OldGreyEagle

I really have to thank you all for not putting any pressure on me over this, I do have an English version of what okstatecowboy describes Leader: Das is the German music, from the father land! All: Das is the German music, from the father land! Leader: Ikspeil on the viola! All: Ikspeil on the viola! Vio vio vio la, Vio vio vio la, Vio vio vio la, Vio vio vio la, hey! Make hand motions to simulate the instrument being played during the chorus. Additional Verses: Piano: Plinkity plinkity plink plink plink Trumpet: Dat da da dat da da dat dat dat Tuba: Umpa umpa umpa pa Bagpipes: Waa waa waa waa waa Audience: Clap clap clap clap clap Conductor: (make motion of baton)

Aren't there plans for such a device in the Pioneering merit badge book?

"...And I help other people, but where does it say I have to help everyone..." "...To help other people at all times..."

During my Wood Badge experience, we had a "packbacking hike" to our patrol campsites, it was roughly 1/4 mile, if that long and during the prep time, many of the staffers were running around making sure all were ready for the hike and were offering transportation for those who needed, required, wanted it, its not a reason not to do Wood Badge(This message has been edited by OldGreyEagle)

Eamonn, the middle name should be Calhoun, then the little fella's name would be Rory Calhoun XXX, beleive me, that cracks me up. Hops, Having lived through the great 2004 Cinncinati Christmas Confusion and got into Newark rather than the home airport, I dont need to see The Terminal, I lived it!

Ventures are a part of the curriculum, the way I understand it. My son gets to sing I used to be a staffer now when the WoosBadge song is sung

Santa is an Eagle Scout, it's very plain to see. Just listen to this little poem of mine and I am sure you'll agree Santa navigates by the stars on Christmas Eve. After all, his very first merit badge was Astronomy. To fly his sleigh with finesse, Santa took Aviation merit badge next. Santa and his reindeer have a friendly alliance. He learned it all while earning Veterinarian Science. Engineering merit badge was very hard for Santa Claus. Going down a chimney is an engineering feat, if there ever was. Santa's service project was for all the boys and girls. He delivers toys all around the world. And lastly, Santa's work on Communication merit badge was out of sight That's when he thought of the phrase "Merry Christmas and to all a good night" And to all a good night...

Actually, the opening sentence of the BSA's Declaration of Religious Principles says: "The Boy Scouts of America maintains that no member can grow into the best kind of citizen without recognizing an obligation to God"

Hope everything came out alright

I think until things settle in and you see what happens, I would pin/safety pin one patch over the other. A year from now I wouldnt say it was acceptable, but for now, it is

saw this elsewhere http://www.timesdispatch.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=RTD/MGArticle/RTD_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1031779729194(This message has been edited by OldGreyEagle)

As I sit here, after the weekly meeting, IN MY SHORTS, all I can say is, I resemble that remark

Just as an aside, can anybody find a reference in any BSA publications that talk about the removing of a corner of the totin' chip? as far as the trangressions go, what constitutes a 1, 2, 3 or 4 corner offense ? Not clearing a safety circle while whittling may be one corner while heaving an axe at a fellow scout has to be 4, or perhaps expulsion from the troop. What are the limits of the corners anyway ?

Scouting tends to round a guy out, if you are doing it right, sitting and watching the boys run things, the pounds accumulate...

So, Merlyn, if all BSA units that are chartered by governmental units, such as schools, police and fire depts and the like were rechartered by either Churches, Parents Groups, and private groups and only used public property on the same basis as all other private organizations, you wouldnt care a thing about us, right ?

My first scouting memory goes back to before I was actually in scouts. My mother was the Den Mother for my older brothers Den. And I thought they were the coolest thing going. When the Christmas meeting came around, the Den was assigned the song "Frosty the Snowman" to sing. I listened to the guys rehearse and I had it down long before anyone else did. I was crestfallen when my mother told me because I wasnt in the Den, I wouldnt be able to sing it. Then she got an idea. Being the seamtress she was, she took a white sheet, some batting and buttons and made me a Frosty suit. The Den sang and I ran around dressed up as Frosty. I still tear up when I hear that song, even more so since my mother passed.

I think the whole touching thing is rather interesting, I remember being told somewhere you cant touch someone without their permission, but that is in the context of "normal" life. When you enter a game of football, flag, two hand touch, two hand mugging, or whatever, you pretty much give your permission to be "touched". Just as pro atheletes give up the ability to charge opponents for assault when they take the field, if I am playing soccer, odds are I will at some point make contact with another player and I may or may not have the prescence of mind to ask permission before doing so.

