Weekender

There are many people who once practiced homosexuality who have chosen not to do so. For some it is a matter of abstention but for others they have found heterosexuality a better choice. I just found a web site called Exodus that deals with this issue. I haven't looked through it thoroughly but it may have some of the information you're asking about.

Brad, My wife and I also Homeschool our two children (both boys). And I agree completely that the merit badges make excellent school units. We've found the scientific and animal raising (pets etc) related badges particularly useful in our science program. We also incorperate community service into our school curriculum. You are probably already aware of this but if not you might want to look into the "congressional award" program. All other scouters may want to check it out as well. The award honors kids for community service, personal growth, and expedition or exploration efforts. We just heard of it recently and are enrolling my older son. My younger boy has to wait another yaer or so before he's eligible.

sctmom Leviticus 18:22 "do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; that is detestable." I don't want to be "preachy" or force my beliefs on anyone else but I believe in God, and I believe he personally created each of us. He would not intentionally create a person who could not help but be detestable to the Him. . 1 Corinthians 10:13 "No temptation has siezed you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it." Homosexuality is a sin, sin is a choice, There is always an option.

I'm a 21 year Air Force veteran (still serving). I think the the flag should stay but agree that the boys and adults should take care not to disrespect it. Duty to country is a big part of our program. Were any of you aware of the uproar caused when US soldiers serving in desert Shield/Storm were told they could not display a US flag on their uniform. We knew about it in the service but I don't recall whether or not it was publicized. Many of the solodiers who were forced to remove the flag from their sleeves sewed them on the inside of their hats just so that everyone would know what they stood for and why they were willing to be there. God Bless'em. I'd never ask John Wayne not to wear his white hat! And while our flag doesn't represent a perfect nation or people it's the best thing anyone has come up with yet. Le Voyageur, I respect your opinion on this and it seems that your concern is honorable but I hope the flag stays and that we all wear it proudly.

Ozemu, I agree 100% that the boys need to be reasponsible for their gear. Our problem with the chuck boxes is that they are used on the campout and then once we get them back to town they are never looked at again until they reach the next campsite. Our storage location is one problem (we're working to fix that) but the gear is used and then stuffed in the box and not checked when it gets back to town. By having the boys carry it in their packs they tend to be more aware of how dirty it is. By making them bring it with them to the next meeting and checking it in, either to a troop or patrol QM, there is an opportunity to inspect it for cleanliness and condition. Our troop Qm (when I was young) checked tents, tarps, and dutch ovens, etc. Patrol QM's took care of pots, pans, utensils and any other patrol gear.

Kevin M, You hit on something that has helped our troop get started in the direction of backpacking. Here in West Texas there is no an aboundance of backcountry trail for us to use and most places that you can camp are car accessable. But that doesn't mean you have to drive the boys right to the site. Maybe you could find a site in your area that has a 1 or 2 mile dirt road leading into it and start off by having the scouts walk that road with or without their gear. Work your way up from just walking to carrying personal gear to carrying all gear to leaving the trailer home once in a while. I've found the boys take to this much better than the parents, I've even had a few adults tell me they won't go if they have to actually walk and carry anything, but we're slowly turning it around. BTW: If any of you ever plan to be in the San Angelo Area drop by Troop 44, Cornerstone Christian School, Monday nights at 7:00.

You know it! Last year I lobbied for the hiking merit badge...the boys went for it and that has gotten us started. This year we've still got a short backpacking trip (7 miles RT) down near San Antonio and a 20 miler at Big Bend planned for a weekend in March. April is waterskiing so we'll be close to the cars but summercamp this year is going to be Wehinepay mountain in New Mexico. Everything is uphill from everywhere else. ) I'm trying to put in at least 4-6 trips per year that require packs and thought. (no offense to those who enjoy car camping) My only problem is getting the adults in shape. Last years 14 mile day at Lost Maples almost killed out scoutmaster. He's been with the troop for just about 40 years and he twisted both ankles on that trip. God bless though, He tried. I'm hoping to get some webelo dads this year who are into packing. One good crop of backcountry enthusiasts could turn the troop around completely.

We have chuck boxes in our troop. While they can be convenient at times, all in all I wish we didn't have them. First, they are really geared to camping near a vehicle (they are quite heavy). Once the scouts (and adults) get used to having them it is difficult to break them away which means it's tough to get away from car camping. Second, The boxes tend to get very cluttered. I had the boys spend the better part of two hours on a recent campout cleaning them out and putting all the items back in the proper boxes. By the time we got home they looked terrible again. For me it's a constant struggle to keep the young'uns from giving themselves food poisoning. Third, things tend to get lost when the boys use the boxes, they aren't worried about keeping track of their fork when they can just go get another one out of the box. If I had my drothers I would do things the way we did in my troop when I was a kid (we are moving in this direction slowly) I want to have all the troop gear stored and controlled by a troop quartermaster, QM will sign the equipment out to individuals prior to each campout and check all the gear coming back in. This will give you about a third of a meeting worth of activity before the campout and about half a meeting worth after (but the gear will be clean and servicable for the next trip). Patrols should be given a storage area for their patrol gear, particularly their cooking gear, and should determine what to take on each campout and only take that. A program heavy on backpacking will move a troop in this direction. I grew up backpacking and having to learn how to leave what I didn't need behind. I've been pretty disappointed with the trend toward taking it all. Something about that idea just doesn't sit right with me. If you are still determined to have chuck boxes; let me give one piece of advice that might help. We bought stainless steel kitchen stuff (pots/pans etc.) They are nice but heavy and no good on a fire (handles melt). I would suggest you buy the heavyweight aluminum cook set from the BSA ($72.00). That is one product that is still worth the cost and it fits well in a backpack Sorry for the long post but I'm trying to fight the "I need to be within site of the car" syndrome in West Texas.

