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After missing a summer because of lack of volunteer support, our district will have a cub scout day camp this coming summer.

This was an op ed piece in The Washington Times on February 11.

The op ed piece posted below is by far the best response I have seen to the scurrilous accusations made about George Bush's service in the Texas Air National Guard. ________________________ George Bush and I were lieutenants and pilots in the 111th Fighter Interceptor Squadron (FIS), Texas Air National Guard (ANG) from 1970 to 1971. We had the same flight and squadron commanders (Maj. William Harris and Lt. Col. Jerry Killian, both now deceased). While we were not part of the same social circle outside the base, we were in the same fraternity of fighter pilots, and proudly wore the same squadron patch. It is quite frustrating to hear the daily cacophony from the left and Sen. John Kerry, Massachusetts Democrat, et al., about Lt. Bush escaping his military responsibilities by hiding in the Texas ANG. In the Air Guard during the Vietnam War, you were always subject to call-up, as many Air National Guardsmen are finding out today. If the 111th FIS and Lt. Bush did not go to Vietnam, blame President Johnson and Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara, not lowly Lt. Bush. They deliberately avoided use of the Guard and Reserves for domestic political calculations, knowing that a draftee only stirred up the concerns of one family, while a call-up got a whole community's attention. The mission of the 147th Fighter Group and its subordinate 111th FIS, Texas ANG, and the airplane it possessed, the F-102, was air defense. It was focused on defending the continental United States from Soviet nuclear bombers. The F-102 could not drop bombs and would have been useless in Vietnam. A pilot program using ANG volunteer pilots in F-102s (called Palace Alert) was scrapped quickly after the airplane proved to be unsuitable to the war effort. Ironically, Lt. Bush did inquire about this program but was advised by an ANG supervisor (Maj. Maurice Udell, retired) that he did not have the desired experience (500 hours) at the time and that the program was winding down and not accepting more volunteers. If you check the 111th FIS records of 1970-72 and any other ANG squadron, you will find other pilots excused for career obligations and conflicts. The Bush excusal in 1972 was further facilitated by a change in the unit's mission, from an operational fighter squadron to a training squadron with a new airplane, the F-101, which required that more pilots be available for full-time instructor duty rather than part-time traditional reservists with outside employment. The winding down of the Vietnam War in 1971 provided a flood of exiting active-duty pilots for these instructor jobs, making part-timers like Lt. Bush and me somewhat superfluous. There was a huge glut of pilots in the Air Force in 1972, and with no cockpits available to put them in, many were shoved into nonflying desk jobs. Any pilot could have left the Air Force or the Air Guard with ease after 1972 before his commitment was up because there just wasn't room for all of them anymore. Sadly, few of today's partisan pundits know anything about the environment of service in the Reserves in the 1970s. The image of a reservist at that time is of one who joined, went off for six months' basic training, then came back and drilled weekly or monthly at home, with two weeks of "summer camp." With the knowledge that Mr. Johnson and Mr. McNamara were not going to call out the Reserves, it did become a place of refuge for many wanting to avoid Vietnam. There was one big exception to this abusive use of the Guard to avoid the draft, and that was for those who wanted to fly, as pilots or crew members. Because of the training required, signing up for this duty meant up to 2 years of active duty for training alone, plus a high probability of mobilization. A fighter-pilot candidate selected by the Guard (such as Lt. Bush and me) would be spending the next two years on active duty going through basic training (six weeks), flight training (one year), survival training (two weeks) and combat crew training for his aircraft (six to nine months), followed by local checkout (up to three more months) before he was even deemed combat-ready. Because the draft was just two years, you sure weren't getting out of duty being an Air Guard pilot. If the unit to which you were going back was an F-100, you were mobilized for Vietnam. Avoiding service? Yeah, tell that to those guys. The Bush critics do not comprehend the dangers of fighter aviation at any time or place, in Vietnam or at home, when they say other such pilots were risking their lives or even dying while Lt. Bush was in Texas. Our Texas ANG unit lost several planes right there in Houston during Lt. Bush's tenure, with fatalities. Just strapping on one of those obsolescing F-102s was risking one's life. Critics such as Mr. Kerry (who served in Vietnam, you know), Terry McAuliffe and Michael Moore (neither of whom served anywhere) say Lt. Bush abandoned his assignment