I wonder what the author's opinion is on Alcholics Anonymous, or Gambler's Anonymous ? Anyway, I do have a direct question for Merlyn, unrelated to this particular post. In the past few months or so I have been visiting other Scouting based forums and while I see many common posters here and other places, I do not see anything from Merlyn or any other Atheist Activist. So, do you need a list of the websites ? I could send it to you, I do have to wonder why you don't blanket all the scouting forums with your activism

please check the announcement section of the forum Edited Part: Gee whiz Beav you are fast, Check it now(This message has been edited by OldGreyEagle)

I agree with Sylvar, this is a topic worthy of its own thread " I see folks who pile on the beads and other assorted things for a round table. That is not a place to wear the Eagle (or the beads and such in my mind, but thats another thread)." Actually one of the main impetuses (or is that impeti?) for earning my Wood Badge beads was to be able to wear them to Roundtable. It always seemed when discussions were held the guys with the beads were recognized and while I was beadless I might make a comment or give a suggestion virtually nothing happened then someone wearing beads would say the same thing and it would be received with a chorus of "here here's" After I got my beads, when I say something it gets acknowledged and I swear I have no more volume now then I did pre-Wood Badge. I also resisted sewing knots on my uniform, I am in scouts for the youth, not to see if I can collect fruit salad over the top of my shoulder. Well, after getting heard in meetings because I was wearing beads, I took one shirt and put my knots on it, Eagle, Arrow of Light, Religious Award as a Youth and Boy Scout Training, and then the COuncil VEnture Leadership Award I just received. Now I notice scouters who previously barely acknowledged my existence look at my knots, look at me, look at the knots again and pay attention to what I have to say. Now all four shirts, (2 boy scout and 2 Venture) have all the knots on them. I wish it was not like this, I would hope all scouters would treat all those in uniform as equals, but to paraphase the pigs in Animal Farm, apparently All scouters are equal, there just are some more equal than others, and that equality is based on the number and types of knot worn. (beads are of course a given) When do you wear what, when ?(This message has been edited by OldGreyEagle)

Ed, Please do not use Bob White's name unless you are specifically addressing him. Insulting someone who isnt here to defend himself is not proper

Sometimes we are visited by the Spirit of Christmas in the form of a pet carol that holds certain dear memories, sometimes its a long forgotten photograph of a Christmas Past and of friends long since forgotten. And sometimes the Spirit of Christmas descends in a real tangible form. Cajun, I know you have had your ups and downs with scouting, missing paperwork and the like, but now that you have seen what scouting can do, I think you were just invited to stick with it until you turn out a similar scout.

So, a few years back one of the ASMs was harrassing an older scout over his style of dress. The scout had the top of his hair colored yellow (on brown hai) hugely oversized hockey jersey with extremely wide pants with the crotch about knee level. The scout had stoped by the meeting while on his way to a graduation party. So the ASM ran him up one side and down the other about how he looked, finally he looked at me and said what do you think? So I looked at the scout and said why do you dress like this? He replied, "the ladies like this style", I said so you dress like this to get girls? He said yes. Then I looked at the ASM said, hey, I'm with the kid (the scout beamed). Just as the ASM was mouthing a WHY? I said, hey, when I was his age, I wore a full length navy blue suede coat (still have it), elephant bells (the kind that entered the room a full 20 seconds before you did) and had shoes that featured live goldfish in the heels and I am gonna tell him he looks riduculous? The kid and I got along a lot better after that I think it was that great modern thinker Socrates who said: Our youth now love luxury. They have bad manners, contempt for authority; they show disrespect for their elders and love chatter in place 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. Its the way of the world, new rejects old and makes its own way. You should see me trying to explain that Ziggy Stardust and that grand old man of Rock David Bowie are the same person and that Alice Cooper was a star before he shilled for Staples and there was a time when the Rolling Stones were dirty YOUNG men.

Have you asked the boys yet ?

Can someone tell me a case where either you yourself or the scouting unit you serve was/or is being unconstitutionally discriminated against? Because if we could find one case, we could support that persons efforts to have the ACLU help them and then spread the word the ACLU can be on the BSA's side. Does anyone have any type of situation like that handy ?