OldGreyEagle

Well, he is in direct violation of the Advancement Rules and Regulations on the Boards of Review, but you probably knew that. Your District Advancement Chair should be informed I would ask in what BSA publication does it state that the Scoutmaster has "executive privilege" and can bypass the PLC. now, for action, what does the committee chair say ? Do you have a PLC that functions in any manner? As far as what goes on in other troops? From what I can see on this forum "tweaking" the program seems to be acceptable to many people so all I can say is, yes it happens, lots of things happen that are not in the program, but they happen all the same(This message has been edited by OldGreyEagle)

Carol, first of all its New Yawkers Trev, I am in Bethlehem PA but travel quite a bit. Been through New Braunfels a few times and just how is a float trip on the Guadalope, non flood stage of course?

If you are in the Hill Country, how far are you from the Schlitterbahn?

Why not have a design your own uniform contest run through Boys Life. Give the youth 3 months to submit sketches and descriptions. Then another 4-6 months to have industry experts and fashion designers pick out the top 5 and then publish the sketches in Boys Life and let the youth "vote" on the uniform they would most like to wear

Whitewater, so every base that has a BSA Unit would also sponsor a Scouting for all unit? Interestng...

SInce I am only registered in Muzzle Loading, Rifle, Shotgun and Archery, I do not feel I am competent to answer your water ballon question.

When I was at Camp School at Hawk Mountain last June for Shooting Sports we were taught that BSA policy is that Boy Scouts do not shoot at animate or representations of animate objects. They shoot at bulls-eye style targets. This is why rifle ranges and archery ranges are set up with bullseye targets, we dont use silhouette targets of animals or humans. We do not equate fun with shooting the eyes out of an animal target or putting three bullets thorugh the heart on a target representing a human. I don't have any refeence for the above other than it was part of our orientation lecture. Now, the important stuff. Scouts are kids and kids being kids will do paintball. Heck, I want to do paintball. But if your troop is losing kids because you dont do paintball, then you have a problem and its not that you dont do paintball. Its that you dont do fun and exciting stuff that kids want to do, this may be represented by paintball, but there is so much more to do. Let them paintball on their own, and have the troop do the real cool stuff.

I would like to address the Boy Scout youth that frequent this forum, whether registered or lurker, I want you to consider something. (BTW adults can read the following, but remember, its not directed to you) Next week its going to be Thanksgiving which will plow straight into the Holiday Season and then its New Years and then pretty awful soon it will be Blue and Gold time. To you this may seem like a long way off, but it will be here very soon. I mention this because Blue and Gold Dinners traditionally mean Webelos crossing over into Boy Scouts so very soon after the first of the year you will be seeing new scouts at your meetings. Be sure to be friendly, courteous and kind to them, but I ask one thing more. Remember back to when you joined the troop. You may have been a little scared, maybe at least unsure, think back to that time. You saw the older cooler kids walking/running around, everybody knew everybodys name and knew where to stand., how to act, etc. You might have wished you were that old and experienced. I am sure you saw an older scout who you thought, now theres a real scout, thats a guy who has it together, I want to be like him. And I am sure you also saw some other older scouts who you thought, why do they let him in, why does he even come to the meetings? Well, now you are the older/cooler kids. Even if you just crossed over last year, you have 12 months experience on the new guys. You now have a choice to make. Will you be seen as a scout who has it altogether? a scout the new guys will want to imitate, or will you be the kind that the new guys question why you even show up at all ? Being a role model doesnt start when you are an adult, an Eagle Scout or even the Senior Patrol Leader, you are right now a role model. Do you want to be a good representative of scouting or an example of a poor scout ? There is no opting out, You are a Role Model!

So anybody out there one? Or have been one? What do you do? What does any Council Chair typically do ? Am I nuts to contemplate?

Moved to the Uniform section

It was the mid 70's unc

I learned a long time ago that which is legal may not be moral, and that which is moral has nothing to do about what is legal.

