gwd-scouter

My older son's vigil name is translated to Happy Quiet Man. I don't remember the actual Indian name. My question is, are OA names all Lenai Lenape or are they based on the languages of tribes in your region? Just curious.

OK, a real-life example. Last spring our guys were getting ready for a backpacking trip. Older guys wanted something more challenging than was planned. At that time, we had only 10 guys in the Troop. Main objective for the trip was to work on map and compass for a couple of the newer Scouts. Four older Scouts asked if they could backpack on their own on the very challenging trail where the Troop was going for the weekend. Of course I said. Get together and plan it out. All went together to the site. Adults and younger Scouts hiked off in one direction, older guys took off on their own. Older guys met up with the group the next morning for breakfast. They loved it! Just had our planning weekend and a couple of the younger Scouts that weren't eligible to go with the older guys last spring are now asking if they can this year. Scout skills and maturity are the measure of who is ready and it's up to the guys. This example is not exactly an independent patrol activity since 1) we only have one patrol and 2) the whole troop went on the outing but separated once at the site, but it does serve as an example of what you can do with your scouts. This year the older guys want to do a couple of truly adult-less outings. Drive 'em somewhere and drop 'em off for the weekend. Another thought they had is to bicycle from our meeting place to our state park (about 16 miles). Way to go guys, it's what we've been working toward.

Watched the weather channel through most of the night - insomnia again. Huge storm! OneHour - hope you made it through OK. Gotta say though, I'm not sure I could keep my cool and post on the forum in the midst of a hurricane. Wishing the folks in Galveston, Houston and the surrounding areas all the best.

Love the last paragraph from the article packsaddle linked: Dr. Arkani-Hamed said concerning worries about the death of the Earth or universe, Neither has any merit. He pointed out that because of the dice-throwing nature of quantum physics, there was some probability of almost anything happening. There is some minuscule probability, he said, the Large Hadron Collider might make dragons that might eat us up. Now THAT'S entertainment!

It is true that we do not vote for the Vice President. But, there sure seems to be an awful lot of folks that suddenly are voting McCain because of his pick for VP. I believe he was counting on that.

patrol camping without adults is indeed allowed and, hopefully, encouraged. From the G2SS: [note sentence on patrol activities] Two-deep leadership: Two registered adult leaders, or one registered leader and a parent of a participating Scout or other adult, one of whom must be at least 21 years of age or older, are required for all trips or outings. There are a few instances, such as patrol activities, when no adult leadership is required. Coed overnight activities require male and female adult leaders, both of whom must be 21 years of age or older, and one of whom must be a registered member of the BSA. Our guys just finished their annual planning weekend and have a couple of trips designed for the older scouts to go on their own without adults. We are a very small troop (8 guys right now) so we are essentially one patrol. We do have a couple of younger scouts that help make up that one patrol, but we (and especially the older scouts) do not feel they are ready to go on the "older boys" trip. Mostly because of behavioral/maturity issues that the older guys just don't feel up to dealing with, but also because they do not yet possess the skills necessary for the trips they are planning. If your common sense is telling you that adult leadership is needed with your guys, maybe they are not yet ready to handle things on their own. Then again, it could be the usual over-protectiveness we have as parents that is so difficult to let go. Please don't take that as a criticism. Yours is not an uncommon sentiment. I don't know of any other troop in my area that encourages the guys to go out on their own.

I don't have a problem with Alaska dropping the bridge project and keeping the money for other infrastructure needs - except that earmarks are earmarks. One person's pork is another person's needed funding. I do have a problem with the way in which Palin presents dropping the bridge project since she makes no mention of keeping the money which allows us to infer that she saved taxpayers millions. McCain makes a big deal in his speeches about earmarks and making people famous for requesting them. Will he only make those people famous that propose earmark funding for projects he dislikes? I don't think I've heard Palin say anything similar in her speeches so I don't know where she stands on the issue.

"Sarah Palin supported earmarks attached to the Congressional bill that remained after the "bridge to nowhere" was canceled." Pixiewife: she did, in fact, keep the money to be used at the State's discretion for other infrastructure projects. She also was for the bridge project...before she was against it.

Hmmm, it appears there are more issues about which we didn't hear the full story: The plane on ebay: yes, she PUT the plane on ebay. In that she was correct. Of course, that statement lets us infer that she SOLD the plane on ebay - something Sen. McCain actually said at a rally yesterday. Not only did he take the story further to say she sold it, but she sold it at a profit. Well, the real story is that while she put it on ebay, it didn't sell. The State had to hire a private broker and the plane eventually sold to an Alaskan but at a loss of about half a million dollars. The bridge to nowhere: She was for it before she was against it. Gee, that sounds familiar. What she doesn't say though is that the State still received the money to be used at its discretion. Both statements have their basis in truth. Like so many skilled politicians she didn't exactly lie, just left out a few pesky details.

Some of our older guys are talking about doing a bike trek as part of the camping merit badge. This is the first time our troop would do anything like this and was wondering if any of the forum members have done such a trip. If so, do you have any tips/suggestions?

The republicans are doing quite a lot of comparing Palin to Obama. What I haven't heard yet is any comparison of Palin to Biden. Wouldn't that be a more accurate focus of comparison? I watched her speech last night. Obviously articulate and cares about her family. Also obvious that she would go negative on Obama, but I could have done without the sarcasm.

