AT1988

I'm sorry that they'll be banned. When I was a kid we made hobo stoves, these Pepsi can stoves seemed like they were along those same lines, but they won't soot up your pots. I'd never used an alcohol stove in my life until about a year ago when I bought a Trangia stove. I was prejudiced against them early on. Colin Fletcher bad-mouthed them in The Complete Walker--the first "adult" book I ever read. All my year I'd been using MSR or gas stoves. After using the Trangia on a few hikes, I've had to revise my opinion. It's a bit slower than my MSR, but it's a lot lighter.

Codger, I so know how you feel. It's happened to me twice in the last four months. Both times it was the mothers, not the scouts. They were afraid it might get to cold for their sons during a hiking trip (we live in Southern California). Both times I flirted with the idea of switching into a more outdoor oriented troop, but my son, disappointed as I was wouldn't go for it. "A scout is loyal," he said.

I love that child in the library metaphor. Is there anyone who has never doubted the existence of God to one extent or another? I know I'm in no position to throw stones. We are all searching, wondering. . . scouting around for the truth until the day we die.

I feel that the UK Scout Associations policy (while still automatically rejecting avowed atheist adults) is the more humane. The UK Scout Association allows its younger members to be "searching" for a faith, allowing them to question the meaning of the promise under the direction of their section leader: "To enable young people to grow into independent adults the Scout Method encourages young people to question what they have been taught. Scouts and Venture Scouts who question God's existence, their own spirituality or the structures and beliefs of any or all religions are simply searching for spiritual understanding. This notion of a search for enlightenment is compatible with belief in most of the world's faiths. It is unacceptable to refuse Membership, or question a young person's suitability to continue to participate fully in a Section, if they express doubts about the meaning of the Promise." http://www.scoutbase.org.uk/ps/fab/intro.htm From what Ive witnessed, this reasonable policy is becoming the de facto course of action for most non-Mormon troops in my area.

I wanted to revive this thread to see if, since the last post, anybody had their troop make these alcohol stoves, what specific plan you had used, and how they turned out. Thanks

I think Gold Winger's intent is noble. Is there a place for non-theists is scouting? I dear say they've quietly been here from the beginning. I like what Elizabeth I said about having ". . .no desire to make windows into men's souls." Reverence is a virtue (not to mention the final word in the scout law), but as I see it is also a two way street. As a courtesy we respect other peoples beliefs. We bow our heads or remain silent when someone prays, whether that be a Mormon, Jew, Catholic, Hindu, Muslim or what have you. We also have the right to expect that others do not try to pry open the window to our soul. Unless one of us chooses to make it public, our own spiritual beliefs are private, and any attempt to violate this privacy is a trespass of the worst kind.

I love what Wingnut said about a boy ". . .running away and joining a camping trip." This can be a real issue,especially in a large troop where scouts can become lost. Another potential problem could arise if there is a custody/visitation issue with a scout. We have a small troop of just 11 boys, and Im always watching how other troops operate, and they all seem to require permission slips. Wanting to do everything the right way I went to the trouble of printing some permission slips up ahead of time for the outing wed planneda few of the parents scoffed and didnt sign. After reading the posts here, Ive come to the conclusion that I was being the silly one by creating needless paper work.