I've seen alot of good ideas in this thread. The Air Force has a military clothing board that meets at regular intervals to review the current uniform items. Maybe the BSA could use a similar board. I particularly like the idea of having a dress (courts of honor) and field uniform. A BDU style and quality pant would be a nice addition. The long sleeve T-shirt or sweat shirt sounds good as well. I think the bottom line is that if the BSA wants to make sales they need to listen to their customers and design some good quality clothing at reasonable prices. Does anyone know a national level scouting exec that we coul dforward our thoughts (or even this thread) to?

eisely, I wasn't able to find the post you metnioned so I don't know if thsi idea has been put forward. Our troop had some problems with this issue and what we have done is put the slowest hiker up front to set the pace. No one paces him. It's not a perfect solution but it has helped in two ways. One, it encourages that scout to improve, and two, it helps the other scouts realize that not everyone can just sprint down the trail. On the donw side it does cause occasional frustration fo the faster hikers so we try to find sections of trail where they can stretch their legs a bit.

Well, Two uniform issues just came up this last week. On Monday one of our scouts came to the meeting without wearing his uniform. While the other scouts were getting inspected he was in the hall doing his 80 pushups (I keep telling the boys that we will either be the sharpest or the strongest troop in town (please remember, this was THEIR solution)). We'll see how he looks next week. On the flip side the young man who used to be the worst offender came to the meeting in his full uniform for the fourth time in a row with no discrepencies (We recognized him for that effort). I guess he got tired of the push-ups. Unfortunately, he then showed up for Tuesday night's board of review in street clothes. We put him at the end of the list and told him if he could be in proper full uniform by the time it was his turn he could still meet the board but he was unable to get his uniform in time and now has to wait for the next board. That is, unless he can convince the Charter rep to do one out of cycle for him. I don't think there is much chance of that so he's going to have another tough lesson to learn. We'll keep encouraging him to do what he needs to do but I think kids (particularly young men) need to learn that if they want to accomplish things they have to put in the effort and that when they don't or won't do what needs to be done there are consiquences. It's not an easy pill to swallow but as the saying goes, It's easier to build boys, than to mend men. I know that some people will see this as cruel treatment but what kind of character gets built if you give privilege without requiring responsibility?

eisely, Thanks for the post. I'll be passing it around my GOVERNMENT office )

I'm in favor of patrol outings if you have the adult supervision necessary to pull it off and if the patrol does not skip troop activities in favor of their own.

When my sons and I joined our current troop I was less than thrilled with the effort the troop was putting into their uniforms. I feel that a uniform (in whatever form it takes) is important to esprit de corps. I went to the PLC and told them that I wanted to see an improvemnt in this area and why I felt that way. I asked them to come up with a plan for improving our uniform wear and to get the troop as a whole to approve it. In light of another recent conversation here, some of you may not like this. The BOYS decided that they would do a uniform inspection (about 5 minutes) as part of EVERY troop meeting. Our uniform consists of beret, class A shirt (w/red eps and appropriate patches), BDU pants, scout belt, and scout socks. The boys decided that there were eight distinct portions to the uniform and that each peice was worth 10 push-ups imediately following the inspection if not properly worn. They, the SPL and PLs, are fully in charge of this program, it is understood by all, and it has dramatically improved the appearance of our troop.

I worked with a troop for a couple years while my boys were cubs. When a new boy registered with the troop he was given a piece of 1x4 to put his name and the year on and decorate as he wanted. Two hanging loops were then attached to the board. The boards were hung from rank plaques on the wall. As a boy advanced through the ranks his plank was moved up from rank to rank. We had the boy move his name up as part of the court of honor. Those boys who made eagle had their boards placed in a row of boards that encircled our meeting room. When we met we were surrounded by the names of those who came before and had achieved the rank of eagle.

I've never heard this one before. Is there aparticular tune that it goes to or is it more of a chant? is there anyplace to get guitar chords for these types of songs?

Ed, Thanks for the info. I tried that site but couldn't get through. I'll keep trying. I'm a Talon you...i'm an eagle too!!

FScouter, Thanks for keeping an eye out for me. Ebay doesn't have it listed any more. I'll have to remember to go back and search every now and then.

