eal51

Since our district will have a new chair soon, I'll throw in my two cents. The Wood Badge advice is excellent. Have a Vision for the district. Second, using the old Wood Badge syllabus, Know and Use the Resources of the Group. The two primary responsibilities for the district chair are: Recruitment - Recruitment - Recruitment Finance - FOS!!!!!!! Communications!!!!!!!!! Fill your Vice-Chairs with quality people. Find a good or great program person to be Vice-Chair for Program. That person will oversee Advancement, OA, Camping, Religious Awards, District Activities and the like. You will also need a Membership Vice-Chair to organize this area as well as a Finance Vice-Chair to actually run your FOS campaign. And oh so crucial - a District Commissioner. Your unit commissioners are the main link to the units in your district. They are the best way to get communications to the unit level. You and your district commissioner must be on the same page. Many of the tasks of the district cross job lines. Work to ensure that the district commissioner and vice-chairs are talking to each other and sharing the load. It all falls under the heading of communications. Best of luck in a very important and difficult job.

Lisa - I'm going to give you the Connecticut view of Joe Lieberman. I am going to date myself and many of you may understand. Joe Lieberman is a Kennedy Democrat as in Jack Kennedy - JFK. That means he is conservative on issues of national defense, supporting our allies and some fiscal restraint. On social issues, the old Democratic Party, JFK's Democratic Party, was more progressive on social issues, but no where near what we see today from the Democratic party. That also means decisions are made that are in the best interests of the country, not one party's entitlement seekers. And yes today's Democrats will make Joe pay for his endorsement of McCain. He will loose his status. But they should have seen it coming. The Democratic Party hard core (less than 25% of the voting population in CT) forced him into a primary by their chosen candidate because of one issue - the war in Iraq. Joe lost the primary, ran as an independent and won. Why, because the majority of us in CT find Joe to be a honest man who has a deep love for his country and his state. And his country comes first, we know it. Many of us remember when Joe was our State Attorney General and the great job he did in that office. And the majority of voters in CT are registered as Independents, not Democrat or Republican. And I am proudly one of those Independents. We like our Joe. So, if the Dems are stupid enough to kick out Joe, I feel sorry for this country. That will be the ultimate statement by the Democratic Party of the 21st Century - agree with us on everything or be gone. And one wonders why we are in the mess we are in! Party ideology has replaced common sense - both parties. Party ideology has replaced negotiation and compromise - both parties. Party ideology has replaced the United States of America - and that's you and me! Now Buckley's endorsement of Obama is for his thoughtful process, not his policies. That is a far cry from a ringing endorsement. Time will tell what is in store for us, but I am fearful that we are going down a slippery slope and the results are not going to be pretty.

If Wood Badge is just about the beads, then someone missed the point totally!!!!! As many have stated, it is about the journey, the personal journey, you embark on when you take Wood Badge. And it is the journey never stops. Not when you get your beads, not when your are selected to serve on staff nor when you are fortunate enough to selected Course Director/ Scoutmaster. The journey will continue the rest of your life. The beads are just the small symbol of that personal commitment you make to yourself and to the Scouting movement in general. I have had the great fortune to have taken both the old Cub Trainer and Boy Scout Wood Badge courses. What I learned was invaluable in my personal, professional and Scouting lives. I still use those great lessons because they are now a part of who I am. And it has been enhanced by the 21st Century WB course. I have served on 5 course and been the course director for one. And again, I grew and learned all that much more. For a day should never pass when you don't learn one new thing! The friends I have made because of those "two tiny beads on a leather thong" have given me more than I ever imagined. I have friendships of over 20 years because of those beads. We have celebrated births, weddings, high school and college graduations and weddings together. We have cried when one has lost a child or a spouse all to soon in this life. These are bonds/ friendships I will take to my grave and I am grateful for every day I can call these Scouters my friends. So is it just about the beads - NO WAY!!!!!!! It's about this life we live to the fullest and hopefully for the best of all the lives we touch in some small way. "And a good old Beaver too!" - NECS-37 "And a good old Buffalo too!" - NE-II-90

Just joined after all these years. 20 plus years as a Scouter. I've been a Wolf Den leader through Webelos and Assistant Cubmaster to Assistant Scoutmaster and then Scoutmaster of 2 different troops. Two of my three sons are Eagle Scouts. I'm presently Vice-Chair for Program in my district as well as the Council Vice-Chair for Boy Scout training. With my sons, I've been to Philmont (the knees have never been the same), to Jamborees to Eagle projects and Courts. Now my oldest is a father (a whole month now!)and will soon take his place as a Scouter. Looking forward to a good cup of coffee, a warm fire and great conversation.