GernBlansten

Cast a wide net, be grateful for the few that remain.

Winter campout. 10 degrees outside. Staring at the tent ceiling trying to keep warm. Then in the tent next to me "BLAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH(splat)" then his tent mate "OH MY G&*&^*&^, BLAHHHHHHHHHHHH(splat)". Mr. Blansten!!!! We need help!

Read in the news today that Gerald Ford entered the hospital for testing. I hope things are OK, but at 93, who knows. Many here know that Ford was the only President who was an Eagle scout. This prompted me to look up some other famous Eagle scouts. The list is impressive but one almost made me fall out of my chair. source: http://usscouts.org/usscouts/eagle/bsfamous.html Micheal Moore (filmmaker) Also note a large contingent of Presidential candidates: Richard Luger Micheal Dukakis Lloyd Bentsen H. Ross Perot Thomas Foley Lamar Alexander Richard A. Gephardt Sam Nunn Kinda dispels the notion that most scouts are Republicans, doesn't it?

Ed: 1st you tell someone then you invite them. But they must be eligible. So, should the 2nd class scout make sure they are eligible by asking them if they Believe in God Are heterosexual A scout should be thorough, don't you think?

Guess I better look up a UUC in my neighborhood... 1. Unitarian Universalism (100%) 2. Secular Humanism (97%) 3. Nontheist (94%) 4. Liberal Quakers (92%) 5. Mainline to Liberal Christian Protestants (88%) 6. Theravada Buddhism (82%) 7. Bah' Faith (77%) 8. Neo-Pagan (63%) 9. Taoism (62%) 10. Jainism (57%) 11. Mahayana Buddhism (54%) 12. Mainline to Conservative Christian/Protestant (54%) 13. Orthodox Quaker (54%) 14. New Age (51%) 15. Christian Science (Church of Christ, Scientist) (47%) 16. Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) (46%) 17. Jehovah's Witness (46%) 18. Seventh Day Adventist (41%) 19. Reform Judaism (38%) 20. New Thought (36%) 21. Sikhism (36%) 22. Islam (35%) 23. Orthodox Judaism (35%) 24. Hinduism (34%) 25. Scientology (27%) 26. Eastern Orthodox (24%) 27. Roman Catholic (24%)

Ed, In the case of band or sports, I don't think schools can discriminate. Everyone has equal access to those programs. Now that doesn't mean that everyone will play, only the best will get that. But everyone has a chance to try out. Those without enough talent either move on to something else or are assigned a non-performance role in the program if their heart is set on it. BSA doesn't even allow that.

Ed, I think the difference between a club that uses school facilities and a chartered Pack is that the pack is owned by the school and therefore becomes a direct extension to the school and its policies. The club is just that, a self governed/independent group owned by its membership.

I post here because I'm opinionated, curious about others opinions, and generally enjoy sifting through the different threads. I guess i've been here a little over a year and some threads have changed my mind on issues. BF(before forum) I thought the uniform was silly, outdated and para-military. AD(After debate) I no longer see it as silly but still outdated and para-military. I thought the restriction on athiests was unjustified, but now understand why it is there. I still haven't had an arguement presented that justifies to me the homosexual issue, but maybe someone can convince me down the road. On non-political/contraversial issues, I've learned lots on how to and how not to run our unit. I've learned tricks on making our meetings more fun and campouts more enjoyable. Yup, thats why I post here.

We had Klik for breakfast one morning whilst up at Northern Tiers. Klik is the canadian version of Spam although they claim it wasn't as greasy. Still left a pool of oil behind. Gotta admit, after a few days of dehydrated breakfasts, the Klik really hit the spot.

What training is mandatory? Are we just talking about SM or every single adult who signs the application? Our unit requires all adults, registered or not, who attends overnights with us to take YPT (its simple, quick and online). We also require our SMs and ASMs to go through the entire SM program. But beyond that, we encourage all adults to get as much training as they can stand but don't require it.

I've had the same discussions with our CO regarding our new trailer. Liability insurance in our state covers the trailer by the vehicle towing it. But theft of the trailer and its contents are not. That would require another policy. Since the trailer is owned by the CO, I think it is their responsibility to cover that, so far they haven't done so. However, we don't store equipment in our trailer and since we don't have a lot invested in it, are basically self insured if it disappears.

Our troop has always given the scouts the choice of getting paid during a fundraiser, or forgoing the payment in leu of service hours. Our troop takes 20% of all fundraising profits and divides the rest amounst the scouts who elected to get paid.

The city should be even handed in reviewing its leases with other discriminatory groups. If they oust the BSA, then every group should face the same ultimatum. Now, do you think there will be any blow-back from those groups against the BSA for getting everyone in this pickle?

Ed, you are correct. Kinda. In all states it is illegal to discriminate against someone for religious beliefs in employment, housing and business transactions. In some states its illegal to do the same against homosexuals. But BSA is a private org and doesn't have to follow those rules for membership. BSA could legally discriminate against blacks or muslims if it wanted to in that regard. If BSA discriminated against blacks, would it be understandable that a city mayor (especially a black one) might want to retract a lease with that organization?

