eisely

I am willing to assume that the federal government has the legal power to impose personal income taxes. The courts have ruled on this more than once. I don't consider the paying of such taxes or filing of a return to be voluntary. It is required by law. It is interesting to observe that the data show that the level of voluntary compliance in the US generally is much greater than in most other countries.

This last post raises some interesting questions that I had not considered. The scout literature clearly envisions ordinary businesses as possible chartered organizations. Presumably there are some units somewhere in the US that are sponsored by for profit non exempt organizations. I can see how cash contributions to a unit sponsored by such a CO may be subject to challenge by the IRS, but unreimbursed expenses and uniforms? I would be inclined to claim such a deduction unless someone can tell me different.

It is interesting to read the prior posts from the single mom perspective. As a married male scouter, my perspective is necessarily somewhat different though sympathetic. These are boys who need scouting and need good male role models. It is a shame to the males of the species that so many divorced dads just step out of their kids' lives altogether. Actually I have been the target of some flirting on the part of single moms. I just quietly ignore that aspect of their behavior and it quickly goes away. The boys are the center of attention and that is where I stay focused in those situations. I have never found it necessary to say anything to anybody about this and everybody just moves on. I never really perceived the pain these kids feel until the first time I coached a soccer team many years ago. These were 6 and 7 year olds. On that first team there was a kid who acted like a jerk most of the time, did not pay attention, and approached his playing in a lackadaisical manner. I was aware that he was living in a single mom household. Then one Saturday he played his heart out. He really turned in a strong performance. I couldn't understand what was going on. Only after the game ended did I learn that his father was there to watch him. Of course that was the only game the dad showed up for and the boy reverted to his regular habits after that.

The relevant IRS publication is Pub No 526.

Haven't heard of this one yet.

I personally have never looked for BSA audit reports. Can you give a link?

This is interesting. A few years ago in Scouter magazine there was a piece by a physician who was an avid scouter about first aid on the trail. This guy was an experienced backpacker and had a similar list of medications he recommended carrying. He never raised the subject of G2SS or legalities at all. The entire article implied it was OK for ordinary scouters to administer these kinds of medications. Isn't it reasonable for scouters to rely on this magazine as authoritative or is somebody not looking at the content? I need to revisit G2SS on this subject. For the record, this has never become an issue for me on the trail, but I have occasionally wondered about the contradictions served up by various experts.

It is a matter of peer pressure. Here, where the public schools teach that homosexuality is a great idea whose time has come, the pressures are even stronger. The first step, suggested earlier, is that the adults have to set the example and wear a full uniform on the appropriate occasions. Offering tangible rewards to individuals or patrols who weart the uniform properly is also a good idea. Beyond that, emphasizing the positive reasons to be in scouts at all is probably the best answer.

I am not an attorney, much less a labor lawyer, but I think the answer is that non-profits enjoy some lattitude here that ordinary businesses do not enjoy. Churches and educational institutions affiliated with specific denominations are allowed to discriminate in their employment and set standards and criteria that probably would not be permissible to others. If BSA is a values based organization, could it not make similar employment decisions? This is not to say that BSA would be exempt of other employment laws such as laws governing hours, wages, and child labor.

This might belong under a different category, but here goes... What over the counter drugs have people found useful to take along on outings? Here is my short list: Anti biotic ointment Tylenol or other acetominephin product Ordinary aspirin Alieve Tinactin or similar product Benedryl or similar product Immodium There is another issue related to this for which I would like to solicit opinions. A little over ten years ago I took the Red Cross Basic First Aid class for the first time. That instructor took great pains to tell us that it was illegal for us, as non licensed good samaritans, to provide any medications to anyone who was not a family member. She was adamant on this point. I have continued to ask other instructors for their opinions on this point and generally get a shrug or an "I don't know." Will the attorneys out there offer an opinion on this. Maybe this instructor was concerned only about California law.

Most telephone companies now provide a financial incentive to use the book. We get to pay 75 cents for every call to local directory assistance. Why not split this saving with your son and pay him to look numbers up for say six months? Maybe he will get the habit then.

The word is "errs".

There is no question that G2SS errors on the side of caution. So be it. Following the guidelines is sensible, reduces the risk of something really bad happening, and protects your rear end. Good enough for me.

Sagerscout describes a procedure similar to what I do for those outings for which I am responsible. This sort of thing should be standard operating procedure everywhere.

I have no idea what tjhammer is talking about, but scandals and conflicts of interest in major non profits are not unheard of. The only thing that BSA has a monopoly on is those items imprinted with its copyrighted logos and uniforms. The camping gear they offer is competitively priced. In rural areas of the country the scout catalogue may be the only source for some items for some people. I have no idea how profitable the supply division is, but I find it hard to believe it would support the kind of thing tjhammer describes. Coming back to the larger question of scandal however... The San Diego chapter of the Red Cross, and the Red Cross generally, has come under criticism for raising large sums of money after 9 11 that were represented as disaster relief for 9 11. A large portion of those funds were initially placed in general accounts for other purposes. While the red cross does good things and still deserves support, it was less than honest to raise funds this way. I think it was in the 80's that the national United Way organization was revealed to be run by its president as a personal business. The United Way was contracting for services on a sole source procurement basis with businesses owned and operated by family members of the president. This had gone on for several years before it came to light. In another thread a discussion regarding diversion of funds for personal use from a Cub Scout Pack treasury we learned how a pack treasurer apparently had stolen funds. In my mind the larger problem with non profits generally, as with the government, is that funds and financial matters generally are not treated with the same level of diligence that people devote to their own check books or corporations to their accounts. Of course the Enron board of directors signed off on waivers for Enron's own internal rules to set up the partnerships run by the CFO for his own benefit and facilitated cooking the books. This guy, and some board members, have substantial civil liability, if not criminal liability. There is a lot off sloppiness out there that creates opportunity. The example of Jim Baker and Tammy Faye was cited. That is a classic example that probably would not have come to light had not the greed of the beneficiaries of the fraud pushed the larger organizations into bankruptcy. What is the lesson for us? BSA national and local councils would be well advised to not merely comply with the law, but proactively disclose the financial side of the operations. Income statements and balance sheets should be posted on the internet for all to see.