Her executive experience is being used to show she is qualified. Don't remember who, but a republican supporter was saying on the news last night that she has more executive experience than Obama and Biden put together. Of course, the fella didn't bother to mention that she also has more executive experience than McCain. Interesting how during the republican primaries some of the candidates were touting their executive experience (governors, mayors) making them more qualified to be Pres than senate experience. Then when McCain became the nominee we didn't hear about it until Palin got on board. Fred Thompson was giving a speech last night and one of the loudest applause moments was when he said that Palin can field dress a moose. Now, THAT's experience.

Was watching some of the convention last night and a delegate was interviewed because of her interesting hat. On it she had a handmade button that said "The GOP supports unwed mothers." Her explanation was that it meant the GOP is against abortion, but others could certainly infer a different meaning. Also flipping through channels last night and listening to pundits et al. it seems the media are making a big deal of the pregnancy, not the democrats. I thought it was really funny the other night when Anderson Cooper opened his show saying something along the lines of ...Palin's 17-year-old daughter is pregnant, is it any of our business? We'll talk about it with our panel, coming up next.

Asked at what point a baby gets human rights, Obama said: "whether youre looking at it from a theological perspective or a scientific perspective, answering that question with specificity...is above my pay grade." A clever way to dodge the question or, in essence, saying I don't know?

You seem to be implying we shouldn't help corporations but we should bail out farmers? Hypocrisy. Not at all. I'm not implying I'm saying - forget about bailing out corporations as well as the farmers. Haven't you heard? Americans are too fat anyway.

Guess the every man for himself approach should also apply to corporations that receive tax credits from our government (free market after all), bailouts of financial institutions (let 'em fail), do away with bankruptcy laws and reinstate debtors prisons. FEMA? Forget about it - let 'em be homeless or drown. Drought stricken farmers? Guess we could all do with eating a little less once in a while. Government funding for medical research? Do we really need cures for everything? Let them die and decrease the surplus population. Have a nice day all.

Gee, how long ago was it that Dan Quayle mocked a television character for having a child out of wedlock? My how times have changed. OK so she made a mistake. Who among us hasn't?

Maybe it means the government can't do anything if we the people don't really want them to. An example: I was watching a focus group of undecided voters yesterday on CSPAN. One of the questions was about how to fix social security. Twenty-five people in the focus group. Admittedly a small sample and not scientific in any way. Assuming that the social security system needs fixing: Question 1: Who would agree to having their taxes raised in order to protect social security? No one agreed. Question 2: Who would agree to having benefits cut in order to protect social security? No one agreed. Question 3: Who is in favor of privatizing social security and doing away with the current system? A few agreed but most felt that there had to be some kind of safety net for those folks that just wouldn't make enough money to put into a private account. But, if privatized, then no one would pay into a safety-net system so where would the money for that come from? So they all wanted social security fixed, but were unwilling to make any personal sacrifices to do so. Could it be the same reason the government (we) can't fix our health care system, energy problems, etc.?

BCWhite - welcome to the forum. I would say for the sake of the boys in your den, that you cross over your son and the other fifth grader when they are ready, but remain behind yourself for another year with the other boys. It will allow your son to have some time on his own to get to know and rely on the boys in the Troop and will be better for the fourth grade boys to continue another year with the same den leader. Then you and the other nine boys can join the Troop.

Pack is right about the original use of redneck. I grew up in Maryland just outside Washington DC and remember hearing the term redneck used in reference to folks that lived in the very rural western Maryland area. It wasn't until I moved to South Carolina that I learned the term has come to mean something much different and that the "gun-fanatic-Confederate-flag-waving" folks really do exist. Got one right down the street from me. He very proudly displays the confederate flag in his yard. On special occasions he does raise the American flag, but below the confederate. He and folks like him may call themselves republicans, but I doubt they represent the majority of the party. Or, at least, I hope they don't.

Call me cynical. If Katrina and the mismanagement of its aftermath had never happened, I doubt the republicans would be showing so much concern for the citizens of the gulf region or canceling speeches and shortening their convention. Can anyone tell me if either party has ever showed so much concern over a natural disaster BEFORE it actually happened?

This thread has been all over the place - back to Sarah Palin. I watched a focus group of undecided voters on CSPAN yesterday. The questions at the end were about Sarah Palin the whether the choice of her for VP made any impact on the undecideds. The majority who had been leaning toward voting for McCain said that choosing her caused them to change their minds. The reason given was McCain's age and her inexperience to be "a heart beat away" from the presidency. Another was McCain's apparent change of heart about his most important criteria for his pick having to be someone with experience who could step into the role of commander in chief should something happen to him. The folks that liked the pick gave the reason that she was fresh and new and would bring change to the white house - the same reason they gave for possibly voting for Obama. A couple of women in the group voiced concern over her being a mother of five children including one with Down syndrome. When it was suggested that she has managed to be a caring mother AND a governor, I had to think that being VPOTUS will be infinitely more demanding than governor of Alaska. Of course, men with families have been doing the job without anyone commenting about them neglecting their children. I also enjoy listening to the Washington Journal on CSPAN and the comments made by the callers. Since the announcement and Palin's comments at the rally where she mentioned breaking the glass ceiling with Hillary's 18 million cracks, it seems she angered those Hillary voters that said they were voting for McCain. Many of the comments were along the lines of 'how dare she compare herself to Hillary' and 'McCain picking this inexperienced woman thinking he would draw our votes is insulting'. Whether or not Palin is a good choice remains to be seen. Only two months to go to the election.

I will offer my praise in that THIS time, they seem to be doing things right.

Just heard on the news that Pres. Bush and VP Cheney will not be going to the republican convention because of hurricane Gustav. Also heard there is the possibility that the convention will be postponed or shortened to cover administrative details and the nomination of McCain and Palin.

Never said government employees' health plan was free.