Idle Thoughts

[Eamonn]

Have been kind of busy all night.

As a rule I have a TV on, as I read and go over the topics here in the forum. But tonight I played my new CD player and as yet have not seen the news.

I did see somewhere that Lance Armstrong has the yellow jersey in the Tour de France.

What a guy!!!

I have read a little about him and all that he has gone through.

I have never read or heard a bad thing.

I wonder was he ever a Scout?

Spent some time listening to the new 15 track Yellow Submarine CD. I haven't seen that movie in years. Was it 1968?

Remember that it was at the time a "Must" and thinking that it wasn't that great at the time. But I was VERY young.

Sir Paul Mc Cartney, was a Scout. I am willing to forget his past drug use!!! The things that he is doing to ban land mines is outstanding.

Shame that he is so old, I would love to see him play the National Jamboree.

Who do you think ought to be the "Big Star?"

Must be really hard to find an act that the Scouts would like and who would fit the bill.

Please don't tell me about Paul being in jail in Japan. - I know.

Before we go there try and remember the concert he put together for Sept. 11th.

[evmori]

Ahhh. How refreshing to read a post like that.

Still am a big Beatle fan especially Sir Paul McCartney.

 

 

[acco40]

Did you see the Simpsons last night? Many references to the Beatles and Scouting!

 

Happy birthday to Gerald R. Ford, former Eagle Scout!

[mk9750]

acco40,

 

As I understand, there is no such thing as a former Eagle Scout (Steven Speilberg may be the exception).

 

Mark

[acco40]

Mark,

 

You are correct. It was abad choice of words on my part.

[ozemu]

Sir Paul? Never realised that he was knighted.

 

On the movies you guys refer to your sports coaches as coach .... Is that really the case? Over here they would be known by first name even to the smallest player. Also had some USA students on my post grad course and they were surprised that we called the lecturers by first name. The expected to call them by their full academic title. Basically Americans come across as being very formal and class conscious. Is it really like that?

 

No attack on your country here - just curious.

[dsteele]

Interesting that an Austrailian would ask of formality from Americans on a post started by an Englishman. Wow, I digress before I even begin.

 

Actually, Ozemu, it is an interesting question. The answer is no, we really aren't that title oriented or class-conscienced. At least not on the surface.

 

I think a lot of American formality depends on the person more than the position. I have no doubt in my mind that President Bush wouldn't mind it a bit if I said, "Hey George!" But his protocol officer and secret service detail would be reaching for their weapons.

 

I usually refer to doctors and pastors by their first names and actually have a problem if they have a problem with it. Most don't. However, some Americans feel uncomfortable doing so and prefer the distance offered in the honorific.

 

This is coming from a died-in-the-wool republican, so don't think of it as a partisan thing, but my personal view is that if you need a title to justify respect, none is deserved.

 

I certainly don't expect district executives and volunteers to refer to me as Assistant Scout Executive Steele. I'd rather just be Dave and let my knowledge and position assist you.

 

However, as in all things American, I'm sure there are those who will disagree with me and say that formality is very much a part of our culture.

 

Which will give the French something else to laugh at

 

DS

[Eamonn]

Yes Paul was knighted by H.M. The Queen in 1996, for his services to music.

I don't know how formal it is down under, but back in the olde country we used to call;

Teachers: Were Mr. Mrs. Or Dr. Followed only by their last name, Mr. Jones.

Doctors were just Dr. Jones

Priests were Father Jones, most didn't use a first name.

Nuns were Sister. Normally with two first names.

I remember Sister Mary Matthew. I swear to this day that Lady soaked her hands in vinegar. Our school uniform was shorts, both winter and summer, and if Sister was unhappy with you she was prone to give you a slap on the bare leg. But you ought to have seen her play soccer.

Many Scoutmasters (Scout Leaders after 1969) Were called Skip or skipper. Nothing else just Skip.

I'm not sure if this was left over from the navy.

When dealing with some one with a title, it was normal to use the title till they told you not to.

We were informed when we went to the St Georges Day parade at Winsor for Queens Scouts, that if the Queen spoke to us we were to address her as Mam as in jam.

Over this side of pond there seems to be a real mix up of who to call what.

I call my Doctor, Priest and Attorney by their first name.

OJ, calls his Scoutmaster, by his first name, yet they have two ASM's who go by Mr.

His teachers are Mr.

Yet his Coach is Coach Jones.

This might be due to the importance that is placed on sports.

Not so long back our teachers ratified a new contract. But that same week the school board named a new football coach.

The new football coach was the headline in the local paper.

[rlculver415]

Since we are just idly thinking...

 

On the subject of formality, perhaps the difference lies in how each of us were raised. (I shudder to make sweeping generalizations about such a conglomerate population.) I was raised rather formally. My parents were to be addressed as Ma'am and Sir, all members of the military were known by their rank, all clerics and educators by their titles. I still tend to address people formally, and when others give me permission to use their names I'll usually fall back on the old Southern stand-by: Mr. (first name) or Ms. (first name). I dislike it when strangers call me by my first name, but I'm not stingy about it once we're introduced.

[Eamonn]

Everyone is out.

OJ,is away with a pal, sleeping over they plan to go to Kennywood Park tomorrow. Her That Must Be Obeyed is working the night shift at the local hospital.

So it is just me; Shane the lassie lookalike and Joey, the lazy English Setter.

It is kind of nice, I get to play my music a little to loud.

I was playing the Everly Brothers, CD a digital recording and it just didn't sound right. The "twang" just wasn't there.

So I dug out the old vinyl and sure enough the "Twang" was there.

Makes me wonder if at times we are trying so hard to take the rough edges off that we are in danger of losing the "Twang" Not only in music but elsewhere.

Can we get too polished?

Some of the Rolling Stones stuff is much better on vinyl.

[Eamonn]

Way To Go Armstrong, 5 in a row.

[Eamonn]

Way To Go Armstrong, 5 in a row.

[keschmahalen]

Hello,

 

I recently had a discussion about addressing people. I was always raised to refer to an adult by their title: mr., mrs., father, ect. And I raised my children the same way, insisting that they show these people the proper respect due. Even, at times (or especially), if they said it wasn't necessary.

 

In scouts it was Mr. and their last name. Those who prefered to be called by their first names were called uncle or aunt and their first name, thus giving proper respect and allowing some form of familiarity. I think that it is something which we give up too easily. I don't need a title, but I do believe that the youth need it. We try to teach them to respect others, this is a form of respect. It costs them nothing, but it helps to set a patern.

 

I can still remember, twenty years after graduation, the first time I called my high school coach by his first name. I was schocked, I couldn't believe I had done it. I suddenly realised I had become a peer. Yet, out of respect, I have seldom called him by his first name since. paul

[mk9750]

In our Troop, we tend to be very formal. All adults are Mr. or Mrs.

 

There is one exception, and I've had a blast with it for a number of years. Onc a Scout has had his Board of Review for Eagle, I invite him to call me by my first name. I am the only adult who does this. But the guys who make Eagle sure do seem to savor the first couple of times they call me "Mark". My son has had a blast with this, too, as I never thought about how this would work when he made Eagle.

 

Eamonn - I envy you. Some of my best tims are the rare occassion that I have the house to myself. Seems the only alone time I get are in the car or the latrine.

 

Enjoy your evening!

 

Mark