OldGreyEagle

Pictures from the Cardboard Boat Regatta, the name of our award winning boat was Lil Nemo, The theme of our boat was "Naval Orange" The last two photos on the page are the boat, the other pictures is the troop sponsored by the same CO as the crew. http://clubhouse.wso.net/myweb9/minsi_outing.htm Oh the awarsd Lil Nemo garnered Second Place Titanic Award for most graceful sinking First Place award for Best "dressed" (remember, its good to win the race, but its better to look good, and we looked Mah-val-lussss!)(This message has been edited by OldGreyEagle)

Pounder, this may just be a regional thing, but when you talk about presenting the Ranger award to those Crew members would that outing you are on be the final requirement they had to accomplish? As memorable as your scenario would be, I agree with Matua and the recipient should be allowed to plan the ceremony. On the other hand, your proposal sure has a lot of romance and would rate very high on the memory of a lifetime meter.

For the record, I like Cinncinnati chili, it just looks a little weird. Spent some time at Pill Hill in Cinncy awhile back, stayed at the Vernon Manor Second place to White Castle has to be Krystals in the south, Second to none has to be either a Nancy's Stuffed crust pizza or a Portillos Italian beef sandwhich, you Chicago guys know what I mean

Isnt Cinncinnati chili a ground beef mess served on a bed of elbow macoroni?

A little insight on the my people etc thing. I used to be the manager of a fairly large Radiology Dept. The head Radiologist (X-Ray Doctor) and I were often at odds over personnel matters. He thought of it as HIS department and HIS employees. When the hospital installed its first MRI Scanner, the Doc and I went over all the employees who had expressed interest in running the scanner. The person I thought would be best for the lead position was Jim. The Doc was adamant that it couldnt be Jim, Jim was the best CT tech we had, and did everything so wonderfully that the Doc didnt want to see Jim get transferred. It didnt matter that the new position was a promotion, meant better pay, better hours, the Doc saw the department as HIS and didnt want Jim to leave his position because it was bad for the department. It didnt matter Jim was always at work on time, always cheerful, always willing to help things out. In fact, thats why the Doc didnt want him to be transferred. He couldnt conceive we could train another Jim from the employees we had, or that Jim had earned this promotion, it didnt fit in with how he saw HIS department operating. The same often happened with the reception employees, a predominantly female group. He saw them as his girls. We had several entry level reception and file clerk positions. It was not at all unusual for us to hire an employee and after the 6 month probation was over that employee would transfer to another department in a better position. This was after establishing a good on time record, able to follow directions, etc. The Doc was livid the hospital was raiding his employees. It didnt matter the employees were bettering themselves, he wanted them to stay put in his department. Personally I saw it as a compliment to the department that we developed people other departments wanted. I tried to upgrade the positions a few times but was told no by the hospital management, they were entry level positions and that was the breaks. It got to the point if we had an employee for 2 years, we tried to figure out what was wrong so they could move up. Now this is an extreme example, but it all came about from the Doc thinking it was HIS department. I can see that its OK for a senior patrol leader to think of it as HIS troop, as long as he realizes its as much his troop as it is the just signed up not even at scout level 11 year olds troop. Its as much the older scouts in the Venture patrol troop as it is every scout in the New Scout Patrol. The danger of say MY troop is that SOME people (Not all I agree) tend to forget other people are involved when they think of MINE and MY. I think thats all this is about. If you can say my and mine etc and never forget that every one is a shareholder, its fine, but sometimes the mine and my sticks. I hope I explained my position so you understand what I mean, I dont expect everyone to agree and I respect that.

Hops, Does your school have a rifle team? My son has been on his school's rifle team for 3 years and this will be his fourth. In PA its a winter sport so it shouldnt conflict with football, just a thought. They shoot .22's at 50 feet at NRA match targets

In the September Issue of Scouting Magazine is an article about a certain troop (362) from a certain little Pennsylvania town (Bethlehem) that did a canoe trip one day and a bike hike the second. Yes, indeed, that troop is the one of which my son and I are affiliated. ( I guess my troop would have been shorter ) Anyway, its a nice article about the troop and the group that outfitted the trip, they provided both canoes and the bikes and the helmets. NB: Search all you will in the multiple photographs, you will not see any pictures of the OldGreyEagle or his son, YoungSpikedEagle. It seems the troop decided to have this trip on the same weekend as the second weekend of my Woodbadge course, or rather the WoodBadge Course I took. Those familiar with the course know the second weekend utilizes youth as staff members. Well, my son opted to be the Woodbadge staff rather than take part in the trip. That may be one of my best scouting memories. Anyway, thought I'd share

To my understanding, just because the group is Youth Ministries doesnt mean they cant do activities in other areas. Our Crew is a "High Adventure Crew" yet out of 6 Bronze given thus far, 3 were in Youth Ministries, that Habitat for Humanity trip was responsible for alot of that. The real idea is to get thie kids working on what THEY want to do and things happen, good things

"Beer is proof God loves us and wants us to be happy" Ben Franklin, noted statesman, inventor, entrepreneur, and not on a BSA outing when he said it either. ( I hope I got this one right!)(This message has been edited by OldGreyEagle)

I think a Venture Crew would be great in the situation you mention. Here is a suggestion to get it started, our crew did a habitat for humanity project last year. I think that might be a good initial project. The group needs to be organized within itself, but then the Habitat program does a lot of the logistics such as where you stay, when to get there, provides tools, etc. When the kids get back you have plenty pf pictures, stories of good times and that generates interest in the so far non-membes. The drawback is you have to be over 16 to participate. The trip did so well, the church repeated it this year without the crew. I think anytime you have youth with little or nohing to do, a Crew is always a great idea.

