CalicoPenn

Sorry Stosh - there is a big difference between policy/program disagreements and a Scoutmaster abrogating his responsibility to the boys health and welfare - your individual opinion may be that "it's fine if a boy misses a meal or two, or only eats ramen at the campout because one of his patrol mates failed to do their job" but that's not going to be the opinion of the majority of parents who are trusting that while they are on an outing with you, the Scoutmaster, the Adult in Charge, that you will be keeping an eye on the boys and will make sure that they are safe, healthy, and fed.

It's not just a grubmaster issue, it's a leadership issue - the leader's aren't following up. The SPL shouldn't be waiting until the gathering in the parking lot to be checking in with the PL's to make sure the patrols are ready to go. The PL's shouldn't be waiting until the last minute to make sure the members are ready to go. The grubmaster shouldn't be waiting until the last minute to let the PL know they might not meet the deadline to buy the food. But it's also more than a leadership issue - it also sounds like a commitment issue - have you considered that the older scouts in the patrol (and troop) may be waiting until the last minute because they haven't really committed themselves to going on the outing until the last minute just in case something better comes along? So what do you do? You carve out some time at the next troop meeting or the next campout to have a friendly touchstone chat with the older boys that are starting to fade away to remind them that they need to start making a committment to the younger boys in the Troop and do the work they've promised they do. But that's only part of it - it's one thing for a patrol to have missed purchasing or forgotten to pack an ingredient - 9 times out of 10 it's easy to work around it (though if your menu calls for egg frittata and they've forgotten the eggs, that could be a more interesting challenge). But, if you discover that the grubmaster never got to the store, or never showed up, then one of the cars makes at 15 minute stop at the next convenient grocery store so that the patrol can purchase their supplies - you may need to front some bucks, but who hasn't been there. Then you have the chat with the PL and SPL on how to prevent this in the future. The adults always had peanut butter, jelly and bread available - but not to supplant an entire weekend's worth of food - it was there for emergencies - raccoons got into the food box or a major rainstorm soaked all the wood so we can't get a cooking fire going, or the dutch oven supper got accidently dumped into the fire. It was there until a resupply run could be made (and one was always made if needed). There is one other question I'd like to answer - the question is why would the parents come to the Scoutmaster about such a problem. I'll be glad to answer that - because, despite being boy-led, the Scoutmaster is ultimately responsible for the well being and safety of the lads at the campout. Not the SPL, not the PL, not the ASM - the Scoutmaster. If you're my sons Scoutmaster and you think letting my son not eat or feeding him ramen or PB&J's for an entire weekend because someone in his patrol failed at their task is perfectly ok then you are in for one heck of a contretemps when I show up at the IH's door demanding your removal for failing to act responsibly.

Go with the LED lanterns - they're safer, the batteries will last at least through a weekend campout, and you can away with much smaller lanterns. I have a "personal size" LED lantern that operates with 4 C-size batteries that's about the size of a coffee mug - it puts out enough light for all the tasks I need it for - will it light up the underside of a whole tarp? No - but then why would I want it to? I just need it to see in front of me. I can always add a couple more if I needed more light. If I hang it above me, I get more useful light that if it's just sitting on the table near me - and since their small and relatively lightweight, they can be hung pretty easily. I've also got a Coleman personal collapsible LED light that operates using AAA batteries - It throws out as much light as the bigger one. I would save the space and just not get the big ones that are the more traditional lantern size - you'll have much more flixibility with the smaller ones.

