Eamonn

This year I'm going to be busy. I will be in the UK for the summer Olympics. My little Sister keeps a house in Putney while she is living in the Land Down Under. She is trying to see if she can join me. Which would be wonderful. Odd as it might seem her law firm has done a better job of getting tickets for events than I have been able to do. I'm also buying a house in Ireland. Since their economy went down the tubes house prices have fallen and it's just too good a deal to pass up. Next year HWMBO wants to go down South. I'd like to visit the gulf and see if BP really has did a good a job of cleaning things up as they say they have. While we are there I really want to try as many local food dishes as I can take in, other than grits! I've cooked and served gator tail, but have heard that the inside of the paw / foot is the best part, but I wasn't able to buy it in the area where I live. It would be great to find a small local restaurant in Louisiana that serves traditional food and if they also had a few local beers! I'd be in pigs Heaven. Ea.

By accident I heard the NPR This American Life coverage of "The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs" As it turned out Mike Daisey hadn't been completely honest and had made up some of what he was pushing as the truth. Still I think that there aren't too many workers in the USA or England who would want to work for a company like Foxconn. Apple does have a Supplier Code of Conduct which is supposed to be followed and enforced. http://www.apple.com/supplierresponsibility/ I get and understand that we live in a global economy and market place. I also get that this at times does good and at times really causes a lot of harm. Some years back Dell moved a lot of its manufacturing to Ireland. Things were good Dell accounted for 5% of the Irish GNP. Then it moved elsewhere to make its computers. Not far from where I live, back in the early 1970's. A big car plant was built. For an American car maker. (I'm not sure which one.) The Americans never moved in. But thanks to a lot of incentives from the State V.W. moved in and remained until they no longer had the tax incentives. Then they packed their bags and were gone. The plant sat empty for a couple of years until thanks another dose of tax incentives Sony moved in and remained until the incentives ran out. The plant is now once again empty. It wasn't that long ago that I looked down my nose at anything made in Japan. But that changed when the quality of what was being made improved and for a while was better than the quality of things made in the USA or Europe. This week marks 100 years since the Titanic went down. It seems odd to even think that at that time Northern Ireland was known as being the place for the best ship builders in the world. Things change. How long it will be till China and India come up and workers there get paid what is the going rate else where and companies there start looking to out source jobs? Only time will tell. Rather than looking at where something is made? I'd be more concerned about the quality of the item. Ea.

Hi Skip, Americans are strange. Really nice, but still strange. They are very proud, which is something I like and admire about them. A good many when they meet someone from England take great pleasure in going on about how they kicked the English out back in the 1700's. Some know all the details and expect someone from England to know what they know. I've never been to India and I don't know if the people in India have the same expectations? Some Americans just don't get that English history covers a much longer time period and that what happened in America is for most kids in England learning history covered in very little detail and really isn't seen as being that important. A friend of mine is married to a French girl, they live near Washington D.C. His In-Laws were coming over on a two week visit. He put together a nice schedule which was mainly around the D.C Area. When his Mother-In-Law arrived she had a list of where see wanted to go and what she wanted to see. The list included the Grand Canyon, Niagara Falls and Disney World. It does seem from what you ask that you know how very big this country is. A pal of mine retired from the Metropolitan Police a few years back and took his trip of a lifetime to the USA. He flew into New York, spent a few days visiting places like the Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building, took the helicopter ride over Manhattan. Rented a car and drove down to meet me and mine in Colonial Williamsburg, where we spent a few days eating some nice food and sampling some good wine. Then we spent a couple of days at the beach in Virginia. We then spent a few days in home in PA. Till he drove back to New York taking a scenic route staying at B&B's. Ea.

