have interaction with the Troop, even going so far as to meet at the same time and place as the Troop, which has been most cooperative and welcoming. The Webelos II were invited to accompany the Troop to a fall Camporee in Rhode Island and the den/patrol has had other camping and hiking experiences on their own. At this point, the adult leaders have decided to focus on honing camping related skills (tent pitching, menu planning, and food preparation) rather than having a last minute rush for compass points.

Be careful of those Maynard G. Krebs references or the next time you ask your scout to take out the trash youll get this high-pitched shout work! EBay has some dealer designation called Square-Trade which is supposed to give you a feeling of confidence when dealing with someone who has that designation. Someone who is square, daddio, basically means that person is honest, trustworthy, a straight shooter. YIS Mike

Greetings Cineburk, Maybe too late but Dont know what neck of the woods youre from (my plug for the usefulness of profiles) but here in New England we have a lot of Klondike Derbies going on about now. These are troop events but Webelos can participate. It takes some prep work to participate on your own (you need a sled for one thing) but you probably could find a troop that would let you tag along as a good turn to potential recruits. There can be camping involved but the actual event takes place over the course of one day. YIS Mike

Thank you Infoscouter for the reference and link. Apparently I didnt look hard enough. The guidance says (** mine): the den or pack may designate a special-purpose uniform, **such as** the Cub Scout Activity Shirt (shown here) to be worn in place of the official uniform shirt for certain activities, such as sporting events or day camp. The such as seems to indicate to me that the den or pack has some latitude in what they designate as an activity uniform. As for the the pack does not have the authority to make changes to the uniform, and should encourage proper uniform use by all members, this obviously refers to the official uniform and I had proposed no such changes here. I have seen that we would not be able to use the proposed activity neckerchiefs with the official uniform and that is not an issue. Thanks again everyone YIS Mike

Pappy, I ahead of you, kinda. I wear a campaign hat and I had to buy a couple to get one that fit right. One of them is an old (1940s?), well worn BSA Official manufactured by Sigmund Eisner. I showed it to my Webelos II son who asked if he could wear it. The fit was good and he took right to it, so much so that I have to remind him to take it off inside. His future Scoutmaster and Assistant Scoutmaster have seen him and they have said that they have no problem with him wearing it if he wants. Our Pack and the Troop share the same Charter Organization so I figure between my son in the Troop and myself in the Pack were looking to start a campaign hat trend. Maybe one for the future Tiger? well see. Of course my wife thinks we look like a couple of geeks. Actually, its my son looks cute and I look like a geek!

Greetings Folks, Thank you, OldGreyEagle; I think you understand where Im coming from. At the root of my post was a suggestion to creatively save our parents some money. A simple, traditional neckerchief costing the parent $3 or $4 (the rest of the cost subsidized by the Pack) versus a wardrobe of activity shirts (and maybe pants and shorts), varying by season, which must be discarded and replaced as the boy grows or destroys them. Clearly, there is no choice on the official uniform end, but it would be nice to give some relief on the activity end. I think it would be more of a benefit if the parents could spend the money on an activity that the boys would get something out of rather than an overpriced sweatshirt or t-shirt. Pappy, I for one like the blue and gold uniform. It not only looks good but its traditional, going back to 1930 and the very beginning of cubbing in the United States. It has always been the intention, both of B-P and the BSA, that cubs and boy scouts are separate and for each group to have its own things and I, for the most part, concur with that wisdom. It appears from your posts that you have blended the two groups. If it works for your unit its not for me to say nay. In my humble opinion I feel theres plenty of time for the responsibilities of scouting, heck, it pretty much begins in Webelos. I enjoy seeing the cubs just be cubs! My 6-year-old son was given his cousins Tiger Cub hat and neckerchief in anticipation of his signing up this spring. Hes very excited and has proudly been wearing the hat around the house. Dare I say such an unmanly thing, but he looks awful cute! YIS Mike

Folks, During the height of the clergy sexual abuse scandal here in Boston I remember seeing a news spot where a group of lawyers representing the abuse victims proclaimed that they were indignant over the fact that there might not be enough settlement money to go around. Nothing said about justice being served, just outrage over not enough cash. I realize lawyers have to eat and victims might have lawsuit-related bills to pay, but the memory of that spot left me thinking of how hazy the line between the pursuit of justice and opportunistic greed can be. YIS Mike

