GernBlansten

So vol_scouter, in your medical opinion, a ban on those scouters who cannot meet the weight standards of currently placed on high adventure should face the same fate as the homosexuals (ban from BSA membership), because their conditions are based on lifestyle and pose a risk to our youth. Is that your opinion?

vol_scouter, In your medical opinion, do overweight men have a higher incidence of heart disease, diabetes and stroke? Is the incidence of these conditions for overweight adult males greater than any incidence of homosexuality in the general male population? Since one could infer that their condition is a choice and the result of their lifestyle, that they do not represent the role model we really want for our scouts?

Sorry Ed, I must have skipped over the checkbox on sexual orientation. Did it say Gay? Straight? No-preference? Abstain?

Its a core value Ed? Where in the scout handbook is it referenced specifically?

How about a simple shunning. We haven't had a decent shunning in our unit for months. You know, everyone stands up at the campfire, we declare the offender is now shunned, then we all turn our backs to him with our arms crossed. The shun is removed when the offense is rectified, or the next full moon. Whichever comes first.

Ed, Is the BSA perfect? Are you happy with all their policies? If not, why don't you turn in your membership card?

Mafaking, Having done it with 13 year olds and 15-18, size matters. Not necesarrily age. If the youth can carry a canoe solo (i.e. are tall enough and strong enough), they are big enough to go. If not, someone else will be carrying it all the time. The food packs start out at 80 lbs. Gear packs (the lightest) are around 65lbs. If they are too small to do their share of the load, others will have to double portage. Attitude plays a big part of it too. Our sister crew had a 60lbs 13 year old who had the heart of a lion. He did great. Much better than the 100lbs 13 year olds.

Its the soccer lobby.

OGE:"It was my understanding, and only my understanding, that Wood Badge was changed because of the need to give multiple scouting positions, such as Cubmasters, Committee Chairs, Charter Organizational Representatives, scoutmasters, District Commissioners, District Committee members, etc. Organizational skills. BSA realized they could not develop an advanced training module for all these areas so they changed Wood Badge to be the management class for the BSA. " Yeah, OGE. They took all the regalia and majesty of WB but none of its substance. Replaced the meat of the program but kept all the trappings. BSA should have done it differently. If old WB was obsolete and unnecessary, let it die. This new course should have been able to stand on its own, developing its own legacy, not co-opting another program's history.

No boot malfunctions on my crew, but my old Altimas took a beating getting cut up on the sharp rocks. I think I can get another trek or two out of them though. Sounds like Sommers is more rugged than their Canadian brothers say it is. We've done Atikoken and Bissett and both bases said the Sommers base was easiest (probably Canadian pride). But your description of portages sounds a lot more like Bissett than Atikoken. I'd love to do the US side just to do all three. They don't even have the Kevlar canoes at Bissett because of the terrain. After being there, I can see why. Too many swift water exits/entrances around sharp rocks at portages. The aluminum boats we had were pretty beat up from it. We had the Kevlar jobs at Atikoken though. Good times though eh? Just got email confirmation that we got another crew for Philmont in 2010. Gern's going back! HOL-REY!

The original story and headline indicated he was a local scout leader. but subsequent stories have downplayed his current role in scouting and focused on his being a church youth leader. Seems he was active 20 years go, but wasn't an current Scouter.

How'd the boots hold up Brent? I agree, 13 is a bit young. Our trip this year, the youngest was 15, oldest 18 and it was a huge difference than 3 years ago when everyone was 13.

Nick, that is were we depart. Homosexuality is not criminal. Therefore, they should not be treated as criminals. I coin the term fundamentalist in the spirit of those who take their religious texts, not as compilation of man's understanding of God, but as the direct infallible word of God without man's interpretation. The problem with this approach, is that the text doesn't always fit the agenda, so things get twisted, left out and misrepresented. Jesus never talked of homosexuality. But it is referenced in the Old Testament, along side damnation by eating pork and shrimp or blending the threads of linen and wool. Both of which are allowed in BSA rules or at least not banned.

You know Hal, it just doesn't come up with our scouts. I don't think they really care, one way or another. As it should be. This is an adult issue. And frankly, outside the fundamentalist religious members, it isn't an issue. At least not in my experience.

There will be NO challenge option to GernBadge. Because none is necessary. The only goal for GB is to train leaders how to take their boys into the wilds using the patrol method. If you think you already know how to do it, you don't need to go. GB will not be a stepping stone to more advanced training or prestige. There will be no annual banquets or handshakes. You will get no woggle, no pin, no dangle, no patch, no necker, no beads, no bolos. You will only get experience.

Well, Nick, the way I see it is homosexuals are no more or less dangerous to our youth than heterosexuals. In fact, all the evidence I've seen show heteros as more dangerous. I also don't think its a choice, but something you just are. And as for the morality issues, most of those are denomination specific regarding homosexuality. Since BSA doesn't favor one religion over another, specific morality shouldn't be a barrier for membership. The way I see it, is it makes about as much sense to ban homosexuals as it would be to ban left handed people. And the existing ban has done great harm to the BSAs ability to enjoy access to public resources at ridiculously reduced prices.

Until BSA returns to an outdoor centric, adventure rooted program, GernBadge is nothing more than wishful thinking.

Some fruits are sweet, some are sour. Some are fancy, some are plain and don't look like fruits at all. Fruits come in all colors, sizes and shapes. I like some fruits, others, not so much. But because I don't like some fruits, doesn't mean all fruits are bad.

I think its critical that every human being be water safe if at all possible. Think of the doors that open to recreation and life when one is a swimmer. Its so natural for us too. A person who fears the water has learned it, its not something you are born with, its something that you learned either from a bad personal experience or someone else. My son (Eagle and lifeguard) and I (old, soft lifeguard and water safety instructor) are currently working with a scout in our unit who has Aspergers Syndrome. He can't swim. Yet. He absolutely fears the water. He does because his parents fear him being in the water. We are working on his 2nd Class requirement. So far, we have been able to get him to submerge by himself in shallow water, float on his belly and swim about a 20 feet. But he won't jump in over his head. Yet. He's 14 and we have time. Should he be granted a waiver for the swimming req? In my mind, absolutely not. He can do it. We just need to work at it harder than with other scouts. If we can make him a swimmer, we will have given him a greater gift than any other scout requirement could have. Without scouts, he would never have even been challenged to do it. Relax swimming requirements? Why on earth would we?

Psst, Nick. If you shake the BSA tree, a few fruits will fall out. They are already hiking amongst us. EWWWWW!

Oh sure. Now someone's gonna say hair color is a choice.

The problem with the centennial shirt for me is it looks too much like the ODR, although they did make progress on muting some of the obnoxious trim pieces like the red epaulets and unit numbers. This proposed UA uniform sure looks good in its civilian form. However, I will withhold judgement until I can see just how much bling the BSA will hang on it. If they dodad this up just like the centennial, its not an improvement. BSA needs two uniforms, field and ceremonial. Field is required but field functional, ceremonial is optional and garish.

Ed, I think it happened shortly after I chose to be right handed.

As long as you followed 2DL as laid out in the G2SS. GTK.

Ed, how old were you when you chose to be heterosexual?