Torveaux

I have it on good authority that the new uniforms are a couple of years away. Put me in the minority(?) that likes more division between cub scouts and boy scouts. Not a big fan of Webelos being in the tan shirt. My boys are both well above average size for their ages. The older one made it all the way through Cubs with 1 blue shirt. His tan shirt should get him a few years of use (until the new one comes out). I also cannot wait to get more of the red out of scout colors. Not a fan when I was a Scout (red beret era). Why do they not have patch blankets and such in blue for the cubs and green for the boys?

One of the best ones we did a few years ago was the leather slide kit available at the Scout Shop. It is basically just a square of leather with a leather lacing. You roll it into a tube and lace the tube closed and voila, a simple, effective (stays on well) slide. Even better, if you have access to some leather working tools (our local scout shop would loan them out to units with a deposit) the boys can put their initials, rank logo, or native designs on the slide.

No need to be co-ed. The girls just need to have a girls division of Boy Scouts. Wait, we did that and then the ultra-feminists decided to invade the program. Seriously, Mom, if you run your own GS troop, you have quite a bit of autonomy to ignore the national political aspects and have a program that teaches values. I would be careful about the GSUSA camps, though.

The only way to have a good GS experience is to get lucky in finding a leader or to be the leader yourself. My older daughter was a Brownie in 2 different Troops, 2 different states. Both were very underwhelming to say the least. My wife took over as the leader to 'save' the Troop and now they actually do things, they are becoming girl-run and membership is growing. It appears that a GS Troop functions much like an autonomous Cub Scout Den or Boy Scout Patrol (depending on age of girls). I was shocked to be told about limited space, but now I understand (not that I like it). There is no GS unit like a Pack or a BS Troop. There are certainly drawbacks in that lack of structure, but you can customize your Troop to fit the participants. I would argue that the GSUSA has not has a successful program for all that many years as they are no longer what they once were.

Welcome. Mrs. T went to HS at Bonanza in LV, UNLV class of 87. Mom-in-law still lives in the Valley. I lived there for 7 years. I cannot imagine summer camp in Southern NV. Reno and Tahoe are very nice and more human friendly! Enjoy the ride!

So we should have a program that teaches boys to do the right thing and then if the rules do not mesh with what we want to do, we should complain about the person that pointed out that we are not following the rules? Rather than trying to find ways to circumvent the rules and calling names, we should work to follow the program for the betterment of all of the boys, Webelos and Boy Scouts. How about you take time to thank the "legal beagle" and ask him to help you devise a plan to help the boys get the Webelos experience in the proper way?

The CM 'works' for the CO. Ultimately, contrary to many CM's opinions, the CC is the 'head' of the Pack and must follow the rules of both the BSA and the CO. I agree that the CO should thank the CM for serving and help the kids through it. Without knowing the details I would not begin to guess what is 'right' but I sure wish in our old Pack that the CO would have removed the CM. He did not understand the way BSA was supposed to work. He just wanted to be 'in charge'. He walked all over the CO who was not assertive enough to put him in his place. As a result the Pack continues to dwindle.

Unless these kids are in High School, even 9pm is too late for a bedtime. Children need much more than 8 hours of sleep at that age and going to bed at 9 or later seriously reduces the likelihood that the kids are getting enough sleep. Maybe the solution is to teach the kids and parents about the effects of not getting enough sleep. Perhaps you could alternate meeting times or days of the week. I have found that weekend meetings are much more productive and can avoid much of the sleep deprivation issues. Sure, it is your choice when to have the meetings, but if nobody comes is it really a meeting?

I used to be a waist-up only leader. I tried to wear look-alike green dockers for formal occasions. I complained plenty about the old pants, and as soon as I saw the new pants, I bought some and I wear them. I have no problem with the shirt and I wear the bolo or the necker for formal occasions. I always wear a BSA hat with the uniform. I even wear the socks.