As is often the case, there is the policy and there is what people think is the policy. Tahawk was kind enough to post the actual policy that can be found at the BSA website. Note that nowhere in the policy does it say "No smoking in uniform". Now an individual pack or troop might have that policy but good luck enforcing it if you want to keep volunteers. The policy does say that smoking may not be allowed at BSA activities where youth are participating which of course means that if no youth are participating (like perhaps at a committee meeting or an adult training course) smoking is allowed - though being courteous, there should be a designated smoking area. However, the BSA then sends mixed signals by having smoking areas at Summer Camp which brings up the question - "What is a BSA activity". Is it an entire meeting or campout or is it just the parts of a meeting or campout that the boys are actually particpating actively in something. Is sitting around a campfire just passing the time an activity? It seems the BSA is suggesting that Summer Camp is not a BSA activity in and of itself, but that it is made up of a lot of activities that don't neccessarily cover an entire day. The best thing to do here is just to suggest to the Scoutmaster, Kindly please (remember the Scout Law) and as the committee, that he try to refrain from smoking in front of the Scouts as best he can but understand that no one is ever perfect and no one should ever confront him if he smokes in front of the boys - we may not like it but after a period of time, lighting up a cigarette can become an automatic thing - no thinking involved so the smokers are likely to slip. As for the shirts, let's first stipulate that this was not a BSA activity - sure, Boy Scouts were volunteering but it's likely many other groups of people were as well. It wasn't organized by the BSA or by the Troop so it falls instead into the realm of community activity. I can understand how a young Scout could be confused by what he perceives as the mixed messages he's getting from his PL and ASM. This is a perfect time to start discussing what we all otherwise know as "The Gray Areas". I think all of us would likely agree that the T-shirts with their double entendres on them would be absolutely inappropriate for a Scout outing, or for school, a day out with the family - heck, a day out without the family at the local mall or wandering around town. But - and here's that gray area, there are very few things that are universally, 100% inappropriate (murder comes to mind). There can be times when something that would normally be seen as inappropriate and morally wrong might be considered appropriate to the situation and now is a great time to have the big C conversation with Scout Son - big C meaning Context. In the context of the event, those t-shirts are probably more appropriate to that kind of event, with humorous double entendres that the survivors are likely to understand and appreciate. A small number of people might not like it but that kind of crude humor is common at these kinds of events but it's a part of the fabric of these events now - its a silly way to help people take their minds off of their problems. A Scout is old enough to be able to start to understand these gray areas - what a perfect example to start off with.

Eagle94 - it's a shame that the Pack leaders weren't able to articulate the reason why Cub Scouts would do a weekly Den Dues collection but then at one time, Patrols and Troops also did weekly collections of "dues" from the lads and that pretty much went by the wayside in the 1970's - is it any wonder we have a couple of generations of people that never got into the savings habit? $12,000 in popcorn sales - about a third stays with the Pack - that's $4,000 - that's a lot of pinewood derby cars - The Pack must have some big expenses if it's charging for B&G - hall rental perhaps? As a side, sounds great that the Pack will reimburse dens for supplies but if the paperwork is any more than "name, den, amount, and a reason no more detailed than "Craft Supplies" or "Cookies" and attach receipt here, I'd go the den dues route.

"Ok, Scout - what have you done this month to show you're doing you're Duty to God" "Well Mr. Scoutmaster, I took the Pope's words to heart and served as a ring bearer at my gay cousin's same-sex marriage, and I helped my divorced uncle take communion at Sunday mass, then to show how reverent I am I helped my Muslim neighbor put up a flagpole for his black Islamic flag which reads "There is no God but God - Muhammed is the messenger of God" then I helped the athiest down the street mow his lawn" As I said, it's ok to ask, it just might not be wise.

Qwazse - great point in you P.S. about doing extra chores - it reminded me that not only were we to bring dues weekly to our den meetings, but we were also encouraged to do something to earn it - not just ask Mom & Dad for it, or break into the piggy bank, but to do extra chores or walk a neighbor's dog.

As I recall, the Boy Scouts floated that "We're a Religious Organization" idea at the appellate level but backpedaled on it as it started to get reported in the media and got negative feedback about it and didn't press it at the Supreme Court level.

There's something else going on here - it's October - presumably Summer Camp was July or maybe August - I would have thought that the problem would have died down by now which suggests that there are still some pretty raw feelings being felt by Scout-son and he's still taking about dropping out. Yes, the Lodge Advisor handled the issue horribly - a letter to the Scout Executive explaining what happened and how disappointed you are in how the Lodge Advisor handled the situation is worthwhile. I've had to deal with this exact same kind of mistake before - a first year Scout was mistakenly called out (fortunately, our Lodge did not do summer camp call-outs - we were big enough that each Chapter did their own at a camporee) I met (as the Lodge Vice Chief) with the lad, his Scoutmaster, his Father, the Chapter Chief and the Chapter Advisor in private and explained what had happened, apologized on behalf of the Lodge, and talked in more detail about the OA, the requirements to get in, and how we couldn't let him go on to the Ordeal but couldn't wait to see him become an arrowman when he met the requirements - the Scout understood and agreed that he wasn't ready yet but would be soon - two years later he was inducted and became active in the Chapter. That's how something like this should be handled, quietly, and apologetically. But I think you know all that already - so how can it be made right now? I'm sorry - it can't - the Lodge botched things up terribly - If Scout Son is still upset about it, then something is happening at the Troop level to keep the wound open - teasing perhaps? Flaunting by those that were meant to be called out? We all know Scouts can be completely different between how they act in front of adults and how they act in front of peers. If he's still upset about this, I'd probe a bit more with Scout Son and find out what else is going on.

