OldGreyEagle

1,200 acres in the Pocono's 2 hours from the Holland Tunnel? You tell me It may hurt a bit most of it is swamp

The dam is over 100 years old, it is a man made lake, at first used for logging and then subsequently for providing ice to New York City and Philadelphia. The Camp fronts about a third of the shore, which unfortunately contains the dam The camp was given to the COuncil in 50's. The State has stated the dam needs to be fixed or it will be drained. Now, if the lake is drained, there is no camp so the COuncil could sell the property and the community could add 400 luxury homes and then have the resultant cost of fire and police protection and increase demand on the school system. The lake is part of the community, it is not private to the camp

The X Men movies do show what happens when people of a diverse background and skill come together for a noble purpose. Even the loner Logan comes to realize the attributes of Team Work

In another vein, I offer this http://www.minsitrails.com/Documents/Newsletter/Jan2008/final.pdf Check page 2, The Executives Corner Dear Scouters, For the past five summers, Ive had the opportunity to spend a week at Camp Minsi with my son as heparticipated in Boy Scout summer camp. These weeks have taught him a great deal, and have provided me with some of my best memories. However, we are currently facing a serious challenge at Camp Minsi, and how we respond to this challenge in the upcoming months will determine whether we can continue to operate Camp Minsi in the future. In 2002, the State of Pennsylvanias Department of Environmental Protection (PA DEP) reclassified the dam at Camp Minsi as a B2 High-Hazard Dam. Since then, the camp experienced three 100 year rain events, resulting in the dam overtopping all three times. One of these overtoppings resulted in a breach in the dam, which has since been repaired. As a result, the PA DEP has informed us that we are required to rebuild the dam to meet higher standards. The estimated cost of these repairs is $3,000,000. Needless to say, the council does not have the funds to enact the repairs. This is where your help is needed. Our councils legislative leaders have been involved for several years in helping us locate federal, state and private funds to help cover the cost of these repairs. Senators Arlen Spector and Robert Casey and Rep. Charlie Dent have been working on the federalfront, and State Senators Robert Mellow, Robert Musto, Pat Browne and Lisa Boscola have been working with all of our State Representatives, including Rep. Mario Scavello, Rep. Mike Carroll, Rep. Doug Reichley and Rep. Jennifer Mann, to secure state funding. Our goal is to secure a state grant, and to match this grant with either federal funds, private contributions, or funds from the sale of a conservation easement on the Camp Minsi property. A conservation easement would insure that the property could not be sold to a developer, and the roceeds from the sale could be used to help pay for the repairs, with the balance placed in the councils endowment fund to help maintain the dam and the rest of the camp for future generations of Scouts. Heres where you come in. In February, 2008, we will be launching a Save Camp Minsi Scout letter-writing campaign geared at asking our legislative leaders and Gov. Rendell to help provide funding to repair the dam. We will be holding special informational meetings about this letter writing campaign at each districts February Roundtable meeting. Our goal is to send 10,000 letters from Scouts and parents to Gov. Rendell and each of our legislative leaders, asking for their help in saving our camp. Sample letters and a roster of these leaders will be distributed at the February Roundtables, along with a fact sheet about this challenge. Summer camp is an essential method of Scouting, and aquatic activities like swimming, lifesaving, canoeing, rowing, sailing and fishing are essential to summer camp. Without a lake, wed be hard pressed to run a summer camp program at Camp Minsi. Given the tight timetable that the PA DEP has placed on us, we must move quickly to let our leaders know of the challenge we face. I hope you can join us at our February Roundtables to hear how you can help us overcome this challenge. Please feel free to contact me directly if you have any questions or suggestions, and thanks for helping us Save Camp Minsi for future generations of Scouts. This is definetly political, it invovlves getting money to save the dam at a scout camp to save the scout camp. How you feel about this?

