GernBlansten

I'm all for a national language. But why make it England's language? Can't we have our own? Lets call it American and be done with it. If I was the decider, that's what I'd decide.

Excellent Ideas Mr. Mal. I'll propose it to the PLC. Considering the speed at which they get things done, my son will be the proud scoutmaster installing it.

I would support singing the NA in spanish in regions that used to be Mexico, just as long as they don't do the Rosanne Barr crotch grab after it. Actually, I haven't heard the spanish rendition. I'm sure its as difficult to sing in spanish as it is in American.

Well, in the words of the worlds most famous drug addict, "See, I told you so". BSA discrimination policies have raised the ire of the normally mild mannered librarian lobby. What's next? "4 out of 5 dentists....."

Short a tent? You betcha. Last fall about 2AM I heard an awful sound coming from one our scout's tent. First some moaning, then the unmistakable sound of a personal bio spill. By the time I got out of my bag, all three scouts where outside their tent contributing to the mess. Seems the excess of Koolaid didn't sit well with one of them and the other two were sympathetic pukers. Needless to say, we rescued what we could from the tent and set them up in my tent. I then went back to my truck and retrieved an old bivvy bag and made the best out of the rest of the evening. I always carry an extra tent in the truck now just for that situation. Extra bags too.

Well, you all did it. I was at the scout shop and bought a wall chart. Around $5. I'm taking it to the next PLC and recommending the scribe start filling it out. The official record will still be in TroopMaster and compiled by an adult (there's no way to pry her hands from that laptop). I like the locked glass display but that is way over budget for our group, we like spending money on silly stuff like camping gear. I think an alternative is to buy some small colored sticky dots from the office supply and use them to signify completion. Sure someone could go buy some themselves but it would be more trouble than just Xing out the box with a pen. The scribe would keep the dots under his control.

Tenting with their patrol is very important to the social development of the boys. When I see a scout wanting to tent with his dad, I see a boy who isn't being integrated into the patrol and viewed as an outcast by his peers. These situations are learning experiences both for the outcast boy and the other scouts who need to learn to deal with it. Anyways, I see plenty of my son at campouts that I don't need that one on one time after lights out. He appreciates the break from me too. Ok I DON'T SNORE THAT LOUD!

Our troop discourages it. That being said, my son's first year with the troop, I tented with him on the first few campouts. He's Type 1 diabetic and I was concerned he might have problems during the night. I would wake up every few hours and check his blood sugar. That would have been impossible if he tented with his patrol. After a few campouts, he requested to tent with his buddies and I reluctantly agreed. He just surpassed 50 nights camping without me in the tent. I still don't sleep through the night. Unless there is a medical reason, I would discourage dad/son tenting.

Ah, the BB gun wars of my youth. We'd wear thick Levi jackets to dampen the pain and strict safety regulations like no more than 10 pumps per shot. Near the 4th of July, we would stockpile exploding bottle rockets. In a pipe, they could be used like a bazooka. A well placed roman candle was an effective perimeter defense. No 22s though. That's just crazy!

I think if it's on the troop calendar, its a troop event. If it is just a bunch of scouts going paintballing, then it is just that. Same goes of adults. I think it would be inappropriate for the committee to hold meetings a the local pub, but if those same committee members met there for a brew after work on Friday, I see nothing wrong with that.

Maybe y'all could fit in a little pallet surfing too! Oh, just kidding. Couldn't resist.

I doubt anyone questions this scouts story do they? Make him go see each of the ASMs and ask them if they would be comfortable signing some of the requirements. If he finds himself with one or two not signed, then work it with him. I do like the idea of having the troop scribe do all the data entry though.

Morally wrong to question our foriegn policy? Wow. I suppose when you get on a bus, its wrong to talk to the driver. The driver takes a wrong turn and ignores the bridge out sign. But when the driver is heading over the cliff, you should just keep your trap shut and go for the ride.

I would think if this scout has done all his requirements in your troop, the leader(s) who signed off the requirements the first time would be happy to sign them off again. Just make it somewhat painful for him by making him grovel before each one.

YH, Perhaps I didn't articulate my position to your satisfaction. My point is I expect that our soldiers are trained to carry out their mission independent of public opinion. I expect every soldier to follow his orders without regard to polls or internet forum postings. That's the way it should be. I hope they are thick skinned enough to do things we may not agree with. If they are not, then I think they are in the wrong profession. Now their supreme commander should consider public opinion lest we become a dictatorship. My criticism is on the policy, not the execution of the policy.

Who are we fighting in Iraq? Well the easy answer is Iraqies. The more complex answer is our own foriegn policy. We invaded a sovern nation that we now know had no ability to strike against us. We then disbanded the Iraqi Army and told them to keep their weapons. Now we are in charge of security and rebuilding that army. In the process of the invasion, we destroyed the infrastructure. Now we are in charge of rebuilding that infrastructure. The regular Iraqi citizen has seen services decline, security decline and his prospects for a bright future decline. He has picked up arms against the invader. Meanwhile, a civil war is brewing because we underestimated the animous between the religous sects. "We have met the enemy and he is us"