Has the program changed that much that Dens don't do weekly collection of Den Dues every month? I've not been involved in the Cub Scout program for ages but I remember when one of the Denner's main jobs was to collect and record the weekly den dues from the members of the den. Back in the 60's and 70's. it may have only been a quarter a week, or 50 cents a week, but it was still part of the Scouts pay their own way lesson. I think the question being answered isn't Karen's real question - her question isn't really "Is $40 per year too much" or even "Is $40 per year necessary" - I think most of us can point out where it might be neccessary and how it might be just the right amount if we had to. No - the real question Karen is asking herself is "Is another $40 per year really worth it?" Let's take a look at it from a purely financial point of view. Let's assume Cubs run from the first full week of September to the last full week of May - taking into account breaks for holidays and not including summer activities, let's assume that's 35 weeks. Let's also assume that out of those 35 weeks, 8 of those weeks are Pack meetings and the dens don't meet separately. That still leaves 26 weeks of den meetings. That $40 now becomes 1.53 cents per Den Meeting. Is that worth it? Pack registration is $50 per year - divide that by 35 weeks (because the pack registration does not just cover pack meetings, but the entire year, including den meeting weeks) and that cost is $1.42 per week. Added together, basic Cub Scouting will cost you $2.95 per week (not including of course, uniforms, Blue and Gold or extra field trip fees that may come up). Is $2.95/week worth it? Let's compare to Soccer at $55 for 8 weeks - that's a cost of $6.87 per week. Which is the better value? Its completely up to you of course - from a financial perspective, $2.95 per week for cub scouting seems reasonable, especially with sports at $6.87 per week. Before you upset the apple cart and push for splitting the den (and you better really have a sense of the pulse of the other parents - they may all think the $40 a year extra is not a big deal if it is going to build a great Bear year program), ask the Den Leader if they have a rough budget which shows how they got to that number. Just because you weren't there when it was discussed (and frankly the Den Leader was being nice when discussing it - most would have just said "this is what it's going to cost - I'm not taking it out of my pocket, and the Pack won't reimburse me so this is the dues amount") doesn't mean something untoward was going on - ask for details - once it's explained to you, you might feel much differently about it. You might also discover that last year, this Den Leader ended up paying a bunch of money out of pocket and hadn't asked the parents to help out and decided this year that there had to be dues to help defray this years expenses. It's fine to be frugal - and if there are any major expenses that can be defrayed by doing something differently (like the example of the bird houses - if you've got the scrap lumber and your willing to create the kits for no cost, I'm sure that would be welcome) but do keep in mind that for most Dens, it's the stuff that nickels and dimes the leader that really starts adding up.

As one of only two religions with worldwide adherents founded by an Eagle Scout, I would certainly hope that Pastafarianism is accepted by the Boy Scouts as doing one's Duty to God - who in this case is depicted as a giant flying spaghetti blob with noodly appendages and googly eyes. After all, the BSA doesn't define what God is. (The other religion founded by an Eagle Scout is Scientology)

Fred, Thanks for the sympathy but unneccessary - Council reversed the BOR on appeal.