as a jet fighter pilot without explanation or authorization and was AWOL from the Alabama Air Guard. Well, as for abandoning his assignment, this is untrue. Lt. Bush was excused for a period to take employment in Florida for a congressman and later in Alabama for a Senate campaign. Excusals for employment were common then and are now in the Air Guard, as pilots frequently are in career transitions, and most commanders (as I later was) are flexible in letting their charges take care of career affairs until they return or transfer to another unit near their new employment. Sometimes they will transfer temporarily to another unit to keep them on the active list until they can return home. The receiving unit often has little use for a transitory member, especially in a high-skills category like a pilot, because those slots usually are filled and, if not filled, would require extensive conversion training of up to six months, an unlikely option for a temporary hire. As a commander, I would put such "visitors" in some minor administrative post until they went back home. There even were a few instances when I was unaware that they were on my roster because the paperwork often lagged. Today, I can't even recall their names. If a Lt. Bush came into my unit to "pull drills" for a couple of months, I wouldn't be too involved with him because I would have a lot more important things on my table keeping the unit combat ready. Another frequent charge is that, as a member of the Texas ANG, Lt. Bush twice ignored or disobeyed lawful orders, first by refusing to report for a required physical in the year when drug testing first became part of the exam, and second by failing to report for duty at the disciplinary unit in Colorado to which he had been ordered. Well, here are the facts: First, there is no instance of Lt. Bush disobeying lawful orders in reporting for a physical, as none would be given. Pilots are scheduled for their annual flight physicals in their birth month during that month's weekend drill assembly the only time the clinic is open. In the Reserves, it is not uncommon to miss this deadline by a month or so for a variety of reasons: The clinic is closed that month for special training; the individual is out of town on civilian business; etc. If so, the pilot is grounded temporarily until he completes the physical. Also, the formal drug testing program was not instituted by the Air Force until the 1980s and is done randomly by lot, not as a special part of a flight physical, when one easily could abstain from drug use because of its date certain. Blood work is done, but to ensure a healthy pilot, not confront a drug user. Second, there was no such thing as a "disciplinary unit in Colorado" to which Lt. Bush had been ordered. The Air Reserve Personnel Center in Denver is a repository of the paperwork for those no longer assigned to a specific unit, such as retirees and transferees. Mine is there now, so I guess I'm "being disciplined." These "disciplinary units" just don't exist. Any discipline, if required, is handled within the local squadron, group or wing, administratively or judicially. Had there been such an infraction or court-martial action, there would be a record and a reflection in Lt. Bush's performance review and personnel folder. None exists, as was confirmed in The Washington Post in 2000. Finally, the Kerrys, Moores and McAuliffes are casting a terrible slander on those who served in the Guard, then and now. My Guard career parallels Lt. Bush's, except that I stayed on for 33 years. As a guardsman, I even got to serve in two campaigns. In the Cold War, the air defense of the United States was borne primarily by the Air National Guard, by such people as Lt. Bush and me and a lot of others. Six of those with whom I served in those years never made their 30th birthdays because they died in crashes flying air-defense missions. While most of America was sleeping and Mr. Kerry was playing antiwar games with Hanoi Jane Fonda, we were answering 3 a.m. scrambles for who knows what inbound threat over the Canadian subarctic, the cold North Atlantic and the shark-filled Gulf of Mexico. We were the pathfinders in showing that the Guard and Reserves could become reliable members of the first team in the total force, so proudly evidenced today in Afghanistan and Iraq. It didn't happen by accident. It happened because back at the nadir of Guard fortunes in the early '70s, a lot of volunteer guardsman showed they were ready and able to accept the responsibilities of soldier and citizen then and now. Lt. Bush was a kid whose congressman father encouraged him to serve in the Air National Guard. We served proudly in the Guard. Would that Mr. Kerry encourage his children and the children of his colleague senators and congressmen to serve now in the Guard. In the fighter-pilot world, we have a phrase we use when things are starting to get out of hand and it's time to stop and reset before disaster strikes. We say, "Knock it off." So, Mr. Kerry and your friends who want to slander the Guard: Knock it off. COL. WILLIAM CAMPENNI (retired) U.S. Air Force/Air National Guard Herndon, Va.5