Have to admit to being very confused. Back when BP wrote Scouting for Boys, it wasn't really his aim to start a new youth organization. His hope was that some of the organizations that were already established would adopt some of his methods. He spent some time with the Boys Brigade and the Church Lads Army before Scouting really took off. Some of these organizations are still around today and some are not. As Scouts we make a promise to do my best. I'm not sure that holding up what other organizations or other people preach or stand for is what we need to be doing. The quest to live up to and by the Oath and Law is very much a personal one. Worse still is that all to often in this age of lightening fast communication there is a very good chance that even the best or greatest organizations are not spotless. I might think that my Church has done great works but mention the Roman Catholic Church and I'm sure that someone will find fault. Mention the Red Cross and again someone will have something negative to say. For me a big part of being a Scout is growing into and growing a real personal understanding of the Oath and Law. Young Scouts might be able to recite the words and have their own interpretation of what it means to them, but as the get older they gain a more personal understanding. An understanding which keeps growing and is always being questioned, even when they become an old fogy like me. Eamonn

Seen this some place, might have been here in the forum. You find out that you have been blessed with a son. The truth is what you have is a dog. For the next 14 years or so, this little fellow follows you around. Heeds your every word, obeys your commands and more than anything wants to please you. Then one day at about 13 or 14 this little fellow turns into a cat. As a cat he is only interested in pleasing himself. You only see him when he needs something or needs fed. Ask him to do anything and he looks at you as if you are crazy. Things remain this way for about ten years and then one day he turns back into being a dog again. Ea.

Strike 2! Thanks Guys. Ea.

Not sure why? But I always think it's odd when an old thread pops back up again. For my part I tend to be a very local sort of fellow. Sure I read what's going on in the world, have an idea what's happening in the country. Watch the local news. Still I found out a long time ago that I'm not going to fix, mend or repair all the woes of the world. When there is a big disaster some place I will grab the plastic and send a donation. All to often months later I hear that things haven't changed and my donation really hasn't been put to much good. So to my mind, rightly or wrongly I'd sooner donate close to home, someplace where I know that my donation is being used for some good. I don't know much about how kids are being educated in China, California or Ohio. I've never had any dealing with any of that. I do know what's happening in the school district where I live. I served at the Area level the committee I was on, at that time covered 13 Councils. While many faced the same sort of problems, I at times marveled at how many different ways each Council went about fixing these problems. I had at one time or another been in most of the 13 Councils, but to tell the truth I really had no idea of what was going on in these Councils other than the reports I was handed. The Council I'm in is very small. Even when attending R/T meetings of each District, it became clear that each was different, each had it's own identity and way of doing things. This was also the case of the Troops in the District I served. Of course there was the material that comes from the BSA, but each Troop operated in different ways. This is a good thing. None of us as an individual can fix or repair everything that we see is wrong with Scouts and Scouting. We can ensure that we set standards that don't allow for corner cutting or cheating. We can use our skills as leaders to nudge PLC's into following the traditional skills. When we look at the Methods of Scouting we can use them as goals. There will be times when it will seem that everything is just great but Troops are living things that change and with a few new Scouts things might not be as great as they maybe had been once. There are times when the stuff that comes down from above seems to get in the way, but with a little imagination even this can be worked with. The bottom line is that if the program your Scouts are receiving isn't up to par? Before you blame anyone else, take a long hard look at what your doing. Ea.

While I really don't think that it's very important, I think, I'm not sure that I read , seen or heard that WB beads were not supposed to be worn with the participant WB course necker? Wood Badge beads are not worn by Sea Scouter's in Sea Scout uniform. Ea.

Kinda think the first thing is to look at how things are. Some things are what they are and can't be changed. When a staff member sees that something isn't working he needs to let someone know. If he is working in an area that needs something? He needs to communicate this. The one change that can be made is you. You are the face of the camp. You set the tone. Your attitude and your appearance matter. People will pick up on if you care or not. The Scouts will pick up on your enthusiasm. Everyone will notice how good a job you are doing. How do you ensure that you are doing a good job? Treat others the way you like to be treated. Know your subject. Plan ahead. Be prepared. When need be make the best with what you have. Avoid inside jokes and name calling. Be where your supposed to be when your supposed to be there. Step back and try and see the camp and your role in it from a little Scouts point of view. It's worth remembering that a lot of Scouts look up to Staff members. In their eyes you are a hero. The person that they hope to be like in a few years. The example you set carries a lot of weight. Good Luck. Ea.

