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Shortridge, We call everything a coke too, unless it's an RC. (I grew up in VA) "Honey, will you get some cokes out of the basement?" "What kind of coke?" "Sprite and some of those Diet Dr. Pepper's." Works for us.

We heard this today on German radio and simply assumed that we mistranslated it. Maybe someday he'll really deserve it, but not today.

I wonder who caused that rule to be promulgated?

Scouting Mom, It is very difficult, and indeed very dicey, to compare BSA programs with GSUSA. The two organizations are completely different. In fact, comparing the two only makes for painful headaches. Journeys isn't much like CS helps. For one thing, it's less helpful and not as much fun. It is a progressive, award based program whole unto itself. BSA has a very structured program that is pretty much the same no matter where you go. Implementation will differ, but the core activities don't too much. In GSUSA, every troop, no matter how big or small, is whole and unto itself. As long as you don't mess up the money or commit a crime, what your troop does is up to the members and their leaders. As I wrote earlier, you don't have to do anything. The Service Unit is more akin to the District. It is a way for the council to disseminate information down and manage the business end of GS. Just like with BS, GS troops attend SU and council functions as they wish. I'm sorry that your efforts to volunteer have been ignored. It can be frustrating. If you have a special skill to share, that will help to break the ice. Your initial hedge may have unfairly been used to categorize you.

Polanski, quite simply, has neither honor nor courage. He also does not have faith. He is utterly self-centered and amoral. He is the complete opposite of a decent human being no matter how tragic his life, good a father, devoted a husband, or creative an artist.

There is no required program at any level of GS. You can do the petals, Journeys, badges, Interest Projects, etc. or not. HOwever, some awards require that you do other parts of the various program offerings. You can devote your entire year to doing no more than watching Project Runway and funding a trip to fashion week. Is it going to look good? ( I assume you will.) Probably not something that facetious, but there are sufficient textile arts, business, and travel interest projects to actually support girls wanting to learn more in depth about the fashion industry. The petals are a traditional part of Daisies. They help learn the 10 points of the Girl Scout Law and how the concepts apply in life. They can be really fun. The Journeys were written in response to complaints from leaders especially in the younger levels that they were left adrift with no program. Also, GSUSA brought out the Leadership Guide with tons of metrics to measure just what the girls were learning, experiencing, trying to codify a "common experience," etc. It seems mostly focused on justifying grant writing. The first set is "It's your World: Change it." With a name like that absolutely no one was going to find it controversial, hmmm? At the Daisy level the Flower Friends, one per point of the law, are introduced along with not only suggested activities and meeting plans, but scripts as well. Many of these activities were too young for today's K-1 girls, at least in my troop. There is a story book of 56 nearly interminable, boring, preachy, yakity pages that goes along with it. In my daughter's troop, we ditched the book and focused on the theme for each meeting, doing our own stuff. The second Journey is environmental/ecology with an emphasis on math and science. I haven't looked over this year's in depth yet, but I do know that the FLower Freinds take a trip across America and look at environmental issues along the way. One reason why last year's Journey was not as well received had to do with the terrible roll out, lack of useful training or even explanation, zero cross referencing with existing materials, and that some really wacked out people wrote it. It was too touchy feely for a lot of people, too vague, and too New Age. The Leader edition with a girl's book is available for $15 at your local GS shop or on-line at the national shop. If your daughter's leaders don't want to do it, but you do, let them know you will pursue it on your own.

When we lived in Monterey, we had nine weeks on, two weeks off with eight weeks at summer. That worked well for us. If we lengthen the school year, how many are going to want to pay the extra taxes to add 10-20% to your local ed budget just to keep the kids trapped inside forty more days a year.

If it were up to me, I would request the arrest and court documents on the case and make my decision after reading them and having some substantial discussions with the prospective volunteer and his references.

Ich sprect, ein bisschien. Many girls these days do not want the overly touchy feely stuff. If you want to, a nicely worded letter to your local GS council about why you aren't attracted to the GS program but to Venture might help them to better serve all the girls in your area. Good luck.

What does it say to do should you drop your pack overboard? Have you tried contacting the manufacturer or looking up how to clean the fabric from which it was made? Unless you've got nasty sticky, stains or ground in smells, I don't see why a good damp cloth for a once over and time air drying shouldn't do the trick.

