OldGreyEagle

Hey now, that publicly financed baseball stadium gave Philadelphia the right to be World @#??&$ Series Champions as Chase Utely put so well. (I think it was Chase, it was someone) If only some of that money could have been placed nto a remedial football rules course where you could learn that regular season NFL games can end in a tie, but in playoff games they go until there is a winner Or maybe an upgrade to the public educational system, naw, too easy

When was the last time anyone spoke Latin? Why is it taught today? I have been called upon to whip ropes many times. And people stand in fascination as I do the loopy windy and pull thing. They are amazed and impressed, it took me a long time to realize not everyone could do it

I think there needs to be a distinction between what some would consider by-laws and others operational policy. For example, dues are due the first week of the month is an operational policy. Where the Troop meets, time of meeting, that sort of information is Troop Policy or Guidelines, or something other than a By-Law. Of course, thats just my opinion, I could be wrong. A by-law that states a scout should act scoutlike at all times on a troop event seems superfluous, a scout it to act scout like at all times. If a scout is not acting scoutlike, its up to the troop leadership present at the time to do what needs be done and then the Committee can talk about it later, if warranted. Odds are, even with the most complete multiple page By-Law book compiled, it will not address the situation first time someone thinks it needs to be consulted. Then once you start to use By-Laws, they all have to be enforced (not a real scout like term, enforcing by-laws) Rules, Regulations, Codes of Conduct, etc are needed to keep order in large oranizations where discipline and consistency are prized, I hope most of us don't see our units as these types of oranizations and are more willing to work with the people involved than use a rule and summarily apply it

remember, even if a scout doesnt show up for 6 months, he is still seen by National as an active scout, but if he doesnt go on events, earn merit badges, how does he advance ? simple he doesnt or shouldn't

While it is true that scouts are non-military, so are most high school marching bands but some march with precision that makes my staff sargeant Marine father proud. Doing close order drill for punishment is a lot different then spending some meeting time getting in step before a parade.

see, this didnt go the way I thought it would, but I blame me and my math skills, I should have started with the figure 310,000,000 and then added the 6 more zeroes to have 310,000,000,000,000 and then I would have stopped and gone on to other pursuits. And no, I have not worked for any financial institution, but perhaps others with my financial acumen have. Anyway, the reason for my proposal was to examine what would happen if the government mad everyone "rich" with a single stroke of the pen. OK, every one gets one million dollars in their bank account. Then what happens? I run to the Porche store to buy my dream car, but guess what? No one is there, all the Porche store employees are off in line to buy a Lotus but can't because all the employees of the Lotus store quit as well. Each of us has a million dollars but no where to spend it because since we all have a million dollars, no one "has" to work because we all have what we always wanted, plenty of money. After reality sets in, we realize that if everyone has a million dollars, then in effect no one has a million dollars. People have to work to get enough money to "entice" people to do things, like drive trucks of food to the store, grow the food, run the stores etc. In other words function like a society. Now, if this was tried, would we learn our lesson? That throwing money at a problem is not the answer? That we realize a society requires people working together?

Gee, the goal of Leave No Trace is to Leave No Trace, implied in that statment is that we are chasing perfection (See 2007-2008 New England Patriots). It's what we aspire too while recognizing we will never reach it. Attempts at perfection, although futile, are no less noble and that is the core of LNT (leastwise the way I understand it). To minimize impact, leaving no impact would be best but is impossible. Sorry you have had botanical errors along your scouting path, but why blame that on Bob White?

Gee, you pretty much denigrate the efforts of a volunteer organization and when you get push back from the people who spend a lot of time in it you say we are think skinned well ok, what did you expect, thank you sire, may I have another? As far as todays youth, I often think of this quote: Our youth now love luxury. They have bad manners, contempt for authority; they show disrespect for their elders, and love chatter in places of exercise. They no longer rise when elders enter the room. They contradict their parents, chatter before company, gobble up their food and tyrannize their teachers. Of course, this is Socrates and it seems each generation disappoints the previous, its tradition

So, I have an idea that I need to have the pitfalls exlained to me. It seems like the country is in a Bailout frenzy, so here's the idea. Acording to urban legen there is 800 billion out there for the Banks. I have heard various numbers bandied about, such as 700, 500, etc but they always end in Hundred Billion Dollars. So, in the words of Ross Perot, here's the deal. There are approximately 300 million people in the US, so I will call it 310 million just to be safe. Since we have all these hundreds of Billions of dollars laying around, why not take less than 1 billion and send every US citizen 2 million dollars. That would be 620 million, certainly any country that can come with 500 Billion dollars for its Financial Institutions can figure a way to give .001 of it to each individual. Talk about spreading the wealth, instantly the whole problem would go away. Everyone pays off their credit cards, mortgages and buys new electronics, cars, durable hard goods, recovery is on the way. This can't be that hard, right?

