"This is not a place for Woosies."

[BadenP]

Several new posters have recently stated that they feel attacked or put down when they ask a question in this forum. I know almost 7 years ago when I first joined this forum I kinda felt the same, but not anymore. Look, if you ask a question or offer an opinion about anything in any forum you better expect to get opposite views or detailed directions of exactly what to do to solve your problem. The trick is not to take any criticism too seriously or personally, afterall we are nothing more than a bunch of USERNAMES who have no real influence on each others lives.

 

What we do share is a love of Scouting, that is the bond that brings us all together. With all the different experiences and styles represented in this forum the trick is to use what suggestions are useful to you and ignore the rest. Still it is human nature for certain discussions to get a little heated or too personal for some, and thats what the moderators are for, to referee. Anyway I have always enjoyed this site, gotten some great information I have used with my troop and crews which I thank the many posters on this site for, even the ones I may disagree with sometimes. Eagle83, lilizard and other new members hang in there it just gets better with time.

[drmbear]

We are all associated with "BOY" Scouts, are we not? I've found that one of the ways boys and men interact is to give each other a hard time, particularly if they like each other. I don't know if it is all a test or some other strange freak of nature. It doesn't tend to work as well when interacting with women. My son is only eight, and he gets it. We now regularly tease and give each other a hard time when we are playing, and we know we are playing. We don't do that with mom, at least not in the ame way. It is strange that as we get comfortable with using this forum, in the normal Scouting spirit we get used to, we'll hit on someone here just as we do when out on a campout with the other guys!!

[sherminator505]

It's not that bad. Yes, people tend to be a bit more blunt when veiled by screen names, and some of us (myself included) do engage in some "slightly exaggerated" hyperbole. We have...

 

...folks who seem to think that Scouting is doomed because it no longer exactly like it was in 1916.

 

...folks who believe that National can do no right.

 

...folks who aren't even Scouters telling the rest of us why we're wrong.

 

...folks who seize upon a point of logic and WON'T... LET... GO!

 

...and folks who are overly blunt to the point that they come across as bitter.

 

But at the same time, they are probably some of the most informed Scouters you'll find anywhere. A few of them have probably forgotten more about Scouting than I have ever learned. And usually, if they aren't on an I/P thread, they will apologize if they have somehow crossed a line.

 

 

[Abel Magwitch]

Good post BadenP.

 

I have also noticed that many disagreements happen on the forums because some do not wish to believe that there are problems out there in the Scouting world. I have had the pleasure of corresponding with some folks; folks who had issues with Scouting - those folks who are told by others that they are just sour grapes. But I have personally found out who some of these folks are. Some turned out to be the ones who were directly affected by membership fraud and other council funny business that seems to happen at the professional level. They are usually the ones who were dismissed for whistle blowing while the perpetrators instead of being held accountable were promoted with a raise instead. Does this happen in all councils? No. But it does happen and I sympathize with these folks as some of the same stuff has happened in my council. But that's the point that is missed - there are some crooked things happening in some council's - things others find hard to believe. But make no mistake, the problems do exist.

 

Luckily Good Scouting does prevail in this country. And perhaps the problem areas in Scouting are simply a microcosm and not a norm. I want to believe this.

 

This forum has been helpful to me especially when someone sends me a personal message letting me know that they have experienced some of the same things and offer their input on how they dealt with it.

 

Scouting has made it 100 years. I hope it continues another 100 years. One reward of Scouting for me is when sometimes during a Scout meeting, a stranger visits. He is usually a young man sometimes dressed in a business suit. Sometimes he comes wearing a military uniform. And then you realize he was once a Scout. He is all grown up. They all come to see that their Troop is still alive and they are glad to see that some of their old leaders are still around. Those are the rewards only a veteran Scout leader can understand. It's that reward that compels a volunteer to continue Scouting - you can see the fruits of your guidance as you made an impression on a boy.

 

Abel

 

[Eagle007]

I think that these forums are a great tool to help make scouting all that it can be.

[CalicoPenn]

If only there was some kind of word for what I noticed...something like Irony.

[FScouter]

You noticed it too?

[pchadbo]

As a newbie myself I can attest that this may not be a place for woosies but it is a place for the raw metal to be forged with the heat and wisdom of experience that exists on this forum. Yes a thick skin may be required but if you want to be the best it should not be easy. And even the curmugeons on the board have the boys best interests at heart what more can you ask of a group?

 

[Scoutfish]

Forums are like people. Some are hyper happy , some are average, some are grumpy, some are smart asses.

 

Each and every one can be great freinds...once you get to know them.

 

I used to have a guy att work I just didn't like,. He was a smart ass. Every comment had a sharp edge to it. Later after he died, I found out he really liked me. Turns out he was smart -ass with me because he was relaxed and just trying to be funny .

 

Thing is, I will laugh and joke with my friends and we cut each other down, but in a freindly way. The key is, we can hear the good natured jokingnes in our voices.