Scout Spirit is living your life and behaving in accordance with the Scout Oath and Law. I suppose we could get mathematical and give each boy a 0-10 score, add them up, and there you go, like with the uni inspection sheet. Other than that, I think it's one of those "I know it when I see it" things, or rather "I know when I don't see it."

You were definitely in the wrong troop. However, if you knew what most Daisy and Brownie leaders have to work with as a program, especially since many are new to GS, you might be a little forgiving. I am sure that in your GS Council, if you want to pursue GS, there is an outdoorsy troop you would love. Hang in there until you can join Venturing. Will you be in a crew with a brother or two?

Here is a picture if you haven't seen one yet: http://www.scoutstuff.org/BSASupply/ItemDetail.aspx?cat=01RTL&ctgy=PRODUCTS&c2=CCORNER&c3=BSA2010&c4=&lv=3&item=18155 Another poster already put the requirements up for the award parts but I'll repeat: http://ww2.scouting.org/100years/100years/sitefiles/1000/YourSource/PlanningTools/A_Year_of_Celebration/BSA_Year_Patch_Earning.pdf The program started on September 1, 2009, so check your records to see if your unit or members have already completed any of the requirements.

NO, National Youth Corps will have those nifty scarlet neckers with gold embroidery.

In the end I think this will be drug or moonshine related. So sad that someone trying to do good in teh world has his life so tragically and evilly cut short.

John in KC, Yes, a reason is always given along with some alternatives. And, since I've always been with SMs who are on the same wave length as the committee, the SMs have warned the PLC when something they want may not be possible. Making the boys' plans possible is something that every committee member I've ever met wants to do. Sometimes the boys really don't understand what they are asking for, and by telling them no with a reason, they learn the limits of thier resources.

If the Committee can't reasonably support a request from the PLC, it has to say, "No." That's not overstepping their authourity: it's being honest about the resources available. For instance, a previous PLC wanted to go camping six hours away over a weekend. The distance was the deal breaker. Another time they wanted to visit and shoot at a range that was not in any way, shape, or form in line with basic safety. Said, "No." As for meeting on holiday Mondays, is the site even available? I know of many COs that don't open thier buildings on holidays.

Hal, The 14 year old who'd never heard of the Holocaust in school is a victim of the prettying up/dumbing down of history: don't teach anything too controversial, too violent, too disturbing, offensive, upsetting, etc. (Sigh)

My son is 14 and his middle school reading list has been radically different from mine. The ones that stick out are Sounder, Ole Yeller, one about a Korean boy who lived under a bridge with an old man, Where the Lillies Bloom, and Anne Frank. He recently finished "Scramble for Africa" and plans to move on to the "Washing of the Spears." I've read a lot of the "banned and challenged books," mostly in school. Some are great, some are good, some are trash.

Are these the books that were removed or only the ones that kicked up a fuss? I'm pretty sure a lot of books get pulled from school libraries and no one even notices or disagrees with the decision. A school reading list is a delicatly crafted thing, or it ought to be. A lot of these books I question as to their historic impact on society and the development of literature in the Western Tradition, which is what is normally studied in American high school. I can say that my son is sick of books about death, poverty, and the hopelessness of life that present no redeeming value in the course of suffering. That said, all of these books should be in a public library and available to all card holders.

First day I took my son to German Evangelisher Kindergarten and realized I was completely and totally illiterate, in Germany at least. Up the river....

What about the den leaders doesn't show well? Organization? Crowd Control? Voice? Sluffiness? If the parents want to switch, fine, let them if the dens can all survive. I agree about splitting the pack. If you are drawing from a large area, you will probably find another CO a bit down the road.

Before I signed anything, I'd have a heart to heart with the boy. Depending on the town, you can get your name in the paper for something as trivial as being caught on lovers' lane or not get in the news for murder.

And? This girl will only be slightly different from the girls who have a mom and step mom since there might not be a Daddy in the mix, or maybe there is. You'll find out at your first big family event.

Work out with the DOs before cooking. (That's the Actifed talking.) In all seriousness, people aren't obese because they Dutch Oven splurge once a month on a camp out. It's the other 28 days a month that really count.