Hal_Crawford

Let's go back to the original 1910 merit badges. Aviation MB had the Wright flier on the patch. My favorite though was INVENTING MB, only two requirements (wording may not be exact): 1. Invent something and secure a patent for it. 2. Make a model or drawing of your invention. I understand that it was dropped in 1916 as few if any scouts had earned it... wonder why? Hal

From what I have gleaned from the badgetracker website and the posts to this thread, it seems that scouts are preregistered on-line by their adult leaders which seems to take care of the approval issue. As to the question of partials. I would suggest filling out the blue card with some indication that the requirements were completed at camp... for instance, our scout camp is camp Bowman at Goshen Scout Reservation so I might either put BOW or GSR to indicate the camp and then attach the printout so that the MBC could verify the details. Since we go to a council camp I am sure that MBCs in our area would soon recognize the new way of things. At this point Goshen still uses blue cards but who knows when that might change. Hal

If you want to use prepared backpacking meals check with the trading post at Philmont. They sell via e-mail surplus trail meals. The breakfasts and lunches are easily reproduced at home but the dinners are a bargain. We used them for our shakedowns when preparing for Lenhok'sin High Adventure. LAH gets their food from Philmont so it allowed the scouts to train using the same meals they would take on the trail. If I recall dinner for two was about $6 or $7 and it included several different items so no one went hungry. The only complaint was the scouts noticed that some of the commercial items (crackers, power bars etc.- mostly in the breakfasts and lunches) were past their sell by dates. They were fine though, nothing was stale and I suspect the actual shelf life could be measured in centuries. Hal

Aquaticeagle: Well said. Hal

Our summer camps expects the scouts to bring filled out, SM signed blue cards to MB classes. I know that those from our troop do, if not the first day then the second (sometimes schedules change). At home we try to avoid scouts shopping for MB counselors. The district counselors list is password protected and not intended for distribution to scouts. Some SM's may print and give the list to the scouts but ours does not. Scouts do know some of the MB counselors within the troop but the counselors all know that scouts are supposed to have a SM signed blue card before starting work. Within our troop, counselors who do not play by the rules do not get re-registered. Only had that happen once but that guy was seriously off the reservation and the experience taught the SM and me (I was CC at the time) a lesson. As a MB counselor I will not start work with a scout who doesn't have a blue card. Biggest problem is lost Blue Cards. It probably isn't the best practice but the SM keeps the partials from camp on file and issues them to the scout if they start to work with a local counselor. Still they get lost. Council keeps records so the lost cards can be reconstructed. It would probably be easier to deal with lost cards and errors with a computerized system. Hal

Welcome to the forum. You have posed an issue that touches such a chord that I don't think anyone bothered to say hi. You have already gotten some good advice and I don't disagree with any of it. I recently heard of a similar situation in our district. A scout at his EBOR was blindsided with something he had done two years before. Our council uses the district guest method for EBORs and the BOR did not pass the scout. The District advancement committee went ballistic at the troop as they had ignored an incident for years seemingly waiting to nail him at the Eagle board. Raised questions about how the troop leadership was running to troop. I don't know what the incident was but I understand that not addressing it could have been seen as a safety issue. The whole thing raised a huge red flag about the unit. I don't know how it turned out in the end but the sense I got was it would be a slam-dunk on appeal because of the way the troop had handled it. Good luck, Hal

The way that it could make life easier for staff is IF (and this is a big IF) the staff has the resources (mainly computers in program areas) to enter completed requirements as they go. Scouts would pre-register for MB classes so their names would already be in the system. Attendance would go straight into the computer and requirements are checked off in real time. A CIT could do the data entry in each area (thereby ensuring that they learn nothing about the things taught at that area). At the end of the week, data is uploaded and printed. Our school system went to electronic grade books while my so was in high school. Prior to that the teachers were given a work day each grading period to sort out their grade books, average the grades and submit them to the main office to be entered into the report cards. Now, if the teacher has kept up through the grading period the process is reduced to a couple of mouse clicks. Of course their union contract still gives them the "work day" but teachers do work hard so I will not begrudge them that. It could work on a camp level but it would take a lot of hardware, planning and a change in work process. Maybe if each scout was tattooed with a barcode....

