scoutingagain

I'm not an accountant nor do I play one. But, I believe the $0.35/mile is for unreimbursed business expenses. It may be up to $0.37/mile. The $0.14/mile is for travel expenses incurred while performing work for a charity. In, fact as I recall, one of the examples in one tax preparation document I saw was tranporting scouts on weekends. Perhaps a "real" accountant can verify the above. SA

The only time we have ever provided reimbursement for expenses a scouter incurred was last year when we went Gettysburg and drivers drove over 1000 miles roundtrip. The cost of the trip included a charge for transportation that was split up among the drivers and it was applied to all who went, scouts and adults. In the past on shorter trips, drivers bore the entire cost of transportation. My personal feeling is adult scouters should pay their own way with respect to personal expenses such as uniforms, training, food, event participation, etc. They should not be subsidized by the boys. However, they should not be expected to subsidize the unit either. They should not have to shoulder the cost of Troop operations such as the total cost of transportation for everyone in the vehicle, or be expected to purchase troop equipment, food for others, etc. Expenses that are needed to operate the Troop should be born by the troop. Just my 2 cents. SA

I feel like TwoCub. Please read my last post as sarcasm. The point I was trying to make is that the idea of having cool impractical stuff that maybe a little dangerous is hardly limited to 12 year olds. BTW, I drive an SUV as well, when I can get it away from my wife. I recognize though that it is more dangerous than a standard car and drive accordingly. Recognizing the hazard is more than half the battle. I would have no problem if a scout had a sheath knife and used it appropriately. SA

Welcome 2Eagle. Hmmm. So sheath knives are cool and that's why scouts have them? How juvenile. Would this phenomenon be similar to ... say one who drove a hugh 4WD SUV that, while it does meet certain needs on rare occaisions, primarily functions to make the owner/driver look/feel cool, even though it is well documented they are more dangerous to drive, cause more serious injuries in accidents besides being hugh consumers of fuel? Perhaps we should suggest a prohibition on SUVs and large pickups in the G2SS and mandate all scouters drive very practical mid-sized mini-vans with side air bags and throttle limits to prevent travel in excess of 55 mph. SA

I personally believe our current President cares deeply about our service men and women as does his opponent. However, I also believe the President has led us into the war and situation in Iraq based on at best, faulty intelligence provided by self serving exiles, and at worst fabricated intelligence provided by self serving exiles and some folks in the administration knew it was fabricated. Regardless of how we got there, we are now in a position where we have to stay and finish the job. We cannot leave until there is a stable and secure government in Iraq that can defend itself and prevent the region from becomming another terrorist playland. The question is what is the best way to go about doing this? Both Kerry and Bush want to bring in more international support and resources and their approach on the future of Iraq is not that different. I have come to the conclusion though, that the current administration lacks the credibility both here at home and with the international community to be able to pull this off effectively and they need to be held accountable for putting us into the situation to begin with when it wasn't necessary. I am not philosophically opposed to the idea of pre-emptive war in this day and age of weapons of mass destruction, but the threshold to engage in such a war was never present with Iraq, and this administration either knew that and didn't care or should have known before they committed men and women who volunteer to defend their country. I live in John Kerry's home state. Have had the opportunity to vote for him several times and never have. He is frankly, a classic econonomic liberal who's approach to government clashes with my basic libertarian leanings. However, I have come to the conclusion that between the two of them, Kerry is in a better position to lead us out of Iraq with the help of the international community than Bush and his team of neocons are. I mean no disrespect to either man as an individual. I believe both are in public service with a desire to do what they believe is best for the country. However the Bush team has lead us into an unnecessary war, given us record deficits, record high gas prices and into a position where much of the international community is reluctant to help us. Which one is more trustworthy? As far as I'm concerned, neither. Both have proven to flip flop on issues or have sufficiently distorted their opponents position to leave me an acknowledged political cynic. I'm sure both consider it just politics as usual. That's a sad statement. SA

Here's an interesting article about a Church's right to hold Baptism ceremonies in a public park. Which side do you think the ACLU is defending? http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=519&ncid=519&e=14&u=/ap/20040602/ap_on_re_us/baptism_ban Were you correct in guessing which side the ACLU was on? SA

Just some other ideas. While not "whitewater" trips, there are many river float trips available for younger scouts. We also do ski/snowshoe trips in the winter. We just did a break-in backpacking trip. Just 1.5 miles, but something different for scouts that were essentially car campers. Not sure how far away you are, but last summer we spent 3 days at Gettysburg. It was a great trip for scouts/scouters of all ages and all earned the Historic Trails Medal. We're from Massachusetts and it was a 7 hour ride. There were troops there from Michigan, Georgia, and Kansas as well. It's not expensive. The campground and access to the park is free. There is a small fee for some of the activies and the Historic Trails materials available from the York Area Council. Good luck. SA