In what way is Scouting a faith-based program? There is a vast difference between the 10 Commandments and the 12 points of the Scout Law. I can find nothing in the Congressional Charter that suggests that the Boy Scouts of America is a "Faith-based Organization". About the closest it gets to spirituality is the wording "kindred virtues" but that could refer to something completely different as well. Yes, there is the Declaration of Religious Principles, the 12th point of the Scout Law and the Duty to God in the Scout Oath, and the BSA allows Scouts to wear religious emblems - a non-Scouting award. I'd call the BSA more "Faith Friendly" than "Faith-based". Based on what has been released so far, the Boy Scouts aren't making it "ok to ask" about Duty to God - they're making it a requirement to ask about Duty to God in the Scoutmaster's Conference. It's always been ok to ask, it just hasn't necessarily been wise to ask. If it's true that it's now being required to ask, it's doesn't make it any more wise to ask. If folks haven't noticed lately, we live in a new media world - when my Eagle Scout BOR refused to approve because they didn't want to accept my faith as legitimate, it never made the newspapers or the 10 o'clock news. Today it would have been reposted from Facebook so many times it would have had a very good chance of becoming a national news story. We can hope this new emphasis doesn't result in this kind of thing happening anymore but lets face some reality here - a lot of us have been around enough to have seen a lot of things get discussed on this forum that makes us scratch our heads and wonder what the leaders were thinking. So far, the BSA has been weathering the athiest thing fairly well (yes, they're still obnoxiously wrong about it from a A Scout is Reverent, he respects other people's beliefs about God and religion perspective) but how big a hit will they take when the first Jewish boy is denied rank because his Methodist Scoutmaster says he answered the question "wrong", or the first Methodist boy is denied rank because his Catholic Scoutmaster says he answered the question "wrong". Don't tell me that won't happen - it has happened, it probably is happening, and it always will happen. I've seen issues like this tear units apart. My question - indeed all of us should be asking - what is the motivation and reasoning behind these changes? What are they intended to fix - and who said things were broken in the first place. I really wonder if this isn't an over-reaction to Trails Whosamagidgits or something.

When the Council sent out the e-mail, did they endorse the sales tax referendum or did they just deliver without comment. If they endorsed it, that's problematic and could potentially cause legal and tax problems. If they endorsed it, send a copy of the e-mail to one or both of the folks in Tahawks posting and let them sort it out. If they just forwarded the information without comment, that might be allowable if they were open to doing the same for opponents of the sales tax referendum. If a member of an organized opponent group were to get this e-mail and ask Council to distribute their information as well and Council refused, that might (and I emphasize "might") be considered a tacit endorsement by some which is why I suggest it might be allowable depending on the circumstances. There is a difference between actively endorsing someone or something, and just providing information. It's why churches can hand out voters guides at church but can't stand at the pulpit encouraging folks to vote in a specific way (of course, the voter's guides could be slanted, but as long as they don't blatantly tell folks to vote for these candidates and not for these, that's legal as well - and I don't mean to single out churches either, other organizations, like the NRA and the Sierra Club put out voter's guides too). If you're concerned about where this falls, contact the Council's legal eagle, or you can contact one of the folks in Tahawks post - it at least lets them know that folks are paying attention..

Care to back up that claim that Christians are more likely to be persecuted than non-Christians without using an example of a government worker, including government school employees, being told to obey the Constitution? How many Christians were harrassed or killed after 911 because they were Christians? I read quite a few newspaper reports of Muslims and Sikhs that were harrased, with some even killed, in the days after 911 but not a single report of a Christian being killed. Since 911, I've read a lot of articles about permits being denied to build Mosques but none about permits being denied to Christian churches. I've heard and read those claims before, that Christians are being persecuted in the US - and so far, all the claims I've read about are about teachers and coaches being told that they can't lead students in prayer (and no, they can't - not if they work for government schools - that's not persecution, that's following the law), or about anti-abortion, or anti-same sex marriage, or Westboro Baptists protestors being harrassed (take it up with your fellow Christians, they're the ones counter-protesting), or Christian business owners that don't get to discriminate against people they don't like (again, thats not persecution, thats following the laws). Trust me, st0ut is not alone in having a poor experience with Scouters that have taken the Duty to God portion way too personally. I was initially denied my Eagle Scout rank because members of my Board of Review refused to accept my religion as legitimate. Council overruled that BOR, over the strenuous objections and threats to quit of those members. I suppose some might argue that their never being allowed to serve on an Eagle Scout BOR again was persecution of Christians - I would argue that it was justifiable elimination of ignorance from the process.

Second question first - tape or melt - for one of the wolf electives, which is on knots, one of the things it calls out for is "Tape Whipping" - I'd suggest that's the answer - don't do it for them, show them how it's done and let then each do the tape whipping on their own lengths of polyrope - I always used black electrical tape for this. That will both solve your dilemma and get them a check mark off one of the elective items. For a worksheet - check the wolf book first - it probably has the diagrams you're looking for already.

