OldGreyEagle

I was at the Council Service center today and the Scout Shop has a new issue of the Guide to Safe Scouting G2SS, it has a yellow cover. When did this come out? Did I miss it and does anybody know what the changes are?

As a survivor of sex abuse, I ponder at times whether or not it effected me. At times I think it has not effected me at all, at other times I wonder if it is the reason for all the failures in my life. I try to imagine what I would be like had it never occurred, would I make the same life choices, the same career decisions, how will I ever know because it did happen to me and I never will have a life without those memories. I love my son and if all I went through had to occur to have him around, then it was all worth it and he is worth future issues. I know there are people who don't understand and I dont try to explain (too much that is). It does bother me when people make jokes about abuse, I shudder inside and move on. How can one explain such things? If a person thinks abuse is funny or no big deal there are no words to explain the emotions, no way to express the anger/hurt/humiliation/doubt such things leave.

I didnt think Boy Scouts, and by that I mean OA, did face painting anymore, Arrowmen, what say ye?

Well kewl, but only in a two deep leadership platonic boy scouty kinda way I am sure

I was responding to the comment that Ralph has made it his mission in life to make nlscouter's son miserable in many ways. I took the story of the PL election as just an example, not the whole story.

in the words of my dear sainted mother, Peruse this! http://www.macscouter.com/Skits/index.html

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Gags, speaking of the delaware water gap, you do the sunfish ponf trail?

Only half joking CNY, but Minsi Trials COuncil is offering Venturing Leadership training this saturday, sept 17 at 8;30 at the Council Service Center. I am presenting, we would love to have you. You know where the Allentown airport is?

When the Council I serve, Minsi Trials Council went to mandating trainig in 2004 for Cub Masters, Scout Masters, and Venturing Advisors and in 2005 for all unit Committee Chairs, there was a huge hue and cry over training records. It took a lot of work, miles of computer printouts and I took more than a few "trained" cards into the scout office to verify training. However, rather than looking at a mess and saying it cant be done because we never have done it, Profesional staff and volunteers worked together, let me repeat that for those of you who suddenly feel dizzy, Profesional staff and volunteers worked together and we got our records updated and complete. A period of amnesty was used, people who claimed to have been trained and no record was found were listed as trained ( a scout is trustworthy n'cest pas? )OK, so if some prevaricated, all future leaders will be trained and beleive me, we are all very vigilant about the acuracy of training records.

Ah Eamonn, there goes that nonagression compact huh? Actually I agree that its not the scoutmaster's job to select troop leadership. My advice to Juggler was based on his assesment the ASM in question is an asset to the troop and that the "problem" is more perceived than real. I see the chair as being on a power trip and in need of a reality check. Jim, you are going to have to give me chapter and verse on the BSA policy that says leadership selection is the Chairs job. I think the COR is involved there somehow, aint it?

What would you do if you werent a Scouter? Just because you are a leader doesnt mean you have to let a bully mess with your son's scouting experience.

Heck, its a Boy Scout troop, not a Fortune 500 Conglomerate. The Troop COmmittee is not the Board of Directors, the Unit Chair is not the Supreme High Commander. If you let this ASM get "fired", if you let the Chair run off what appears is an asset to the Troop, what's next? Somebody who has a car in a color the Chair doesnt like? She may be abrasive, but one of the Boy Scout methods is adult association and that doesnt always mean the adults line the path with rose petals. If she is doing her job, being consistent and fair, I would quit as Scoutmaster if they run her off. Funny, I started off saying running a troop isnt supposed to be about egos, at least adult egos, then I end saying you should quit if she is run off. Well, I never said I was consistent.

So Juggler, you would say you like her and consider her an asset to the Troop and the other ASMs work with her and respect her?

as Ed often says The humor impaired have arrived!(This message has been edited by OldGreyEagle)

I am so confused! The Where: BSA National Headquarters The What: Seems to be that possesion of Kiddie Porn instantly equals a guilty party The When: is that the BSA should have fired Smith after they learned of the investigation but before any legal charges were made. Now, it has happened that possesion of Kiddie Porn is not always treated as a criminal act and if BSA fired an employee before all the facts were in, it still would have been a PR fiasco. The Who? Pete Townsend You Better, You better, you bet(This message has been edited by OldGreyEagle)

"I'll be damned if I'll walk away and let some 5 year contract professional kill Scouting here" So how much more time is on the pro's contract? After 70 years, what's five

"There are more things in heaven and on earth than are in your philosophy, Horatio."