First of all, if hypocrisy is embedded in the BSA, why do you remain a member or ask advice of us hypocrites, then again I may just be sensitive this morning so perhaps my comment is too reflexive, 1. This is what BSA says about knives in the Guide to Safe Scouting, Online version Knives "A sharp pocketknife with a can opener on it is an invaluable backcountry tool. Keep it clean, sharp, and handy. Avoid large sheath knives. They are heavy and awkward to carry, and unnecessary for most camp chores except for cleaning fish. Since its inception, Boy Scouting has relied heavily on an outdoor program to achieve its objectives. This program meets more of the purposes of Scouting than any other single feature. We believe we have a duty to instill in our members, youth and adult, the knowledge of how to use, handle, and store legally owned knives with the highest concern for safety and responsibility. Rememberknives are not allowed on school premises, nor can they be taken aboard commercial aircraft." Now, Some Councils and Council Camps have come up with rules regarding the length and type of knives that may be used. Thats up to them, but as far as the BSA is concerned, if its a legal knife, its' ok by them but local rules apply as always. 2 see above 3. If its undocumented, how can it be policy? Unoffical Offical or otherwise and what does Wood Badge have to do with this? 4. Not sure what you mean by the absoluteteness of LNT, there is no absolte, it's an ethic that you live with and do the best you can, who said it was absolute, if you are backpacking Denali its absolute and a few other places but they are few 5. Is this about "taking away" Totin Chip cards? There is no documentation about how many corners to cut off or any of that nonsense, if the youth can't safely handle a wood tool, either he gets taught how to or he doesnt use it, no documentation required So, if you dont beleive in LNT, does that mean you would prefer to come to a campsite where previous names have been carved into trees and multiple fires have been started all over the site instead of in a single place? I agree that LNT advocates can go over board, I mean why go in the forest if the CO2 you exhale might upset the bance of the gas equilibrium? I commonly wear bright, hunter's orange coats or other outerwear because I want to be seen or have others see me. I have been told that is against LNT principles, they will have to learn to live with it

Gee Lem, we had a president who wanted to discuss what "is" is, and you want to take us for task for not having a specific definition and criteria of each point of the scout law? hey Goldwinger, define for us what a strike is and if its called exactly the same on every pitch and in every game for every umpire, Or perhaps what constitutes a basketball foul and is what constitutes a foul the same on every play and in every game for every ref? I would bet most people respond to your posts because they assume you are searching for explanations to your queries, Scouters are like that, sometimes we get taken advantage of, but most would rather err on the side of answering than not. if this is for your amusement, thats on you, if you truly want to know, we all will try to explain it. But each of us have our own sphere of experience and we may not be able to explain it to your satisfaction. I have a separate set of experiences than the aforementioned Goldwinger who is different than, well you get the idea. No, the BSA is not an organization of cookie cutted out automatons (much to my chagrin at times)but if we were, I am sure somebody would take us to task for that as well

Eagle Boards of Review are typically held once a month at a fixed location. Scout/Scoutmasters call the Eagle co-ordinator and get a time (approximate of course) I say typically because if the situation requires, an Eagle Board of Review can occur anytime, anywhere. Having the EBOR on one night a month at a fixed location makes it easier on the adults of the Advancement Committee, but we would never allow our ease to get in the way of a scout who could not make usual time/place

"Why are there no protocols for customs and courtesies for how scouts should speak and behave in relation to superiors and inferiors?" One of the three Aims is Citizen training and as a member of a Representative Republic, I don't see anyone as a superior nor an inferior and I don't think Scouts should either PS, the Scoutmaster is not to be seen as a superior, rather a trainer of the leaders of the troop the Senior Patrol Leader and the Patrol Leaders Council(This message has been edited by oldgreyeagle)

Sheldonsmom, now that was funny OK, I think any remake should have a touch of homage to the past. So, I agree with the casting although I would like to also see Kurt Russell in a supporting role as a tough as nails but with a heart of gold survival expert Robert "Snake" Plissken. In the middle of the movie he has to perform an emgergency appendectomy on the floor of the Grand Canyon during a Superactivity with a piece of broken glass and while the Crew marvels at his surgical expertise, he explains, I had some medical training a long time ago.