Welcome Back. It's wonderful when a name that hasn't be around for a while pops back up. Great to hear that everything is good. Ea.

I very much am in favor of allowing the youth leaders to do their job working with the Scouts while the management committee works to do what they can to support them. But as others have mentioned this takes time and in some Troops never happens mainly because they either are happy with the way things are or they just never get to that point. I've chaired and been part of a lot of committees in Scouting. It's been my experience that anything coming up for a vote is rare. So I wouldn't waste time worrying about who can and who can't vote. Everyone is there to do what's best for the Scouts. The District should have a list of MBC's. You should be able to get a copy from either the Dean Of Merit Badges or the District Advancement Chair. All MBC's are supposed to be approved by the District Advancement Committee and in most Districts are given the choice of working with all the Scouts in the District or just the Scouts in the unit(Troop) they serve. Anyone can recruit but the Advancement Committee has the final word. Ea.

Of all the things that go into being a Scout the one that I've the least problem with is the daily good deed. The Oath and Law always seem to be beyond my grasp. I try and even when I've given it my best the bar seems to be set higher and higher. "Be Prepared". Sounds easy enough and it isn't until something goes wrong that I find out that my smug thinking was all in vain and I really wasn't prepared. But to do a good turn? Even a smuck like me can do that. Kinda sad that some older Scouts at times look down their noses at this bit, thinking that this only applies to the "Little kids." Back when I was a Scout in England. The Easter break was about 3 weeks. One of these weeks was "Bob A Job" week. The one week a year when Scouts could do a good turn and get paid for it. The "Bob" was a Shilling now 5p. (Less then ten cents.) http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/8835299/Bob-a-job-week-background.html

terran350 Welcome to the forums. Twocubdad makes a lot of good points and sense. Council run Day Camps do need to have a NCS certified Director. Someone from your Council should know about all of this. Maybe the Council Camping Chairman? They should also be able to get you the dates and location of when the course will be. I kinda think that you might be a bit late for this year. If there is someone who is certified who is willing to be the Camp Director? You can of course recruit them. They don't have to be from your District, but should know what they are doing and be willing to do the job properly. - Not just be a name on paper. Good Luck. Eamonn.

While maybe not the same thing. I ran into a guy who works at another jail. He said he was from the small town where I now live and after chatting for a while we found out the my Brother-in-law had served as his SM. Seems that my BIL lost all this fellows paper work and soon after quit and the Troop folded. This was back in 1980 and the guy is still upset. Eamonn.

I've donated a few dollars. Never really cared one way or the other about recognition. Until I attended the National Jamboree. In 2001 I wore a shirt that had mainly knots that had to do with me being the SM of the Jambo Troop. I witnessed the special treatment that people wearing the "Right Uniform" were receiving. In 2005 I wore every knot that I ever received. You bet that after Mass on Sunday the Scouts and myself went to the VIP Tent and had a very good breakfast. Didn't get to ride the helicopter. -Oh well. As for endowment funds never being touched? It can and does happen. Ea.

I have several friends who work or worked as DE's. They never mentioned anything about any sort of personality test. At the end of the day aren't most interviews a sort of personality test? Other than a degree that for many DE's has nothing to do with the job there isn't any set laid down qualifications for being a DE. DE's need to be goal oriented. A good DE will see from the get go that he or she needs the help of others in order to meet the goals that are in place. Working with and along side volunteers and community leaders is very important. So of course a person who gets along well with others can communicate well and is also a sales type person will do better than someone who is shy and doesn't like to around people. To be honest it wouldn't surprise me to hear that the BSA has fell head over heels in love with some test that is available. This year I got stuck with teaching a class on Confronting Workplace Negativity, at the start there was a fairly long questionnaire that the participants had to fill out. It sorted people out into four groups and went on to say who would work best with other groups. - It was a four hour presentation and while after we'd broken the class down by age groups (Boomer's, Generation X, and so on.) Most of the classes got into it. I don't think anyone took the personality type too seriously. Ea.