Ok, Let me address YH first. The argument that dissent emboldens the enemy is just silly. The enemy hates us because we invaded their country. I doubt seriously that they care one iota about what Americans back home think about the war. Even if it did, don't you think their leaders would be filling them with propoganda no matter what we did here? As for our soldiers feelings about it? Well thats part of the job. I expect them to fight just as hard no matter what the public opinion is. That's part of being a soldier. I support our troops, I think they are the best trained and equipped fighting force in the world. I send them care packages and pay my taxes. But supporting our troops and supporting our foreign policy are two different issues. Dissent now, might keep us from wasting them in Iran tomorrow. Blindly following their commander in chief will surely embolden him to do this again and again. Brent, Boy you sure know how to read me mind don't you? You took my comment about Bush bowing to the Saudi's and made it something I didn't even think about. Do you have one of those Johnny Carson Carnac turbans too? Tell me this Brent, if 15 of the 19 hijackers were Saudis, why would we care to appease the Saudis after 911? Seems like a weak response. Good neighbors don't support a terrorist attack. I never said we deserved to be attacked (you must have your Carnac turban too tight). I said that's why we were attacked. Do you disagree? Now to your question. Why are we in Iraq? I think it is because an influential group of neo-conservatives think that establishing an permanent American presence in the center of the middle east will stabilize our supply of oil. I don't think they care at all about democracy, freedom, Saddam, WMD, or terrorists. They used 9-11 as an excuse to execute this policy. Their intentions are to ensure a ready supply of a strategic resource (oil), and if their friends make a little money while doing it, all the better. But now reality is setting in. The region is destabilized, oil is all but shut off, the US is hemorrhaging borrowed money into the quagmire. The plan might have looked good on paper, but in practice it is a failed policy. And now you call me a Hate America First-er. Go figure.

YellowHammer, I can't disagree with you more. I think it is a disservice to those who put their lives on the line not to call to attention the failures of our policies, especially when decided on faulty or misleading information. What you are advocating is a dictatorship. Blindly following a bad foriegn policy is not patriotic, its nationalistic.

Brent, I'm glad to see you recognize the primary reason Osama attacked us, military bases in Saudi Arabia. We quietly closed those bases after the attack. So I guess Bush capitulated to Osama after the attack. Since 15 of the 19 terrorists were Saudis, I would have supported not only keeping those bases open, but stamping out a few more just to stick it in their faces. We would have brought the fight to them. Instead, we invaded a nation that had nothing to do with the attack. What amazes me is that in a recent poll, 80% of the military forces deployed in Iraq believe they are there to retaliate for the attacks on 9-11.

Brent, I can't share your enthusiasm for the invasion of Iraq with you. I have a stark reminder everyday when I go to my office. I have to pass a very sad reminder of the costs of war. My co-worker, a lady who shares the cubical just three down from me, lost her 20 year old Marine son in the Anbar province during the battle of Fallujah in Dec 2004. He was shot in the head 5 times while on patrol. He had served in the initial invasion of Baghdad with the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force just 1 month out of basic training. It was his 2nd tour of Iraq. I had the honor of attending his funeral at the Ft. Logan National Cemetary with full Marine honors. In her cubical, is a shrine for him. The effect of this has been to say the least, dramatic on her family and even myself even though I never met him. If you remember, the battle for Fallujah was retaliation for 3 American contractors who were kidnapped, killed and dismembered on that bridge. An ugly scene to be sure. The net result of that battle was the destruction of that entire town. So if you ask me was this elective war worthwhile, I just can't say it was. I just don't think this fallen Marine was protecting our freedoms from a mad man who was capable of attacking our nation. I think it was a needless waste of human life.

Good advice Eamonn, Trev's son needs to learn to deal with typical camp menus and how to adapt to them. The camp should not have to adapt to him. No matter what they serve him, he should be able to break it down into what it will do to his blood sugars. Carb counting is an art form and especially if he's a pumper, should be able to enjoy all the same cooking as his patrol, including deserts. Typical dinner conversation at my house is how many carbs are in each item and how that relates to the dose of insulin. At camp, I just sit in my chair and ask him how many carbs and what he is gonna do. Frequently, he's busy with something else and gets irritated. Oh well. Modern type 1 diabetic therapy has allowed these folk to really live a normal, however precarious life.

Trev, I've seriously thought of taking my son down to the tattoo parlor and having it put on his left wrist. Since there is little hope of a cure, he would always have the alert at least and be one of the first kids in his class to get some color. My concern with a non-traditional alert, is that emergency response teams may not recognize it. That concerns me with the rubber wrist band to, but something is better than nothing. Just make sure he wears it on his left wrist.

Aardvark, Your condition shouldn't be as much of a risk as a Type 1 diabetic. The risk of hypoglycimia is mininimal for a type 2 and hyperglycimia won't kill you in the sort term. One thing my son's condition has done for my entire family is made us all eat right. No weight issues here. No deserts or empty calories either. When you study diets and biological chemistry like a concerned parent will do, you really start understanding how important a balanced diet is.

Last year, both my son and I were elected to the Order. I had several conversations with the Lodge before the Ordeal and they assured me they would be able to handle my son. I didn't want to do the Ordeal with him as I wanted it to be about him and not "us". But scheduling didn't permit that and we ended up together. I had prepared him as best I could to be self managed and deal with whatever he was faced. I told him to eat everything he was given, even if he didn't like it. The only deviation we made was he took 6 juice bags in his backpack and used all of them during the ordeal. He dialed his insulin pump way down and let his blood sugars go higher than normal. I kept my eye on him the entire day just in case. We did the entire ordeal just as every other scout did. I was very proud of him.

Hey, this thread got me searching for a new medic alert band for my son. I found this on Ebay, something he actually might wear. http://cgi.ebay.com/Cool-Diabetic-Diabetes-Medical-Alert-Wristband-Bracelet_W0QQitemZ8924686272QQcategoryZ110374QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem