Speaking of Boy Scouts

“At the last troop meeting I (an Assistant) was put in charge of High Adventure for the older boys. I was more than a little freaked out because I have never done this before as a leader. I am currently researching ideas and plan on talking to the boys about what they want to do. Any good ideas or tips on research?”

“This summer I took the older boys to the Nothern Tier Canoe High Adventure Base in Ely, MN. Last summer we went to Philmont Scout ranch in NM. Need to look into Sea Base in FL to complete the triple crown of High Adventure! There's also been many local weekend and week long backback trips too.”

“Let them do the research about what and where.

I took the planning a High Adventure program course at the Philmont Training Center a couple of years ago, I can get some of that information together and send it to you if you like.

Check and see what your local council provides.”

“Three obvious ones are Sea Base (Florida), Philmont (good luck getting in there) and Northern Tier Canoe Base. Also think Laguna Station. Look in the back of your Scouting Magazine and Boy's Life.”

“Our troop does 2 or 3 High Adventure trips per year. This year we did Philmont, which my son and I attended. And our troop did Sea Base. I think High Knoll was the other one. Not really sure. Anyway, I know that Philmont has a website that you might find helpful.”

“It's good that you are planning now. My son's troop is taking deposits now for next summer's trips. Find out what the kids might like most and go from there.”

“Well, that's my particular area of interest. I even sat on the Counicl High Adventure Committee.

First things first.
Define what your comfort level is and what expertise you have available to your Troop. Who'se a hiker, a biker , a sailor, a paddler , a climber ect. Define what are the requirements to take part in high adventure in your Troop.

I'd like to suggest that you require 1st Class rank, 2 summer camps, Scout Spirit, Scoutmaster approval and trip leader approval. Maybe first aid and camping merit badges. That way you can insure that the boys will be a little older and more experienced without making a age limit that might stop kids who are early achievers.

Next meeting with your HA qualified boys do this with them.

Get out a US road atlas and a compass (the pointy thing with a pencil use to make circles). Using the legend on the atlas set the distance between the points to 250 miles.
Set the point on you hometown and draw a circle.

So what you now have is 500 mile circle centered on your hometown.

Explain to the boys that they can go anywhere in that circle on a local tour permit. Anything beyond that requires a national tour permit. Not a big deal, it just requires more planning.

So ask the boys to point out anything in that area that piques thier interest and research it online.

That should get you started.

I could go on all day but right now I'm time crunched. Feel free to email me.

Oh yeah, there are still openings at Northern Tier for next summer as of this week.
last edited: 9/27/05 3:54:49 PM”

“Oh yeah, we did Northern Tier a year ago and are doing Seabase next summer.”

“We did a nice trip a couple of years ago to the Pecos Wilderness. Chimayo High Adventure Base, near Santa Fe NM.

http://www.gswcbsa.org/summercamp/highadv/chimayo_high_adventure_programs.htm


We did a Philmont Trek this year, have a week long Big Bend trip planned for Spring Break, and are thinking about doing a section of the Colorado Trail next summer.
last edited: 9/27/05 4:01:40 PM”

“Lots of good advice above...

I planned the Philmont Trek for our troop in 1993. Just awesome! You have to be persistent to get a space, so start early. However, well worth it.

There is a sea base in Newport CA also. Check the Orange County Council website.

A week on the John Muir Trail in the Sierra Nevadas is a great high adventure trip. Cap it off by summiting Mt. Whitney, highest point in the lower 48. (However, if you let them read humanpackmule's High Sierra Trail trip report, they may get scared).”

“Wow I must have been rushed. My math was wrong.

Set the points at 500 miles and draw a 1000 mile across circle. 500 miles is the range for a local tour permit.

Looks like a lot better choices, huh?”

“Looks like I may have a couple of spots open for our Spring Break trip to Big Bend, anyone interested?”

“Yes, but I'll be in Pisgah NF on our spring break trip.

I'd love a trip report though.”

“Global Scouts...”

“Boy Scouts? For all the good they have done throughout their history, it is negated by the current-day bigotry they are teaching by systematically declaring gays and atheists ineligible for participation. As a private organization they certainly have the right to do this, I just quarrel with the decision itself.

Until they reverse this intolerance, I refuse to support the Boy Scouts in any way, will lobby others to do likewise, and will question any governmental funding of BSA or its events.”

“I'm doubling my support.”

“Intolerence? Should they tolerate everything? They are using the moral standard set by God in the Bible. Why are you intolerent of their religion? Shouldn't you respect their religion and tolerate it? It's hypocritical to ask the Boy Scouts to drop their belief system and run the organization by your belief system while at the same time calling them bigots and intollerent.”

