Fat Old Guy

(This message has been edited by a staff member.)

I normally don't chime in on these rants about my identity but you really should be writing for the SciFi channel. Ta!

"How about all those new Webelos parents that just spent around $100 because BSA decieded to change the Webelos uniform!!!!!!!!!" Did I miss something here? I thought that with the exception of the cap and a minor change in the neckerchief that the Webelos uniform hadn't changed since 1980. Blue uniform or khaki & green are both okay.

Hey, this is great. We can reduce Scouting to a couple weekends of video tape watching and let the boys get back to important stuff like soccer. Tape 1. This is scouting Tape 2. The camping experience Tape 3. First aid Tape 4. How to swim Tape 5. Twenty-one merit badges in two hours Tape 6. Eagle COH

"Or charging the public $30 for a tin of popcorn that they can buy for $3.99 at Wal Mart? (But the tin is "collectable"!!)" However, the Trail's End popcorn is much, much better than anything that you'll ever get at Walmart. As for the patches, if you don't want to spend the money, don't. They'll be snatched up in a heartbeat by collectors. My council spits out a new CSP and lodge flap every year. I buy the CSPs because I like them, most are about $4. The only $25 patches that I've seen come out of my council were the ones that are bullion. I haven't bought any of the $25 patches but I have seen a few on the shoulders of Scouters. Most new CSPs in my council are made in runs of 1,000. Within a week or two, they're down to less than 100. Obviously, people want the patches. As for telling people that things are a collector's item, everything is a collector's item if people collect it.

Oboy! Water as an exhaust! Now instead of smog, we'll have fog. Tuscon may become as humid as St. Louis.

"If we had pursued a Hydrogen powered economy in 1974 with the first petroleum crisis, we would be well on our way to energy independence now, 30 years later. The byproduct is water." There isn't much free hydrogen floating about, it tends to combine with other things. Until recently, about the only way to get hydrogen was to break water apart. However, now they're experimenting with algae to produce hydrogen. It's gonna take a whole bunch of pond scum to produce fuel for vehicles.

"One main purpose of the MB program is to give Scouts an exposure or introduction to hobbies, vocations, and topics" Why not just have them watch a video tape of a woodcarver and say that they've earned that merit badge?

Oh Danny Boy, You're suffering from the XX (may he rest in peace) delusions. Maybe he's inhabiting your body and mind. (This message has been edited by a staff member.)

"I think a lot of the "easier" requirements are due to the lack of exposure to firearms now a days." Most scouts have never had to save a swimmer in trouble before. Should the Lifesaving merit badge get easier. Most Scouts have never seen a canoe. Has that merit badge gotten easier (I'll have to research that one)? The same can be said for basketry, wood carving, plumbing, carpentry,etc.

OGE, You missed a third. I have better things to do with my mental energy than memorize every message on the internet posted by anyone. Many comments on this and other forums fall into the same category as casual conversation. I don't remember what I said to the fellow who parked next to me yesterday so why should I remember quips that I've made here? If such things are important to you, maybe you should get out more.

"maybe FOG is still pretending to be me " Still pretending? When did I ever pretend to be you? I don't like Guiness (sp?) and I can't do accents.

" Now, Sgt. Barry Sadler -- that's panache!! " Not exactly the role model that I'd want for my Scouts. I had known that he committed accidently suicide (according to Soldier of Fortune magazine) but I was surprised to read at barrysadler.com that he had served time for murder. Go figure.

" The money we spend on goods and services from other countries enable them to spend money here." The problem is that most of what they buy is tickets to Disney World. Quite often other countries buy our products and then get us to build a plant to make them over there. It is better when we export more than we import but I don't think that's happening now. Well, we're exporting jobs at an incredible rate. Manufacturing jobs, tech jobs. To make life even more interesting, we're importing people to work here because they'll work for cheap. In any case, we need energy and it is better if we have our own supply. Where would we be now if Sadaam had rolled into Saudi Arabia?

If the folks in your pack act as if Scouting is a big waste of time, perhaps that's what they think it is. If leaders that have volunteered don't want to do their jobs, they should be counseled and replaced if necessary. If you can't find volunteers, maybe it is time that the pack fold its tents for the last time. This whole thing is supposed to be fun. That's fun for all involved, both youth and adult. If it has stopped being fun for you and it sounds like it has then maybe it is time for you step down and step away. Packs come and packs go. It is sad and frustrating to watch an organization that you've poured your life into for a number of years. I don't have any data to back up my thoughts but it seems that Cub Scout Packs come and go much more quickly than Boy Scout Troops. It seems that a few enthusiastic parents get together and start a Pack. The pack runs well until the founders leave. Things continue on for a few more years and then nearly everyone who cares has moved on. Ask your son if he'd mind moving to a new pack. Maybe a move would be a good thing for all involved.