If you are talking about the red wool "shirt jac", then you get only the scouting emblem on the left breast pocket, a single patch in the center of the back, and a Philmont bull. Anything else is against the rules.

Steaks do go well with dining flies, especially in either the heat or the rain.

I saw this Good Samaritan on the news last night. He credits his experience as a boy scout for teaching him what to do. _______________________ Good Samaritan Comes Forward Victim, Rescuer Plan To Meet POSTED: 7:52 AM PST February 5, 2004 UPDATED: 8:33 AM PST February 5, 2004 Jerome Hargrove is in stable condition; he will be OK thanks to the help of a stranger. Hargrove and his girlfriend lost control of their car Tuesday night. The car hit a guardrail and burst into the flames. After seeing the accident, 19-year-old Alex Hernandez stopped his car. First he pulled Hargrove to safety, then went back for his girlfriend. Hernandez said, "She was trapped. I started pulling on her but she wouldn't move. I asked the guy to help me get her out of there. I told her, 'this car is catching on fire.'" Hernandez and another man stayed with Hargrove until paramedics arrived. NBC11 News spoke with Hargrove in his hospital room before Hernandez came forward. "I don't even know who this guy is but he just put my arm over his shoulder and pulled me over to the side and laid me down and he just said, 'Don't move. Don't move.' He just kept telling me my girlfriend was OK," Hargrove said. Hargrove would like to meet the good Samaritan who saved him and his girlfriend. The California Highway Patrol helped link the two men.

One of my least favorite items is the official boy scout individual cook kit. Expensive, worthless, and bulky. I always tell new parents to not buy this.

Oliver North may or may not be the best choice for a speaker, but he is not a convicted felon. He was tried and convicted on charges related to the Iran-Contra scandal, and the conviction was overturned on appeal. To label North as a convicted felon is simply inaccurate. As with most people, there is more to North than just his public image. What follows is a story about North that I read several years ago in a reputable publication. I cannot vouch for its accuracy, but I find it credible. North was a very junior officer at the time he served in Viet Nam. I don't know if he did multiple tours of duty in Viet Nam or not. After he returned to the states after a tour, he learned that a young sergeant who had served under him was being court martialed in Viet Nam by the marines under questionable circumstances. Against the advice of his superiors and friends, North used his own leave time and returned to Viet Nam at his own expense to assist in the defense of this sergeant. The sergeant was acquited and North's assistance was credited for that result. That shows an extraordinary loyalty to a subordinate that is worthy of emulation.

I would not expect to achieve great savings in cost by going this route. Every time I have encountered a situation where someone tried to save big bucks by making their own gear, they often saved some bucks, or at best broke even.

In response to an earlier post on this thread, the question was speakers for a fund raiser, not a scouting event where youth are present in large numbers. These are distinctly different audiences. At a fund raising event, you are targeting people with money who are inclined to support scouting, otherwise they probably wouldn't be there. You want a speaker they can relate to. I would think the best speaker at a fund raiser would be a successful business person (male or female), not a person with inherited wealth. You would want a speaker who could relate how some person influenced their lives towards greater achievement. It wouldn't even have to be a scoutmaster, but a teacher or a coach could be the source of that influence.