It seems that many scout camps have indoor facilities. If those are OK, I see no reason that a pop up tent is not OK. Sure, there will be some camp sites that will not be able to accommodate, but for the most part it is not much different that being at a camp with platforms under the tents and cots inside them. As for leave no trace, a popup tent camper has a smaller footprint than most tents. It may be gauche to tenting=camping purists, but don't let small minds prevent you and your family from enjoying camping together with your Pack. I'm pushing 50 myself, and I certainly would rather be in my pillow top bed to sleep, but for 1 or 2 nights I can tolerate the tent on the floor with my sons.

I am watching the process as I type. What I have learned is that the 'issues' being raised about Judge Alito are even more minor than I first thought. The 'Vanguard' issue is about a mutual fund. Mutual funds are specifically excepted from the laws about judge recusing themselves from cases. Also, when he realized his mistake he approached the chief judge of his circuit and asked for a new panel and/or a new trial. (It was denied as unnecessary) The CAP issue is even more silly. The problem with CAP is that they have multiple points of interest and Judge Alito chose to put them on his job application in 1985. Those who have applied for jobs should understand that you always try to put your associations on so you look more well-rounded. At the time he was inexperienced and had only a couple of associations to place. The tenor of the hearings is such that if a member of the BSA were in Alito's position, he would be lambasted because he belonged to a group that was homophobic and intolerant. Even that is more appropriate as the BSA is viewed as such by some. The reason Alito was a member of CAP is simple. They supported keeping ROTC on Princeton's campus. He was a member of the ROTC.

I would say 2. You can't have a buddy system of 1.

It seems it is very important to keep the CM and the checkbook separate. I would not even recommend having a husband/wife team as CM/Treas (or vice versa). While none of us are likely to assume the worst in people, when you put people in a position to be dishonest or careless, you may get it anyway. I really like the idea of having all checks written in the meetings. We are still trying to get the CM (who still thinks he is CEO/CFO of his own 'Cub' company) to refrain from spending money without the prior approval of the committee. I think it is best if the expenditures are first planned, then negotiated, then spent.

Catholic scouts can earn a rosary patch (I guess any could techically earn it) from the National Catholic Committee on Scouting. I suppose other religions may have some special awards in addition to their medals. I would recommend that each scout earn the religious medal that is associated with his faith as well. BTW, the rosary patches are big (6"?) and have 4 colors or more. Very cool patches. One for each year and they rotate through the Mysteries.

I guess I would have them participate in the ceremony, but in a support role. Maybe something akin to a military 'crossed-swords' tunnel (crossed hiking sticks?) or something. Perhaps they can hold the AOL awards for the presenter?

Try Pack 3023. I found this info on joincubscouting.org. Good luck and thanks for your service.

Not extra for the archery, but the extra money is earned through further incentives for boys to go to camp in the first place. I'm not saying that families decide to go to camp exclusively because of the ability to earn a couple of beltloops, but it could tip the scales. I also stated that it would be the cynical view, not necessarily my view.

I agree that you should not work there but for a slightly different reason. Perceptions are reality. Whether you agree with the moral judgments of others or not, if the families of the boys you work with learn about your employment, it will cast doubt upon you and give them cause to fear for their boys' safety. Rational or not, parents will not be happy to learn of such things and some, if not most, will want you gone from the Troop. I guess I figure that if you would not be proud doing your job in your uniform (dirt and mess notwithstanding) the job may not be the best option. If we all took jobs merely based upon the highest bidder, doesn't that make us financial sluts?

Canada Geese are protected? It depends upon what you mean. Are they endangered or protected due to low numbers or anything like that? No. Not even close. They are protected because they are migratory waterfowl and overhunting in one state would affect the numbers in another state (state here being both a US and international term). The geese are often also protected by the fact that they congregate in populated urban and suburban areas wherein it is illegal to hunt them. Personally, I think local/state governments should be reducing the flocks in those areas through selective hunting by experts. The geese could be used to help feed the homeless/hungry in those urban areas. (the 'hunting'need not be via firearm, netting them would be acceptable for this type of reduction) As for the snowmobilers, their actions were adolescent at best. Such actions are part of humanity at its worst.