To me the best part of the Skokie/Nazi thing was that the ACLU lawyer that ended up getting the parade permit was jewish. As I remember it, the head of the Illinois Nazi party resigned as he was humiliated a jewish lawyer ended up helping him Just a note, the Nazis never did march in Skokie, Remember in Middle School or maybe for you it was High School, College even when you were first introduced to Robert's Rules of Order? After a few classes most people would think they were pretty well acquanted with Parlimentary Procedure until... Until someone studied the book and got the rules down backwards and forwards and found he could manipulate a meeting by just following the rules. When you were against this guy, he was the most infuriating human on earth, because all he did was obstruct progress and good ideas. However, were you to be on the same side as he, then it was "Hey, rules are rule and we have to do what the book says". I see the ACLU as the same thing, they dont make up the rules, they just make sure the "book" is followed.

"The ACLU is nothing more than Legal Terrorists. It's ranks filled by communist wannabees, formed to break down our country one rotten lawsuit at a time. With targets like Christmas and Boy Scouts, they don't come any lower." Pounder while I may agree with some of the above, the ACLU does not decide the lawsuits they file, judges do. Its not the ACLU that changes things, its the Courts. We waste time talking down the ACLU while we should be working on fixing the judicial system

then perhaps its time to push OUR agenda

"Personally I think the ACLU only uses the constitution to support their agenda. They interpret it the way they want." I think the above can be said about many people and factions in the US, the reality of the situation is that the ACLU never, ever decided any Court case, the presiding judge did. Railling against the ACLU is wasted energy, the only authority in a Court case that can actually do anything aer the judges. Where did they come from, how did they get their job, are they honest, aer they elected? WHo elects them, did you vote for them, lets not waste energy, lets turn it to what can actually change things.

While I hate to be a contrarian, I guess when I must I must. Can anybody here tell me when the ACLU itself actually changed any part of American Life? Yes, they have been connected with innumerable lawsuits, but the last I checked all the "COURT" and really heavy emphasis on COURT decisions that were made were indeed made by judges. Not the ACLU. The ACLU may take cases to court, but its the court that decides the outcome. Perhaps the ACLU is out to get the BSA, I dont know, but I do know that nothing the ACLU ever decided ever was put into public policy. What the Courts decide is put into public policy. The ACLU didnt say Military Bases cant sponsor troops, the Pentagon did. If you dont like Court decisions, they perhaps we need to reform the Courts, attacking the ACLU may feel good,but it doesnt change the apparatus (the Courts) that actually decide the issues.

The Crew I serve when asked what type of crew they are responds "Ecletic". We Backpack, whitewater raft, canoe, climb indoors, climb outdoors, hike, camp, do public service, role play at pinewood derbies (Speed Racer theme) have "Etiquette" Diners and just about anyting else older teens would think is fun. (Oh and at the Council Recognition Dinner two of our youth received the COuncil Venture Leadership Award which was presented by another Crew member who had previously had received the COuncil Venture Leadership award so I guess you can add Administration to the list of activities. None of these activities appear to be career oriented. As I said this is a Crew. It is my understanding an Explorer Post would be the better fit for Fire Depts who are in the mind of setting up "Junior Fire Auxilary Corps", Teens who will learn about fire fighting as a profession. An advantage to a Post, as I understand it, or perhaps a disadvantage, is that as part of the Learning for Life program, the religious belief requirement is not present so atheists can be members and 5 years down the line you dont have to worry about the ACLU busting up your Crew because of religion(This message has been edited by OldGreyEagle)

A scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent and is so at all times, not just when its' convenient for him to do so and especially when faced with trying times. Its easy to follow the Law when times are easy, your charactor is shown when times are difficult...

Unc, I beleive the point is that the suit was "settled". As I understand law, and mostly I don't, a settlement is what two parties opposing each other in a legal matter do when one side doesn't want the final determination to come down to a judge's or a jury's decision. Its the American judicial equivalent to Lets Make a Deal. The judge didnt decide anything, the Pentagon agreed to tell bases not to directly sponsr/charter scouting units to make the legal wrangling go away. So, as has been etablished, USOs are private so they can be CO's. I dont see it as a problem, then again I ask our military brothers do you see any problems?

OGE I don't care if you think this is normal it is not, there is something fishy going on in DC. I know I am not always the brightest bulb in the box, but what are you talking about?

Apparently Military Bases?

heck, my favorite slide of all time wasnt even home made or store bought. It was a vertebra from a deer my father shot when we were hunting. The hole where the spinal cord goes was just the right size and you can be sure I got a of comments when I wore that one

Its the company that makes the medal http://www.cfjmfg.com/company/html/history.html

::clearning throat:: Is the USO private or public?