GernBlansten

Not sure what you mean here? Are you talking about running your own high adventures or going to an established camp? If you are trying your own, then you need expertise. But if using an established operation, just meet the requirements and have fun. Now if you are just talking about some programs for the older scouts, I'd keep with the commercial operations. Climbing, caving, whitewater, etc. all have professional guides who can take the scouts and adults safely and withing G2SS guidelines. We sent three crews down to Sea Base last year. None of the adults had any sailing experience. Just passed the required swim tests and safety afloat. All came back with great reviews. I have my captains license on sailboats and have spent 25 years sailing. I have no desire to go to Sea Base since our family does a trip every year on our own and I'd rather use my high adventure coupons for other trips. But the lack of experience from the other adults certainly didn't stop them. This summer, we went to Canoe Base. I've done lots of camping and backpacking but never trekking in canoes. Found the experience wonderful. Nobody in our troop was an accomplished canoeist. By the end of the trip, my J stroke was nearly perfected! I certainly wouldn't steer anyone away from the trip because they aren't experts in canoes. Just my two cents.

Can I call my new youth organization the Impalas? Probably. Can I call my new hybrid auto an Impala? Probably not. Can I call my new hybrid auto a Scout? Probably. Can I call my new youth organization Scouts? Probably not. How about Boy? Or America? Why is Scout the only word of interest here? Boy Impalas of America wouldn't get a second glance by the lawyers. But Androgynous Scouts of Europa will get a lawsuit. Go figure. That's why I never became a lawyer.

I'm still angry about the rejection of the Duct Tape MB.

Check the yellow pages for plastics suppliers. When doing boat repairs, I found one locally that had all the composites stuff (carbon fiber, fiberglass, epoxy, ...). Specialized in helping small fabricators for specialty shops and hobbyists. Real helpful guys. I'm sure they might know something about the merit badge.

We have a 17 year old Eagle who is pushing 110 badges. He earned 78 before he got his Eagle two years ago. Now has all the Eagle Palms. I doubt he'll get all the badges before he's 18. He just enjoyed the process. Liked to learn new stuff. He also did every summer camp until 16 and every merit badge college offered by council.

There is a difference between not being taught the skill and retention. The case of the scout with the Pioneering MB not being able to do a timber hitch is troubling but not unexpected. I have taught scouts obscure knots like the timber hitch and watched them demonstrate it to me, thus completing the requirement. Then at the next camp out, they could not repeat the task. They did not store it in long term memory. Being a sailor for 25 years and a climber for 40, I can tie a bowline, one handed, in a driving rain, with both eyes closed and someone yelling at me. Its a universal knot for boating and climbing. However, I have to review the book every time I need to tie a taut line hitch. I rarely use the knot and never relegated it to long term memory.

Well, there is always the rapture isn't there?

Our troop traveled out of council to a camp this summer. My son took E-sci. He returned with only one requirement needing to be completed, #4, make a eco-system in a bottle. Went to the website and that requirement has been deleted in the new 2006 requirements. So the camp taught the badge on expired requirements. We told our son to find a local E-sci MBC and go over the new requirements and see what transfered and what he needed to finish.

One of the reasons we pay the adult fees for summer camp is that these folk give up a weeks paid vacation to "attend" to our scouts. We are grateful they offer this time off. Small price to pay for the service. Sure these guys and gals enjoy their week, but not as much as they might on their own vacation. Of course we would never turn down an adult who insisted on paying their own way. Summer camp is a big commitment for an adult.

At NT, we had the human sump. Each meal someone was designated the sump. At the end of the meal, the pot was awashed in water, heated then the human sump processed it. We had very little trash at the end of the trek. And the designated human sump made sure everyone finished the meal. Made KP duty a cinch too.

One note on the JetBoil. Went backpacking last weekend with another JetBoil owner. Both of us had issues with the igniter. It wouldn't spark most of the time. I just thought it was my unit, but the other one also did it. Upon returning, I checked the JetBoil website and they acknowledge the issue and recommend always bringing a lighter or matches as a backup. Not a big problem, but rather annoying. Still boils water faster than you can use it.

Our troop pays for the registration fees for any adult who attends summer camp. THey also pay for the training of any adult. This comes out of the troop general fund. Monthly campouts are not covered. In fact, we don't recover fuel costs, but maybe we should. I've had scouts offer to pitch in for gas, but we never required it. Dodgezilla is thirsty. Normally, if I attend an event an drive, I pay my own way plus much more. Perhaps thats why I don't contribute to FOS as much as some think I should.

Scoutmaster Ron, Is your unit an LDS unit? Women on camp outs! Oh the humanity! We faced this dilemma. We sent four crews to Northern Tiers. Each crew had a woman (mom) on it. Not a problem for 3 of the crews as their husbands were there to keep them in line. But on the fourth crew, Whoa Nelly! She is a widow. No man to keep her under control. So they decided it was a leadership opportunity for her 14 year old son. He was required to tent with her and keep her under control. He succeeded. It turned out to be a great trip for them.