The question of whether BSA is a business or organization matters because businesses fall under the sway of employment laws and other laws prohibiting discrimination more fully. Many states and local jurisdictions prohibit businesses from discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation, and discrimination based on sexual orientation is elevated to the same level as discrimination based on race, religion, etc. There was a case litigated all the way to the California Supreme Court in the last decade on this very question. I forget the citation. The California Supreme Court held that scouts are not a business within the meaning of the relevant California law. Non profit organizations can employ people and run business enterprises (scout shops) that are ancillary to their principal activities without becoming businesses or losing their tax exempt status. Thus you see souvenir shops in cathedrals and food vending at Mt. Vernon, without the entities owning and operating those facilities becoming businesses. As an aside, there was an ironic application of the fair housing laws in Los Angeles several years ago. LA had brought sexual orientation into its laws as a class protected against discrimination. One of the early cases was brought be a heterosexual couple, that is a man and a woman, neither transgendered, who litigated against their homosexual landlord. They had been living together sharing an apartment. The building was acquired by a homosexual male investor who immediately began favoring males of his orientation. He tried to force this couple out and break their lease. They took him to court and won.

I agree with Bob & Mike. That said, I'd rather be camping than sitting here right now.

Talk about a lost art. Knowing the flag alphabet and being able to send and receive a message was still a requirement when I was a scout. I don't know when it was dropped. Probably about the same time that morse code was dropped. I don't know anything about records on this, and can't help you there. My dad probably knew your dad. My father was born in Great Bend, KS and spent most of years as a youth in Dodge City.

Anything that you spend for the benefit of the unit, district, or council for which you are not reimbursed should be deductible. Something you spend for the direct benefit of your son, such as a uniform or the cost for him for an outing, is not deductible. I do not treat the annual fee our troop charges at rechartering as deductible either. Anything you spend for your own uniform as a volunteer is deductible. I suppose that could include dry cleaning if you segregated it. I also deduct the amounts I spent for printed materials I acquire, such as manuals and pamphlets at the scout service center, for my own use as a volunteer, not for my son's use. I also deduct the cost of maps that I acquire for planning and executing outings, unless I am reimbursed for them. I do not deduct the cost of camping gear I acquire for my own or my son's use. You cannot charge for your own time. You should keep track of your mileage to and from roundtable, committee meetings, training sessions, and other volunteer events. This is deductible, although at a very low rate. I do not deduct mileage going to troop meetings where I am going with my son.

With three sons through the program. Ditto.

I have seen it done both ways. The troop we are with now usually has Eagle courts once a year for whoever made it, and that usually means more than one eagle. There is some risk of this becoming an overly long event, but limiting the number of speakers should control this. The tradition established of a single court for all new eagles has been strongly established now and I think it is the way to go for a troop that routinely produces multiple eagles within a twelve month period. You will get better attendance at such an event than if you have several eagle courts during the year. It is no less special for recognizing several boys simultaneously.

I am reminded of an incident about ten years ago in Southern California where a scout was lost on Mt. San Georgonio (over 11,000 feet high). I don't think any lawsuits were filed, or least none were reported. The reports also were silent on whether or not the adults had been trained. Two dads wanted to take a patrol of new scouts up the mountain. The plan was to go up a certain distance, camp overnight, and take a day hike to the crest. This is not a technical climb. The following violations of scout policy and common sense occurred: One dad decided not to go for reasons that I do not recall. Therefore only one adult went on the outing. No tour permit was obtained. During the hike up to the crest on the second day, a scout became ill. From the descriptions in the press it was probably altitude sickness. Rather than turn around then, the group left the scout behind and continued the trek with the intention of picking up the scout on the way back down. The scout was never seen alive again and no remains were ever found. Quite a story isn't it.

As usual Bob White provides some comments that are on point. I am glad to hear that you have discussed this with your attorney. I mentioned slander as a possible cause of action. There are probably several other causes of action as well should it come to that. Good luck. Tell your son that scouts and scouters all over the nation are cheering for him.

It seems to me that you need legal representation at this point. You also need to get the camp director to write a new letter. The point of legal representation is not to sue the council, but to communicate with those who are slandering you and attempting to remove you from scouting altogether. This legal counsel may also find it advisable to communicate with the council about your concerns and to ensure that the council follows its own procedures in such matters. Hopefully your son will settle down and resume his project. One further point. I never write anything in any medium that I cannot live with seeing on the front page of the newspaper next day. That includes email. You never know how such things will be spread around. Your initial communication with the CC probably should have been face to face. Oh well, can't help that now.

Where to begin...Cuban Missle crisis has been covered. Kennedy assasination, Woodstock, first man on the moon, democratic party convention in 1968, Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia, erection of the Berlin Wall, destruction of the Berlin Wall, 9 11? How about the Tet offensive of 1968? I was in the 25th Infantry Division Northwest of Saigon. We thought it was just great that Charlie had finally come out of hiding to fight. It was brutal, but ultimately a great US victory on the ground. Nowhere did the enemy achieve their objectives. The planned "general uprising" did not occur. What those of us in Viet Nam at the time did not understand was the psychological impact on the people back home. The public had just been told that Westmoreland could see the "light at the end of the tunnel." It turned out to be a freight train as far as the US public was concerned. They had been lied to once too often.