OldGreyEagle

And I live in one of those border councils, Minsi Trails Council, we stretch from Philipsburg, New Jersey and environs up to and including some of the Pocono Mountains in Pennsylania, inclusing Allentown and Bethlehem, jumping rivers and mountains in a single bound. And I know scouters from all over this region and I guess I wouldnt have it any other way(This message has been edited by OldGreyEagle)

I concur with the above, A merit badge is not intended to teach a skill as much as provide a well rounded introduction to the subject. Perhaps that's why I feel weird when I see a merit badge counselor who "does" several disperate merit badges or a scout with several merit badges from a single counselor (perhaps a parent) makes me wonder how much of an "expert" they are in these fields. (I know once the blue card is signed, the badge must be given) Its a huge world out there and the merit badge program is a door to many of very interesting topics and its best done with a true "expert" counsleor and not just an adult who read the book along with the scout. Although in some areas a true expert maynot be possible

As a counselor of the Citizenship in the Nation Merit Badge, I feel I must take issue with the assessment that Gerrymandering has nothing to do with logic or a sense of continuity. Districts are most definitely drawn with logic and continuity in mind. To have districts drawn with more of "your people" (members of a specifc political party) in them than "those people" (members of the other political party)is completely logical. In this way continuity of a political party is preserved. There you have logic and continuity explained. Now to explain the rationale of Boy Scout Councils, you need a better double-talker than JM, myself or anybody I know.

Good idea, having the pictures is a good idea, in color is even better. My son was in a patrol that selected the name Beavers, they loved the name until they saw the patch, its royal blue and they thought hideous. Well, as the troop pays for the patrol medallions, we wouldnt let them change the name. When my son became a patrol leader, he asked if I would take him to the scout store and he looked over the patrol medallions there. He picked out 5 he said he could "live" with and we bought them. At the next scout meeting, he laid the medallions out on the table and said pick one and a name. They picked out the Scorpion patch and the name the "Thunder Scorps" except during Klondike when they were the "Snow Scorps". The kids got to pick their name and we were able to return the medallions for full refunds the next day.(This message has been edited by OldGreyEagle)

I wanted to take this away from the other thread as it was going off topic. Personally I despise the concept of selling door to door. Now, I am on record as saying I hate to sell, so maybe its just me. It rankles me to no end when I answer the door and find the latest purveyor of fundraiser junk. I know its for good causes, but I just dislike being accosted at home and will not subject my neighbors to another round of "gimme gimme". In another thread there was talk about being sure rank advancement was not portrayed as a contest, and I agree with that. I also dont think popcorn sales should be as competitive as they are. Year after year the same family wins because they have a huge extended family and the father (an executive) puts a few order sheets in the employees break room. His kids clean up. They sell in the thousands. And I know the troop benefits as well with the sales. I just wonder how much more the principals would receive if the premiums were reduced or eliminated. The rest of the troop gets so demoralized, they dont want to sell anything. I know its not the family's fault that they are tight and the father has employees who will buy popcorn from him, but the scout hasnt done a whole lot to sell. And announcing who "sold" the most rings rather hollow whe the kid doesnt know more than half of his "customers" I like car washes, rummage sales, etc. Where people go on their own volition and receive a useful service. One thing we have done for our Chartering Organization is auction off blocks of "Scout Hours". The person bids on a block of 20 hours of labor, pays the Chartering Organization and the scouts perform yard work, hedge cleaning, washing windows etc. all supervised by adult leaders. The CO keeps the money. I know fund raising is a necessary evil of a non-proprietary organization, I just hate to beg

I always heard the Aquatics people call it bronze, while actually its more like rust...

Is that Hawk Mountain as in Hawk Mountian PA? Thats only 40 miles from me, it has a Camp School? kewl

I know this may be a reach but I have a question and I think this may be the best place to ask. On Friday I saw an interview with a gay male couple who had adopted two children. Apparently some states allow this and some dont and some that have allowed it are considering banning/retracting it. They were arguing, naturally, for allowing more gay couples to adopt. My Question is, does anybody know if there has been a study on the sexual orientation of the children of gay couples? And next, depending on the outcome would that prove/disprove the inborn trait/consious choice argument?

