scoutmomma

Nonprofit fundraiser, with experience ranging from higher education to healthcare, with a little cultural arts, social services, and animal welfare for good measure.

Your comment about the homo-pedophelia connection being baseless is in fact BASELESS. According to whom? Please attempt to back up your statement. The connection is not just everyday reasonable but makes perfect sense to me and most any man I have ever talked to about it.. So, anecdotal evidence is the basis of your contention? What personal experiences of yours and/or research back up the lack of a connection. It's been a little while since I read "Scout's Honor..." by Patrick Boyle, but I recall several real cases in that book that made a clear connection between the two. So what personal experiences of yours and/or research back up your claim that there is a connection? Meantime, not that I think you are likely to be swayed by any response on this subject, but here: http://psychology.ucdavis.edu/rainbow/html/facts_molestation.html http://www.internationalorder.org/scandal_response.html http://www.webmd.com/sex-relationships/features/explaining-pedophilia http://www.religioustolerance.org/hom_chil.htm http://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/HOMOSEXUALITY_AND_PEDOPHILIA_The_False_link.html http://www.usatoday.com/news/2002-07-15-church-gay_x.htm http://mediamatters.org/items/200610040014 Or are you going to reinforce my past experiences that when a female (esp. lib female) says "puuu leeese" like that, it means she has absolutely no foundation for her position? Your disrespectful attitude does you no credit.

I have asked the boy to come to the next PLC meeting and the boys can decide how they would like to resolve this issue. I was thinking whatever decision is made it would be more legitimate coming from the entire PLC not just the mean ol scoutmaster. Has anyone come across this issue before? How did you resolve it? Rangersteve, personally I think your solution is a good one, especially given that you're transitioning the troop. Involving the PLC and letting them hash things out is a great way for the scouts to learn problem-solving.

Quoting Hans Zeiger on manliness? With a column in which he baselessly claims a link between homosexuality and pedophilia? Oh, puh-lease.

At a Tenderfoot Board of Review: "Tell us about the Heimlich Maneuver." "Which one?" (Afterward, one of our Assistant Scoutmasters told the BOR members that he couldn't help thinking "African or European?")

So my son, a lean and smallish 13 year old, will be doing a 3 day backpack trip toward late March. It could be snowing and single digits, raining and mid 30s, or sunny and mid 60s (or all three). Of course we'll check the weather more carefully as the time draws near, but help me develop a better sense of what he needs to have or what to skip in terms of clothing. I don't want to be that parent that encourages overpacking (he isn't used to backpacking and I don't want him to carry way more than he needs) but I can't see a single change of clothes working either - he gets wet on night one and he'll be miserable the whole time. Lisabob, my son who is now 13, went on his first backpacking trip at age 10 and it was a great success, in no small part because of proper preparation. He's learned his lessons well, and has done close to 50 nights of camping in the past 3 years, so I think he's doing OK. Probably the most effective learning lesson was when the SPL brought his fully loaded pack to a meeting one night, and proceeded to unpack it in front of the new scouts, explaining why each item was there. I still remember his explaining why wide-mouth Lexan waterbottles (Nalgenes) were better than canteens, and why he preferred a Lexan or polypropylene spoon and a bowl to a full mess kit. The first gear lessons I remember being drilled into our heads were: 1) No cotton! 2) Lightweight layers (nylon, polyester or polypropylene), including a fleece pullover, and wicking long underwear (tops and bottoms), 3) Non-cotton sock liners and extra changes of socks (wool or wicking synthetic, not cotton) 4) Backpack properly fitted to the scout, whether external or internal frame (external frame often easier to adjust to fit) with a waterproof pack cover, 4) Well-fitting waterproof (Goretex) hiking boots, or boots treated with good quality waterproofing (Nikwax), and 5) Good quality, BREATHABLE raingear (tops and bottoms) with pants that can be zipped on and off over boots. The hiking boots and breathable raingear, of course, are the priciest items, considering how fast boys outgrow their gear, but are critical to an inexperienced hiker's comfort in wet weather. (The boots need to fit, regardless). My son's troop has frequently been rained on, but they all have good, breathable raingear, so rain doesn't stop them from hiking in wet weather. With good raingear, changes of clothing are less critical. A couple of short-sleeve shirts and a long-sleeve shirt for layering -- soccer shirts are good. Pants with zip-off legs, such as Switchbacks, allow for changes in temperature. Basketball-type "warmup" pants, expecially the flannel-lined ones, will make a decent layer if it's colder, with rainpants on top as a windblocking layer. You may or may not need a warmer outer jacket in case it's closer to 30 than to 50 -- the fleece pullover and rainjacket should be fine if it's nearer 50. A close-fitting hat like a stocking cap, for colder weather. Gloves if it's colder -- waterproof snowboarding gloves are good for wetter, colder weather. A change of gloves if it's wet. Pack a change of non-cotton pants, in case they get wet, but otherwise don't bother much with extra changes of clothing, 'cause the boys won't change anyway. They seem to pride themselves on who comes home the dirtiest! The one exception to this rule would be socks and sock liners -- even if they don't change any other clothes, they need to change their socks every day! My son basically dresses in layers for the first day, and packs changes of socks and sock liners, and takes a change of pants, just in case, and he might throw in an extra fleece pullover if it's colder. Other than changing his socks, he'll pretty much wear the same clothes for the entire camping trip, layering on or off as the weather warrants. And he ALWAYS takes his raingear, even if there's no rain in the forecast. Hope that's of some help.