“Took my girls camping to a local statepark this weekend. One section of the family camping area is closed during the winter, but this weekend there was a boyscout troop camping there while working on an eagle scout project. They were cleaning up the sites plus replacing the wood ties that designated the tent pads and parking areas for each campsite. They got to camp free for the weekend. Would that be considered government support?

We stopped to chat with the scoutmaster for a few minutes while my girls lamented that there weren't any good outing groups for girls. They complained that girl scouts camp in huts at places like Camp Pretty Pond and sell cookies when they aren't crafting doilies.”

“Some of the most intolerant people I know spend much of their time teaching tolerance. I have always found this ironic.
last edited: 1/30/06 8:59:57 AM”

“pitts - That's 2 in about 2 weeks.

Something strange is happening in the universe.

Be afraid. Be very very afraid.”

“The intolerant say, "if you want to be gay then be gay somewhere besides in my group."

The tolerant say, "if you want to be bigotted then die."”

“Hey, lets look at tolerance. IF I am in say Troop 23, and a "gay" leader wants to join, but he never tells anyone how do I know? But lets say we have to let them in....now who charters my leaders? GUESS WHO, the chartering organization, in our case a Church. So now the Government is telling the Church who they have to accept and approve of as a leader????? What about the separation of Church and State?

But lets say we have to admit this guy as a leader. All the other leaders say 'BYE" we go to the church and say," We want to start another troop, say Troop 24." The church leadership agrees. So we start another Troop. The Scouts in Troop 23 leave and the Gay leader has no Scouts. So he goes to the government and says "I demand to be allowed to Join Troop 24, since 23 is now defunct since no parent wanted their children in my Troop."

When does it get to the point where the Government is forcing me to associate with someone? And if they can force me to associate with someone on my free time. When might the rules of the game change and those who dislike my beliefs be forced to accept them. Right now we have one set in "control". The problem with being in charge of the GUN, is that one day the barrel may be pointed at you. We need to make laws to the point where if the gun is pointed at us we do not feel anymore threatened if we are on the receiving end.”

“"For all the good they have done throughout their history, it is negated by the current-day bigotry they are teaching by systematically declaring gays and atheists ineligible for participation".

Hmmmm, I guess almost 100 years, and thousands & thousands of hours of community service projects by thousands of youth, and the history of teaching those young men to do things for themselves and others, to train and to teach them patriotism, courage, self-reliance, and kindred virtues
is outweighed by the decisions of some adminstrative folks in Irving, Tx.

Doesn't add up to me, skyline. And why would you stop supporting the youngsters for decisions they had nothing to do with?

Scouting is an awesome positive learning experience.

Try not to be so intolerent of those with whom you disagree... they are "doing their best" to help youth become positive, contributing members to society. I won't bore you with how many people have benefitted from the Eagle Projects carried out by the boys from my troop alone, but I can tell you we get "thank you" letters & emaails all the timke from senior citizens, schools, etc., for the work they've done.”

“I just opened a letter from a local Assisted Living home. Two of my Eagles had done a project that involved smoothing the brick sidewalks so that seniors with walkers could more easily traverse through the gardens on their "walkers" through their garden.

Dam#$ those Boy Scouts, that was a suck-a$$ thing for them to do, the bigots! Imagine, HOMOPHOBES such as these actually doing something worthwhile!

Get a life, skywalker / skyline, whoever in the he!! you are. Stop complaining about imperfection, and accept what may be less than perfect by YOUR elite standards for what it is... a LOT more than the complainers usually do for others.

So.. while we're on the subject... what have YOU done this year for others in your community? Would you like to compare that with what the Boy Scouts in your community have done? HUH? WOULD YOU?”

“My son is in Cub Scouts and the gay issue has not come up. If one of his class mates was gay (do they know in the 4th grade?) I would want the scouts to let him be a member. If a scout leader was gay, I'd prefer not to have him lead our troop. Thanks, but no thanks.

Whatever stance the national organization takes, at the troop level they are the only group that takes kids hiking that I know of, besides all the community service, quasi moral and values training that they are involved in.”

“All politics and progressivism aside, how many people do you know that are truly and honestly comfortable with leaving their kids in the custody of a gay person? Right or wrong, we as a society have not yet evolved to the point where we are not bothered collectively about the influence of gay people on our kids. Old habits die hard; ain't that a kicker?

As an Eagle Scout myself I can't denounce the organization. However, I do wish they'd back off this stance. Yet on the other hand, I can also kind of understand where they're coming from. As anti-progressive as it may seem, you can't discount the fact that the Boy Scouts does in fact serve the interest of the community it is designed to cater to (the typical American family). You don't have to be part of it if that bothers you, but it just goes to show exactly where gays stand in the American family context.

