Engineer61

Just an observation here... ... if you don't boot a scout or registered adult for ... ... openly professing to being an atheist ... ... throwing Coleman gas on an open fire ... ... going out for some "quick ones" on a campout ... I can't imagine that a FB account would result in anything.

Since everyone wants to keep this kid on board riddle me this BatScouts ... The next time that "the guard is down" and this kid throws more Coleman fuel or maybe a can of fuel for the JetBoil on the fire and forest catches, what will be the justification then? Worse yet, if a kid on the other side of the fire goes up in flames, how will you justify it then? Scary thought eh?

Gone.

Hmmm ... not sure I'd be sending him to Philmont with some kind of heads up. I'd also be make sure he's not in possession of any lighters.

Perhaps another question to ask when considering commitment is: How many of you are here because *you* want to be a Scout, as opposed to your *parents* wanting you to be a Scout? Maybe you'll find a correlation...maybe you won't.

Some serious thought splitting going on... I don't envy the OP... ... I guess the answer is in how much gray area you want put around the Oath and Law. On my honor, I will do my best To do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law; To help other people at all times; To keep myself physically strong, mentally awake and morally straight. But if you believe God does not exist, then you can have no duty towards Him. A Scout is: * Trustworthy, * Loyal, * Helpful, * Friendly, * Courteous, * Kind, * Obedient, * Cheerful, * Thrifty, * Brave, * Clean, * and Reverent. A Scout is reverent. He is reverent toward God. But is one has no belief that God exists, then you cannot be reverent towards him. I realize at 11 years old...this boy's belief system is not fully developed, so perhaps a little leeway is warranted. But I would expect only to the extent that such leeway would be given for any other element of the Oath or Law. Let's say that the 11 yo said had no desire to ever help others, or that he was gay and confident and comfortable in that fact. What would the response be?

Oh....I just have to do it...it's Friday...I turn 50...baseball season is here... Number one camping woe? Getting the RV backed in close enough to the water/electricity/cable hookup! Happy Friday all!

Just saw the local flyer for it... $$$$!!! Ouch! $2300-$3500 depending on which of the three you sign up for... Short, Long, Long-LDS.

Actually, there is one OA website out on the web that has published what they say is the meaning of WWW. Kinda odd.

I don't think I'd compare this year's gas price with those in the past...without including other factors involved. Many of us, are making less money...I for one have had to take a significant pay cut. I now make what I was making over 10 years ago. About 25% less than I was making 3 years ago. Unfortunately, my mortgage didn't decrease... At the same time, all costs are increasing, healthcare, energy, food...

"May I ask how the patches were sewn onto the shirt?" By hand...the weird part is that while a majority of the fabric failures are near the patches...they do not extend to the stitches...it's kinda bizarre. There are some tears near the shoulder seams too...again, not the actual seams. Just weird. "Don't mean to stir controversy, but could you send boy with patches and new shirt to Dad?" You know, I think we did that in Cubs one year...the shirt came back and the patches didn't....

Following the popular TV program "Dirty Jobs", what was your "Dirtiest Job"? Mine was by far the summers and breaks I spent during my college years working in sausage room of a small meat packing house. Rough place to work...rough conditions, rougher people. Most of the workers were missing finger tips....especially those that operated pneumatic sausage presses.

Probably not a big impact on our Troop. Outside of summer camp, they pretty much shut down during the summer here.

Rant On? Really? The forum is Camping & High Adventure, not just High Adventure...but intrusion in to your personal forum. Wow... I guess the smiley face meant nothing! (This message has been edited by Engineer61)

90#'s? Yikes, that's like 70% of my Scout's weight! (Maybe more...) That means I'd have to carry.....nope not goin there!