Raffles are considered gambling and are forbidden by BSA. Raffles are legal in many parts of Pennsylvania under the terms of the state's Local Option Small Games of Chance Act passed in 1988. See http://www.revenue.state.pa.us/revenue/lib/revenue/sgoc_primer.pdf for more information.

How old are Brownies? 6-8 years old.

MODERATORS! Would you please escort ScoutMomma off the forum for suggesting, albeit under the guise of a pot roast recipe, that we as respected scout leaders serve alcohol to our underaged boys. I would assume that she has, by her confession, already caused great harm to her fellow campers at coucil camp, harmed the reputation of others by smuggling in such brown-bagged contraband. Oh the inhumanity of it all! Those poor innocent boys, who only hours before had never been exposed to the demon rum, now, fallen and disgraced for having been served such a fare, and would have partaken in full scout regalia. I suppose it would do no good to note that I've never actually made this recipe -- I just thought it sounded particularly tasty and, umm, flexible. Also that there's no, ahem, rum in it, just, um, well, wine. Or that the alcohol gets cooked off, or...err, umm, ahhh...let me just read further down the thread... Gee, and I was going to question whether or not using kosher salt was implying endorsement of one religious beleif system over another Oh, *cough*, well, never mind, I see there's no escape for me on this one, is there? Would you like to shoot me now or wait till you get home?

Classic Beef Pot Roast Cuts of beef that perform well for pot roasting go by many different names: Blade roast, cross-rib roast (or shoulder clod), seven-bone pot roast, arm pot roast, and boneless chuck roast are all acceptable cuts for this traditional recipe. Ingredients: 1 teaspoon olive oil 1 (3-pound) boneless chuck roast, trimmed 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 2 cups coarsely chopped onion 1 cup dry red wine 4 thyme sprigs 3 garlic cloves, chopped 1 (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium beef broth 1 bay leaf 4 large carrots, peeled and cut diagonally into 1-inch pieces 2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces Fresh thyme leaves (optional) Preparation: Preheat oven to 350. Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chuck roast with salt and pepper. Add roast to pan; cook 5 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Remove roast from pan. Add onion to pan; saut 8 minutes or until tender. Return browned roast to pan. Add the red wine, thyme sprigs, chopped garlic, beef broth, and bay leaf to pan; bring to a simmer. Cover pan and bake at 350 for 1 1/2 hours or until the roast is almost tender. Add carrots and potatoes to pan. Cover and bake an additional 1 hour or until vegetables are tender. Remove thyme sprigs and bay leaf from pan; discard. Shred meat with 2 forks. Serve roast with vegetable mixture and cooking liquid. Garnish with thyme leaves, if desired. Yield: 10 servings (serving size: 3 ounces roast, about 3/4 cup vegetables, and about 3 tablespoons cooking liquid) Nutritional Information: CALORIES 307(31% from fat); FAT 10.4g (sat 3.5g,mono 4.8g,poly 0.5g); PROTEIN 28.6g; CHOLESTEROL 85mg; CALCIUM 34mg; SODIUM 340mg; FIBER 2.8g; IRON 3.9mg; CARBOHYDRATE 23.7g Jeanne Thiel Kelley, Cooking Light, OCTOBER 2006