Oh, and in case you can't tell, we've got a heck of a lot of evolving to do as a society before this gets to an intelluctually acceptable place. You'll know when we start to get close because there will no longer be a need to fight the types of battles seen on this thread...
last edited: 1/30/06 9:16:33 PM”

“The two largest sponsors of Scouting units in the country are the LDS (Morman) and Catholic churches, where do you think the anti gay stance really comes from.”

“These battles will continue as long as there are trolls. After all, part of their charter is to fuel the fires.
last edited: 1/31/06 1:31:17 PM”

“Hmmm!

"For 12 years they said, 'You're perfect, just what we want, get involved, it's family,'" Dale said before the case was argued. "Then they found one small thing about who you are and kicked me out."

”

“Is there any particular reason why a thread started by a guy who wanted info about getting kids into backpacking who happen to be Boy Scouts is being turned into a fuego political battle?”

“Maybe because his question was asked 4 months ago and the discussion has moved since then, just like in a 4 month long campfire.”

“double post
last edited: 1/31/06 3:08:09 PM”

“humanpackmule - Yes, an older thread it was reopened two posts above this one, upon which I would place the blame.

skyline
8:36:22 AM
1/30/06

This post, which brings up a controversial subject, would have been better as a new thread under fuego. But this is hardly different from what the trolls are doing all the time, posting their argumentative comments on old posts that are not yet classified as Fuego. It would help if Matt would jump on more of these old threaads as they are revived.

You can't keep them down on the farm! Trolls will be trolls.

---

Wow! Did humanpackmule throw a brick? Nice throw! I think it made a direct hit. It makes my little kick right after that post seem almost passive! Good work, humanpackmule.
last edited: 1/31/06 3:14:49 PM”

“True, but there is no reason to crap up this thread.

Well, except of course unless you are a random flamebaiter like Skyline.

Reality is that no matter what Scouting detractors do, the Scouts will survive and thrive. It's just that good a program.”

“I'd welcome a new leader to our troop regardless of his "proclivities" especially if he (or she) has a pick-up truck. In our troop ALL the leaders happen to be parents of the scouts. I will not question the character or exclude the participation of the parent of one of our boys without specific, valid reason. Gays that care enough to participate in the scouting program with their boy are not going to ruin their son's life being doing something which many of you seem to have horrible recollections of.”

“I will not question the character or exclude the participation of the parent of one of our boys without specific, valid reason.

To many, being gay is an indication of one's character.”

“Gays that care enough to participate in the scouting program with their boy are not going to ruin their son's life being doing something which many of you seem to have horrible recollections of.”
Limpy
12:28:26 PM
2/01/06

LOL @ Limpy!
..and here you thought he was being nice.”

“Years ago (early 1980's) we had a medic attached to our field training operations who turned out to "putt from the rough". We inadvertently found out one night when he and his SO walked out of a "bar". The next morning he asked me what I was going to say I explained I was going to consider it a UFO sighting. " I saw something I don't quite know what it was." He was a good medic, we never got any indication he had different views.

On the other side, I had a hetero firefighter who was blatantly "on the hunt" I finally fired him after having to "counsel" him the required number of times. Personally what you do in the bedroom, or infront of the TV with your dog is your business.”

“If you rape people in your bedroom, is that just your business too?”

“Did I start this thread?”

“"Personally what you do in the bedroom, or infront of the TV with your dog is your business.”

Hey! I said it was a plutonic relationship! LOL!”

“I'll never name my dog Pluto again. Maybe Uranus or Xena?”

“Never name it Myback. Nothing worse than trying to hurry the dog along the trail by yelling, "Come on Myback! Let's go!".”

“...Hey! I said it was a plutonic relationship! LOL!”
Nigal
2:07:53 PM



Dang! Nigal is kinkyer than anyone thought! ;-)
last edited: 2/01/06 2:17:04 PM”

“Steeling bandwidth make baby Jesus cry SS...
last edited: 2/01/06 2:14:50 PM”

“Actually Sarge since you are committing rape, this is not a private act rather it is a violation of the criminal law so in effect you are not in a consensual activity.
My whole attitude is I support the policies of the organizations I belong to. Scouting says no to alchohol consumption (yes I have asked a parent to leave becuase he was hitting the bottle from his car) no to rough putters, and no to athiests.

If you don't like it, go start your own group. I had one leader actually leave over the Gay decision. He wanted to start a group to address that. We called them the Gerbil Scouts.”

““Did I start this thread?”
Jimmy san

Yep, back when you were still Pitts.”

“Actually Sarge since you are committing rape, this is not a private act rather it is a violation of the criminal law so in effect you are not in a consensual activity.

Agreed, but "consensual activity" and/or "criminal acts" are not the only things that constitute what are private matters.

If the Boy Scouts want people who (a) are honest, and (b) are not gay, then your sexual preference is not a private matter if you want to belong to the group. You have joined under the agreement that you are not a homosexual.”