Fat Old Guy

I didn't see either of the spots that dsteele mentioned and I'm up at all hours. I chat with the Scouts in my car when we're on an excursion and have found that they rarely talk about what they do as Scouts with their non-Scouting friends. For example, we had a caving trip not too long ago and all said that they'd probably not bring it up.

"(we don't say disability anymore... he was hearing challenged)." I'm trusting that this was toungue-in-cheek. All management employees where I used to work have to go to "Sensitivity Awareness Training." During the class that I took, someone took great exception that we offered services for "The deaf and hard of hearing." Well, it turns out that they asked the organizations that aid "people who don't hear too good" and were told that the accepted term was "deaf and hard of hearing." When the discussion turned to the current term to be used for "handicapped," a fellow stood up and announced that terms like "differently abled" and "physically challenged" were all crap. He waved the took that replace his right hand and announced, "I'm crippled. No two ways about it."

Interestingly, I only embarass my daughter in public places. My son and his buddies accept that I will do silly or strange things at the drop of a hat.

I'm particularly interested in this "intellectual property fee" that you had to pay. More details please?

"And everyone is entitled to grumble and grouse, the question is, what do you do about ? What do I do about everyone grumbling and grousing?

OGE, "As a Roman Catholic I enjoyed two pefectly lovely out door masses during my two weekends of Wood Badge and several other outdoor liturgies during AO, Disrict and Council events." Is that where you attend mass on a regular basis? Bob White said in what he thought was a witty manner, "12-hours later and that is the best come back you have?" This may be a surprise to you but some of us don't monitor this forum 24/7, we have other things going on in our lives and some of these things have nothing to do with Scouting.

I'm not in favor of detailed criteria for awards because then it becomes a ticket punching exercise and one guy will get the award and other wil then say, "Hey, I did the same thing. Why didn't I get the award." What if you have a Scoutmaster who in one year rescues a dying troop, goes to basic training and Wood Badge, and takes an early retirement so he can dedicate his time to Scouting? Doesn't he deserve recognition? Write some general guidelines, "Promotes the 8 methods, etc." and have the nominations include statements of why the person should be the "of the year." Let a committee decide, either through concensus or through a secret ballot.

"they camp Friday and Saturday" As I said, that makes for short campouts. "But every Scout promises to perform their Duty to God and to be reverent." Fortunately, my God doesn't require me to sit inside of a stuffy building to be "reverent." In fact, the last time that we talked about the issue, he was of the opinion that he's much happier if we're outside marveling at his creation instead of sitting inside of a building singing off-key and listening to someone rant about sin.

Bob, you whine whereas I grumble and grouse. There's a big difference. Whining is usually accompanied by a pout and a stomping of a foot.

We have a Scout who is a high school sophomore who lies to his friends about what he does on troop meeting nights rather than tell them that he's a Boy Scout. So much for trustworthy. Many of our Scouts and our adults shed their uniform shirts as soon as they can after a function ends. As for the geekiness of the law, one of our Scouts brought that up at a campfire discussion. I asked, "what's so bad about it?" He responded that it was pretty lame being expected to be honest and helpful and "stuff like that." I asked if he like be lied to and if he appreciated it when someone gave him a hand when he was having a problem.

" They do not camp on Sunday " Must make for very short campouts.

Very irrational. Part of the charm of the B&G is the stuff that the boys make for decorations. Being who I am, I'd tell the B&G chair to go ahead and have the boys make the decorations. Let's see if the CM quits. You might be better off without him. With his attitude, I can only imagine what he does when one of his kids gives him a homemade father's day card.

I never spent any time in a naval hospital so I don't know what the process is and never gave it much thought. Does seem a shame that there isn't money from congress to buy dice and cards for injured troops when they manage to find enough money to waste on other things. A few years ago, I was cleaning out junk in my father's house and found about 20 years of Nat. Geo, Smithsonian and other magazines that are timeless. First, I tried to give them to the local library. They didn't want them. Next, I went to the schools. They didn't want anything that they didn't pay for (why are they always asking for money?). Finally I headed to the hospital where I was told that they would accept new subscriptions as donations but they didn't believe that anyone would want to look at an old copy of Nat. Geo..

"The Boy Scouts of America are trying to get as many boys as possible involved. Church shouldnt matter." If the Church shouldn't matter, why do anything different for one church?

dan asked, "It just has to be all about you doesn't it." FOG replies, "Huh?" dan commented, "That was a good one though, I saw the smiley face on the i empower myself joke." FOG responds, "Smiley face?" Bob White whines, "The BSA has designed a modified program for the LDS Church, and if you are a leader in an LDS unit then that is the way you should deliver the program." In other words, money talks.

"Do you understand the term "clout"? It should be obvious why LDS has it. Look at membership which equates with $$. Who butters your bread?" It's all about money . . . FOS . . . Popcorn . . . membership . . . etc. etc. etc. As for the minor modifications that Bob White speaks of, by his own standards, they aren't doing Scouting or maybe it should be renamed "Mormon Scouting." Bob preaches that everyone needs to do everything by the same book so that the game is fair across the board but yet he supports special rules for one group.

"I didn't find the question offensive at all. In fact, it came to mind when I first read the post. I didn't ask, however, because I assumed that it wasn't really a special consideration." The Mormons seem to get special considerations that the professionals don't really like to talk about. In my district and maybe the entire council, the LDS units are counted separately, there's Troops and then there's LDS Troops. It was brought up on this board that the LDS Cub Scout units use different age limits than the rest of the world. Why? Don't know but by Bob White's standards they must not be doing Cub Scouting because if you don't follow the program, you aren't doing Scouting. Do I dislike the Mormons? No more or less than I like or dislike any other church. However, I've never liked special groups that get special privileges just as I don't like it when a group has privileges or benefits denied to them.

dan opines, "He is being empowered by these other posters." FOG explains, "Nope, I am empowered by myself."

dsteele whined, " I tire of FOG's negativity." FOG replies, "TFB."

This is a nice idea but isn't it a bit pathetic that the DoD cannot provide snacks, games and stationery for wounded soldiers.

"Boy Scouts seemed to be made up of geeks and losers." The really humorous thing is that the world is now run by the geeks and losers of yesterday.

I suppose that the Pope should be outraged when a Jew plays a priest on stage or screen. How about when an Irishman portrays a Scot? Who should be outraged, the Scots or the Irish.

"Ask your self why the police van is called a patty wagon?" Actually, it is a "PADDY wagon" and the day is "St. PADDY's Day."

I'm not involved in the new unit process, I just read about the results so I really don't know what they do. However, off the top of the head you might want to ask someone from a church with a Crew to call this guy and tell him about the program. I'd be willing to bet that the youth minister WOULD allow it to make more work for him because he WOULDN'T be willing to let the youth run it.

"Nice try FOG" Once again, Bob White shows that the Courteous part of the Scout Law doesn't apply to him. "What my Scout Law includes is A Scout is Brave" Would anyone who thinks that Bob White's snideness shows bravery please raise their hand. Hmmmmmmmm . . . not a hand to be seen.