Does anyone really think that Mitt Romney will win the presidential election? Just wondering. Ea.

One bad thing about a title is that some people think that you know everything. In the real world I have a few titles. I'm an Executive Chef. But I know next to nothing about Mexican Food or how to cook Chinese. I'm a Registered Dietitian, I have never read the South Beach Diet and without an order from a MD I'm not writing you a diet. I served as Council Training Chair. I couldn't tell anyone what the requirements for a specific knot is or was. I found that saying "I'm not sure about this, but I will look it up and get back to you." Worked well for me. Or sometimes I just had to just say "I'm sorry I don't know." Of course these weren't the answers that people wanted to hear, but I'd rather not give someone any information over giving them the wrong information. Some people seem to really want to add a lot of stuff that just isn't there into YP Training. - I'm glad that it's on line. The other areas where people seem to want to go off half cocked are liability and insurance. I'm not sure why? Ea.

"So the question is, do you deprive the scouts with means, of the High Adventure Base/OA/Jambo, because not every scout in the troop has that opportunity? " I'm not so sure that I'd agree with Scouts not having the opportunity. Given enough time /notice a lot if not most Scouts can work for or save up the money that is needed. The Troop can help by ensuring that there are fund raising opportunities that will help cover the cost. Depending on where you are and where you want to go?? Different ways of getting there can be looked into? OK so Sea Base is a little high, but Philmont isn't that expensive once you get there. For us where I live flying is the quickest way, but it used to be the most expensive. Trains were less expensive and driving there was the cheapest. ( This might have changed?) Bad news is that it takes about 3 days each way, good news is that you get to stop at a lot of really interesting places. Some Councils offer really good H/A opportunities that cost about the same as a week at summer camp. We had a really great time Sea Kayaking down south in Georgia. - Other than the grits.(Which are tasteless.) Ea.

moosetracker, As you might know each and every WB course pays to use the movies and movie clips that are used in the course. While adding more very well might make the course better? Doing so without permission is not the example that I'd want to set or as CD want my staff to set. I've sat through the new course a fair number of times, seen it presented in different Councils with different staff and under different Directors, even with people sticking to the syllabus no two courses have ever been the same. Like, dislike or hate this new course? One thing that really hit me as I read and re-read the material many times is that nothing in that course happens without a reason. -Just think about the pen! When stuff is added this nothing happens without a reason is lost. Of course no one expects a presenter to read from the book. Your view of JFK might be very different then mine? I never had much time for Maggie, but I see where the presentation was going. Still I'll bet were I to do the presentation that just maybe, my very strong dislike for her might show a little bit? Of course the final word lies with the CD. He or she signed off saying that the course would be presented as is without any add ons or subtractions. But if he or she is OK with these add ons then the buck stops there. Ea.

Thanks Barry, You summed up my thinking when you posted: "How well patrols cook is a check on your program. If the patrols are struggling in their food choices and preparation, then part of your program likely needs some special attention. Certainly the food part of the program needs it. The older scouts should know how to cook good meals, where are they at? If they are around but don't know how to cook good meals, you have situation or challenge." GKlose Maybe I'm guilty of reading more than is there or was meant? While I'm all for everyone having fun and a good time, I think that it's important that we never forget that we really are in the business of serving the Scouts in our organization. Reading some of what was posted in the other thread had me thinking of Oliver in Oliver Twist! OJ my son is an Oliver, the idea of him eye-balling someones plate and asking "Please Sir can I have some more?" Isn't a nice thought. Ea.