"It occurs to me that we need a heterosexual pride parade" They are held every day in the Hospital Maternity Department

Pack, I think that is pushing the envelope then again that is the title of the thread

Received this a week ago from our DE, its the National Policy on Scouting and Uniform/Ect wearing and Politics. I have ssen it posted on several Council websites. Since we are in a presidential election year, it is a good time to restate the BSAs long-standing policy regarding the participation of Scouts in political rallies and other political events. Uniformed unit members and leaders may participate in flag ceremonies at political events and may lead the Pledge of Allegiance; however, they should retire after the ceremony and not remain on the speakers platform or in a conspicuous location where television viewers could construe their presence as an endorsement or symbol of support. In addition, photos of candidates or Scouts in uniform or BSA marks and logos are not allowed in political campaign materials of any kind. Volunteers and professionals must be alert to situations that would imply that the BSA favors one candidate over another. Strict observance of our long-standing policy against the active participation of uniformed Scouts and leaders in political events is mandatory. The scouts will be endorsing an idea, that is different than a person(This message has been edited by OldGreyEagle)

Heck, here is requirement 2 for Citizenship in the Nation Meritbadge: 2. Do TWO of the following: a. Visit a place that is listed as a National Historic Landmark or that is on the National Register of Historic Places. Tell your counselor what you learned about the landmark or site and what you found interesting about it. b. Tour your state capitol building or the U.S. Capitol. Tell your counselor what you learned about the capitol, its function, and the history. c. Tour a federal facility. Explain to your counselor what you saw there and what you learned about its function in the local community and how it serves this nation. d. Choose a national monument that interests you. Using books, brochures, the Internet (with your parent's permission), and other resources, find out more about the monument. Tell your counselor what you learned, and explain why the monument is important to this country's citizens. Seems like it could be viewed as completing a merit badge item. Pressured to attend? In scouting we hardly require trainig, let alone going to the state capitol, How far a trip is it?

I would figure in as august group as this is, we must have a few NYLT Scoutmasters and NYLT staff youth as members. My question to them is this: How does the NYLT Curriculum address the concept of New Scout Patrols, Experienced Patrols, and Venture Patrols and their role in the Troop?

The only time an event was cancelled in the troop I serve was a hike, it was spring and it was threatening to rain and loud thunder was heard everywhere, the scoutmaster ,after about the 10th thunder boom in 5 minutes, said lets go home, no one questioned him. It may be better to sit home and wish you went, than to go and wish you stayed home. Disretion is sometimes the better part of Valor

Way back in my youth, after Brownsea Island but before the end of the red berets, I worked after school (High School) at a metal shop, it was a one man shop, with me helping when I could and on Saturday. Well, the guy had a 30 cup coffee maker and made a pot on Monday and just reheated it until it was gone, usually on Saturday Then add in when I finished X-Ray school I started working second and shift at a hospital where sugar, creamer et al was locked up tight at 3:30pm so coffee, if available, was old and black which is the only way I can drink it now. Campfire coffee is the best kind!

This may be a question for the historians in the bunch, but Venturing celebrates its 10th Anniversary this year. To put things in prespective, how big an impact had Boy Scouting made on the country in its first 10 years? How many troops do you tink sprang up and withereed? I know lots of very proud units of being in existence for 75 years or more, but how many more started, did well and just went away? Venturing is still quite new BTW, why did they go from Kodiak to Kodiak X, shouldn't they have done Kodiak II, Kodiak III, Kodiak IV etc first?

We had a female crew advisor who would turn into a Golden Hind whenever there was a full moon, she was known throughout the council as a real weird doe

So then there was the Journalism Post that decided to enter a Pun writing contest, they spent a week comming up with new and original puns. They finally submitted the top ten best puns they could think of, Unfortunately, the Post did not place in the competition, they thought they might have a chance to merit at least an honorable mention, but no pun in ten did. I was doing a little home repair this past week end. Redoing a bathroom and I had to caulk the bath tub. The directions call for a smooth bead of calk between the wall and tub, I did a portion and asked my fellow co-worker if he thought it was a good bead, he said it looked to be a great bead, so I HAD to ask him if he thought it was a venerable bead.

I suffer from sleep apnea, actually, I dont suffer at all, however my snoring, as I have been told, compares to the low somnolent tones of a 747 ready for take off. The noise of my machine is nothing compared to the melodies I otherwise produce.