I like the question posed at the end of this story. _______________________ Posted on Wed, Feb. 04, 2004 OLIVER NORTH Scouts' pick as speaker is patriot and partisan Oliver North was a Boy Scout. But some ask if the war hero and player in the Iran-contra scandal is the right choice to speak at Scouts fundraiser. BY DANIEL de VISE ddevise@herald.com Four years ago, the Boy Scouts lost much of their local financial support by upholding a nationwide ban against gay Scouts. The avowedly apolitical group found itself widely shunned by liberals and embraced by conservatives. Now, regrouping with the largest single fund-raising event in its history, the Scouts' South Florida Council is turning to Oliver North. The keynote speaker planned for Thursday's fundraiser at the Signature Grand in Davie is a polarizing figure: retired Marine lieutenant colonel, decorated war hero, right-leaning radio host and central figure in the Iran contra arms-for-hostages scandal of the 1980s. To some Democrats and veterans of the gay-rights battle, this is a fresh outrage. But Scout leaders say they chose North for his drawing power, not his politics. They're a long way toward raising $600,000 Thursday night. Five hundred donors have already pledged $150 a plate and up. ''The Boy Scouts of America does not have a political agenda,'' said Norman Silber, president of the South Florida Council of the Boy Scouts of America. Most Scouts are too young to know much about North, who was convicted and later cleared in a Reagan-administration scheme to fund right-wing Nicaraguan guerrillas with secret weapon sales to Iran. The Miami Herald first disclosed his role in the caper and later won a Pulitzer Prize for its efforts. ''I would certainly find him a provocative choice,'' said Mitch Ceasar, chairman of the Broward County Democratic Party. Scout leaders prefer to focus on his military record -- the Silver Star, the Bronze Star for valor and two Purple Hearts -- and his record as author and commentator. The alleged arms dealings, they say, are part of a pardonable past. ''Who among us has not had mistakes in our lives, made mistakes in judgment?'' Silber said. ``He is, like most people, imperfect. It doesn't change the fact that he has spent the better part of his life working and fighting for our country.'' North comes to South Florida as part of a larger campaign to recoup dollars lost in the gay-Scouting backlash of four years ago. The local Scouts have lost more than $1.5 million in total funds since then, chiefly from United Way chapters in Broward and Miami-Dade, according to Jeff Herrmann, Scout executive for the South Florida Council. Herrmann said the local Scouts governing board chose North because he is popular, reflects Scouting values and supports the organization. He has appeared at Scout fund-raisers around the nation. Local officials didn't disclose his speaking fee but hinted he is giving them a break. His usual price is $30,000, according to the website of Premiere Speakers Bureau. Some of North's appearances have passed with little or no controversy. But elsewhere, Democrats have accused the Scouts of violating a nonpartisan tradition. In northeast Georgia, for example, North appeared with conservative columnist Ann Coulter. Critics have said her latest book, Treason, equates liberalism to disloyalty. ''This is like a Fox News show,'' a local Democratic official told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. ``Couldn't they find an athlete with an inspirational story?'' Gregg Shields, national Boy Scouts spokesman, said affiliates chose North ``for a very simple reason: he is a draw.'' Both Herrmann and Silber said they would not have considered bringing someone like Coulter to a Scout event in South Florida, a notion Silber dismissed as ``a little over the top.'' They said North, himself a Scout, exemplifies Scout Law, a military-inspired code that stresses loyalty and bravery. Calls and e-mails to local Scout headquarters, they said, suggest North's supporters outnumber detractors 20 to 1. ''Clearly there is a point of view about him that is somewhat polarized,'' said Bay Proby, a Scout spokesman. ``Some people can't stand him and some people think he's great.'' Some ethics scholars wonder how parents will explain North and his nebulous Iran-contra dealings to young Scouts. Despite North's heroism as a soldier, ''he knowingly and deliberately and unapologetically engaged in covert actions that undermined our constitutional democracy, and has to date failed to either express contrition or remorse for those actions,'' said Tony Alfieri, law professor and director of the Center for Ethics and Public Service at the University of Miami. Be that as it may, Patti Trick of Coconut Creek, whose 10-year-old son Joseph is a Scout, said she'd much rather have him look to Oliver North than ``some of the other role models out there. ''Who do you want your son to be more like?'' Trick asked. ``Oliver North or Justin Timberlake?'' For more information on the Boy Scout fundraiser, call 305-364-0020.

Even lacking the new MB books, I would go with the new requirements. Your council may not honor the badges. If worse came to worse, I would reschedule the whole thing. I would not risk a boy being deprived of his Eagle down the road if somebody at some level decides that an Eagle required badge was never properly earned.

In the spirit of not hurting anybody's feelings, maybe we should outlaw awarding recognition for patrol performance at camporees. Anybody in favor of that?

Can't resist...doesn't it take two cheeks to make a crack...wise crack that is.

NJCubScouter, We all should be concerned about the nature and length of our commitment in Iraq. This is a commitment I think is worth keeping.

Actually the suspenders I referred to were red.

I have noticed a particularly obese adult volunteer in uniform at various events who wears suspenders with his uniform. For him this makes a great deal of sense. In fact suspenders generally make a lot of sense instead of relying on belts to hold one's pants up. Nevertheless there seems to be no allowance for suspenders in the uniform regulations. Any comments on this?

I did not squelch FOG.

Is this becoming more like a "reality" survivor TV show? If somebody is consistently squelched do they get voted off the island?

Responding seriously to the question posed, I can only speculate on why some folks behave the way they do. I find it difficult to believe that the people who are rude and boorish on this forum behave that way towards people with whom they have personal contact. I think there is something about the veil of anonymity of the internet that brings out the worst in people. Name calling and insults contribute nothing. People who do that in this forum set a terrible example for the youth who participate.

