Scouting, Volume 69, Number 3, May-June 1981 Page: 18
50, W1-W24, E1-E24, [40] p. : ill. ; 28 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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Tractor lifesaving tip
Upon receiving your March/April
magazine, the cover page caught my eye. I
own a tractor as pictured with the four
family members riding. My son has on
numerous occasions asked for a ride as
pictured. I take the time to caution of the
extreme hazard of riding any tractor in this
manner. Both the boys are standing on a
3'/2" round axle which is extremely
dangerous. The lady standing astride the
power take off is also in an extremely
dangerous place. If this power take off is
left uncovered, arms and legs can be
severed in the blink of an eye. This has
happened to the grandson of a close friend
and proved very tragic. I hope this letter is
taken in good will and a follow up will
correct this oversight. Your magazine is
very well read in our own family.
Steve Blansitt Sr.
Oklahoma City, Okla.
A great number of readers reminded us of
this error and pointed out the dangers
involved. Thank you all for being far more
alert than we were.
Once an Eagle ...
Good article on merit badge counselors in
the January/February issue, except for
one thing. Twice the author referred to
"former Eagle Scouts." There is no such
thing! The Eagle is earned and once
earned, is never relinquished. An Eagle
Scout may not be active in Scouting, but
he is still an Eagle...
Thomas R. Dew
Public Information Officer
(and Eagle Scout)
Del-Mar- Va Scout Council
Wilmington, Del.
This argument has been waged for many
years, and the BSA has no official stand on
the matter. If you feel comfortable in calling
all those who earned the Eagle Scout award
"Eagle Scouts," go ahead. We referred to
'former Eagle Scout" because we were
talking about an adult, now a successful
18
businessman, who completed the Eagle
Scout requirements as a boy.
The family who quizzes
together...
Since 1970 when our family first joined the
Cub Scouting program, we have made the
Family Quiz in Scouting magazine a
family project. . . . Though our two sons
are now a 16-year-old Star Scout and an
18-year-old assistant Scoutmaster, we still
gather around one of the three copies of
Scouting coming into our home for a
period of family fellowship.
To keep the game fair, no one may test
himself until we are all gathered around.
This has become very difficult as the boys
have grown older and broadened their
horizons.
As our sons will soon be leaving home, I
am sure that one of our warm memories
will be our Family Quiz time. I can almost
envision a long-distance conference call
from one of our young men saying, "Hi,
you guys! It's Family Quiz time!"
Barbara Gordon
Unit Commissioner
Lincoln, Neb.
Watch out for tinsel teeth, etc...
A cartoon I saw in the Denver Post illus-
trated an important point regarding the
use of lensatic compasses. It showed a
Scout leader admonishing his Scouts: "If
you get lost, be sure to let someone who
doesn't wear braces use the compass."
The young man shown in your October
article "Shape Up for High Adventure"
could be off 15 to 20 degrees in his com-
pass reading because his steel-rimmed
eyeglasses might affect the compass
magnet.
I have used this style of compass for
most of my 15-plus years as a Scouter and
had excellent results until about three
years ago when I replaced my plastic
eyeglass frames with a pair similar to those
worn in the picture. It took me some time
to discover why I had lost my touch in
accurate use of the compass. Then I no-
ticed that the compass rose moved as I
brought the instrument close to my eye for
more precise sighting.
All Scouts and Scouters should be alert
to this problem in using compasses of this
style. Similar precautions apply to holding
other styles close to objects like steel belt
buckles or other ferrous metals.
Gordon Goff
District Commissioner
Denver Area Council
Better late than never
I was not a Scout, but a few years ago was
asked to be a Webelos den leader. I hesi-
tated, then decided to give it a try. As each
weekly den meeting passed, I started to see
all I had missed as a boy. To tell all the fun
and pleasurable experiences I've received
in such a short time, I'd have to write a
book. In short. Scouting leadership affects
your whole life style and your personality.
It restores your youth, your patriotism,
your health, and gives you much satisfac-
tion in accomplishments. So in this hum-
drum, confused world we have today, for
anyone who loves youth, health, excite-
ment, adventure, nature, God and
country, please think again if you're about
to say anything against Scouting.
We need Scouting and Scouting needs
leaders more today than ever before.
William Murphy
Shadyside, Ohio
Remembering Roger
Lee Dalton's article "I Remember Roger"
in the November/December 1980 issue
was excellent and timely. Awareness of the
problem of learning disabilities is the first
step. I sincerely hope each leader reads the
article and remembers the key points to
apply to his "Roger. .."
My Scout has a learning difference (a
better term than disability). In addition, as
a Webelos den leader, I had a second boy
with such a problem. The frustration of
handling an L.D. child can be over-
whelming for any leader, even one with
knowledge of the problem. Patience, un-
derstanding, and lots of praise are the keys
to success. Remember, the boy's frustra-
tion and lack of accomplishment make
him even hungrier for a pat on the back.
Lee Dalton failed to mention several
positive traits that learning-disabled
youngsters have: creativity in games,
problem solving, etc.; perceptiveness;
sensitivity to others; keen observation....
Gray R. Riddick
Matthews, N.C.
Teen-age suicide
Thank you very sincerely for the article
which appeared in your January/Feb-
ruary issue of Scouting which dealt with
the problem of teen-age suicide. I found
the entire article to be extremely well
written, insightful, challenging, and help-
ful to me in my ministry to the youth of our
church community.
Richard J. Stoffel
Associate Pastor, St. Matthew's Parish
Oak Creek, Wis.
My congratulations to you, both as a
pastor of the American Lutheran Church,
and a 30-year veteran of Scouting, on the
excellent article on teen-age suicide in the
January/February Scouting magazine. It
is direct, to the point, and very much
needed. You took on an extremely dif-
May/June 1981 Scouting
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Boy Scouts of America. Scouting, Volume 69, Number 3, May-June 1981, periodical, May 1981; Irving, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth353633/m1/18/: accessed April 24, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Boy Scouts of America National Scouting Museum.