Could be Ed. But it also could be used against the 1st Amendment since only those weathly enough can afford to sue to enforce it. I smell a slippery slope ahead.

I always get a little nervous when congress proposes laws that narrowly protects or denies a specific special interest or organization. When faced with analysing these laws, I often replace the object of the new law with something else, reverse the roles and see how it plays. Lets say the law was to amend all relevant federal laws to eliminate the authority of judges to award taxpayer-paid attorney fees to veterans groups, churches, the Boy Scouts , or anyone else, in lawsuits under the Separation of Church and State Clause of the First Amendment against ACLU, or any other civil liberties watchdog group. Just doesn't sound right or American does it.

I think I calculated that about 4 hours of our day was spent provisioning, cooking and cleaning when patrol cooking. Compared to maybe 1.5 hours if using a dining hall. So what can you do with the extra 2.5 hours? Work on advancement, take another merit badge, build camp gadgets. I still think the patrol cooking is valuable but this summer camp, I have to admit I questioned whether it was worth it!

I just reread the initial post and this case is not about a religious organization getting preferential leasing, its about an organization that discriminates against homosexuals getting preferential leasing. I think BSA has a pretty solid standing excluding atheists (the DRP) but has no footing excluding homosexuals. Because of this, BSA will continue to face these types of issues until it either disengages any kind of special considerations or drops the discrimination policy. Since I doubt the LDS church (which I beleive has a very strong voice in BSA) will support dropping the policy, BSA and its members shouldn't be surprised to face continued scrutiny.

I'm torn on the issue. Our troop exclusively goes patrol cooking method. The first few days of camp are frantic and stressful. We never seem to get cleaned up or get to flags ontime. No matter how much you rely on the SPL, adults still need to follow up with the patrols to get things finished up. By the end of the week, it clicks and things go much smoother. Adults can spend more time in their camp chairs. I guess it depends on what your goals are. If you want the scouts to focus on badges and advancement, do the dinning hall. If you want to build your patrols, do the patrol cooking. We leave it up to the scouts to decide, and every year they choose the patrol cooking. BTW, I've had both dining hall food and patrol food, hands down the patrol food is better.

We just returned from Quentico. Absolutely beautiful country! I never thought you could spend an entire week never seeing any sign of human development. No power boats, airplanes, cabins, just wilderness. We did 100 kilometers in 7 days with about 20 portages. Longest portage was 850 meters (can't do the math on that rod thing). Caught more fish than we could eat. We went through the Atikoken BSA base in Canada. Well run program and great guides (er interpreters) EH?. I found the portages a nice change of muscle groups. After paddling upwind for a couple hours, it was refreshing to put on a 60lbs pack and hoist a 45lbs canoe (we opted for the kevlar models) over your head and stumble along a crude root and mud laden path. We had mostly smaller scouts in our crew, under 100lbs and under 5ft tall. They all did great carrying the heavy food packs and camp gear but were really too small to handle a canoe alone. Pretty funny sight watching a giant gear pack stumble down the path with two spindly legs sticking out from under it. A couple of times they would turn turtle and need assistance getting righted again. Bugs weren't too bad, only on the portages and in camp right at sunset. Everyone had a great time, no injuries or bad attitudes.

We just returned from the Atikoken Base on the Canadian side. Quentico Park didn't have any fires (that we were aware of) and there were no travel restrictions on where we could go. There was a campfire ban throughout Onterio though. The Bisset base was closed however due to the fires. I have no information on the US side.

The GPS is coming from the tower not the phone? Well that makes the locator pretty much useless doesn't it? I mean if the tracking (I've read the publications that tell you to turn off your GPS locator so the govmint can't trace you) is only good to a known land mark (the cell tower) then how does that really help locate the victim? You already know they are relaying off that tower and were that tower is. Sorry, I'm not buying that. The govmint is tracking all my calls and following me were I go when I have my cell phone on. I know that, and black helicopters are just over the horizon ready to whisk me away to a secret underground city in the Nevada desert.

Excellent Trev. We are heading down to Philmont next July. Those of us who live in the mountians get a bit jaded on the scenery. Its good to hear you flatlanders marvel at it. Humbles us. Anywhoo. We are heading to Canada tomorrow for 10 days in the boundary waters. If I survive, I'll report back.

You better contact council to verify they have record of his badge. I just went through a lengthy process to get an out state scout transfered to our council. I'm not sure all his badges transfered either. I have very little faith in our councils computer records. If he cannot prove the badge was earned and council doesn't have it in their computer, I'd have him redo the badge.

Beave, "Can you hear me now? Good" I get great cell phone coverage at the base of my driveway. I walk 170 feet to my house, I am roaming. I walk to my back yard, no signal. I do live in the mountains and we get really weird signal bounces. (IE, I can get XM radio reception in my garage with the door open). Now, since a cell phone is a radio transmitter on a known bandwidth, couldn't search and rescue hone in on that signal and receive its GPS broadcast even without a cell tower? Of course assuming they are in range to receive it?