You don't post what slot your filling? Or what he is doing? We have a really super nice fellow in the Council, while there isn't supposed to be any real "Pecking Order" on who will be the next WB CD. This fellow was the guy who everyone thought was to be the CD when I was asked to do it. I kinda, sorta felt that I owed him one. So when he asked if a ASM from his home Troop could be on staff, I said "OK". Sadly this guy just didn't get it. The idea of following the syllabus was just not in his realm of thinking and add to this he thought he was funny. Adding his own little tidbits into at all the wrong places. I had our course ASM who was in charge of Troop Guides work with him. But it became clear that he just wasn't able to do the job. I had no choice but to move him and use him as a member of the QM staff. I'm not sure what I'd do in your position. A lot would depend on what position it is that you hold? I would say that the Course has to come first. The participants deserve the best possible course presentation that is possible. While this fellow might have his heart in the right place, if he can't get the job done? We owe it to the rest of the Staff and the participants to remove him. As you have taken him under your wing, maybe it is time to sit him down have a face to face meeting and let him know that the syllabus is not to be messed with and if he doesn't get with the program he needs to talk with either the ASM for Troop Guides or the CD. If you have the time and can manage it? You might offer to work with him, but you need to be firm and say things have to be the way the syllabus say they are. You might want to let the ASM know that you are working with him and be open to ideas and suggestions. Feedback is a gift. Ea.

Not sure! I have about 25 tan shirts. Some I used for WB back when shirts had to not have a lot of patches and stuff. Some from when I was the SM for our Council contingent to the 2001 and 2005 Jambos. A couple from when I was serving on the Area Committee. Some have District Committee insignia, some have insignia from other positions. I have a white Sea Scout uniform and a couple of the tan Sea Scout uniforms. The truth is that I can't sew and HWMBO hates to sew. So when I bought a new shirt I'd buy the patches and the nice Lady in the Council Service Center would sew them on for me for a few dollars. I was informed back when I was District Commish, by one of my staff that I have one knot on up side down, Bad thing is I can't remember which shirt and I'm too busy to bother looking. Ea,

Scouts "eye-balling our food." I was a little upset when I read about this in the other thread. For me the idea of Scouts drooling over what the adults are eating is just wrong. It seems to be a really bad case of rubbing their noses in it. Of course the adults should be able to cook better than the Scouts. - They have been doing it a lot longer. They can afford to bring whatever they want with little worry about cost. At summer camp the PLC came up with a menu for the camp. All the patrols cooked the same food as did the leaders. The food was bought and divided between the patrols with the adults getting exactly the same as the Scouts got. Very often at weekends one adult would take care of cooking and preparing the adult meal while the other adults would be working with the Scouts. When the Scouts went to cook and prepare their meal the adult meal would be ready, while the Scouts were eating the leaders would have time to ensure that everything needed for the next activity was ready. The idea of having Scouts around the adults at meal time is strange to me. The idea of adults showing off is just plain wrong. Eamonn.

I don't hunt. The idea just doesn't hold any real interest for me. I am a life time member of the Wild Turkey Federation given to me for services rendered. I have a lot of respect for the guys who hunt in the areas around where I live. But due to a few idiots all the lands I own are posted no hunting. These idiots seem to think that hunting is about drinking beer, leaving a mess and a pile of dead geese. I know that these guys are few but I just don't need the extra work clearing up after them. (End of rant.) Ask me personally about young people and hunting? I'll very much OK with it. I'm not sure that there is any real need for the BSA to get involved? My feeling is that this is a case where we need a lot more experience than maybe most Scouter's have and we don't have any real way of enforcing rules that are in place or are added. Still at the end of the day, I think we can overcome all of this. But.. While I might be OK, I'm not so sure about what others might say. Given the media coverage of young people shooting other young people at school and elsewhere, I kinda think that this might be a PR nightmare for the BSA. Can you imagine the headlines if a lad learned to hunt in the Boy Scouts and then went on a shooting spree at a public place? Or if there were to be an accident where a Boy Scout on a Troop hunting trip were to shoot someone? I kinda think if I were the guy at the top, this might be somewhere where I just wouldn't want to go. OGE you have some really wonderful state hunting areas near where you live! Ea.