VentureScoutNY

Any good ideas for waterproofing tents? What do all of you do? What products do you use, and where do you buy them? YIS

The myth is true, it also depends on when one is buying patches (time of year). My girlfriend bought me the 1937 Jamboree patch for over $100 around the time of this past Jamboree. She said that in the weeks before, during and after the Jamboree, that those patches were all over the place on ebay. But now, if you look, there aren't too many. Between April of last year and up to this past December, she was able to purchase every Jamboree patch, all 15 prior to 2005 on ebay(not including the never held 1935 patch). I had already bought a 2005 patch while attending. She said that the patches she had the most trouble tracking down, and being out-bid was for the 1937 patch, and ironically the 1997 patch. The artwork on the two were made to look similar for the 60 year anniversary. She said the 1997 cost more than some of the older ones from the 50's and 60's. SO basically it depends on when and where your buying your patches. YIS

Very nice, thanks for sharing

I recently purchased the Poly/Wool BSA shirt. The reason I got one was that I thought it might be warmer and tougher than the poly/cotton. But it seems a little thin. I like it so far, quite different from the Poly/Cotton. It looks great pressed. My question is for those of you who wear the Poly/Wool... Do you wear it all year long? Do you think its warmer and more useful in the winter? Is it too hot in the summer to wear it? Or does it breath better than the Poly/Cotton? And in general, which material shirts do all you folks wear and why? YIS

Wow..these people are insane. Last semester I had to do a presentation on why animal testing for medical research is a good thing, and how it helps us "humans". Well a girl in my class, a PETA follower, gave the opposite presentation. She had no facts just assumptions and got unusually emotional about animals being hurt to save the evil humans. She also played a PETA propaganda film in the background of animals being slaughtered. She bombed, cause shes crazy, and the Professor gave me the better grade. I concluded that these PETA nuts see no difference between Human and Animal and hence cannot ever grasp the common sense that us scouters have YIS

no cane! walking stick..maybe! No the oldest one was from 37! The older the wiser though! Like a fine wine! Have a Happy New Year everyone!

Well..I'm not a child, but close! My girlfriend who usually always outdoes me on Christmas did it again this year! She gave me some very light boxes to open and in them were some vintage Jamboree patches, 1960, 1989, and then the oldest was from 57. I was amazed she got them all and then she continues to stun me with the following gift... A large frame with a red felt background, in it she attached golden letters that read "BSA National Scout Jamboree". In the frame on the felt positioned in chronological order was every Jamboree Patch ever held, except the first one but with a spot for my 2005 patch as well. At this point I am overwhelmed, slightly hyper-ventaliting and then she gave me a small box to unwrap. In it, a 1937 Jamboree patch... Need I say more? Happy Holidays everyone! YIS VentureScoutNY PS-Now the search is on for the 35 patch...

I was going through some of my old uniforms and have some Youth Boy Scout pants and shorts if anyone is in need of them... 3 pairs of pants. 1 old style with cargo pockets, 1 dress pair, and one new style with the little cargo pockets. They are all used, but in good shape. Also 2 pairs of new style shorts. I'd be glade to send them to anyone who needs them. They get expensive and I'm sure there are some who could use them. If anyone is interested or has questions e-mail me at Departure84@aol.com First come first serve. PS-If you feel bad about taking them for free, I'd welcome a council strip from wherever you are in return Happy Holidays! YIS VentureScoutNY

As a Boy Scout I wore the long sleeve Uniform shirt. That basically solved the problem of the undergarment issue. BUT As a Venturer, when I bought my Uniform I was amazed they only offered it in short sleeves! Now in the Autumn and Winter months I wear an undergarment under the short sleeves...When will the Uniform Police campaign for a long sleeve Venturing shirt!? Please hurry, I'm freezing! YIS

Thanks for sharing hops, my thoughts exactly.

I just got back from Virginia today. The Jamboree, my first was amazing. I had such a blast even as a visitor. Seeing the President speak, really, I can hardly express in words. A simply amazing night. The fireworks show was the best I have ever seen. It was great to be among all of my scouting brothers! I felt completly at home I will always remember this trip! YIS

What a terrible way to start off the Jambo, my thoughts and prayers go out to those involved. I'll be heading down to the Jambo Thursday, I hope the mood will be ok considering the situation. I wish everyone heading down there though a safe and fun trip! YIS

From the June 7th 2005 New York Post Scout This Out- 80-yr-old Eagle One of New Jersey's newest Eagle Scouts is also the state's oldest. Al Hanson, 80, who missed his initiation when, at age 17, he went off to fight in World War II, was honored last week by a troop in his hometown of Barnegat. "I'm not that young anymore, but it's a great honor and the boys enjoyed it, and I enjoyed it too," Hanson said. YIS

I have been having trouble logging into the Scouting Chat Room at msn.com. I am connected to the internet home here in NY for the summer. Back in RI I could sign in and could enter the chat, here I can not. Any ideas why this is happening? AK, Unc, Hops, I miss the chat room! Help! YIS

