David CO

Yes. I think all this transgender stuff is a hoax. I don't think there is any such thing as transgender. Lots of people also claim to have been abducted by aliens. I think this is a hoax, too. I don't think anyone has ever been abducted by aliens. Why do people participate in a hoax? I really don't know why they do it, but they do. I don't particularly care if people want to claim to be transgender, or abducted by aliens, or the grandchildren of bigfoot. It is none of my business. Just don't demand that I participate in the hoax.

The nice thing about email is that you don't have to open them.

Obviously, a lot of people in this country supported the winning candidate, and that includes some people on this forum. The impact of the incoming administration on scouting is about 80th on my list of things to be happy about, but since this is a scouter forum, it is what I talk about here. Thank you for the envy.

No, it didn't already address the question I raised. Wouldn't the "One Committee" concept place greater limits on the Chartered Organization's ability to organize the committee(s) the way it wants? If the CO wants to have two separate committees, why shouldn't it be allowed to do so?

I could disagree with that. I am certainly not going to pledge to not be biased against satanic cults. When we over generalize with these politically correct statements, we sometimes fail to consider exactly who all they might be including.

Is there anything in the rules that currently prevents a Chartered Organization from appointing the same people to both the Cub Scout committee and the Boy Scout committee? If there is, would it be better and easier to just change those rules? Would your proposal be more limiting to the Chartered Organization in that it takes away the choice to appoint one group of leaders or more than one group of leaders to run the units? In my school, the PTO runs the Cub Scouts and the Athletic Department runs the Boy Scouts. A "One Committee" structure could really mess things up. Is this just another instance of council and district guys trying to find solutions to problems that don't really exist?

Unlike a president who had used illegal drugs throughout much of his teenage years, Donald Trump led a spit and polish life in military school, played sports, and worked construction during the summer. If he had had the time, I think Donald Trump would have made a very good Boy Scout. No, I think they are laughing because they are liberal pundits who like to mock the other half of the country.

Of course it did. A good campground needs to be in a more remote area, off the beaten path, not near airports and six-lane highways. A good museum must be more easily accessible. Campgrounds and museums just don't mix.

I would like to see it in the Boyce Building in Chicago, along with a Lone Scout museum. I believe the Boyce building is privately owned, so acquiring the property would probably be cost prohibitive. There is a museum in Ottawa, Illinois. I don't know if they would be capable of expanding to include a larger collection. The idea of a traveling exhibit might be best. Philmont is probably the worst location I can think of, so it would naturally appeal to BSA executives.

Ah, but if our next president were to actually do all that, would you fellows be willing to give him the credit due him? My biggest concern is that any in-person appearances to promote scouting would be protested and disrupted by left wing agitators. Scouting doesn't need that. My hope is that we can get scouting back in the schools. I would like to see a real push for school chartered Boy Scout units.

The proportions of the figures are not wrong. It is intentional. By making the 2 figures larger than life, the artist is further conveying the message that they are meant to be seen as allegorical figures. Why in a scouting statue? Why not? I think they chose the neoclassical style because it was intended to be displayed in the Ellipse, where there are several other monuments built in this style. I believe the artwork is actually owned by the Smithsonian. If the park service was to have it removed, I think it would have to be returned to them.

Ernest Thomson Seton was a nature faker, as were other animal fiction writers of the time, like Rudyard Kipling and Edgar Rice Burroughs. Seton also presented a highly fictionalized picture of American Indians. It is difficult for a naturalist to be taken seriously in his field when he also publishes animal fiction. Likewise, it is hard for a scientist to be taken seriously if he also writes science fiction, or an historian to be taken seriously if he also writes historical fiction.

No, I don't think a cabinet member might become the Honorary President of BSA. If we were to disrupt the tradition of having the POTUS be the HP of BSA, the tradition would probably be discontinued forever, and BSA would not have an Honorary President. It would be too politically divisive for BSA to pick and choose. Like most people, the Trump family's interest level in scouting may largely depend on whether or not they have a child in the program. I don't know if Barron Trump has any interest in scouting. If we really wanted scouting to be more boy lead, we would have an Honorary Chief Senior Patrol Leader of BSA. I'm sure Teddy Roosevelt's sons would have been interested in scouting, had it existed during TR's term. But then again, we would have had to allow bullying.

In 1983, our Cub Scout leaders all wore the Boy Scout leaders' uniform. They didn't want to buy new stuff when they moved up with their boys to Boy Scouts.

The Boy Scout Memorial was sculpted by an American artist. I am a conservative, but I am not a prude. I don't mind the neoclassical styled nude/semi-nude statues. In neoclassical style, nude figures are usually not supposed to be seen to represent actual people. They are meant to personify heroic or virtuous ideals. The semi-nude figures do not represent the scout's parents, or any other adults. They represent the values of the scout. I don't think we need to dummy down our art. I once chaperoned a group of fifth grade students to an art museum showcasing an exhibit of neoclassical art. Once it was explained to them, the kids got it, and they were able to identify the ideals personified by each of the nude figures. Kids can be a lot smarter than we give them credit for. I support art education.

Donald Trump went to a military school. He speaks very highly of his military school education and credits much of his later success in business to the discipline and leadership skills he learned as a cadet. I think this is reflected in the number of former military officers he has chosen for his cabinet. Of course, scouting is not military school, but scouting also teaches discipline and leadership skills which can be beneficial in business or public service. So, it does not surprise me that President-Elect Trump values scouting.

I don't understand why you think it is ironic.

Hi beaglelover. Welcome to the forum. You should not be in the loop. The boy is not in your den. This is a need to know type of situation, and you don't need to know. In situations like this, it is important to limit the number of people involved. The Cubmaster and boy's Den Leaders should be kept informed, but it should not become a subject of public discussion. I'm disappointed that it came up at a planning meeting. It is possible that your perception that people aren't particularly concerned about the situation is really a reluctance on their part to discuss the matter with you. You're not in the loop. If the Chartered Organization is a school or church, they would be very familiar with how to handle these type of situations.

My understanding is that a BoR must be unanimous in order for the scout to advance.

I don't think it is at all true that people laugh and cry in the same way or at the same things. Ian's quote of Monty Python provides me with a good example. I don't find MP the slightest bit funny. My cousin, however, finds them hilarious and quotes them often. So much so, I can usually recognize the quotes, even though I never watch the TV shows or movies.

In school, when a kid fails a class, we don't have the student repeat the class with the same teacher. The kid is put into a different classroom with a different teacher. Likewise, if a boy bombs out at a BoR, we arrange to have a different group of people sit in when the BoR reconvenes. I understand that BSA discourages this, replacing the members of a BoR, but it is not absolutely against the rules.

Some elements of The Sons of Daniel Boone and other youth groups were integrated into the Boy Scout theme as these groups merged/melded into BSA in the early 1900's.

I think they having something similar outside every high school counselor's office. It's not true, though.

When I die, I would like them to give awards to all the people who put up with me over the years.

That would not be the sort of front page news that would reflect well on my unit or my Chartered Organization. No, I would not picket another unit's fundraiser. Instead, I would develop a fundraiser that the yahoos at district cannot hijack. Be Prepared.