Mr. Boyce

. . . so what's what with Obama? (a) did he really just not show up at the Jamboree, when he had agreed in advance to be on the program? (I have a hard time believing this) (b) does his printed signature appear on an Eagle certificate? I can appreciate that scouting includes some conservative members who would like to bash Barack, but I'd like to know the facts here.

. . . after more experience. . . I just think Slash Pocket construction style lets stuff (like money) slip out of your pants. I lost a $10 and a $20 that were wadded together in my pants. . . fell out the pockets when I was sitting.

I don't care so much about the religion stuff here, but my interest is piqued by seeing so many Asian/Oriental nations having large scouting programs. . . when one initially believes such nations might be poorer, or their peoples wouldn't be able to afford scouting. And in these countries, is the public much more certain about the value of educating youth along moral lines, and find this in scouting, as opposed to other nations that don't consider moral development an issue?

The older I get, the more I appreciate the reasons that went into old-fashioned education in Greek and Latin. . . it's so clearly a font of linguistic ideas as well as much of our vocabulary. As a linguistic ancestor, Latin doesn't seem as challenging as other languages. With its use by the Church, it's clearly a potent sign of the Church's universal character---it extends around the globe.

Just some thoughts on the subject: (1) I HATE to see parents push young Johnny to "make" Eagle. Sure, it is a practical way to get this to happen. . . but I'm not sure if it's better to have forced someone into Eagle Scout status than to have him, of his own accord and decision, pursue this goal. (2) My personal experience with this comes from being in a troop that only modestly got into group advancement efforts. This wasn't a bad way to go; not a great deal of pressure (which can seem foreign to a boy when he believes he is in a youth program in which he is supposedly in charge). The whole merit badge system appealed heavily to me; the elective system is very engaging, and a young person grows in his interests as he gets older. (3) The prestige of Eagle Scout counts for a lot in generating advancement initiative in youth. I grew up believing Eagle Scouts were exemplary, All-American boys, competent, able to do all sorts of neat things. (4) The more Eagle Scout status is pushed upon youth, the more sensitive other youth will be toward adult pushing, and perhaps this detracts from the program.

In my book, you already need a strong ego to wear one out in public! I don't wear a uniform to boost my ego, but rather to boost the organization.

I have to say, I like the material these are made out of. Seems pretty durable, but light, and not show-through at the same time.

I'm going to sew in a button to keep my shorts together. I've worn these a few times, laundered, etc. I'm a regular 34, but the damn snap keeps popping open. Is is a cheap snap?

I think in 2010 we can all recognize that many such neutral and objective organizations can have these kinds of hijinks.

The credibility of the APA on this subject is suspect. The means by which the organization came to a "decision" on this through a process similiar to the method used by gangsters holding a gun against your head. It's just unscientific. Similarly, the American Bar Association and American Medical Association both hold political views achieved by political gaming.

How and when do you include sports in your activities?

You know, you have to admit that the Girl Scouts have WAY cooler t-shirts than the Boy Scouts. Rats!

That's fine, but the Center for Disease Controls has at least a prima facie appearance of being a respectable source of information. I believe there are other ostensibly credible entities among those I ran across. You don't like NARTH. That's fine, too, although by what is being said seems that you don't like their funding sources or conclusions, rather than the scientific basis of their particular researches and conclusions. Can you see that there is a very real difference between the message and the messenger? Again, pull out the politics here. You assume I don't "agree" with you, and hence must be attacked. But this is only your assumption, and not real. I'm looking for real facts in all this swirl of partisanship. . . am I to be attacked for this?

It's easy to impugn motives (in my case, your assumptions are quite mistaken). But the more you do this, the less facts you present. Show me something real and substantive. If you have something factual that argues against these studies, please present it.

I'm trying to find facts. I'm keeping an open mind until I do so. My motive here is finding out the truths that have been established---is this a bad thing? If so, why can we not discuss the facts? We have a multi-billion dollar scientific establishment in this country, and I'm trying to locate facts about homosexuality. I can see this is an emotionally charged issue, and it's a partisan one, but even so, I want to see facts and make up my own mind based upon them.