A question... How does BSA/YPT handle issues where State Law is more stringent than BSA/YPT? For example, Arizona has a pretty stringent abuse reporting statute... Arizona Revised Statutes 13-3620 "Any person who reasonably believes that a minor is or has been the victim of physical injury, abuse, child abuse, a reportable offense or neglect that appears to have been inflicted on the minor by other than accidental means or that is not explained by the available medical history as being accidental in nature shall immediately report or cause reports to be made of this information to a peace officer or to Child Protective Services in the Department of Economic Security, except if the report concerns a person who does not have care, custody or control of the minor, the report shall be made to a peace officer only." "A member of the clergy, Christian Science practitioner or priest who has received a confidential communication or a confession in that person's role as a member of the clergy, Christian Science practitioner or a priest in the course of the discipline enjoyed by the church to which the member of the clergy, Christian Science practitioner or priest belongs may withhold reporting of the communication or confession if the member of the clergy, Christian Science practitioner or priest determines that it is reasonable and necessary within the concepts of the religion. This exemption applies only to the communication or confession and not to personal observations the member of the clergy, Christian Science practitioner or priest may otherwise make of the minor." This means that anyone (not just a teacher/peace officer/medical practitioner) is required by law to report any belief of abuse to either CPS or the Police...no going through the BSA hierarchy. Does BSA adjust to local or state law? ==== Edit... added second section...copy paste error!(This message has been edited by Engineer61)

"Does his Scouting season end by personal choice or because his troop "shuts down" for the summer?" Scout leaves the state during the summer to visit his Dad. They don't do any Scouting during that time... ...it kind of amazes me too...since Dad, Uncle and G-pa are all Eagles/OA ... etc. and they do zip over the summer; while I'm not into Scouting, and I'm answering the MB questions...repairing gear... Ironic, isn't it?

What is it with organized religions choosing to "protect confession" over protecting children? We had the issues with the Catholic Church for years. Then we have the Oregon BSA case. The latest is the Brock case in Arizona, where the LDS hierarchy basically sits on their hands while a Mother (and her daughter) abuse a 14 year old boy. It drives me a little whacky.

I didn't check the tag, so I don't know what it's made from... felt like cotton to me, but I don't know if there are any synthetics in it. Since his "scouting season" ends in another month or so, no point in replacing it now. He doesn't do any Scouting over the summer...by the time he gets back in August, he'll have outgrown it... then the sewing fest begins anew.

So I had to do laundry last weekend (wife was ill) and I pull Scout's Class A shirt out of the washer and I notice a half a dozen places where the fabric is separating... all at patch edges... all patches are sewn on.... (Patch Magic having ruined other uniforms + collateral damage) Anyone?

"...but the scouts asked her to stop that a while back." Well, hopefully, that will change.

Wow...an SPL org'd the whole summer camp. That would be a hoot! ...took my wife an entire week of prep to put all the paperwork from the troop in order, then a whole weekend online getting it entered and verified.

Oak wrote... "I did once send out a note after a winter backpacking trip detailing all of the preparation that the leaders had made and what type of extras we had just-in-case (extra fuel, extra down jacket, hand warmers, extra gloves, load lightening options, extraction options, etc). " Yeah, I could see where after the fact you would have gotten the questions from some...I probably would have said, "I planned to send it out before, but I didn't get to it with all the prep I was doing ... I figured that all of you would have been thinking about these issues though."

Boot the ASM immediately. You select the replacement.

Acco said... "To me, the parent is communicating that they don't trust my judgment." Yep. Exactly. No parent, this day and age, blindly trusts another adult with there kids. I just doesn't happen. So the next question is what do you do about it? I see two possibilities... 1) You could maintain the current status quo. You do what you do the way you have been doing it, and hope that the parents come around to your way of thinking. 2) You make an effort to prove to the parent(s) (I'm almost certain that this is not the only parent in your troop with his quandary to some extent.) of your sound judgment. This could be as simple as a resume of your training, your positive and negative outdoor experiences and your criteria for canceling or cutting short a trip. Just a thought...probably not worth the paper it isn't printed on.(This message has been edited by Engineer61)