Welcome back, I know white water rescue is a skill unto itself, who accedits it and where do I look for training ?

Thanks TJ, and I say this with admitted sarcasm and without being directed to TJ or anybody else I guess just keeping my nose buried in my troops program,working to deliver the promise and attending District Roundtables is not enough to keep up

TJ, I just read your post on the Why its relevant thread, where do you get your informaiton on the different committees you spoke of? I dont doubt it, but how do you keep up with this stuff? its not easily found, or at least I cant find it, like I said, I must be outta the loop

Perhaps Bob, but there was a story in our local newspaper about this program two years ago and its so popular that this year is the first year our troop got a slot to participate so there are lots of people standing in line to be taken advantage of. The reason for this program as I explained is the park knows the "boosters" are much more reliable than the normal summer workers and sometimes they cant fill all their vacancies with employees. The troop committee, which has a few financial types on it, thought it was a good deal and aproved the idea. We see it as Win-Win between the park and us. In our area, it seems every organization has its "pet" fundraisers, if its not chocolate bars for the little league its cookies for the Girl Scouts or christmas trees and wreaths for the high school band or candles for the Middle school band or, or , well, as Rosanne Rosanne A'Dan would say, "its always something". I see this as a way of making money for out troop without going door to door begging people to buy something else. I admit, I hate to sell and dont like my son selling things either. Now with this proram we will both work together for 8 hours, get a 100 dollars for the troop and have a blast doing it, I think its the park that is being taken advantage of actually. (This message has been edited by OldGreyEagle)

I am not sure I understand about a lot of things that are discussed on this Forum. A lot is made of different groups "Agenda" be it Homosexuality or Conservative Christian's or whatever else is discussed. How are these Agendas developed and maintained over years, decades of implementation? How are they amemded, altered or disposed of if need be? How are the "members" polled as to what these agenda items should contain? What if there is dissension, how do the members know who to contact to complain? A lot is discussed about the BSA "Gay" policy. Has anyone seen a presentation at either National, Council or District levels about this policy? Has anyone been asked by a scout executive if you knew that the Gay policy was being followed in the troop? I have to say that in the 5 years I have been active in my sons troop as an Assitant Scoutmaster, Unit Commisioner, District Advancement Committee member, and Naitonal Jamboree Assistant Scoutmaster the only policies I have heard about are rules concerning safety, be it safety aflot, safe swin defense, etc. and the mantra of "You cant add to or take away from the advancement criteria" (which I support). Where is the information on what BSA wants or doesnt want found? I keep reading about what "they" want, just who is "they" ?

Usually I employ the "Socratic" method of scouting. When I see something going awry, or scouts who need help, I always start with, "what seems to be the problem". Once they agree on that I ask who is in charge and then help that scout through the problem. The most recent use of this method was trying to get the scouts to light a propane stoveat a new scout campout. As soon as the scouts had the stove opened, one guy had the match out of the box and was posied ready to light. After he struck the match and the stove failed to light, After getting the patrol leader I asked them why they thought that was so. I started asking him and the scouts what might be wrong. They eventually got around to the fact there was no gas hooked up to the stove. Then we went through what was needed to connect the propane tank to stove and one until the pyrotechnically enthused scout (which I realize is redundant) was able to light the stove sucessfully. While it took 15 minutes to accomplish and I could have done it myself in less than five, hopefully the scouts will remember much better having done than shown. I kept asking questions until I got the right one and never had to give an answer once, but I did have to pull it out of them. The SPL was busy doing the same thing with another patrol. Socratic Scouting, it works!!!

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I am not sure what I said meant I advocated a Gay scoutleader, at least I didnt intend to. I respect BSA's right to have its own membership requirements. I just dont think homosexuality is the bane to civilization as is expressed at times and whether gay or straight, sexuality is something best left out of scouting and in the scout's family or church whenever possible.