* A 1997 New York Times article reported that a young male homosexual has about a 50% chance of getting HIV by middle age. * By 1998, 54% of all AIDS cases in America were homosexual men and 90% of these men acquired HIV through sexual activity. * One study found that the life expectancy for homosexual males is from eight to 20 years less compared to heterosexual males. * The risk of getting anal cancer soars by 4000% in those who engage in anal intercourse. Since this is such an incredibly unappealing subject, below are just a few links for further reading. Center for Disease Control The CDC warns that men who have sex with men can result in rapid, extensive transmission of sexually transmitted diseases. International Journal of Epidemiology Medical studies and other evidence indicate that individuals who engage in homosexual behavior experience dramatically higher risks of domestic violence, mental illness, substance abuse, life-threatening disease, multiple sex partners and premature death by up to 20 years. College-aged men who engage in homosexual behavior are at risk of dying up to 20 years younger than other men, according to Oxford University's International Journal of Epidemiology, which reported: "Life expectancy at age 20 years for homosexual and bisexual men is 8 to 20 years less than for all men -- nearly half of gay and bisexual men currently aged 20 years will not reach their 65th birthday." American Journal of Psychiatry Distress and Depression in Men Who Have Sex With Men: The Urban Mens Health Study CONCLUSIONS: Rates of distress and depression are high in men who have sex with men. These high rates have important public health ramifications. The predictors of distress and depression suggest prevention efforts that might be effective when aimed at men who have sex with men. Journal of the American Medical Association - General Psychiatry Same-Sex Sexual Behavior and Psychiatric Disorders Findings From the Netherlands Mental Health Survey and Incidence Study (NEMESIS) Conclusion: The findings support the assumption that people with same-sex sexual behavior are at greater risk for psychiatric disorders. Corporate Resource Council Sexual relationships between members of the same sex expose gays, lesbians, and bisexuals to extreme risks of sexually transmitted diseases, physical injuries, mental disorders and even a shortened life span. National Association for Research & Therapy of Homosexuality A few headlines/links from their Medical Issues page: American College Of Physicians Notes Syphilis Rise Among Homosexual Males Researchers Doubt Vaccine For HIV Will Ever Be Found Link: Barebacking persists despite risks - Some homosexual men decry HIV warnings as 'discriminatory' HIV Rates Rising Dramatically In Asia Among Homosexuals/Bisexuals Canadian Homosexual Group Wants Age Of Consent Lowered Link: Depression - The New STD? CDC Says Homosexual Sex Key Rise In Syphilis Nationwide Rare STD Spreads Among Homosexuals In Canada, Massachusetts CDC Issues Alert On New Disease Infecting Homosexuals And Bisexuals In Europe Homosexual Acts Defy Design of the Body, Immunological Journal Finds Homosexuality and Mental Health Problems Gender Differences Are Real Why Isn't Homosexuality Considered A Disorder On The Basis Of Its Medical Consequences? Recent Studies on Homosexuality and Mental Health Link: The Health Risks of Homosexual Sex, by internist John R. Diggs, Jr., M.D.(Note: this is a downloadable PDF file from the web site of the Corporate Resource Council) The American Journal of Public Health Highlights Risks of Homosexual Practices Risk Factors Associated with Lesbianism May Be Higher than with Homosexual Men

I agree with the guy above. The collarless shirt of olde was made of some light material that really worked well in hot, humid summers. Dried off quickly. The fact that it was collarless meant you could wear it around, without a neckerchief, and get a few breezes through it. Good in the summertime, better than current stuff.

you know, at the end of the day, I'm grateful there IS a stamp. The US Post Office statements just sounds like bafflegab. Clearly there are some organizations that stand head and shoulders above others in America. . . the Red Cross, the National Guard, the United Way, the YMCA, various service clubs. The multimillion member organizations deserve to be on stamps when their time comes, so I hope the Girl Scouts get a stamp as well. (But maybe not the Saturday Morning Birdwatchers Society of Marin County, or the South Florida Beetle Collectors Club).

I'm always at a loss when people say the neckerchief always used to be over the collar, back before ODL shirt. Everyone I knew had collarless shirts built to accomodate the neckerchief perfectly; events, etc. sold cool neckerchiefs, so I liked them. You could pick one out like you do a tie today.

. . . I was thinking post-911 security changes things, too. It's amazing how tense all those in authority have become, and it's even more exaggerated in those with the least authority. In my book, scouting gets less boy-friendly the more military it looks. Casual is good.

it's a nice design, but in a way, it's not really about the Boy Scouts of America. It just says "scouting." The person on the stamp is some guy out west, wearing a red shirt and brown pants. Could be anyone out on a hike, doing some "scouting" around. Compare this to the 50th anniversary stamp, which contains bold elements about the BSA: a Norman Rockwell picture, scout in uniform, hand making the scout sign, and the words clearly identifying the organization. Politics in the 24-7, post-911 world are so tense that the BSA is a contentious thing. There's very little "live and let live," but everyone and everything is drawn into the nasty battling. So a kind of risk-avoidance, I think, steered the art choice for the stamp.

I think the real threat of "outdoor education" is the substitution of manicured grassy lawns replacing the real woods. . . and people believing the outdoors is just like the city park. Zero roughing it.

For me, the interesting thing is the notion that scouting is being reinvented by the nonscouts. I mean by this, the new interest in "no child left indoors" and the enthusiasm this has received among teachers. Outdoor Education is a new, big thing. A lot of pedagogical interest in developing the subject . . . which is absolute nuts because the BSA is already the pro in this area. The threat, though, to scouting is that "low-impact" outdoor activities ("get them done in time for the bus home") suffice with the kids, and the deeper, more intense BSA experience loses out. Why join the BSA when the school's gone on a few 2-mile "hikes" in the local park?

I"m trying to figure out what the tiny triangular pocket at the top of the right side pocket is for. any guesses? A phone could fall out.

. . . so much for the relativism. And if you go the other direction, and favor that view, then you oppress that side of the coin, right? The people who oppose gay marriage, for instance, will be suffering should it be made operative. Western culture has been substantially influenced by Judeo-Christian belief; there's no compelling fact to show that it has been displaced. I always laugh when I see the animal examples. I just don't see these as relevant for obvious reasons.