I am a fan…no, I am “ga-ga” over Captain James Bond, formerly Commander James Bond, otherwise known as “double knot seven” (007), one of a few who have a legal “license to kill”. A few people have played this role, among them my “best” Bond, the actor Pierce Brosnan (“Remington Steele” if you recall how […]

 
 The following was sent to Andy of “Ask Andy” fame. Hal Daume (his real name) is a longtime Commissioner and like me has been answering Scouters’ questions and queries electronically for a long, long time!! Every once in a while, I assist him and (Dr.) Kenneth King with answering some of his, um, challenging questions. […]

 
 (My personal and my family’s condolences go outward to those families affected by the attack and shootings in Oregon on 1 October. My caring goes to the many first responders and their families who encountered such death and harm. My support goes to those many people who took up our President’s plea to demonstrate to […]

 
  Hi Chris!! You wrote and asked me: “Question I received from a scouting friend and I can’t find an answer to. Can a merit badge counselor, and registered only as such wear the adult bsa uniform and is there a position badge of office to reflect merit badge counselor?” Yes and no.  Yes, registered […]

 
  Sunday morning started with breakfast at Golden Corral. I lost a phone earpiece so I had to go to WalMart and buy a new one; and get some gasoline for the drive I thought across the state and then back down to my hotel room here in Tennessee.  Plans changed…I’ll make it up to […]

 
  Saturday morning started for me with a note from the “IHOP gang” but I was too far the other direction to turn around and join them at the “Internal House of Tantakes”… *heheehehee* (one of my kids called it that, and it stuck in my brain).  I got a needed haircut and the Korean […]

 
  I want to start out by writing some basic truths: I, along with some other Fort Knox High School (FKHS) grads, “crashed” the reunion weekend planned by the Class of 1978. They were extremely gracious in extending an “okay” to me and some other grads from OTHER YEARS other than theirs.    See, when […]

 
    Here’s a good illustration of why *meeting the requirements as written* and not short cutting them for any reason is important.  This is a good example also to those of you NOT in Scouting as to why you need to periodically assess your team members and insure not only that they *say* they […]

 
  She calls them that so as to get a reaction from me – it never fails.  She knows full well what they are and how they are worn; she used to be a Girl Scout.  But then, Girl Scouts don’t wear a NECKERCHIEF!  Wikipedia defines a neckerchief in the following manner: “A neckerchief (necko, necker, kerchief or […]

 
  (From “My First 29 Days in Baghdad” by Mike Walton (c) 2003) (I arrived in Baghdad, Iraq one week and four days after the ground war died down, in late March 2003. Each day was a personal challenge and to remember the specialness of living in that historic location at that part of history, […]