We have no prohibition against matches or lighters. The scouts are expected to use them responsibly, as they are expected to use all equipment. If it is observed theitem is being abused or used in a dangerous way, an adult will step forward and confiscate the item. It's usually a lighter, not matches that are a problem. I like BW's interpretation of lighters though. SA

As I understand the knot in question, it simply means a scout could approach a scouter to discuss issues of his sexuality without fear of being "ratted out" and removed from scouting. It would not be unusual for a young person to approach a trusted adult, i.e. a scoutmaster, with respect to a topic they might find uncomfortable discussing with their parents, regardless of what permissions have or have not been granted. Has anyone had this experience? I personally would be uncomfortable discussing the issue with a scout and would try and refer him to a pastor or guidance counselor or someone who had training to deal with such a question. I'd rather have him ask me how to tie a Clove Hitch or what would be a good meal to cook in a Dutch Oven. SA

Just a couple of thoughts for now. Just because someone disagrees with the President or current policies does not make them unpatriotic, liberal or even a Democrat. There are a number of retired military officers that have spoken out against the war in Iraq that would hardly qualify as unpatriotic, liberal or Democrat. General Joseph Hoar USMC (ret.), Commander of US Central Command under the first President Bush has been highly critical of the Iraq war, as have others. We do have the finest military in the world. Our civilian leaders might do a better job if they listened to them more. SA

"There were of course tales of great bravery and valor, tales of hardship and rationing. " Whenever I've met someone who is a member of this generation I always ask what they were doing between the years of 1939 - 1945. No matter who you talk to you get facinating tales. I've talked to: Women who worked in shipyards, on farms, served overseas. Folks who ran halfway across China from the invading Japanese. Slightly younger men who entered flight school or officer candidate schools that were dissappointed they didn't get into the war. A man who flew fighter planes in the South Pacific. A man the served in the South Pacific as a Sea Bee and has numerous tales of collecting sea shells, hiding from the Japanese, being ordered to find supplies for his unit to keep equipment going and ending up hijacking material from a loading dock somewhere and nearly being caught by MPs. My Father-in-Law. A man who didn't sleep in a bed for two years. Who fought his way from Africa, to Sicily, and Italy as a PFC in the Army. Who kept his sons enthralled with what was believed to be enhanced stories of daring wartime action. Later in life I was to find there was more truth to these stories than enhancement and a darker side than was told. This man saw combat. In a recon platoon not too different than depicted in Saving Private Ryan, they spent many hours and nights behind enemy lines observing enemy positions and getting information back to their command. This man saw his friends die and wounded and had to defend himself in battle, taking life and was awarded the Bronze Star. This man was my Dad who was in Washington to see the Memorial and is one of many who answered his generation's call to duty. They all have amazing stories and have earned the title, "The Greatest Generation". SA

Yes we should all just get along if possible. But if it helps feel free to post any snide comments regarding the fellow here on the forum and vent. While we may read them, his wife won't overhear them and continue the cycle. SA

I add my prayers and condolences as well. Loss of a young life is always tragic and difficult to deal with. I wish you and the scout's family peace. SA

TP, As NJ says, very creative. I agree that it is likely Germany would have won WWI without a united USA. However, what does a continental superpower Germany do after WWI. Does it threaten USA and CSA interests abroad? Who provides a balance to a growing Soviet threat? Do the USA and CSA align to face a foreign threat from Japan? Do they reconcile and get back together realizing they actually need each other for security or form a North American Treaty Organization? Without WWII is the Nuclear Bomb ever developed? Are either alone, competitive in a growing world economy or does each separate nation become a world economic/military also ran similar to Canada? Does either one become one of the world's dominant superpowers able to influence world affairs? Does one or the other have sufficient military/economic strength to force the Soviet Union to remove missils from Cuba or oust Saddam Hussein from Kuwait? Perhaps with diminished economies, neither needs foreign oil to make the liberation of Kuwait an issue? Do the Atlanta Braves and New York Yankees ever meet in a World Series or are they just perennial champs in their own countries? Just wondering out loud. SA

"Who knows....if Chamberlain wasn't atop Little Round Top, if Picket had tore down those split rail fences the night before, if JEB Stuart was doing his job correctly... " TP, Good question. While our Troop was at Gettysburg last summer I found myself wondering some of the same things. In particular, I wondered about what turns history would have taken had the South successfully established a separate state. Would the Confeerates have been satified with a separate state or would they have continued to conquer the North? What would have happened in WWI? Would we in America been able to provide the kind of support needed in Europe just 50 years later? Would Europe have become a German style Soviet Union? Would we be able to defend ourselves on the American Continent from such a powerful aggressor if we were not united? SA