 

What do you here here? NOTHING! You can't hear anything. So what do you go by? The words.

 

Problem is that I use "THIS" word and you use "THAT" word to describe or talk about the exact same thing.

 

Toe-may-toe or Tah-mah-toe.

 

I myself have read something, gotten irked by it, only to find out it was just freindly humorous saecasm. And once it was pointed out to be sarcasm..I totally got it and saw it that way.

 

Sometimes, how we read something is more of a statement about our own mindset than the one who posted it.

 

 

No place for woosies? Maybe, maybe not.

 

A place that you procede with caution and an open mind?

YES!

 

A place that should have a warning disclaimer at the front door?

 

ABSOLUTELY!

[SWScouter]

I haven't stopped by here for awhile, but I did notice the irony too. Just saying.

[shortridge]

IMO - FWIW - take it with a grain of salt - speaking only for myself ...

 

A lot of people seem to come here expecting a panel of Scouting experts to provide The Answer to a question, or adjudicate a nasty dispute. That's not what this place is. It's one of the rowdiest yet most collegial campfires I've ever sat around, with a different opinion from every person posting.

 

One of the most frequently asked questions is: "What is the official Scouting/National/BSA policy on [insert very specific situation]?"

 

The truth is, there probably is not a specific policy governing whether Scouts can wear their summer camp patch upside-down, or whether a troop committee chairman can marry his own grandmother who happens to be the unit commissioner, or exactly how many shakes a boy has to shake hands with the Cubmaster before being handed his Arrow Point. (I'm trying to pick outlandish things here for the sake of illustration.) We have general principles, and not all that many specific rules when it comes to organizational leadership.

 

For the people who come here and say: "Can a Pack Master just hand out Eagle Points to whomever he wants without getting approval from the Council Executive?" we rightfully reply: "Huh?" and try to ask questions to determine what the exact problem is and what the larger problem might be. We're not picking on you - we're trying to help - but your terminology and understanding of the way the Scouting structure works may be a bit off-kilter.

 

Personally - and I hope *this* doesn't come across as mean-spirited - I am perpetually amazed, here and in my day job, by the sheer volume of people who post / call someone not connected with the issue / e-mail without bothering to do a Google search / read the phone book / check the website first. Scouting.org, the Scout handbooks and the leaders' guides have a wealth of information, generally written in a fairly understandable way. (There are exceptions.) That should be the first place you look, to try to understand something for yourself. Relying on a bunch of anonymous people on an Internet forum for answers is like relying on the cast of Grey's Anatomy for medical advice - it might be right, but it might not.

 

P.S. I'm told the word is "wussies." The "woosies" are what you get when you drink too much.

[acco40]

I like the "newbie" posts that go something like this ...

 

Q) Should I organize patrols by age/peer group or have a full span of ages - 11-17 when organizing patrols within a troop?

 

A) Organize by age/peer group (says the vast majority).

 

Newbie then responds - "No, I don't think that is correct. I think one should organize by ..."

 

In other words, they ask a question, a response is given and then they rebut that response. They were not really looking for an answer but looking for confirmation on what they already believe and if that confirmation doesn't happen - look out!

 

Now, is there such a thing as a stupid question? Yes! (There are stupid answers too!)

[Gags]

 

 

Well, according to possibly the best South Park quote of all time:

 

"There's no such thing as a stupid question. Just stupid people asking questions." -- Mr. Garrison

 

Betcha' when you woke up this morning, you weren't expecting to be sitting here reading about South Park on Scouter.com, did you? :-) (My apologies to Martin Lawrence for butchering another great quote).

[Stosh]

It's rather unfortunate that not everyone on this forum is as informed and experienced as I am and maybe it would be a more welcoming place for the newbies if they were.

 

Now, if one cannot see the sarcasm dripping from these comments, then maybe one should not be on the forum.

 

And when all else fails, one can always lurk-and-learn. I have other forums where I keep my finger on the pulse of the conversations but do not participate, yet I feel I have more to contribute on this forum so I do participate.

 

My word of advise to the newbies is to always assume the positive instead of the negative in all comments. If the comment were to be a negatively directed comment, it will play itself out in subsequent posts. Until that happens assume the best in the other person's intentions.

 

Gags: That line has been around a lot longer than South Park. I've used that line for the past 40 years now. The other one I use is: "There is no such thing as a stupid question, but if you think of one, raise your hand and I'll give you a stupid answer."

 

Your mileage may vary

 

Stosh(This message has been edited by jblake47)

[Gunny2862]

I can understand the sentiment and felt it sometimes strongly myself when I first started frequenting these boards. There are some whose opinions carry more weight for me than others, none whom I ignore yet.

 

Lurking and getting a sense of who posters are from their replies to others is not a bad strategy.

 

But, if you post a question - look out because you'll get answers - probably some really good ones(to the question asked - we don't read minds although we will put spin on what we read most of the time) and some that are not hearing what you are asking because you didn't ask the question you intended to ask(thinking we were going to read your mind for context)