Actually the only agenda Eamonn has is to keep "She Who Must be Obeyed" off the warpath... Anyway, Kudu, are you in a BSA unit or some other organization. At one time I thought you were a member of a non-BSA unit, but you say you follow the G2SS so I am not sure. I can kinda sorta in a way see the looking for the "natural leader", but what do you do with the "shrinking violets" or the "wallflowers" you will inevitably come across, what do you do to help those kids grow?

Just a gnawing question Katydid, you say he just became scoutmaster last month, how did he act in the selection process? what was the selection process? Was there any inkling he would turn to be a pill in such a short time?

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Ordep? You don't know Ordep? A gentle hint, who is the mail man for boys life? He answers to many names, "Hay Munching Dude' amoung them Ordep is this guys name spelt backward

I am not sure membership is declining, but I will accept that premise for this post. We had some guys go to Philmont this year with a Council Contingent and of course a few more go to the Jamboree. They all wore a complete uniform when they were supposed to. Normally its like pulling teeth (another metaphor for FB)to get these kids in a complete uniform. Why did they suit up nice and proper in their best uni's? Because they wanted to go to Philmont and they wanted to go to the Jamboree because they had been told by the last group how much fun was to be had. However, as much as I would like to blame declining numbers on numbskull units that think they have all the answers and have never tried the BSA program, I can't assign all the blame to idiot adults. As I beleive the esteemed Robert Zimmerman once said the times are a-changing. And that was over 40 years ago. How have you changed with the times? When I was naught but a lad, back after Brownsea Island but before the demise of the beloved red berets, there was no such thing as personnel electronics. The closest thing to an Ipod I had was an AM transistor radio with a bent earpiece plug. But today's youth is awash with electronic goodies. I just saw a TV ad for a phone that plays Itunes, or is it an IPod that also takes cell calls? I'll ponder that later. Anyway, any takers that that device wont be sweeping the country? Do you "ban" such devices from your troop? Do you take away from the youth that which is as ubiquitous as a red rubber ball once was? Is it that the boys arent joing the BSA, or is it because boys aren't joining Boy Scout Troops because the troops arent worth joining? If you ask a scout who drops out, what do you think they would say, " I quit scouts because of the BSA's stance on Gays and God" or "Hey, I quit because we didnt do nuthi'n fun" Then maybe its time to look at our adults. I may have mentioned this before, but last year at summer camp I was in the axe yard splitting wood. I love to split wood, its just a feeling I get. So, I am splitting and the scouts clister around and watch. I asked them, half jokingly what they were looking at. Many hadnt seen real log splitting anywhere but on ESPN2. Their fathers dont wield an axe, they dont see it as necessary. I took the ones who wanted and gave them all chances to swing the axe and am I glad it has a fiberglass handle . In the state if Pennsylvania, we have a pretty good sized deer population. With muzzleloading, bow, and rifle season, you would think the deer population would be dramatically cut each year, but it grows. It grows because there are fewer hunters in the woods. Not as many fathers take their sons hunting as back when I was a youth. I think some of scoutings popularuty can be attributed to a general diminishment of woods skills. Not many new dads are familiar with making a fire, so they are not sure how to see a demonstration on fire building, or open fire cooking, or a lot of things we do. so, is it a lack of outdoor skills in adults? A lack of interest in the outdoors by the youth? or is it our political stance? What can we each do to rectify the situation ?

Geeze Fuzzy, first I thought you were pulling my leg, or at the very least busting my chops, but in keeping my eye on the ball and shoulder to the wheel I think if we keep our nose to the grindstone, we can make hay while the sun shines. Even though we have some of the dimmer bulbs in the box as posters, we never seem to be at a loss for a discussion. Even when it rains cats and dogs in the big easy we dont seem to be able to pull in the same direction.

I did this tonight as a scoutmaster minute: I told the scouts I would ask some of them quesitons. I asked 4 separately what their home address is. And of course they spat it out rather quickly, and I said good, its nice to know where you live, where your stuff is, and where you will sleep tonight and tomorrow night and where your clean clothes are and where your camping stuff is. Then I said I wanted them to take a few seconds, and thank God for their home and family and then to pray for the hundreds of thousands who tonight dont have an address, or know where their stuff is, or where exactly they will sleep tomorrow night.