I think it is probably inevitable that this is the way it will be done in the future. The software website indicates that partials are documented. I suppose that the SM can use that printout to prepare a partial Blue Card for a scout going to a councilor to complete the MB at home. The part I don't get is about sorting blue cards on the last night of camp. This is definitely a problem but I am trying to visualize all the data being inputted on the one or two out of date computers found at our scout camp (Goshen Camp Bowman). I suspect that our camp is as well or better equipped as most. They barely have the capacity to handle the camp accounts. Perhaps they envision computers at all of the program areas. I am not sure that all the program areas even have electricity. I can't picture running cat5 to all the program areas. I know there are technical solutions but I wonder if they would really be practical or cost effective. Meanwhile, prepare for the flaming response of some of our traditionalists. Hal

OGE: To many in the theatre it is bad luck to quote, or even speak the name of the "Scottish play". Break a leg. Hal (Though I will admit that I have crossed that line at least once on this forum).

Sounds like the best outcome for everyone ('cept Dad from hell). You and the council maintained advancement standards and the scout decided what was important to him in scouting. The moment that he explained that to Dad was probably a huge moment of personal growth. Hope he keeps up with the camping and has a good time. You did well. Hal

Aquaticeagle: I think if you read the last line of Merlyn's post you will see that he is being sarcastic. You may find his sarcasm in bad taste but I can assure you (based on reading a lot of his posts) that Merlyn does not see atheists as second class citizens. Hal

As dark as things are I try to be optimistic. You could argue that is because I voted for Obama, that I am "one of them" but I have always tried to be optimistic no matter who was president, no matter what challenges our nation faced. It is rare that I quote Spiro T. Agnew but I am reminded of his phrase, "Nattering nabobs of negativism". Hal

Perhaps one could re-phrase Gern's point of view by suggesting that before someone can claim to be an expert they should have more experience than just reading books. I have a friend whose father knows about two places in the world, rural Arkansas where he was born, raised and lived most of his life and China, where he served during WW2. Definitely not a member of the elite but I would take what he says about China more seriously than I would something said by TheScout who has only read books. "I am not sure how else one can learn so much in such short periods of time." There is great value in reading but one could also say that it is the only way to learn so much misinformation in such short periods. I have read many books where the authors did not know what they were talking about. Reading another book could completely change the reader's point of view. On another thread TheScout deplored the actions of the president of Brazil. I asked him if he had ever been to Brazil or if he knew anything of Brazilian culture? I have. I lived there for three years as a teen ager when my father was stationed in Rio de Janeiro. I would not present myself as an expert on a country larger than the continental US and I would not presume to judge the president. But I do know something about how complex Brazilian culture is and the paradoxical relationship between Brazilians and the Catholic church. When the pope visited Brazil recently he lectured the Brasileiros on sexual ethics. The response was that they pretty much ignored him and will continue to live the way they live. Believe me, if the pope can't make Brasileiros toe the Roman Catholic line I doubt that Lulu would stand a chance. It would take overcoming hundreds of years or blended European, Indian and African cultures and religions. When I lived in Brazil it was ruled by a military dictatorship. I visited a couple of years ago and believe me under Lulu's leadership the the average Brazilian is in much better shape. TheScout, you say you will be traveling overseas soon. Please do so with an open mind. One of our worst traits as a nation is that we tend to visit other countries and tell them what is wrong with them. Oddly, others do not find this an endearing quality. Please check your opinions and attitudes with your luggage. Try not to look at things through a filter, paleo-conservative or otherwise. Depending on where you are visiting you may learn a lot very quickly and you may actually find some of your beliefs challenged. Travel is a great way to learn about the world. If you are going to be spending any length of time in a foreign country, make an effort to learn the local language. Even if it is only hello, please and thank you. Doing so will benefit you in many ways and will improve the image of America in general. Finally, OGE suggests that if travel is required to be truly educated the education is the provence of the elite. He may be right. Is being elite necessarily bad? You could also argue that a college education is required to be truly educated and that also makes education the provence of the elite as not all can afford to go to college. My question would be, what is wrong with being elite? That merely means the best. Isn't that what we want. I know many from humble backgrounds who have traveled the world either for work, military service or by saving their pennies. Does that make them elite? If so, is it bad? Would you say to a scout that he should not join OA or earn Eagle because it would make him elite? I hope not. Hal