Sounds to me like some folks at National have decided to double down on the religious stuff while they still have the chance - perhaps to try to nullify the Trail Whozawhatits folks as much as they can. I wonder how many Scoutmasters who don't ask that question in Scoutmaster's Conferences are going to start when it's required and how many are just going to skip it. Who is going to enforce this nre requirement? Will there be right and wrong answers? How would one respond to a Scout saying "I did my duty to God by protesting at a war hero veteran's funeral because he supported same sex marriage"? Remember, we're not asking them how they're reverent - we're going to ask point blank "How did you do your duty to God?" If we're going to ask the Duty to God question, why aren't we also going to ask the Duty to Country question? I guess the real question is, who are the braniacs who thought the program needed to be tweaked like this anyway and how did they get the keys to the car.

Little Scouts got its start as a magazine comic for the Saturday Evening Post in 1942. They first appeared in comic book form in Dell's Four Color Comics in 1951 and appeard in 5 issues of Four Color Comics with their last appearance in 1954. The had their own comic book for 5 issues in 1951 & 1952.

We never seem to have discussions about what is meant by Duty to Country, or what is meant by being thrifty, or brave, or cheerful. It seems to me that folks are putting way too much emphasis on Duty to God and to reverent as if there is a wrong answer. We get so twisted in the discussions that we start to confuse faith with god. Buddhists and Taoists may not have a belief in a god but that doesn't mean they don't have faith. Yes, the BSA requests letters from religious leaders as part of the Eagle Scout application process but they also are pretty clear that a parent can be considered a Scout's religious leader. So how should the OP deal with his situation? The same way everyone, imho, should deal with it. Don't ask questions that are specific to points of the Oath and Law. Instead of asking for an example of how a Scout is reverent, ask instead to give examples of how the Scout is living by the Scout Law. If he wants to cite reverent as an example, that's his choice, not your demand. If he never addresses reverent, that's his choice, not your demand. Instead of asking a Scout how he is doing his Duty to God, ask him how he is living the Scout Oath. Work with the adults in your Troop to make sure that the BORs aren't just filled up with "gotcha" questions, but are meaningful reviews for both the Scouts and the Troop - this is the opportunity for the committee to learn what is and isn't working, what the Scouts like and dislike. They should not be used as an opportunity to bash the Scouts because the answer he gave is "wrong" in someone else's perspective. Then work with the Scouts and parents as the Scout starts advancing towards Eagle to prepare them that other units handle BOR's much differently and some are far more adversarial than yours are and that at the Eagle BOR they may run into someone from one of those units who will try to hammer the Scout on a question about reverence or Duty to God but that you will have their back and will get them through the process. The alternative, really, is to start treating all the other points of the Scout Law and Scout Oath with the same fervor that folks seem to use with reverence and Duty to God. If we were to do so, woe to the Scout who shows up for a BOR I'm part of in a truck with a confederate flag on it - I would be asking some very pointed questions about how flying the flag of a defeated enemy of the United States of America is showing a Duty to Country.

Kelty makes a lightweight diamond tarp (which just means it's a square tarp) in a few different sizes. What I like about these is that in addition to grommets in the 4 corners, there are tie downs along the edges of the tarp. They come with 2 poles so you can set them up in a field in a typical "A" configuration (open at two ends, sides down. If I use it as a dining fly, I prefer to string it up using trees as my poles if I can. But that's dining, not sleeping. Sure, you can set it up and use a picnic table as a cot but when you don't want to haul around a cot, you'll be sleeping on the ground. For that you'll need some stakes, some rope, and a good, sturdy wooden hiking stick (or a canoe paddle - or a stick you find in the woods). The hiking stick will be your tent pole - and will hold up one corner of the tarp (and you'll need the rope for that). Stake the opposite corner to the ground, then stake the sides to the ground. In rainy weather, point the opening away from the direction the rain is coming or use the pole in the center of the tarp and create a pyramid tent. But since pictures are worth a thousand words, look up Diamond Fly and you should be able to find a lot of different ways to set up a square "tarp" for sleeping quarters.

