OldGreyEagle

So, if the Troops idea of discipline is asking the trangressor to snap off 20 pushups, you could end up in a situation where the guys who can snap off a sprightly 20 pushups in almost no time are allowed to be total jerks because they can do the punishment with little effect while the less muscle massed see they have to develop muscle so they can be jerks as well. What lesson is learned again? The discipline meted out should effect everyone the same.

Countdown to Philmont, we leave at 3:00AM from the Council Service Center to get to the Newark Airport. Due into Denver Mid morning and off to Colorado Springs and the fires there have our itinerary in a wad. How is the area around COlorado Springs? We were to hike in the Garden of the Gods and do the railway ride up Pikes Peak. Those plans seem to be history now. Be at Philmont Monday and hit the trail Tuesday. Trek 30 for those keeping score at home

Just a thought, where are the Lions, Shriners, and other Fraternal Service Organizations doing in your area? Just about died here. If they exist they do so very quietly. The Generation X does not have the volunteer gene that most, and I say most Baby Boomers do. Parents expect their kids programs will run themselves, and for the most part, the Sports programs do. Much higher cost but somehow they manage. Are youth sports programs hurting? ANyone know? If its the economy, then hasw Little League taken a numbers hit?

Before we start to sell the program, we are going to have to be sure we are offering the program the youth want. And if that means iPods on the trail, and video games in tents at night until the battery dies. It may have to be. We can't have units whose philosophy is the scoutmasters, who says, I did it this way 30 years ago and it was fun. Pretty tall order

So, I am going to Philmont at the end of the month and over the course of a few training trips it became apparent my pack had seen its best days. Off to Camp-Mor (2 hour trip) and home with a new Kelty Red Cloud 110. Then last week was its maiden voyage. It was terrible. The shoulder straps kept getting loose and it felt like it would fall off 10 minutes after I cinched it up. I called Kelty to complain on Monday. The guy there said he would send out a replacement pack and just wanted me to send back the one I bought. He sent me the shipping label by email. The pack came today. The SHoulder strap does have a mucher heavier cincher thingie on it. Will be off to the Magnificient Thunder Swamp of the Delaware State forest this weekend. Will let you know how it goes, thus far color me impressed with Kelty

What's the fix? Follow the program and mean what you say. After a scout ties his timber hitch for advancement he continually is placed in situations where he will use that knot, and all the others. Nobody keeps a skill, especially a pyschomotor one without use. As the Scoutmaster is the overseer of the Program, he/she has to be sure the elements of the program are represente on all/most? activities. I can see some No Skills weekends but those should be the exception, not the rule If the POR says do something, then it gets done or the scout does not get creditr for the POR, he gets "fired" coached up and is given an opportunity to suceed, but when he succeeds its because he did the work Now, I think veteran posters know I am a proponnent of the First CLass First Year Program but first and always the scout has to know the skill and uses it constantly. WHen that occurs, there is no question about skill retention

I suppose suggesting they start the missive off "Hellow Muddah, Hello Faddah" would be lost on them

Well, does marching in a Gay rights parade make you an avowed homosexual or just expressing first amendment rights? Not that The First Amendment keeps private organizations from having membershi policies

At least they are talking about it. it would be fun to identify and follow the scouting career of the leader who prompted the resolution to see what happends to him. If he is "Left Alone" perhaps others will make the same proposal. It would be interesting to see where the majority of volunteers sit on the God/Gay issue and how important an issue these are. No organization makes such a change overnight, its done incrementally. Then again, maybe its a smoke screen. I do like the comment from another thread that its hard to expect the issues of the BSA can be predominantly solved by becomming less Godly and more Gay

http://www.scouting.org/Media/PressReleases/2012/20120605.aspx Search and Rescue Merit badge? Beats Chess!

Just heard a "rumor" from the National Meeting, DE's are going away and the knots will be history as well. The awards (Silver Beaver, District Award of Merit, etc.) will remain, just no nots. As a foreruner of eliminating the uniform. Council offices will not have DE's the way they do now, they will instead have fewer professionals who will make plenty of calls, but rely on VOlunteers to make things happen. Anybody hear anything on this? Just wild rumors or any grains of truth? I do not claim this is true, I just heard it and want to know if anyone has heard anything else?