Thanks for the article! SR540Beaver : "WE played army, cops and robbers, cowboys and indians, lived on our bicycles, dug fox holes in our backyards, went to the corner store for candy and balloons, had water balloon fights, shot off saved fireworks, started secret clubs and bought ice cream from the ice cream truck every chance we got" Thankfully my childhood sounds quite similars to yours SR540Beaver. I wonder how much of an age difference there is between us? I'm 20. Surpirised my childhood was similar? It all depends where kids grow up and what kind of family life they have. I had Nintendo as a kid, but I only played it when it was a rainy day. I would much rather have been out with my friends, exploring whats left that there is to explore on Long Island. Although we were never far from the sounds of the towns, we could get out of sight of them. In parks, and around lakes I would spend my childhood. My bycicle was my mode of transportation, I treated it as sacred. With my two best friends both fellow Eagle Scouts, I spent every free moment with. I couldn't imagine what my life would be like without the experiences that I have had. Computers were not exactly in every home though when I was a kid. We had one that was used to do school projects and that's about it. The internet was young and I was not interested in it then. Now though I'm sure there is even more to distract kids from the outdoors. But in Beavers day the TV was popular, and in my day video games, and today the computer. But depending on where you grow up and what kind of family you have that doesn't mean there is no hope left for kids. Thanks to the BSA I was able to get even further away, on even bigger adventures. I strngly believe that the BSA can help turn the popular trend of couch potatoe kids today. YIS

Thankfully its true, every girl likes a guy in Uniform. Whether its police, firemmen, or even scouts! Good story BSAChaplain! Personally, I have noticed the girls like the flat hat! My girlfreind likes the Venturing uniform too Not to stary too far off topic but speaking of Uniforms, I thought you'd all get a kick out of this one... A fellow Eagle Scout who is getting his flying license sent me this today! Enjoy! Two men dressed in pilots' uniforms walk up the aisle of the airplane. Both are wearing dark glasses, one is using a guide dog and the other is tapping his way along the aisle with a white cane. Nervous laughter spreads through the cabin, but the men enter the cockpit, the door closes, and the engines start up. The passengers begin glancing nervously around, searching for some sign that this is just a little practical joke. None is forthcoming. The plane moves faster and faster down the runway, and the people sitting in the window seats realize they're headed straight for the water at the edge of the airport territory. As it begins to look as though the plane will plough into the water, panicked screams fill the cabin. At that moment, the plane lifts smoothly into the air. The passengers relax and laugh a little sheepishly, and soon all retreat into their magazines, secure in the knowledge that the plane is in good hands. In the cockpit, one of the blind pilots turns to the other and says, "You know, Dennis, one of these days, they're gonna scream too late and we're all gonna die."

Ahh the chaos..I miss it.. Laurie, those are the trips that leave long lasting memories the scouts will never forget! Isn't Scouting great!? YIS

LauraMO, You have come to the right place! I am a MASSIVE LEGO collector. I constructed a city of Legos when I was a kid in my basement. An entire city, with roads my parents helped me paint etc... Massive buildings, the works! When I got older and it came time to take them down I just could not do it. I have saved every buidling INTACT. My parents bought a bunch Jumbo-Bins. We filled them with that pop-corn packing material on the bottom of the bin. Then we placed each building in carefully, filling in pop-corn around each and every Lego item. It took a lot of bins to fit my enitre collection though. We recently moved, and it was a nice trip down memory lane looking through the clear bins. We also labeled each bin to whatever part of the city the buildings were from (Waterfront, Military, Police & Rescure etc..) It took about 4 trips with 2 suv's to get all of the bins to the new house. God help my future wife when I bring them home... Anyway, feel free to Private Message me if you have any questions! I'd be glad to help! YIS

Thanks for sharing. YIS

Indonesia-Gerakan Pramuka (Boy Scouts and Girl Guides Movement) They have 8,909,435 members...wow. I can't imagine any other organization that is in so many countries other then the Boy Scout Movement.

BadenP 50 in your Crew!? WOW. What is your Crews Interest?

I agree with BW. Bob White says: "Do we as leaders lack that much committment to what we do that we hide from the public because an individual did the wrong thing and was stopped. Let's have a little backbone here. Condemn the crime and the criminal, not the employer or the program. " "Trustworthy, Loyal, Cheerful, Brave! Let's see a little scouting character here." That just needed to be re-posted for eveyone to really read and think about. scoutldr, you should not worry about what your co-workers think. Let them know what the BSA stands for and it is not what that sick twisted man stood for. Let them know what you stand for and they will be jealous with envy. We are all Scouters here and I know we all feel pride in the BSA. This guy won't take my faith away, he strengthens it and makes me more stedfast in the things I believe in. YIS

What a terrible thing. I can't believe how these sick people can blend in to society, its quite scary.

I like your style NapowanRed. Uniform at all times, I have lived in mine for about 216 hours, no where near as close as you though! Only took my boots off to change socks daily, but slept in the boots all 9 days. I always managed to stay quite clean though, "A Scout is Clean..." "A Scout is Thrifty". I can be comfortable camping in really cold temperatures with hand-me-down sweaters and such. You don't need the top of the line NorthFace to survive!

In my opinion the uniform should be what a Scout wears at all Scouting functions. It should be made so that it is useful and practical at both meetings, COH's, parades, and back woods camping. It should look neat but also be made for a beating. Scouts should be identifiable wherever they are. Especially when camping. It's nice to be able to see a Troop of boys with some uniformity. You can tell who is who, by leadership patches etc... They should also make uniforms for both cold and warm weather climates. Basically just offer both shirt and pants in a different heavier material, and a lighter one. When I camp in December I'd like to have my option of a wool shirt. In the summer I'd like something lightweight. Bring back the older styled Campaign hats, the softer ones, and make them official! In closing, we need a uniform that is useful. Not a cute outfit. Something practical yet presentable. A sharp looking uniform that will represent all for what we as Scouters stand for. By staying true to our legacy, it's crucial that we have a unifrom that represents the BSA's past and it's future. Just my 2 cents. YIS