Lets see, at the end of the movie Whitey is explaining to Lem that the Troop Committee (who Lem thinks will gum everything up)has voted to bestow the title "Scoutmaster Emeritus" upon Lem as he takes a less active role in the Troop to which Lem replies: "That's not in the manual" Whitey replies: "Lem, when did your Troop do everything by the manual?" Therefore, Lem had enough training to know the manual, at least he knew there was a manual and Whitey knew enough about the program to know that Troop 1 Hickory (which went on to star in Hoosiers (the town, not the troop))did not always follow the program. Proof Lem and Whitey were trained to some degree Upon further review, I declare that Lem Siddons was a tweaker which may explain his status in the forum. Lemuel Siddons, Patron Saint of Boy Scout Tweakers, it fits

Another alternative Billy is that the ideas you have mean both sides would have to work together (gasp) and that appears anathematic to both sides. You (the rhetorical you, not you Billy personally) have to be wrong because I know I am right and I can't possibly work with someone who is so wrong even if what we work on meets both our goals

Perhaps I was too hyperbolic in my style, once more into the brach my friends... What in the past experience of the US goverment gives us any indication that it can run the Auto Industry?

Knute Rockne is dead as well. The image of the College Football coaches as men molding young boys into men for the love of the game and the glory of the Institution, is long gone as well everywhere but Happy Valley. (see Lou Saban, Bobby Petrino, etc) That Society has changed is fact, change is constant. It reminds me of the old joke about how many Scouters does it take to change a light bulb, Three, Two talk about how good the old times were when the bulb worked and the other actually changes the bulb. or you could look at it as lighting a candle rather than cursing the darkness but in anyu shape society changes. And always has

Flushless Urinals. hey check out what the Plumbers Union did to that idea in Philadelphia Actually, if we start the "Don't blame me game I voted for...", how do we move forward as a country? It was the same after the 2000 election as well. I was told by an union acquaintance, "he is your president, he is not mine". I didnt know we could make that disctinction. OK, Obama's not my choice, but he is my president. The first one I may actually email and phone, look at me, change is possible, I am ready to let him know how I feel

To bail them out with conditions means setting up an organization fuled by government workers to oversee the "rules". Now, what government "run" industry can you name that is any good? Amtrak? Is that still around? The Postal Service? If it was any good Fed Ex, DHL and UPS wouldnt be around. Is the Veterans Administration a picture of client service? No bail out, no to helping out louts and thugs who gorged at the trough of mediocrity and want the government to help them out

hey Lisabob, we are not throwing you under any bus, you guys (rhetorically speaking) climbed under the bus willingly and gleefully and now need help, no, can't do it. You have a college student who is to turn in a term paper for the final grade. All during the term the student skips class, is disruptive when in class, pays no attention to the material and then, one week before the term is over wants an extension and for you to co-authour the paper as well? How does that sound to you ?

If the prognosis of the patient is so absolutely grim, why continue?(This message has been edited by oldgreyeagle)

perhaps todays views are the result of the bail out, when it first appeared, it had to be done, and done this week. There was a huge push to get it done before the week end and when it wasnt done, there was much consternation. Now, the thought is, well maybe we were hasty up front. Well, let it all be sorted out without government help I have commented before, I live in Bethlehem. Anybody remember Bethlehem Steel? Anybody remember US Steel besides like Eamonn and Ed? I dont remember many crying when they went belly up, they were victims of their own excesses, well, Bethlehem Steel was for sure I am not certain of US Steel. Who gets to decide which industry gets to be proped up? It wasnt that long ago bankruptcy laws were changed to make it harder to file, because it was felt to many people were taking the easy way out and now we say people, you go suck eggs and live with your debt, but you companies, no, we need you

well, you know, I wouldnt begrudge anyone a vacation beach house that they had bought because they were making 74 dollars an hour, if the product/work they turned out was worth 74 dollars an hour, and there is the rub.

No, we should not bail out the Auto makers, in the lexicon of our program, there has to be consequence for your actions. Too many years of poor decisions, producung a poor product has taken its toll. And now we have to prop them up? That is crazy, it is nuts, we talked a lot about what a Socialist Obama is, and now, even before he takes office, we are doing this? It does not make sense. I realize the UAW is also campaigning for this. The UAW, the very model of the cartoonish union worker who produces a shoddy product while demandning ever increasing wages and benefits, needs to re-evaluate its processes and membership. No, No, No