Things aren't always done by the book. When my son joined cubs they had a CM who had been CM for about 7 or 8 years. At one of the first pack meetings we attended the CM said that there was a problem with the pack re-chartering. It seems that council had noticed that there was not pack committee. As far as the CM was concerned there committee was unnecessary; they had gotten on fine without one for years. The council had inserted some names of people that weren't associated with the pack to get the re-charter done but gave him a month to get a real committee. He said he needed at 3 volunteers but we wouldn't need do anything. I was sitting with two other Wolf dads and we looked at each other and said "we can do that". A couple years later the CM moved up to boy scouts with his youngest. I stepped up to be CM but only on the condition that there be an active troop committee. One the two other committee members became an active CC and the third became the treasurer. A year later the unit was operating a lot mote "by the book". Oh, did I mention that the former CM was also the COR? I think that now the computer systems are set up to catch things like no CC, no MCs, CM and COR the same person. By the way, the CM was a great guy and the pack ran really well even though it was a one man show. The CO loved him, the parents loved him and the cubs had a great program. The only thing I couldn't get was why anyone would want to work that hard? Hal

"I deplore the President of Brazil who has not set a good example for his Catholic nation. " Have you ever been to Brazil? Do you know anything of Brazilian culture? Have you ever seen a favela? Do you have any sense of what Brazil was like under previous governments?

"Suddenly, they all appear to have a little more maturity or swagger." Fun to watch 'em grow, ain't it? Hal

When I was in my last year of cubs (and dinosaurs walked the earth) my dad was the CC. They had a committee/parents meeting at the beginning of the year. On the blackboard my dad had written a list of jobs and he said "the door is closed and this meeting isn't over until all these jobs have names next to them". At the end of the meeting all the jobs were taken, some reluctently. 35 years later, same pack, now it is my son who is the cub. The CM announced, my youngest son is moving up to boy scouts in a month. If no one steps up to take the job they there is no troop... and that is how I ended up as CM for my son's last year in Cubs. Hopefully, parents will care enough to step up. Good luck, Hal

I seriously doubt that anyone will be required to take What is Scouting if they already have NLE. Our SM was trained before the current courses... I think the course he took was called Scoutmaster Fundamentals. At any rate, he didn't become untrained when the changed the curriculum. Hal

I support Texas Independence!

So if we had only been more conservative we would now have socialized medicine. I love it! Hal

The great depression was actually two recessions. The first one started in 1929 and by 1936 the markets were back up to where they and been before the crash (though unemployment while improved was still an issue). There was a second recession in 1937 that lasted until war production ramped up in 1940. My dad was supervising the drafting room for an Architecture/Engineering firm in Indianapolis when the 1937 crash hit. He was about 20 with some college and was making 25 cents an hour. Suddenly there was an influx of licensed architects that would have gladly taken his job for 25 cents a day. He always had tremendous respect for the owner of the firm who could have fired him and hired 8 licensed architects for the same cost, but didn't. In 1940 dad got the letter informing him that a committee of his friends and neighbors had selected him for military service. BTW: He was a scout (as were his two brothers) and a newsboy but I don't ever remember discussing his scouting experience. His Army service file says he was a Life scout. Hope our depression is shorter. Hal

We would not have won the revolution without the French. They did pretty well at Yorktown. Napoleon's army racked up a lot of victories as well. Admittedly, their record with the German's is not so hot. The BSA is definitely run by conservatives... to its discredit at times as it should be politically neutral. Not all scouts or scouters are conservative. Conservatives are in the minority in my community and in my unit. Are you suggesting that those of us that are not conservative are not welcome in scouting? Hal

Like the old man said when asked "boxers or briefs". Depends. I suspect that Daddy's first reaction will be to call his contact at council and demand to know why the h*ll you are calling him to set this up, he thought it was all arranged that golden boy would have his BORs at at the district level etc. The answer to your question depends on whether council sticks to its guns in the face of Daddy's tirade. If they do then I think the boy will show. If they cave, well that is another story. I always want to believe in the best in people so I would vote a somewhat hesitant "Yes". Good luck. Hal

"The French have a proud military tradition...." First thing that TheScout has said in days that I agree with. Gern: "This is a conservative forum". Is that a rule? Are conservatives the only people welcome on this forum? I would just like to know if I am unwelcome here.

The Viet Minh was initially (1947) a guerilla force and while scoring some victories against the French they also suffered serious defeats. In 1949 China started to supply and equip them and soon they were fighting in division formations. The Soviets also started providing support. At the battle of Dien ben Phu they outnumbered the French 5 to 1 and had heavy artillery and antiaircraft artillery. The Viet Minh suffered almost 50% casualties but the French suffered close to 100%. Guerilla wars are among the hardest to fight and they are often effective as a part of a larger conflict. The Tito's partisans held up more than ten german divisions in Yugoslavia. Well equipped and supported they can sometimes convince a larger power to give up and go home but they usually cannot achieve a military victory. That takes larger formations and firepower. Hal