Here's the background info for Scouts to review in order to fulfill the new requirements: http://www.scouting.org/boyscouts/resources/32215/rankchanges.html We sent out this information to our Troop's email list and suggested that Scouts below the rank of First Class print it out, fold it and keep it tucked in their handbooks.

I know you said that it was a lot of work, and time-consuming, but since you've asked for feedback...personally I think it would have been preferable to edit the individual posts rather than wipe out entire threads. There was some fascinating discussion going on in those now-deleted threads.

a savvy BSA negotiator could turn this around to the BSA's benefit I can't help thinking that if they'd had a savvy BSA negotiator in the first place, CoL wouldn't be in this pickle now. The way things have played out, the entire situation is lose-lose for everyone. There is no "win" left in it. That's something I really detest -- how BSA & CoL keep trying to paint the City of Philadelphia as the villain in this piece, rather than admit that their actions have played any part in creating this mess. SSScouter suggested CoL note the definition of "A Scout is Obedient." I would add that they should note "A Scout is Courteous" before continuing to bash the city.

I don't agree that honoring the original lease constitutes government-supported discrimination. The City of Philadelphia says otherwise, or this never would have come up. As I understand it, their concern is not to violate their own non-discriminatory policy because they don't want to lose federal funding. All the BSA has done is not succumb to creeping normalcy. What do you mean by "creeping normalcy?

gwd, I can't help thinking of something I was told before I became a parent: "Watch out for the paradigm shift!" I didn't know what they meant at the time -- or, I should say, I thought I knew what they meant -- only to learn after my son was born that all the theoretical knowledge I had didn't equate to half of what reality had in store! That said, I'm sure you'll do fine, too!

I am dual registered in multiple units I haven't been around for a year yet so I can't speak for past history, but this says to me that jblake47 is involved in more than one troop, of which at least one is boy-led and at least one adult-led.

I guess I wasn't really addressing the main point of the thread -- I wasn't trying to prove anyone wrong -- just discussing my troop's experience doubling and then doubling again. I have no idea if we'd be able to handle doubling again. We are still dealing with growing pains from getting so big so fast. For instance, we only have one active Scout over the age of 15 -- the vast majority are 13 and 14 years old, so we're not only dealing with the growing pains of the troop size and logistics, but also the growing pains of a bunch of adolescent boys who suddenly don't know what to do with their hormonal mood swings, etc. It's been an interesting time! As I said, we're working hard on the boy-led transition, but recognize that we still need a large contingent of committed parents to provide the logistical support. If a 100-plus troop can do it, more power to 'em, but I can't speak to how the logistics would actually work!

Our CO does not provide us with any operating funds, but we do get an annual grant from a local community foundation, with whom we have a very long history, to cover heating and electrical costs at our meeting facility. Otherwise, we pay our own way, raising funds jointly with our pack (chartered with the same CO) by running a nearly 50-year-old annual community fundraising event.

Looking at the date/time column, it appears to me that just an awful lot of threads were being posted to today...er, yesterday...um, the 24th!

