20 years from now

[Eamonn]

Twice tonight the subject of age came up.

Of course the normal comments about ho it seems that old people seem to live longer.

I think that's why we call them old??

I started thinking about all the stuff that we have today that wasn't around or if it was we didn't really have it 20 years ago.

Her Who Must Be Obeyed, Grand-pap lived well into his 90's. He started working as a butcher in a company store and ended up as a funeral director!! I don't know if the two are related??

One day I asked what he thought was the best new thing that had come along in his life time?

I thought he'd say something about communication tools.

I was a little surprised when he answered refrigeration.

What changes do you see coming along 20 years from now?

Eamonn.

[John-in-KC]

Energy is the biggest one I see. Solar collectors and windmills will be standard outfit on most houses.

 

Suburbia/exurbia probably will be moving back towards urban core areas within a single metro area.

 

There will continue to be wars and rumors of wars.

[ozemu]

(This message has been edited by ozemu)

[ozemu]

We will be back on our feet.

 

No fuel for cars me thinks.

[MarkS]

"Solar collectors and windmills will be standard outfit on most houses."

 

No way! Not unless we get rid of the deed restrictions or Conditions, Covenants and Restrictions (CC& R) that those subdivision Nazis are enforcing nowadays.

 

The real solution is to replace coal fired power plants with plants that utilitize alternative sources such as solar and wind to produce electricity.

[gwd-scouter]

My post will seem a bit contradictory. In many ways I see the advent of email as one of the best things to happen in the last 20 years. It has helped many people keep in touch who otherwise would never pick up a phone or write a letter.

 

That being said, my biggest fear 20 years from now is that we will become completely disconnected on a personal level. Everyone has cells phones - and mostly the cell phone user discourtasy of thinking they are so important that they must talk on it constantly regardless of where they are or whom they are with.

 

Ah, sorry, personal peeve there.

 

We have an entire generation of folks learning the best way to communicate is impersonally - text messaging, cell phones, chat rooms, email. Yes, I say that with a bit of irony since I am posting a message here "impersonally."

 

Who writes actual pen and paper letters anymore? Who picks up a land-line phone from their home and calls another person in their home on a land-line phone and chats while sipping coffee? Anyone?

 

We are becoming an instant society, 24/7, short clips to hold our ever-decreasing attention span. We receive amazing stories in email messages and read things on the Internet that we "know" are true," because we never take the time to verify the information ourselves. Don't see any of that changing, only getting worse. But then, the younger generation growing up with this will have different expectations and needs than I.

 

As for what could be a beneficial change over the next 20 years? Gas efficiency, less dependence on fossil fuels. I think, someday, we will get there.

 

However, I agree with MarkS in that I just don't see existing houses being retrofitted for solar power, nor do I see a windmill in every yard.

 

 

[stevejb]

These posts made me think about Scouting 20 years ago and the changes we have seen since then. Back then a troop only had to have one adult leader along on an outing (two deep leadership was not in place yet.) Women were not "allowed" to be scoutmasters yet, although there were some serving in the position because there were not any men to do it. The OA ceremonies were not as tame as they are now. And while there was some controvesy about some of the "rules" in Scouting, I don't think is was near as bad as it is today. (Sorry, but I strongly dislike the ACLU.)

 

It will be interesting to see what the next 20 years will bring to Scouting. Hopefully, the BSA will stand strong for their rights as an organization.

 

Steve B

Scoutmaster, Troop 68, CMC

www.melrosetroop68.org

[moxieman]

Stevejb, I was just crossing over from scout to scouter 20 years back. At that time, 2-deep leadership was required, but it was a new requirement.

 

20 years from now I forsee that the BSA will be renamed "Scouts USA" as it will be completely coed by then (from my understanding, we're one of only a small handful of nations that doesn't have a completely coed scouting program). The Handbook will continue to be watered down as it has been over the past 20 years (can anyone find references to 'old communication styles' like semaphore or morse code in the past two editions?). Open fires on campouts? Probably won't be allowed anywhere anymore. The portable microwave oven will replace the dutch oven.

 

However, we will still be able to instill the values of scouting into future generations.

[stevejb]

The two deep leadership came a year or two later, I believe. I remember it was not in place in 1986 yet because I was the only adult with five boys taking a trek at Philmont. When I went back to Philmont in 1989 the two-deep leadership was in place. It could be that my crew got into Philmont in 1986 just before the two deep leadership started.

[SR540Beaver]

I'm looking forward to having my very own "Star Trek" holodeck.....not just virtual reality television, a real honest to gosh holodeck. Hey, a guy can wish! Every troop and every scout can "attend" Philmont as often as they like. If they get homesick, they can just pause the program and go to their room and resume it later.