One last thought, In Centre County PA they are selecting a jury for the Jerry Sandusky Sex abuse trial this week.Opening arguments are scheduled to start next Monday. Remind me again, what profession was Jerry Sandusky in? Was he not a Football Coach at the highest collegiate level? And scouts is for gay men? Really?

Shane Victorino is an Eagle Scout, although the year the Phillies are having may make that not so much a big deal. Gerald Ford is an Eagle Scout, somehow he balanced football and scouting and well enough to play in college For years the Troop had a problem with Summer Camp and "Band Camp" the first week of Band Practice, it was 3-4 hours a day and if you didnt show up, you could not be in the High School Band. It was always when the troop went to Summer Camp. The Band kids always stayed home. The scoutmaster went to the Band Director and asked him for "Dispensation" and was refused. But the scoutmaster had done some homework. He asked the Band Director who were the last 4 Band Quartermasters, the Band Director looked surprised and rattled the names off. The Scoutmaster then said, do you realize 2 of them are from my troop and are Eagles and the other two are also Eagle Scouts from other troops. The scoutmaster asked what was the criteria to be chosen Band Quartermaster and was told leadership, responsibility and dedication. All things they learned and honed in scouting the scoutmaster said. He got his dispensation and the last few band quartermasters have been Eagles, not always from the troop. But still... in 2008 the high school won the 4a Football championship in Pennsylvania. I was on three Eagle Boards of review for members of that team. It can be done

So what do you do with the kid who willingly and with malice of forethought "loses" things because he wants to perform, because he wants to be the center of attention and will do anything to have the spotlight on him? Feed his ego? WHat does singing teach him?

I have asked this a few times, to my recollection it has not as yet garnered an answer but here goes. You have two scouts, Scout A is gangbusters on Advancment. Goes on every event and rises quickly through the ranks. He performs quite well his Positions of Responsibility and at age 14 he earns Eagle. The Troop is proud of him. At his Eagle Court of Honor he thanks everyone and smiles, gets his photo taken with every one and is never seen again. Doesnt call, doesnt write, nada Then Scout B, he is not a ball of fire. Takes him a few years to make first class and then sputters along. Finally at age 17 and 2 months decides he wants to earn Eagle. He has always done what was expected in the Positions of responsibility he held for the 4 or 6 months time frame. He would just drop out of sight afterwards. if he comes back and does an Eagle project and earns 21 merit badges is his Eagle more, less or equal to Scout A's Eagle?(This message has been edited by OldGreyEagle)

So on a training hike for Philmont this weekend we did 12 miles of the Appalachian Trail in Northeast PA, we came across two through hikers, both were identified by their large packs and ear phones

If the kid is so lackluster, and has been for 4 years why was he rechartered 3 times?

Bad choice of words, saying "Like a cancer" why do we need similies and metaphors when the English language is broad and deep enough to explain what we feel specifically. Bad Volunteers take the energy out of other, bad volunteers drive away other people. Why correlate cancer with bad volunteers, sorta gives Cancer a bad name On another topic "Every boy deserves a chance to be a scout....." Oddly enough, I venture to say that the DE and District people feel the same way, the issue is in competing Visions and how to make the program happen. Thats the biggest problem in Scouting, In Volunteer organizations or in Sociey actually. We all want the same thing, Peace Love and Happiness (I am a child of the 60's as if you couldnt tell) the issue is accomplishing it is not as easy as it should be Then again if everyone just did as I wanted them to, we would be fine

when units don't allow the use of electronics, why would scouting have to be tech savvy?

Once again it is proven there is no axe than can go unground regardless of the thread's topic

I don't think his message is dated, B-P was looking for the Scout program to develop men of charactor who would be good citizens. I think we need that as much today as ever. Then again. That is what I heard. I present it to find out what other people hear.

Being able to handle guns in a safe manner and enjoying one of our constitutional freedoms is something I would hope girls of any "bent" would enjoy

As we continue to discuss what a "real scout" is, perhaps we should hear from the Founder what his vision of the Scouting Movement is http://thescoutingpages.org.uk/speeches.html Select BP's Message to the Public

At least he does not have more chins that a Chinese phonebook

Scroll down to the thread," A Prank or Hazing", then page 2, about 3 entries down. Read it, that was my experience and why I react negatively to pranks. I most certainly did "participate" and was not amused