Told with the right inflection and right vocal tone ( somewhere between Vincent Price and James Earl Jones) it's quite the tale, especially for Cub Scouts that like scary/silly stories. It's also the only story you'll ever need in your quiver because 95% of the time, you'll never be asked to tell another story. I have heard a lot of groans, mostly from adults, but no one has ever suggested a firing squad before. When I first learned the story, it was just the first three lines repeated over an over again until the audience finally "put the hook in". I was invited to tell a story at a Snap Apple night (a Scottish/Appalachian American Halloween bonfire) and just knew this was the one but that I had to modify and beef it up a bit. The professional storytellers (wow, people get paid to tell stories around campfires!) loved it, the audience thought it was a hoot - just long enough to hold interest, and it wasn't the only groaner told. It got a big laugh and garnered some nice applause. It got a bigger laugh when a 7 year old boy asked his mommy who Caspar was (sigh). I'm also lucky that I do have the voice for this kind of story - I'm told my reading of The Raven sends chills up peoples spine (though no one could ever do that story better than James Earl Jones). And yes, I'm well aware that it is 15 minutes of my life I'll never get back - but I posted it at work so at least I got paid for it.

It was a dark and stormy night. We were sitting around the campfire when Pack said Calico, tell us a ghost story. So I did - and it went something like this... It was a dark and stormy night. The shadow of the leafless tree branches were reaching their gnarled fingers towards us. We were sitting around the campfire when Skeptic said Calico, tell us a ghost story. So I did - and it went something like this... It was a dark and stormy night. The shadow of the leafless tree branches were reaching their gnarled fingers towards us. In the distance, wolves were howling in response to the howling winds. We were sitting around the campfire when Skip said Calico, tell us a ghost story. So I did - and it went something like this... It was a dark and stormy night. The shadow of the leafless tree branches were reaching their gnarled fingers towards us. In the distance, wolves were howling in response to the howling winds. Strange noises were coming from the swamp behind the tents. We were sitting around the campfire when Sentinel said Calico, tell us a ghost story. So I did - and it went something like this... It was a dark and stormy night. The shadow of the leafless tree branches were reaching their gnarled fingers towards us. In the distance, wolves were howling in response to the howling winds. Strange noises were coming from the swamp behind the tents. The birds were silently gathering above our heads and staring down at us with malevolent eyes. We were sitting around the campfire when SSScout said Calico, tell us a ghost story. So I did - and it went something like this... It was a dark and stormy night. The shadow of the leafless tree branches were reaching their gnarled fingers towards us. In the distance, wolves were howling in response to the howling winds. Strange noises were coming from the swamp behind the tents. The birds were silently gathering above our heads and staring down at us with malevolent eyes. A dense fog was rolling in from the deep woods behind the outhouse. We were sitting around the campfire when Turtle said Calico, tell us a ghost story. So I did - and it went something like this... It was a dark and stormy night. The shadow of the leafless tree branches were reaching their gnarled fingers towards us. In the distance, wolves were howling in response to the howling winds. Strange noises were coming from the swamp behind the tents. The birds were silently gathering above our heads and staring down at us with malevolent eyes. A dense fog was rolling in from the deep woods behind the outhouse. Mysterious lights were illuminating the clouds from above. We were sitting around the campfire when Eagle said Calico, tell us a ghost story. So I did - and it went something like this... It was a dark and stormy night. The shadow of the leafless tree branches were reaching their gnarled fingers towards us. In the distance, wolves were howling in response to the howling winds. Strange noises were coming from the swamp behind the tents. The birds were silently gathering above our heads and staring down at us with malevolent eyes. A dense fog was rolling in from the deep woods behind the outhouse. Mysterious lights were illuminating the clouds from above. The odor of decaying flesh was advancing from the box canyon to the north. We were sitting around the campfire when Stosh said Calico, tell us a ghost story. So I did - and it went something like this... Caspar was a friendly ghost, the friendliest ghost I knew...

Oh for the good old days when there was a one year Webelos program and you crossed over the month of your 11th birthday and you earned AOL at your own pace, which could mean, in a large enough Pack, and aol ceremony every Pack meeting and a crossover ceremony (yes, run by a Troop but often done at Pack meetings) at every pack meeting.

I think your first step is to take some time this evening and weekend to call the parents of the no-shows to see what's up - no use worrying about it until you know you have something to worry about.

I just thought of something else you could do that doesn't take money, just a little time - and can be rotated amongst the boys - on Pack Meeting nights, station a couple of Boy Scouts in full uniform - merit badge sashes and all - the full bling - at the front doors to open them for everyone that comes in - just being courteous and all and doing a good turn daily.