Tattooed Leaders

[theysawyoucomin']

Trev,

 

I don't want to sound like aged flatulence here but does each generation try to out do the past one in outlandish acts?

Many of these were not practiced by youth but older people during the time.

 

1950's DA haircuts, greasers, gangs that fought with fists

 

1960's sexual rev, really awful music, even worse clothing, hair, drugs

 

1970's really really bad clothing, hair, drugs

 

1980's drugs, some bad music

 

1990's to present tatoos etc.

 

 

I wonder how long it is until HS seniors are submitting to pinky amputation or something else for shock and uniqueness.

 

 

The backwards hat thing is really original, along with all the middle /upper economic class kids listening to music written by and for angry urban youth.

 

 

Does it seem that each generation ups the ante or am I just a stick in the mud?

 

 

Well, I know I'm really a stick in the mud but does each up the ante, and is there a name or proof of this?

 

 

 

We had a guy in the 'Corps miss the ship in Turkey because he got arrested. Each of his tattoos had an "X" dug into his flesh over top of his tattoos and he said that they(fellow inmates) dug into his skin with a sharp object. I saw the bloody "X"'s but I don't know if I ever believed the story. Wherever Tully is in life I hope he found some happiness because he sure was troubled but he wasn't a bad guy. He just did bad things.

Booze makes people do stupid things.

 

As far as the service academies I personally saw a Army or Navy lax player this year sport crossed lax sticks on his calf. I wonder what kind of waiver he needed.

[SctDad]

"As far as the service academies I personally saw a Army or Navy lax player this year sport crossed lax sticks on his calf. I wonder what kind of waiver he needed"

 

The tattoo is on the leg, and not seen in the class A uniform. No waiver needed. But I will say that I knew a guy in the Army that ran Cross country when he was in HS. He said that the tat that he got, Crossed Arrows, was the symbol of Cross country runners. But the guys in the SF unit did not take kindly to it. Their branch insignia is the crossed arrows, and that is something that they hold very highly and protected.

 

I guess there are some things that you may get that can turn around to bite you in the end.

[ogghall]

I have a son in the Navy and I believe the restriction with tatoos is there cannot be any on the face/neck area or on the lower forearms.

 

I think the current fad of them being on the neck or excessive amounts of them where ever they are on the body is goofy. At least the goofy fads in my younger years like Beer Can hats could be taken off easily. I wonder what some of these are going to look like when they get older. Some aren't that attractive now and others like the barbed wire ones, neck ones, chinese symbols, or the ones on the lower back don't really show any imagination anyways.

 

No restictions of them in our troop and don't know of anyone with them at least in obvious spots.

[Melgamatic]

A fellow patrol member of mine at Wood Badge is an "illustrated man." His entire body is covered with tattoos, including much of his face, neck, etc. He was never a biker or into drugs, he just decided as a small child that was what he wanted to be, and as soon as he was allowed he started. It was daunting at first, and it was hard not to stare.

 

He turns out to be the sweetest guy ever. He was a Cubmaster for a pack, is now a Scoutmaster for a troop, and is starting a crew. They are all with his own Catholic Church. He is always doing something for someone, painting the rectory, running a fund raiser for a troop, etc. IN the summers he helps run one of the larger summer camp programs around.

 

He tells me that new parents are sometimes a little surprised, but that the pack and troop have such good word-of-mouth that most people know about the ink and aren't shocked. Once they get involved with his troop and pack they get to know him and the issue disappears.

 

That was probably the best diversity lesson I learned at Wood Badge.

 

-Melgamatic

 

[PACK15NISSAN]

I am a relatively new leader and I have tattoos. In fact I have 3 of them (one in which I really regret). When I in uniform (pants not shorts) you can't see any of them, most people don't know about them. In fact no one at my job or church knows because they have never seen me in shorts.

 

When I took the boys for our pack to Webelos Resident camp, I went swimming with them because they asked me too and all of the boys in a patrol (and a few parents) got to see them. One is the Japanese sign for "menace", one is a scorpion (birth sign), and one was a nickname in high school (I do regret that one). All of my tattoos came before I was 20 and I probably won't get any more of them. There is nothing offensive about them, now it is a waste of money to me.

 

When the kids asked about the tatoos I took the time to talk to them about how some descisions they make can last forever. I even used the Japanese one to entice the boys to take the swim test (they wanted to play) in exchange for the meaning (5 of 11 passed, more than any other group).It has no effect on how I lead or whether I am a good leader.

 

I was smart enough and have told a lot of other youth, that if you are going to get one make sure you don't have it where everyone can see because it makes getting a job harder. Nobody wants to walk in for an interview with "BUTCH" tatooed across their fore arm (even if their name is Butch).

[packsaddle]

Years ago, our Dean of Sciences was a former Marine. He had tattoos on both forearms and they were designs that 'moved' when he flexed his muscles. Wow, did that ever impress the academic types?! He didn't last long.

[beardad]

I have tatoo's most of which can be seen in shorts and a t-shirt. nobody cares anymore. this isn't 1950's

 

When I was in the marine corps I had a few tatoos. I even had my nipple pierced. again nobody cared. this was in the mid to late 90's