This is guaranteed to offend some people, but it is G rated political humor. _________________________ The Democrats are complaining on how long the war in Iraq is taking but consider this: It took less time to take Iraq than it took Janet Reno to take the Branch Davidian compound. That was a 51-day operation. It took less time to find Saddam's sons in Iraq than it took Hillary Clinton to find the Rose Law Firm billing records. It took less time for the 3rd Infantry Division and the Marines to destroy the Medina Republican Guard than it took Teddy Kennedy to call the police after his Oldsmobile sunk at Chappaquiddick. It took less time to take Iraq than it took to count the votes in Florida!!!!!! Is our military is GREAT or what?

I do edit out advertisements...I just missed one this time.

I heartily endorse the participation of women in scouting. Most of the moms I have dealt with are not overly protective of their boys in scouting. Many moms support having their boys in scouting precisely to put them into a situation where they will have to be more self reliant. Women are just more volunteers, and should be treated as such. If more men had stepped forward to actively participate as volunteers over the years maybe scouting would not have evolved as it has. I view the eager active participation of women in volunteer positions that there aren't enough men to fill as a negative comment on the unwillingness of many men to support their sons. I don't think the women volunteers see it that way -- that is just a personal interpretation. I have mentioned before a scout troop in Carpenteria, CA about ten years ago that was prohibited from going to scout camp at that time because the unit had no adult male leaders. The leadership was dominated by single moms trying to deliver scouting to their sons. Where were the dads? In front of the TV? At a sports bar with their buddies? Out with their trophy wives? This particular troop had to litigate for the right to go to summer camp. Of course now, summer camps have figured out ways to deal with this, but the troglodytes running that council at that time had to be dragged into court to see the truth of what they were doing. They were willing to deny a full scouting experience to a group of boys over bathroom issues. The active involvement of women in scouting is just a reflection of what is going on in the larger society. Let's get on with it.

This needs no explanation. ________________________ Cub Scout gets lifesaving medal Monday, January 26, 2004 9-year-old Monroe boy steered vehicle and gave medicine to his diabetic aunt By JOSEPH P. SMITH and GISELLE SOTELO Gannett News Service VINELAND The Boy Scouts of America presented its highest lifesaving award to a 9-year-old Monroe boy who steered an out-of-control sport utility vehicle to safety in Cumberland County. Brandon DiMatties, a Cub Scout from the township's Williamstown section, received the Honor Medal with Crossed Palms during ceremonies at the Wingate Inn. "I am happy and excited," Brandon said. He plans to hang the medal on his "hero wall," which already has a newspaper clipping with his photo and a brass plaque his school gave him for his actions. The award stems from the heroism he showed June 27. Brandon and his aunt were on their way to see Brandon's mom - Holly DiMatties, 31 - who was recovering from surgery at South Jersey Healthcare, Bridgeton. Brandon's aunt went into diabetic shock while they were driving on Irving Avenue in Upper Deerfield. He said he realized something was wrong when his aunt ran a stop sign. Another motorist estimated the Pathfinder reached 90 mph and, when the vehicle swerved into the path of an 18-wheeler, Brandon said he screamed his aunt's name to try to wake her. He then kicked his aunt's foot off the gas and pulled the vehicle off the road. Featured Advertisers All Shore Becker Nose and Sinus Center Dr Louis Manara Eddie's Outlet Oskar Huber Rutgers University Sharp Bratton Advertise with us! After stopping, he measured his aunt's blood sugar level using a glucometer - he calls it a "blood sugar taker" - and administered glucose tablets to start her recovery. "He not only helped his aunt there, he helped a lot of other innocent people that could've been killed," said Ed Loughman, vice president of administration for the Boy Scouts' Southern New Jersey Council. Holly DiMatties pinned the honor medal on Brandon's blue Cub Scout uniform at the conclusion of Wednesday night's ceremony. The scouts have three levels of lifesaving awards. Last year, only 16 members nationwide received the Honor Medal with Crossed Palms. Brandon qualified because he demonstrated "unusual heroism and extraordinary resourcefulness in saving a life at extreme risk to himself," said Dave Parry, executive director of the scouts council. "He's definitely among a select group," added council spokesman Jim Milham. "And it's very rare for a Cub Scout to get it."

When the State of Tennessee outlaws lettering in high school sports, this policy of not allowing public recognition of academic performance will begin to make sense. This is one of the most incredibly stupid things I have heard of in some time.