100 or more -- 150? -- in a troop boggles my mind! My son's troop was small for quite a few years -- the year before he crossed over, 7 boys crossed over to what would become his troop, and it doubled in size. The following year, my son crossed over with 22 other boys, and the troop suddenly was ENORMOUS. The following year, another 8 crossed over -- with attrition, we were at 45 Scouts. This past year we rechartered with 42. We've been dealing with growing pains for the past three years, and finally feel we're getting a handle on it. I expect we'll be rechartering this year with 35 Scouts, and we are expecting 4 crossovers in March. The adult support network has been of critical importance getting us through this huge growth phase -- used to be a campout might have 8 Scouts. These days, it's more like 20 Scouts on any given trip. Our annual ski trip this weekend will have 26 Scouts and 14 adults. A few years ago, that was unfathomable. Part of the learning curve was increasing support for our Scoutmaster -- we now have five ASMs backing him up. Also our SPL has two ASPLs. We had four patrols at our max, but have backed that down to three. Yes, that means the patrols have 13 or 14 members each, but with other activities competing for the boys' attention that means we have 6-8 per patrol on any given trip -- so they can actually function as a patrol on an outing. We've also been transitioning this year from adult-led to boy-led, and are working hard to teach our PLC how to plan and organize meetings and programs. For instance, since the beginning of the school year, the PLC met once a month 30 minutes before a regular troop meeting. Needless to say, they didn't get much planned past a couple of meetings! This past month, we counseled them to have a PLC meeting on a separate night for an hour, and they were able to cover much more ground. It's not completely boy-led yet -- more like the adult leadership presents choices to the PLC, which then picks, or adds their own twist. We feel like we're getting there, though. It's been an interesting transition. The troop has a very different feel now, but I think it's working. I feel pretty confident, for instance, that our recharter this year will reflect a very active roster, whereas last year, we had were carrying at least a half dozen inactive Scouts whose parents paid their dues hoping they wouldn't drop. I can't even begin to imagine how many ASMs we would need for a 100-member troop. Or what the committee would be like...or the fundraising!(This message has been edited by scoutmomma)

SSScout asked of Hans Zeiger "he lives in Washington State??" Here you go: From a 2007 op-ed column in the Philadelphia Inquirer: "Hans Zeiger, an Eagle Scout and assistant scoutmaster in Puyallup, Wash., is spokesman for the Scouting Legal Defense Fund, a project of the American Civil Rights Union in Arlington, Va." And from his website: "Hans Zeiger is only a sinner saved by grace. Current Magazine has recognized Hans as one of America's 15 emerging college students, and as the top young religious leader on the nation's campuses. A native of Puyallup, Washington, the 21-year old Eagle Scout is author of Reagan's Children: Taking Back the City on the Hill (Broadman and Holman, 2006) and Get Off My Honor: the Assault on the Boy Scouts (Broadman and Holman, 2005). He is an American Studies major at Hillsdale College in Michigan." Lisabob, thanks for the healing wishes. I will miss the wide-eyed respect I get from the Scouts for being brave (or foolhardy) enough to try snowboarding (none of the other parents do), but a hot beverage and a warm fire sound nice, too!

That was a concern of ours as well -- we have one boy up for his 2nd Class Board of Review next week, and another coming up right behind him, who has completed his 2nd and 1st Class requirements EXCEPT for the newly revised/added requirements, another who has completed all Tenderfoot requirements except for the newly revised one... We've informed the Troop and the boys that these new requirements had come down the pike, but needed to give them the "official" answers to study up on... Our conclusion was to inform the Scout up for 2nd Class BOR next week and his parents that we'll need to review this new requirement with him at his BOR. We'll address this with the other Scouts as well, but none of them have had their Scoutmaster Conferences yet, so our sense is that it won't be quite as big an issue with them.

Thanks for the link -- it's what I've been looking for to pass on to all our Scouts below the rank of Star who will need to fulfill these new requirements. We've been tapdancing on this for a bit, knowing what the requirements stated but not (until now) having the "official" backup information so our Scouts will know how to address these requirements. But now we do, yay!

OGE, I'll have to check Shady Maple out sometime, too. Good eating is always appreciated! So, see what happens when you bust your butt? You lose out on the fun stuff. Ain't it the truth? My nephew who is also going along bruised his elbow playing basketball but he still intends to go boarding. My doctor, on the other hand, told me that I have no activity restrictions since I can't hurt it worse than it already is -- unless I fall on it again! So no snowboarding for me. So I will just stay inside where it's warm and think positive thoughts about healing.

Tea sounds lovely, Eamonn, and I will seek out the old English Shoppe and Tearoom next time I am in Lancaster. Meantime, I am going on the ski trip, just won't be participating in any snow sports. I will plant myself and my doughnut pillow and my industrial-strength ibuprofen in the ski lodge and watch the Scouts frolic in the snow out the picture window.