We had three or four different varieties of acorns, everything from live oak to burr oak. The tree the acorn came from determined how to prep it. Dark acorns, live oak, red oak etc. have a lot of Tanin (tanic acid) in them. This tanin must be leached out or the acorn will taste VERY bitter. If you have ever eaten the soft inner shell part of a fresh pecan you know what tanin tastes like. The leaching process is done by boiling the shelled acorns until the water turns brown, then dumping the old water and repeating with fresh until the water runs clear after boiling. Some folks just run the acorns under cold water which works with some types but not others. Burr oaks have very little tanin and can actually be eaten right from the shell. They are also one of the largest acorns. (sidenote: many indian wars were fought over burr oaks...they were very valuable) After leaching you can eat the acorns like any other nut or you can grind them up to make flour. We did both and made bread with the flour. You could probably live on the bread but it was very dry and grainy, and had a dark almost purply tint to it. Eaten just as a nut with a little salt they are similar in taste and texture to almonds.

Just found the name. They are called Nopalitos...No' - pal - ee - toes. Some web sites say they are cut up adult pads but I have it on good authority that the new spring shoots are the way to go.

Prickly pear is a cactus with flat, mickey mouse ear, looking pads. Attached to the pads grow prickly pear fruit (apples). They are redish purple, kind of oblong, not quite egg shaped bulbs that are covered in spines. You have to be very careful when you handle these (use pliers until they have been singed). Our scouts singed the spines off by holding the fruit (speared on a sharp stick) in a flame for a minute or two while rotating it to make sure all the spines were burned off. Then you cut them in half lengthwise and spoon out the seeds. Make sure you do a good job with the seeds. Then cut each half into three lengthwise slices and fillet the meat from the skin. We had 4 scout singeing and 4 cutting and peeling for about 40 minutes to get close to 2 quarts of prepared fruit. Then, in a dutch oven we put the fruit, 2 cups of sugar (could have used another cup or so) and a cup of water. We made a bisquick top crust and then pressed some wild mint into it. We set it on a pile of coals and added some more to the top of the oven and cooked it for about 35 minutes. It was pretty good (could have used a little more sugar). Some chunks of fresh apple or pear would have been good with it. Be careful of staining clothes and cutting boards. prickly pear juice is BRIGHT violet. It's hard to describe the taste, I've never really had anything else like it. We also ate prickly pear pad. In the spring new prickly pear pads start to grow from the older more fibrous ones. The new shoots are harvested and then sort of pickled with celantro and onion. We had this with scrambled eggs and tortillas on Saturday and with out the eggs just hot in tortillas on Sunday. We bought the prepared pads at a local grocer. I'm not not sure of the spanish name for this food but I know a few folks who are. When I find out I'll post it.

Rooster7, Sorry, I'm afraid you were just too subtle for me. Next time try a 2x4. ) BTW, I never shared how my dad helped me learn to swim...One day he took me out in his boat on one of the local lakes. Without any warning he just threw me over the side of the boat into the water. It turned out that swimming really wasn't all the hard after you get out of the burlap sack.

People eating tasty Anima...sorry, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. A nobel pursuit if not not taken to extremes. Unfortunately many PETA activists place more value on the life a chicken or frog than on the life of a person.

I understand that some folks could have concern. We did a similar camp about two years ago. At first the dads were concerned about kids "killing things" and the effect it might have. What surprised me was the response of our moms...without exception they were for it. One of the things we leaders had to be sure of was to control the "Buck fever" tendancies this activity can invoke. There is a bit of adrenalin flowing and the boys need to be guided through the experience. Our job was to keep the boys focused and to help them understand that, yes, they were taking a life and that it was their responsibility to do so in the most painless and humane way possible. We want them to understand that this is the purpose of these animals and that the food on their tables at home come from this type of activity. I think it was a valuable learning experience for the scouts and one that will help them be more confident in their abilities to do whatever needs to be done in life.

Just got back from a great campout with my scout troop. We went to a local property (we call'em ranches) in order to teach our scouts some survival skills. We started Friday night with Beef jerky for supper that the scouts had helped to prepare the previous week and river water to wash it down with . When the boys got up in the morning we had a discussion about turkeys and how they nest. We told them there were two simulated turkey nests in the area with their breakfast in them and sent them out to find their food. Breakfast was scrambled "turkey" eggs and prickly pear cactus pads (picked last spring) on warm tortillas. For lunch we had 4 live roosters for 8 scouts. They had to figure out (with a little parental guidance) how to take them from on the claw to on the grill. They did well except for the one that got the idea something was up as the boy put a knife to it. That bird decided he was worth fighting for. He pecked at the scout, somehow untied his own legs and ran for cover with eight scouts in hot pursuit. The bird was caught and dispatched humanely and all settled down to clean there lunch. The adults had a hen which, in addition to lunch, also provided an unexpected egg and a good nature lesson on the various stages of egg development. All the left over bones went into a stew pot. Dinner included chicken soup with dumplings and wild veggies culled from the field (mostly watercress, snot grass, and spinney lettuce). Dessert was prickly pear fruit cobbler with wild mint, we used our chiken egg in the dough for the top of the cobbler. Added to all of this were a few fish caught in the concho river, three or four varieties of acorns, and all the pecans anyone would want to eat. It was a great time. The boys learned some valuable skills and all wrote thank you notes to the owners. We've been invited back out next spring so the owner can show us some additional ways to live off the west Texas landscape.