See Long, I dont correlate Homosexuals with Pedophiles. Pedophiles can be Homosexual or Heterosexual. They prey on those smaller, younger and vulnerable who cant give consent to their molestation. Adults on the other hand, are different and as long as they only engage other willing partners, I am not sure a crime is present. And while I dimly remember the 50's, I beleive Eisenhower was in the whitehouse, peace and prosperity reigned for most of it and it was illegal in some states for blacks to drink from a "whites" only water fountain or sit at a "whites" only luncheon counter. As far as civil rights go, many states had literacy tests a person had to pass when they went to register to vote and somehow blacks failed at an astounding rate. In retrospect, the Jim Crow laws were seen as a necessity to keeping the social order and today we wonder what those "people were thinking" The world today is a much different place than it was in the 1950's and it will be different in the 2050's I wonder what subject the the citizens in 2050 will contemplate and say "what were they thinking" when they think about us. (This message has been edited by OldGreyEagle)

I dont know if its correct either, but in our troop one boy is AO troop representatve and ASPL as well, so it does happen. I think Den Chief and almost anything else would not conflict as well as any combination I cant think of. As long as they dont conflict, I dont see a problem.

In my experience, changes to the program seem to occur annually, but to different parts of the program. When my son was working towards star, one of his Eagle required merit badges (Safety) was taken off the required list. So, while it counted as an elective badge he had to earn another Eagle required one. Getting an updated requirement book every year is not a bad idea for the Troop Library. As for the changes, I dont mind them, they show the Program to be dynamic and willing to change to be up with the times. And as a learning experience, what could be more real life than having the rules change on you?

sorry, wrong thread(This message has been edited by OldGreyEagle)

Mom, how could you? You know very well we in Boy Scouts never, never punish anyone, we may employ behavior modification techniques and once in a while a little corrective action is applied, but we never punish

The Bridge Builder by Will Allen Dromgoole (1860-1934) An old man, going a lone highway, Came at the evening cold and gray, To a chasm, vast and deep and wide, Through which was flowing a sullen tide. The old man crossed in the twilight dim- That sullen stream had no fears for him; But he turned, when he reached the other side, And built a bridge to span the tide. "Old man," said a fellow pilgrim near, "You are wasting strength in building here. Your journey will end with the ending day; You never again must pass this way. You have crossed the chasm, deep and wide, Why build you the bridge at the eventide?" The builder lifted his old gray head. "Good friend, in the path I have come," he said, "There followeth after me today A youth whose feet must pass this way. This chasm that has been naught to me To that fair-haired youth may a pitfall be. He, too, must cross in the twilight dim; Good friend, I am building the bridge for him." Thats why I scout...

We will have two fundraisers this year, one is staffing a hotdog/Coke wagon out side the local Wal-Mart (we got Memorial Day Weekend, WOO HOO) The local Coke distrubutor donates the use of the wagon, we have to pay for the product used. The more donated supplies, such as buns, dogs, the more we make, last year it was about $750. Then, last night we got a suprise, it seems many theme parks have a hard time getting reliable help and are always looking for help. In our area DORNEY PARK AND WILD WATER KINGDOM has what they call a booster bucks program. If you work an eight hour shift, they donate 50 dollars to your group. Individuals must be over 16 and follow their dress code. Jobs include helping with rides, concessions, almost anything except actual ride operations. Our goal is to have 25 people work. From what I understand many theme parks have this program or a similar one, sounds like fun!

You guys may not beleive this, and I am not sure I can beleive I am doing this, but Dedicated Dad, you are wrong (now the hard part) You are wrong because you said I have no use for you, or words to that effect. I have plenty of use for you, its your james carville style of debate I have issue with. BUT, be it as it may, Dad has a right to his opinion as much as anyone else. He has a right to choose his style of debate. At times I think he risks losing his message with his tactics, but he is entitled to express his opinion in any way he desires. I also have a right to take issue with his style and have. Thats callled first amendment rights. Now, dad, dont get me wrong, I dont agree with most of what you say, but as the saying goes, I do affirm your right to say it anyway you wish and I reserve the right to disagree with how you say it. And thats why we are the nation other peoples admire and sometimes fear.

I had some thoughts but after rereading them, they were not scout like and so I will bid you a happy thursday instead(This message has been edited by OldGreyEagle)