While I have not travelled extensively for several years, I did travel overseas a moderate amount 5 - 10 years ago. My experience was similar to Herms. I have always been welcomed and treated warmly as an American where ever I went, including Saudia Arabia, Bahrain, and Mainland China. I am not convinced the world hates us. I do believe a majority of the world may disagree with some of our current administration's foreign policy actions. I would not be suprised if even a majority of Americans disagreed with some of our actions around the world.(Recall our current President did not get a majority of the votes last time around.) As far as the media is concerned, I take everything with a grain of salt these days regardless of the source. While I have no reason to believe NPR puts out information that is not true, I do sense a certain slant in the topics they choose to cover. While they do not take advertising dollars, I believe they slant their coverage towards their audience just as the major networks and FOX do. I wonder how many donations they would get if they did a special on all the different positions John Kerry has taken in his career. However FOX is so over the top in my opinion, I believe they make no pretense in being objective. Their coverage sounds like it was written by Republican National Committee. In general I find the print media to be a little less sensationalistic than the broadcast media, but not that much better. I try and hear or read about the same story from a number of different sources and come to some internal consensus. SA

While I share the desire for this scout to slow down and enjoy the journey, I agree that if he has met the requirements as described in the literature, he has earned the rank. In this instance, it sounds as if the BOR may have overstepped their authority. BW's advice in this instance seems pretty sound to me. SA

I actually believe the current administration more than this article. Rumsfeld has already said there were no links between Saddam and 9/11. SA

For those that just have to have more power...ur...ur...ur, the technology that Toyota and GM is looking at for larger engines appears to be relatively close to being implemented. I read where GM will be offering what they call "variable displacement engines" this year on their larger trucks. As I understand it, a computer monitors the drag on the engine and shuts down cylinders when less power is needed and turns them back on when drag increases and more power is required. Supposedly the driver would be not able to tell the difference compared to today's engines, but fuel economy would improve significantly. Nothing like the 50 - 60 mpgs the little hybrids get but maybe 25 mpgs out of the 5 - 6 liter V8s. The good news is there is no need for a fuel infrastructure change to distribute CNG or Hydrogen and we still get to import oil from our "allies" in the mid-east. Just imagine what our foriegn policy would be if we really did come up with a technology that replaced petroleum fueled vehicles. SA

VentureScout, Glad to hear good things about High Knoll, we have reservations for summer of 2005. Good luck in NH. I've been in New England for thirty years now and have made at least 6 attempts to climb Mt. Washington. Every time I've been turned back by weather near the summit. Mt. Washington is notorious for having some of the worst weather on the continent. Wind speeds have been recorded over 200mph. I'll admit I've never tried in mid-summer though. Hope your ready for a challenge. SA

OXCOPS, No I don't think you're being unreasonable at all, based on what you've told us. Unfortunately I don't set the budget priorties for your council. Unfortunately, once in a while you have to let it hit the fan, for folks to take notice. In your case, I would rather have "it" be the closing of the course for a season rather than a serious injury. I personally hope you get the money you need. SA

OXCOPS, If the upgrades you are seeking are for safety related issues, I would be inclined to be very forthcoming with the council. Let them know that unless certain items are upgraded, you will not put youth and other participants at risk and will be forced to shut down portions of the course or maybe the entire course. Then do it if the money doesn't come. If the upgrades are to expand the course and make it better, well the best you may be able to do is make the best argument you can and let the chips fall. The council (in theory) sets it's financial priorities based on what it sees as best for scouts in the council. If 75% of the participants in the course are non-scouts, they may not see it as a high scout priority and are satified with the course the way it is. In anycase I certainly applaud your efforts and wish you luck. SA

Welcome newscoutdad to the forum and scouting. The previous responses have dealt pretty well with the specifics of your situation. I just wanted to add a note about pinewood derby's and raingutter regattas and competitions in general. I've participated in 7 years of pinewood derbys with my two sons. In those 7 years we have had only one car finish in the money. Even without the rule issues you faced, I have seen many boys crushed when their car loses a tight race. This level of competition is tough for Cub age boys, especially Tigers, but they all bounce back. Emphasize to your son the fun you had building the boat and participating, which is the real point of the events. Anything beyond that is a bonus. I think it was fair for you to ask the questions though in hopes the issue does not come up in the future. For better or worse bad calls, poor judgement and rule issues effect just about any competition I can think of. Like it or not it is part of the game. It happens in the Olympics, World Series, NFL playoffs, college sports, beauty pageants, on down the line. (Hey I'm a Red Sox fan no one knows the agony of defeat better except maybe Cubs fans .) Please don't let this one event sour your opinion of scouting. You are just starting out and as noted there several options available to you including looking into other packs in the area or working to improve the pack you now belong to. Good luck. SA

Out Troop does not sing on it's own but will during summer camp or a Camporee Campfire when led by someone else. However, on our last campout we did break into a collective whistle of the theme from "The Bridge On the River Kwai" while hiking in. I was pleasantly suprised. There may be hope for a song or two yet. SA

How about Barry "Better Hitting Through Chemistry" Bonds? I wonder how mountainboarding will hold up. In the 70's ski areas trying to push summer use came up with grass skiing. Turned out people didn't care for falling on grass as compared to snow and the sport never really took off. SA