Times are tough, but sometimes you gotta sit back and think about how great a day can be. So that’s what this thread should be about, perfect days. Today, for example, I got to:
sleep in (I usually wake up at 4am for an Australian client and don’t go to bed until 10 or 11)
go for a drive with my wife and talk about random stuff (I love that)
play with my son in the yard for more than an hour. He just started walking and I was lucky enough to see him take his very first steps yesterday (steps plural, he’s been doing a one-step drop for a while)
coming up to the deck to clean it from all the hazlenuts that have fallen, and finding that my cascade and EKG hops are going -gangbusters-. Gonna be a good fall.
bbq while watching a bears preseason game, drinking my pliny clone
just about to open a Cuvee van de keizer 2010 from Carolus
Ah and something else, punatic will appreciate this as a fellow BSA supporter: There’s a BSA troop for Paris! There are local scouting outfits but nothing matches the BSA, ever. So knowing my boy can do BSA makes me a very happy camper. As long as his experience of scout camp was better than mine in central Florida… eep.
Every morning when my feet hit the floor I thank God for another day of life in Hawaii. It is not an accident that I am living here. I worked hard for a long time to make it happened. I am living the life I want, in my favorite place in the world.
This afternoon my family and I will be attending the first Troop 65 leaders meeting of the new Scouting year. Our Scouting year follows the school year. We will be planning our activities for the upcoming year.
The meeting is at Queen Liliuokalani Park on the Hilo bayfront. A beautiful place overlooking the bay - across the bay is the town of Hilo, with Mauna Kea rising up behind. The meeting is potluck and everyone brings something to share and something to grill. The kids fish and swim while the adult leaders and senior Scouts work out the schedule of activities for the coming year. These people have become my ohana. I cannot tell you how lucky I am that I have them in my life.
I’m happy to read that there are Scouts in Paris Phil! If you check the bios of the astronauts, great leaders, and other successful men, you will find that many are Eagle Scouts (once an Eagle, always an Eagle). Scouting is an excellent organization. The best part is, as a Scout leader, I get to be in the Scouts all over again, and help my son and other boys grow up to be good men.
I’m greatful to join this community of folks that gather together for the benefit of this fascinating fermented beverage we all call beer. Cheers to beer!
It’s up to you to make the commitment to get them involved, and be involved yourself. Chances are they will have great times, and you will have more fun than they do.
Re: scouting, my son is interested but I won’t let him join. If they ever decide to let everyone participate, we’ll happily join.
We had a great weekend though - we went to a nearby farm that has a park including a roller coaster, ferris wheel, a bunch of other rides, a petting zoo, pony rides . . . they didn’t want to leave. Nice dinner (grilled salmon and farm-fresh veggies), then camping on the backyard. Today we went to a brew day at a friends’ house, we haven’t seen them in a couple of years. Good times. 8)
Check out your local Cub Scout Packs. I’m betting that you’ll find one, or more that let everyone except child molesters participate.
We exclude no one from Pack, Troop, Crew 65. Religion, ethnicity, political leanings, gender and gender preferences are non-issues. It’s all about teaching our children the skills they need to be successful in life.
Venturers are for boys and girls. Our Venturing Crew has more girls than boys (about 60/40). Family members are welcome to (and do) participate in all of our activities. We couldn’t do what we do without them.
I’m sure you’re right, this is a very liberal area in that way and they would almost certainly let anyone join. The problem is that, unless they are running a rogue organization and have rewritten some things, it violates the membership policy, Scout Oath, and Law. Until I can figure out how to violate them without violating them, we’re at an impasse. :) Meaning, you can’t be trustworthy if you are lying when you take the oath. We teach our kids that lying is wrong, so I can hardly encourage or condone lying in the oath.
My only hope is that they will get some new leadership and eliminate policies that expressly forbid my family’s participation. I respect their right to run things the way they see fit, I just think it’s a shame that they feel the need to exclude people.
The BSA encourages Scouts to explore their parents religious beliefs, whatever those beliefs may be. We encourage parents and their children to have that dialogue, so that there is continuity from parent to child. We feel that this is important, no matter what the parents’ beliefs are. Talk to your child. Give them the foundation for your religious or non-religious beliefs in your own words. Too many children are sent out into the world with no guidance from the people they look to the most for guidance, their parents.
Religion is not the main focus of Scouting by far. Scouting endorses no religion over another. Scouting’s policy is that it is important that children are guided in their religious beliefs by their parents.
There has been a lot of erroneous information put out about Boy Scouts. Don’t let other people tell you what to think about the Scouts. Go to the original sources, find out for yourself, and then decide.
We’ve gone way off of the OP. Lo siento mucho. Scouting brings me small joys, and large.
It is noteworthy that so many successful members of our society were Scouts.
Getting to brew beer with friends visiting and sharing a pizza and some homemade beer.
Realizing that I have a bottle of Fantome Magic Ghost waiting for me
Getting that nice quiet moment to read and have a cup of coffee.
Being woke up in the morning by a goofy dog who’s decided she’d like some love now.
The fight over both Welsh v. BSA and Randall v. OC Council would seem to be pretty clear. Add the fact that the BSA expelled the Randall’s once the CA Supreme Court lifted the injunction despite the boys achieving Eagle during the intervening period and it seems pretty clear what the position of the BSA governing bodies is on non-theists.
Scouting does have a lot to offer, which is why it’s disappointing, but meh… straying again.
I agree, this is way off the OP, sorry. We can start a new thread to discuss it if you think we should.
This is my understanding, except that while scouting doesn’t endorse one religion over another, you need to have some religion. “Not religious” is not an option.
Aside from the cases Drew mentioned, it is hard to misinterpret.
A - One requirement to join scouting is to “Understand and agree to live by the Scout Oath or Promise, Law, motto, and slogan, and the Outdoor Code.”
B - The oath includes “To do my duty to God”
C - The scout law includes “A Scout is . . . reverent.”
D - The scouts explain reverent as “A Scout is reverent, he is reverent toward God. He is faithful in his religious duties and respects the convictions of others in matters of custom and religion.”
Based on that, I don’t see any room for the non-religious. You can’t do your duty to or be reverent toward something you don’t believe in.
If this is not the right original source you’re referring to let me know
Don’t go getting my thread locked! I started this because there were too many threads getting hijacked and starting arguments. There’s enough of that in the regular world these days.
Sorry Phil, I figure this is a fine discussion since we are discussing scouting and not any taboo subjects. But yes, we veered way off topic, but the whole BSA thing has bugged me since my kids came home all excited from kindergarten after a recruitment meeting a few months back. Oops, there I go again.
Anyway, small joys:
Teaching my kids how to harvest garlic today.
Reading a book for pleasure now that I have a bit more time.
Playing monkey in the middle.