Its a Board of Review, a review of what was done, who did, where it was done, it's not a re-test. Its a review of the program. If you ask a scout to tie two half hitches, thats ok. It is a review of the prgram as well. What's not ok is to have the scout fail the Board of Review because he can't tie two half hitches. You can ask the scout why he doesnt know how to tie two half hitches and what should he do to learn to tie two half hitches. You might ask him when was the last time he had to tie two half hitches, does he think he would remember how to tie the two half hitches if he did them more frequently. I am not saying that scout skills should be learned, signed off and forgotten, never to have their ugly heads reared again. I am saying once learned, scout skills should be an intergral part of the program to the point you don't have to ask a scout to do a knot or a scout skill (such as a compass reading) during a board of review or a scoutmaster conference because you have seen the scout doing what you are asking multiple times during the troop's meeting or campout. Bob White's post come up while I was working on mine, He is right, as a ASM, you won't be on Boards of Review, but that's ok, you can concentrate on helping the PLC deliver the program they planned and you can help them be sure there are plenty of times to use the scout skills they learn. (This message has been edited by OldGreyEagle)

Then there is the story of the Arts and Hobbies Crew that specialized in Chess Tournaments, they placed First, Second and Third once. The tournament had been held in a Hotel and the Crew members were boisterously recounting each game in the Lobby until the concierge threw them out. Seems the Hotel had a strict policy against Chest nuts boasting in an open Foyer(This message has been edited by OldGreyEagle)

I can understand the angst at having a Life scout unable to tie two half hitches. Remember that the term "board of review" cuts both ways. Is the scout "bad" because he doesn't know his knots or is the troop program "bad" because it has a Life scout who can't tie two half hitches? OK, "bad" is a "bad" word, but its the one I chose. The answer is most likely a mixture of both, but thats what the Board of Review is to find out, what is working well and what isnt for both scout and program. So the scout cant tie two half hitches, was he assigned to teach that knot to the next 5 scouts who need to learn it? I am sure other ways of including a simple scout skill into the troop's program can be done.

Ah, GW, Have you never seen A Clockwork Orange? Our dear boy Alex (Malcom McDowell before he got UGLY) makes quite the use of the old song. You are invited!

this is the form that LisaBob mentioned: http://www.bsa.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/34427.pdf check page 2 6. If a commercial product is to be sold, will the fund-raising activity comply with BSA policy on wearing the uniform? The official uniform is intended to be worn primarily for use in connection with Scouting activities. However, council executive boards may approve use of the uniform for any fund-raising activity. So, the uniform may be used for fund-rasing with the executive boards approval. To follow-up on somethng else mentioned, I just got this on Friday, Feb 29th about scouts at political rallies. To: Scout Executives From: Stephen Medlicott Marketing & Communications Division Director Subject: Policy on Scout Participation in Political Events With the presidential election coming up in 2008, it is a good time to restate the BSAs long-standing policy regarding the participation of Scouts in political rallies and other political events. Uniformed unit members and leaders may participate in flag ceremonies at political events and may lead the Pledge of Allegiance; however, they should retire after the ceremony and not remain on the speakers platform or in a conspicuous location where television viewers could construe their presence as an endorsement or symbol of support. In addition, photos of candidates or Scouts in uniform or BSA marks and logos are not allowed in political campaign materials of any kind. Volunteers and professionals must be alert to situations that would imply that the BSA favors one candidate over another. Strict observance of our long-standing policy against the active participation of uniformed Scouts and leaders in political events is mandatory. Please notify your chartered organizations and unit leaders of this policy

Its been a long time, if ever that we have had a "Clockwork Orange" reference

Then there was the scoutmaster who wanted to have his wisdom teeth removed without the use of Novacaine. Seems he wanted to see if he could transcend dental medication

Zelda may have been funnier, but who can forget Thalia Menninger and the renown Milton Armitage? Maynard had a dislike of many 4 letter words, like soap, wash, and clean

You may wish to check out this website: http://www.thescoutingpages.org.uk/speeches.html It has recordings of B-P's speeches, its quite an insight to listen to him speak and hear him talk about the Program. That developing good citizens and men of charactor were very important to B-P and he shows he also had a pretty good sense of humor. In the recording "BP Gives a Talks to Scouts" B-P says the following "...We want more young men and even young women to come forward as Scoutmasters. There is work for all, and good work..." So, if B-P was inviting women to be scoutmasters, where does the resistance to women scoutmasters come from now? The ignorant perhaps? Writer, listen to these speeches, you will find elements of what B-P talks about in the BSA(This message has been edited by OldGreyEagle)

Thats assuming any of them will admit to seeing Mary Poppins in the first place. A more scouting related story Two Eskimos sitting in a their boat were chilly, but when they lit a fire in the craft it sank-proving once and for all that you can't have your kayak and heat it, too.