FScouter

Folks, one of the most important things we do in our lives when we procreate is to teach our offspring to emulate our ideals. Is it possible to accomplish that mission by employing proxies while we pursue our perosnal goals on the side? NO! WE, and only we, are the ones to teach our children, not the proxies we hire. Please, why hire someone else to fulfill our life mission?

What's the big deal? Most moms are going back to work shortly after their child is born, no matter the condition of the child." The big deal is that "most" moms have their priorities screwed up. "Work" is more important than your child? Only in a self-centered, selfish view of reality. Would the kid agree to that view? The best care that a child can receive it that in which the mother (AND father) can provide. No third party care comes close.

"Even though many packs (like ours) offer confidential financial assistance for any or all events, some parents find it embarassing to take such assistance." OK, so it's embarassing. What should they do: pay, take assistance, or forgo the event? This isn't rocket science.

Well, Gern, Im 10,000 percent with your point of view. The woman made a long-term commitment to an innocent baby that depends totally and completely on his mother for his care and well being. NOTHING is more important than the well being of a child. It is totally and completely selfish and irresponsible to blow off a child in favor of pursuing a political office. Those kinds of leaders we dont need. Her priorites are misplaced and that speaks to her character.

A Scout is Thrifty. If he's OK with him, great. If not, "a Scout earns his own way" and he can mow a couple of lawns and buy the latest, greatest version.

The right pocket is reserved for Scouting patches, not whatever anyone wants to put there.

"As for the CS issue - I'm not a Boy Scout, I'm a Cub Scout Adult Leader." The adult leader uniform, both for Boy Scout leaders AND Cub Scout leaders, is changed. The NEW uniform uses the new insignia. The old uniform is still perfectly good and there is no need to get a new one. If old insignia is indeed being recalled, I'd guess it would be to avoid having folks wearing the new uniform with old insignia.

Read the "12 Steps From Life to Eagle" in the advancement book. It very specifically says the project concept must be approved by the unit committee. That the the workbook doesn't have multiple lines for every committee member to sign doesn't mean that only one member's approval is needed. If the committee wants to designate one member to review the concept on behalf of the entire committee, fine. But that's a decision of the committee, not the Scout.

"I wonder what the National Councils stand is on the first point of the Scout Law" Those requirements are aimed at the un-trustworthy devious child molesters trying to worm their way in and gain unfettered access to new targets.

The old tan uniform worn by den leaders is discontinued. There's no reason to continue stocking insignia for the old uniform. The new uniform uses the green patch. The red numbers are for the blue Cub Scout uniform,which is not discontinued. "Trained" patches are not used on the blue uniform.

It's unreasonable to expect that a troop pioneering project must be inspected by a certified NCS director. Were that the case, there would be mention of it in the unit trainings or the Scoutmaster Handbook or the Pioneering MB book or the G2SS. There isn't. National Camp School is for folks that want to run a council camp program.

"I thought, THOUGHT, that being an Eagle was supposed to involve more than merely X # of merit badges and Y # of projects." Yes, Eagle is a LOT more than merit badges and a project. How do you know what the Scout IS if you roadblock him while he is a Life Scout? Giving the go-ahead to start a project is NOT granting the rank. Let him complete ALL the requirements before judging his merit. Only then are you able to tell him he did NOT meet the requirements.

What is "ready for Eagle"? A boy is not "ready" for Eagle until he has successfully completed all of the requirements for Eagle. The boy in this case is making a proposal for a project, one of several requirements to earn the Eagle rank. Is the project proposal acceptable or is it not? So the kid made a stupid, maybe terrorist threat, that has nothing to do with the quality of his project proposal. If the board of review later wants to turn him down for the Eagle rank, more power to them. But it should be done at the board of review, not three steps before!

The Golden Rule is a good principle upon which ethical choices can be made. The twelve points of the Scout Law are principles that when learned lead to ethical choices. I dont think there are any rules that are going to force one to make ethical choices. Anyone can follow a rule, and doing so forces a direction that was predetermined by the writer of the rule. A choice is made amongst a variety of alternative directions. The ethical choice leaves out the undesirable alternatives. One chooses the ethical alternatives from learned values. I see no place for rules anywhere in the process of making an ethical choice.

Well, they're certainly not based on a list of rules. Ed says "If there are no rules or guidelines, how is one to know what is ethical?" So tell us the rules that are needed to ensure ethical choices are made.

The ethical choices point arose from the suggestion in the parent topic that enforcing a policy would solve the problem of untucked shirts, to which it was suggested that there might be another approach based on our Mission. Ethical choices are not made by following a list of rules or guidelines. Teach principles, values, and morals, ethical choices follow; no rules needed.

The "M" standards you posted are written for national and council resident camps, no? If national Boy Scout resident camp standards were imposed on unit campouts, there would be no campouts. Same with district events. As long as he is adhering to the safety and engineering principles found in the Pioneering merit badge book, I wouldn't be concerned.

I would guess the computer would reject renewed membership of an 18 year old as a youth member in a troop and his name would not appear on the new membership list.

Hey, there's an idea! Put the crippled kid in front of the Piggly Wiggly with the tin cup, for to get him a wheel chair. When he gets to be an adult he'll have a lot of experience in how to get on in life.

"From his first Scouting experience up to this point hes been given the exact requirements to get to the next step. Theres always been someone from afar keeping an eye on him to provide guidance when needed through his adventure." Therein is the problem, I believe. The boy has been "trained" throughout his Scouting career that some adult will lead him by the hand and deflect all the bumpy things that might knock him off balance. He gets to the Eagle rank and the only way he can finish is for an adult to guide him this way and that past the bumps. In the the New Leader Essentials training we learn that a boy in Scouting progresses from dependence on others to independence. At what point does he get to "independence" if not at the Eagle rank? Who is going to hold his hand when he turns 18 and is out?

Yes, there's a huge disconnect between Scouting and the real world. That's why I'm involved in it. There's something disgusting about standing in front of the Piggly Wiggly with a tin cup. I want our boys to learn how to make their own way in the world. Begging for handouts just doesn't seem to do it. Letting troop adults do the begging is no better.

I always wondered why anyone would want to carry a sash on the belt. If you don't want to wear it, why not leave it at home?

A funny/threating/stupid comment has nothing to do with the merits of the project, nor does his level of maturity. Evaluate the first draft on the content of the proposal provided, not on the stupid comment. The comment/death threat is a separate issue.(This message has been edited by FScouter)

The point of contention was whether it was necessary to delete a discussion topic from the forum. I'm a little surprised there hasn't been a torrent of outrageous cries of censorship and heavy-handed moderation of free speech.

The secret to getting published in the newspaper, or the church bulletin, is to write up your story in final edited form and submit it to the editor.