I recently wrote my congressman that with his vote against stem cell research, can I expect him to also take a stand against IVF? I informed him that if he didn't take a stand against IVF he was being inconsistent and a hypocrite and as a registered Republican in his district, I would do everything in my power to make sure he was not re-elected. The form letter I got in return made me go get his opponents lawn sign which I proudly placed in my yard.

Gern got em! Huzzah! These ain't your fancy, COH only, Tuesday-go-to-meeting pants. These are real action figure stuff! I might actually be in full uniform at the next camp out! Heck, I would have worn them while at Northern Tiers. And no Daisy Dukes either. The shorts come down to about an inch above my knee cap. I normally wear a 36x32 pant. I had to bump up to a (large) 36-38 waist and go down to a 30 inseam before I was satisfied with the fit. Still kinda baggy but the integrated belt helps that. Probably because I'm at the bottom end of the large size too. No worries, I like my pants baggy just like Ricky Ricardo. These are nicer and cheaper than my REI supplex convertibles I took to NT. Got the home scout a pair too. Now comes the real controversy. Can I wear these on non-Scout outings? Can I wear them without my class A (oops, field) shirt? Can I wear them to work? Never thought you'd hear that about a dress (oops, field) uniform did ya? BTW, they were flying off the rack. The clerks were saying they are having a hard time keeping them in stock.

Me too. Its the new google ads. Fills up the history stack so the back button doesn't work. Something ain't configured right.

Thank you for the response Brent. However you have not convinced me that your reservations to stem cell research are fiscally based and not religion based. That's why I framed the issue around IVF. The moral issue is directly related to IVF and I think its hypocritical to be against the research and for IVF. Consistency is important to me. How much budget? Not sure. However, I would like our government to quit basing its research money on moral grounds. I trust the researchers to self govern the medial ethics involved. Cancer? AIDS? Restless leg syndrome? How much? Well, I think if there is research that shows promise and will impact millions of lives, its the peoples (government's) responsibility to pursue it, preferable in joint partnership with commercial interests. As a fiscal conservative myself, I know that sometimes one has to invest to reap rewards in the future. If this research harvests cures (not just treatments) to diseases that cost the American public trillions to treat today, it is a worthwhile endeavor. The potential payback is higher than any other medical research today. Now compare that to our expenditures on the space program or nation building. The payback from those programs is much more tentative and much more expensive. Think about the progress we could make if we took just one months cost of running the Iraq war and reassigned it to medical research or preventative care. You see, SRBeav and my son (along with millions of others) face a killer daily in our family lives. It isn't a perceived threat, its living in our house. We battle the monster every minute. Its a bio terrorist living within our family's bodies. Our households are on red alert, not orange or yellow. I guess I'm just trying to say that international terrorism (America's #1 priority) is a bit further down our threat list than most healthy Americans. Watching billions of dollars being sent to that far away land while simultaneously restricting a promising cure here at home rubs us the wrong way.

Your right Brent, Clinton was the worst president in recent history and your knowledge of him far exceed mine. Please answer my other questions.

Nice try Brent. Stem cells have been around since Adam had em. The research we are talking about has only show the promise of curing horrendous disease since the 21st Century. Most of that is due to the mapping of DNA and the human genome. Cloning is a spinoff of this technology. Although cloning has been the topic of many sci-fi novels, it really only has been probable in the past few years. BTW, Clinton is my least favorite president of modern times. He lied to the nation. If at the end of his term he banned this research, then I'm sure God has a special place (down under) for him when he's called home. You still didn't answer my question on in vitro fertilization clinics. If there is no viable/practical use of the millions of embryos created annually and most are destined to the lab sink, shouldn't the outrage be at these clinics and not stem cell research? Followup question...if a foriegn nation develops a cure for Parkinsons using embryonic stem cells, if your family suffered from Parkinsons, would you reject the cure for moral reasons?

GWB is the first president to fund limited stem cell research. That's because stem cell research started after he became president. Clinton, Reagan and Washington didn't have the chance. Now for everyone who against stem cell research for religious principles...please be consistent and denounce all in vitro fertilization because it is impractical to implant all the fertilized eggs. The majority are flushed down the drain. OH! The humanity!

If not does anybody have any good suggestions on how to shorten the legs? Uhhh, how about zipping off the leggings?

Don't get me started Packsaddle. As a family afflicted with type 1 diabetes, this issue hits real close to home. Why is "HOPE" a four letter word with this administration?

I can only hope that someday, we will have the means to prove that due to a chemical imbalance or defective gene, homosexuality will be declared a condition not a choice. Until then, those mean spirited individuals who want to demonize these people will continue. There is no discussion with these people, their minds are set. I had thought that we as a society had moved beyond the view that homosexuality as equal to a criminal offense. So sad.

Those of you who have caught an episode of "Reno 911" will understand why our troop adopted the strict "No Daisy Dukes" rule.

we do signup sheets. Posted on the troop board the weeks preceeding the event. One week before the event, the sheet is used by patrols to plan for provisions and rides. The adult coordinator gets the tour permit and verifies with the patrol leaders and the SPL that everything is a go. If a scout signs up but doesn't show, his account is charged with any expenses as though he attended.