Greetings scouters, Thanks everyone for your insights and recommendations. Jblake47, Im not seeking anyones approval here. Im just looking for feedback and ideas. I believe thats what this Forum is all about? Furthermore, the neckerchiefs arent intended as a means of keeping track of our boys. I envisioned them as a cheap (operative word here) and easy way of giving our boys some uniformity, to let folks know where they are from, and to identify them as scouts as they engage in activities which, in my humble opinion, the official uniform is not practical. OldGreyEagle, my Chairperson and I did discuss hats, in fact she suggested a hat with the neckerchief, but you yourself hit on the downside to the hat. Based upon what Ive been reading here in the Forum, the consensus appears to be that a respectful scout removes his hat when indoors so, depending on the venue, the hat may be off more that its on. Lord knows I have a tough enough time keeping my Webelos son and his official hat together! Infoscouter, thanks for the heads-up on neckerchief substitution. I have since noted that prohibition in my research. We will be mindful of that should we opt to proceed with the activity neckerchiefs. I checked the National site and couldnt find any official definition of activity or utility uniform, either in scanning through the on-line Insignia Guide or by doing a site search. I noted nothing in the Cub Scout Leader Book either. Is the Scoutmaster Handbook the only place to reference this type of uniform? YIS Mike

Hi Folks, I didnt want to hijack the thread since it goes in a little different direction but I think it also addresses the best outdoor uniform question. Im planning proposing to my Pack Committee the concept of a Class B neckerchief. Currently all we have for Class B wear is a T-shirt, which obviously doesnt cut the mustard during a New England winter. Recently my son and I wore our T-shirts over sweatshirts and it wasnt very comfortable. I had begun to recommend that we look into Class B sweatshirts. A recent camp-in at a museum attended by a number of other packs also raised the Class B issue with me since I had asked that the uniform be worn but several parents did not feel the uniform was suited to the nature of the activity. Again, it was too cold for the T-shirts. Than I remembered a comment on one of the threads on this Forum noting that the neckerchief was a universal symbol of Scouting and that the poster recognized a group of scouts in civilian clothes due to the fact that they all were wearing neckerchiefs To me this solved the problem of having to build a Class B wardrobe for the various seasons. Just wear what is appropriate for the weather and put on the neckerchief. Obviously the uniform would be required for formal or ceremonial occasions. The neckerchief would be custom with the Pack number and location to identify us, maybe a unique design depending on price. I believe it could even be worn with the uniform so long as its made by a BSA licensed manufacturer. As for the problem of the perfect outdoor uniform, my son and I have worn our Class As on hikes and such and while its not necessarily uncomfortable Im still paranoid about ripping, staining, or otherwise destroying the uniform. Im sure we would all agree that it aint cheap to replace! I think being able to choose from ones personal stock of clothing to dress as one feels appropriate for the weather and activity, having just a simple neckerchief as the single unifying official garment, is an ideal solution. Im sure my revelation is not novel and Id be willing to bet that a number of packs and troops out there have adopted this idea. Id like to hear comments pro and con, maybe something I havent considered. I dont know if its allowed on the Forum but Id be interested in recommendations of a manufacturer youve had a good experience with. Thanks! YIS Mike

Im not against a good game of Capture the Flag and I dont have a problem with my Cub Scout son participating in laser tag in a non-scouting venue. That being said, I dont agree with jblake47s statement that the scouts should return to to the dyanmics of military leadership that the BSA program is based on in the first place. I believe this is a fallacy, at least as how the founders envisioned the movement. Granted the roots of B-Ps program are militaristic, but the horrors of the Great War (WWI), the War to End All Wars (wishful thinking), lead B-P himself to distance himself from militarism, and in later speeches he had stated that the focus of scouting was primarily a brotherhood of service of boys and men. B-P would emphasize character building through healthy camplife and handy pioneer training, and said flat out that scouting was non-military. These ideals meshed with the American Scouting founding fathers, Dan Beard and Earnest Thompson Seton. Seton would later quit the organization due to its emphasis on militarism. B-Ps evolved vision of scouting, while emphasizing public service, which could include defense of ones country, was not that of a paramilitary organization. I embrace this evolved view and consider the focus of Scouting as something that will train my sons to be good citizens, not necessarily to be good soldiers. May Capture the Flag be nothing more than a game!

I wish you well in the coming year. Im happy our B&G went well but then I think how are we going to top that next year? Were going to lose three active leaders and their spouses at cross over this year, maybe four if our Chairperson decides to cross over with her son, so I hope we can get some folks to step up to the plate and keep the positive momentum going. Keeping my fingers crossed! YIS Mike