Hal_Crawford

And rise in the east tomorrow.

I could be wrong but I do not believe that Buddhists worship or recognize a diety or god--they do not recognize Buddha as either. You could argue that they are athiests though scouts can earn a Buddhist religious medal.

It should be a job expectation for every Scout Executive to have an active summer camp program in the council that they manage. Failure to maintain a summer camp program means one of two things. Either the council staff is not doing its job or the concil has withered and should be merged with the closest successful council. In either case the SE becomes unemployed. That should provide some incentive to find a way to make the camps work.

OGE was always a voice of calm and reason in the wilderness. He will be missed. May the Great Master of all scouts be with us till we meet again.

The period between the 1860s and the start of World War I is referred to as the "second industrial revolution." The birth of scouting falls within that period. Further, the reasons that BP founded the Scouting movement could be traced to the changes in society brought about be the industrial revolution.

The period between the 1860s and the start of World War I is referred to as the "second industrial revolution." The birth of scouting falls within that period. Further, the reasons that BP founded the Scouting movement could be traced to the changes in society brought about be the industrial revolution.

MomtoEli: the area I live in is probably mor progressive or liberal than where you live. We had a star scout quit about ten years ago stating that he objected to the membership policy. Our membership has shrunk somewhat over the years but that probably is not because for the policy. Based on the conversations I have had I would say that more of our parents oppose the policy than support it. Many of our scouts have gay friends. Lately, people i know seem more interested I discussing the policy than the good things scouting does for youth and the community. It is sad that scouting is becoming more identified with its membership policy than its program.

I have about had it with BSA's national leadership. I am seriously considering whether I can remain a member of this organization. I have been a scouter for 15 years, pack committee, Cubmaster, troop Committee Chair and for the last 8 years I have been an assistant scoutmaster. I have been crew advisor on 5 high adventure treks. The scouts that joined when my son aged out have just aged out themselves. Most earned Eagle. I have continued in scouting for the boys but I am increasingly uncomfortable with the out of date membership policy. At work I have had to be increasingly cautious about with whom I discuss my involvement in scouting. Eagle92 said it best, we are becoming a "Cultural pariah." Some would say we already are. I guess I will hold on to May but if BSA does not change the policy I will fulfill whatever commitments I have to our troop and then leave. I am tired of explaining my continued membership to my friends, my co-workers and--most importantly--my wife.

Chief Justice Roberts is the wild card. As Chief Justice he is concerned how history will view his court more than the current politics. I suspect that he does not want to go down in history as the Roger Taney of the 21st century.

What has happened here? Everything has changed and many posts seem to have disappeared. I join Sentinel, Moose and Schiff in confusion and frustration.

Scouting Dream Act. I could support that. They would be great citizens.

Thanks Pack. Hal

So guns can't be taxed because of the 2nd amendment? Think I'll run down to Dick's and try to buy a gun without paying the sales tax. Voting is a right--can't tax it but try to vote without being registered.

I am so sorry about the multiple posts. I got time out messages after each one so I reposted. I took a chance and removed the other three. It looks like it worked this time. Packsaddle (This message has been edited by a staff member.)

Thank you Terry, for this forum and for your article in Forbes. Over the years I have gleaned many tips and insights into my role as a scouter and the scouting world outside my troop. For those I also thank the many thoughtful scouters who have contributed there experiences, opinions, solutions and tales of woe. At its best this is an outstanding campfire. Ironically, reading several years of I&P posts regarding the membership policy caused me to despair for the organization and question whether I could in good conscience remain a member. Those advocating change seemed like voices in the wilderness, at times overpowered by those who would turn scouting into a club for conservative Christians. I have at times stopped coming to the site for that reason. That the policy is about to change and that our posts on this forum might have had an impact is gratifying. YIS, Hal

> I am not sure that would be the point of view of the parents, especially when their son is older and they might want to be active leaders in a Boy Scout troop. I can remember back in the sixties and early seventies older white southerners telling me that, "the coloreds like it this way." I was even told that they liked being called "n*ggers." Guess what, they didn't. I suspect that the gay parents you mention do not like the way it is in the BSA but are choosing to live with it--for the time being--for the sake of their sons.

...The Eagle has landed.

Ultimately it will come down to a question of who are the BSA's customers? Who are they there to serve? The approach they take is that the customers are the chartered organizations. That is all well and good but I would posit that the customers are actually the scouts and their parents. You may have a thousand or ten thousand chartering organizations but if boys stop joining the scouts then what have you got?

The guy referred to as the "head" of the Connecticut Rivers council is Steven Smith and he is the SE. The other gentleman is Dustin Shaver who is the SE of the neighboring Connecticut Yankee Council.

Well said, Shortridge.

We have a Viet-namese troop in our district.

I am against these things on a number of levels. How can we claim to be teaching and practicing Leave No Trace and encouraging the use of ATVs?

No, vows of celibacy might attract the wrong type to scouting.

Like past campouts and fish we've caught, the thread will only improve in our memories. I recall it was 60 pages long. Every word a stoke of brilliance. There has never been a thread like it.

I guess I should point out that five of the seven camps at Goshen Scout Reservation are named after corporations. They are Post, a cereal company; Ross, a bicycle company; PMI, a company that operates parking lots and garages; Marriott, an international hotel chain and Bowman, the distillery that bottles Virginia Gentleman. I am not totally sure whether Marriott was funded by the corporation or the Marriott family or a combination of both. Our council service center is also named Marriott. The camps are on the banks of Lake Merriweather, named for Marjorie Merriweather Post so she got a double.