I would echo the earlier comments. Unless the kids are really into a game that is XBOX specific, PS2 is the better overall system. Sony has a good track record of doing what is best for their customers (read backward compatibility) and the variety of titles helps to keep prices down and helps you find titles that are best for your kids AND your peace of mind. If you can wait, PS3 promises to be even better. We have had a PS2 for about 6 months and I plan on getting the PS3 after the initial rush dies down (next Fall?). I have run into a few times when having more than one would be helpful.

"never anything but the neckerchief" I highly recommend wearing the whole uniform. Running about with only a neckerchief could land you in jail, not to mention have you removed as a Scouter.

I don't know the official answer, but we have asked similar questions here and received different answers. The basic issue here seems to be consistency of teaching methods. If the NAA and BSA do not work together to have the same method, you may not get agreement. Another key reasoning I would suppose is that without a restriction, you would have a bunch of groups out there having archery as part of den/pack meetings and while some would be well run, others would either present an immediate danger or would 'forget' some of the safety points and such. We have a small archery set at home and my son has learned from me how to safely shoot his bow. He did earn his beltloop at camp. Personally, I think they should be more clear and only require that the actual shooting portions take place on an approved range by under the tutelage of an approved instructor. If it were up to me, a nationally (internationally) recognized instructor/program should suffice. But, it is not up to me. The real goofy part is that some of the options for finishing the pin have nothing to do with actually shooting and could easily be done at home or in a den/pack meeting. Cynics would say the real reason is so BSA can make more money from boys at camp.

I have a unique perspective here. I have worked as a professional game designer for a major publisher of video games. I no longer work in the profession, but I have quite a few friends with whom I continue to keep in contact. Contrary to popular belief, even the most non-linear appearing video games have objectives that must be met before reaching the next level. The fact that it is the designer or programmer that is automatically 'signing' off does not really diminish the reality of the situation. The real difference between the two systems in that regard is that the rules are consistent for the video game. In Scouting, the human element comes into play to change the rules in an arbitrary fashion. The caveat to that point is that hackers consistently look for ways to 'cheat' their way to success and some players use these cheats to falsely convince themselves that they have won. I certainly see a place for playing video games (or D&D) in the proper context and in moderation. The area I would like to see BSA use technology for is to level the playing field so someone who 'earns' a merit badge or a Cub or Webelos Award has done the same work as everyone else that has earned the award.

I am getting tired of the BS about Saturnia. The root celebration as it were is common to many cultures all over the world. It is about the Winter Solstice and the 'return' of the sun. Rome was just another cultural center that associated the earlier celebration to one to conform to its ethos. Notheless, the holiday celebrations are reflective of the times. While the date of Christmas was selected to fit the holiday schedules of the culture, the events being celebrated are deeply held beliefs of the vast majority of Americans. When applied to Scouting, the majority is even larger. Holiday would be OK if you are not really celebrating Christmas. Given a troop that is all Christian the 'holiday' being celebrated is most certainly Christmas. Therefore, it would be offensive to many Christians to have their holiday muddled by PC. Conversely, if you have a troop that is all Jewish, a Chanakah (sp) Party would be appropriate and holiday is again potentially offensive. In a truly mixed troop, holiday is appropriate and the response should simply be "we have Scouts that are not Christian and the term holiday party more appropriately includes all of them." Warning: if you are having a 'holiday' party, it should reflect all of the holidays or none of them. Part of my problem with the retail world is that they use the term 'holiday' but still use the colors and images associated most closely with the Christian Holiday. Why not have some more specific ads or sales that address each holiday? That would be respectful of all. I guess if you are truly offended by the concept of someone else's holiday, perhaps you should skip their sales and things.

As long as you remember that people are part of nature, not apart from it. We should not feel guilty about being on top of the food chain. At least hunters have a good understanding of where food really comes from. Many non-hunters remind me of the Lion (Alex) from the movie Madagascar. They are happy to eat steak, but have no concept of the fact that someone had to kill the steer to remove the steak. Even vegetarians kill helpless plants to feed themselves. Many devour the embryos of plants in some sort of genocidal mania. Or maybe they are just hungry omnivores looking for a meal. Hmmmm....