Its ok Ed, wanna know a secret? between just us two? sometimes I get carried away as well

Well, this certainly didnt go the way I planned, but as I have said before the course of these threads are not unlike Forrest's Gump's feather, they drift to where they will. My intention for starting this thread was to repeat something I wrote about a year ago, here goes: Every year when we get our new scouts, at one of their first meetings, I do a scoutmaster minute (or 2-3) on the meaning of the word stewardship. I ask who's troop is it, who owns it. I eventually get around to its the church's troop, the members of the troop are just stewards, taking care of the troop during our time there and its every member's reponsibility, adult or scout to leave the troop better than we found it. The boys run the troop, the adults provide support, but we only care for the troop, its not really ours. Then I compare that with humans being stewards of the planet, we dont own it, we just live here, same as the troop, we dont own it, we just hang out here. And we need to do what we can to make it better. Now, do I flip out when I hear "my troop"? No, I am with Ed that taking ownership can be a good thing, But (and you had to know that was comming) taking ownership is fine as long as its realized that all members are a shareholder as well. Its fine for the SPL to think of it as "his troop" as long as he realizes that its the brand new just registered not even a "scout" 10.5 year old's troop as well, and that the new member may have some good ideas. A good leader will listen to all ideas, not just those that fit his idea of what "his troop" should look like.

Clutch? Talk about a word that may need to be looked up, Proud driver of manual transmissions for 32 years

Sorry Ed, I guess I was unclear in my intro. I actually took the idea for this thread based on an exchange between you and Bob White. The one where Bob objects to a Scoutmaster calling it "my" troop and SPL's doing the same thing and you questioned what was wrong with that, as you felt taking ownership was a good thing. I was just looking for reactions to the "my" troop mentality and if it is good or bad or what. Does that help? Again, sorry for my mixed signals

The trouble with being a self proclaimed know it all, is that you cant know it all and it eventually catches up with you. I knew I should have looked it up, but no, I Knew I knew the answer. Well, like my old biology teacher used to say, its not what you dont know, its what you think you know that just aint so Jokes on me, Non-Alchoholic drinks all around

Merlyn, On a separate but related topic, I thought I saw something last week about the ACLU making an attempt to get crosses and other religious symbols off all federal land, is that right?

In another thread the concept of who "owns" the troop came up. I see this as a boss who talks about "my people" (Pardon me, I thought Lincoln freed the slaves) Anyway, who should feel like they own the troop? The SPL? The PLC, Just whom/who? ( I never could sort that one out)

Ignorant, Obstreperous, Fractious and Surly Scouters who live in the past, who seemingly have no concept of todays program and idiotically make the same moronical arguments over and over and measure their success by the number of Eagles they produce rather than the number of lives they have touched.

Yes Ed, I know you posted that earlier, do you have a few other examples? as you can tell I am a little leary on this postive directing leadership thing, I need some help understanding it, and as you seem to have a lot of experience in using directing leadership, I want to make use of your talents and expertise

Whats the sense of being a self proclaimed know it all if you cant flaunt it, Arrgh Arrgh, Classic Star Trek reference to Harry Mudd, also seen in the Trouble with Tribbles episode. One of my all time favorite actors was in that show, Patty Duke's father, well not really her father, the actor who played the part in her show, Oh how I had a crush on her.. and Deborah Walley, and Donna Douglas, and Melody Patterson, and Tina Louise and Dawn Wells, and Julie Newmar and Barbara Feldon, and Diana Rigg... BTW My name? Well I am an Eagle Scout (Have the card with Richard Nixon's name on it even) and the parenthetical statement explains the other two part

Ed, indulge us with some of examples of directive leaderhip that are positive?

SCTMOM, Actually I am working my way up to pompous, arrogant, pedantic, closeminded bookthumper, I have only reached the first rung. Geez CRANEACE, do you beleive everything you read on the internet? Did you know that someimes on the internet people portray themselves to be somethng they are not? Shocking isnt it? I know I didnt beleive it either the first time. Sometimes people place whimsical profiles, someimes not, guess you missed the part where I implied that I am a know it all since I learned how to use google. In any case, you are right about one thing, I'll leave this thread alone for awhile and see what other posters have to say.

CRANEACE Still no answer on the US and We huh? Merlyn has been asked to leave more than a few times by various forum members, but since he complies with the rules of this forum he is entitled to express his opinions here, regardless of how popular or unpopular they are. I would like to know who you think is an Atheist besides Merlyn. Since you used the word "some" you must suspect at least someone else, who is it as I cant think of anyone. You purport to be doing research, yet miss that merlyn has been invited by many forum members to leave, and then say there are "some" atheists who post here and I can think of only one. Who is WE and US?

Who are you and why do you care? Blunt questions asked because while you like to ask quesitons, you certainly dont answer them very well at all. And if this is some grand experiement, all you have proven is that people who enjoy scouting are rightfully suspicious when quesitons are asked without any background given about the quesitoner

Wonderful Idea, although if the focus of the camp is learning camping skills, why not bump it up a notch and set it up so the boys show the girls how to cook, and have them both make lunch together? Boys cooking for girls, what a concept! Since the Girl Scouts arent related to the BSA, I think it would be a fine service project.