I need some advice

inconsequential, there is the program that can be found here, called Bible Drill. I'm not sure how good it is, I've never done it and have never seen it, but it's maybe similar? I think it's more physical fitness and Bible stuff, but maybe there's more. It was written by Father John Peck.

gurneyhalleck1 said:

Instead of JUST making smores around the campfire, the boys will make pink smores around the fire while wearing leg-warmers, rainbow headbands, they'll do each other's hair, talk about what a hunk Ben Affleck is, and all the while "It's Raining Men" is playing in the background. The Wolf badge is replaced with the Footloose badge. The Webelo badge is replaced with a bronze image of Liza Minelli. The Bear badge is replaced by a rainbow, Bobcat replaced by a unicorn. Lots of changes in the works....

The national headquarters will be in the Castro District of San Francisco, I heard...

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Ben Affleck is not a hunk.

No. Way.

knee-v said:

What they do with the Girl Scouts would be a start.

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What do they do in the Girl Scouts?

We've never had those kind of rules in scouting here, at least not for a long time. But scouts pretty much do scout things.

MKJ said:

What do they do in the Girl Scouts?

We've never had those kind of rules in scouting here, at least not for a long time. But scouts pretty much do scout things.

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While not every troop will embody every value of the global organization, the organization as a whole is an organization of feminism (i.e., anti-male), "reproductive rights" for young girls, and is markedly pro-abortion (not just "pro-choice").

Don't tell my wife that! And don't say that Leonardo isn't one either! My wife's holy trinity of hunkdom is:

Ben--Leonardo--Henry (Cavill)

MKJ said:

Ben Affleck is not a hunk.

No. Way.

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gurneyhalleck1 said:

Don't tell my wife that! And don't say that Leonardo isn't one either! My wife's holy trinity of hunkdom is:

Ben--Leonardo--Henry (Cavill)

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I just find Ben Affleck bland, but Leonardo I find really unattractive. Weird as it sounds, his teeth really bother me and he has a head like a pumpkin.

knee-v said:

While not every troop will embody every value of the global organization, the organization as a whole is an organization of feminism (i.e., anti-male), "reproductive rights" for young girls, and is markedly pro-abortion (not just "pro-choice").

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Hmm. Interesting. It seems strange to me those things would really come up one way or another.

I made a decision before my second son was born, to be able to instil the practical skills available in the scouts by my own hand. I don't want to get on a tirade about the things a man should be able to do, but young men need to be shown how to be a man and a survivor. The ethics that were once so prominent in the society that the Scouts were created in are now absent in the world. Those should be taught in the family and the Church. Leave them in the proper hands, where they belong.

We need to do a better job with our young people, and take PERSONAL responsibility for the task.

gurneyhalleck1 said:

Sigh.......it's like talking to Spock, I swear. I try, Rus. I try....:o I feel like Dr. McCoy with you, man.

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Fascinating.

DiCaprio is an AWESOME actor. Lookswise, I don't see him as a stud like my wife and so many other women do. I think Affleck is a very handsome guy and a great actor. Argo was just super. I hear "The Town" is pretty solid, too. Both directed by him. I don't understand all the hate against Ben. I prefer Affleck to Matt Damon for sure.

I'm a weird guy when it comes to actors. I love Sean Bean, DiCaprio, Karl Urban, Kurt Russell, Ian McKellan, Michael Fassbender, Michael Emerson, Terry O'Quinn, etc.

MKJ said:

I just find Ben Affleck bland, but Leonardo I find really unattractive. Weird as it sounds, his teeth really bother me and he has a head like a pumpkin.

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I have his autograph. My favorites movies he was in are mostly the John Carpenter flicks like Escape from New York, Big Trouble in Little China, The Thing, etc. I love him in Overboard, Stargate, and a bunch of other movies, too. The guy made very few bad films. Love him.

inconsequential said:

You have great taste in actors. I loved Kurt Russell in Soldier. I counted and he speaks less than 200 words in that movie but still conveys so much emotion and character.

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gurneyhalleck1 said:

DiCaprio is an AWESOME actor. Lookswise, I don't see him as a stud like my wife and so many other women do. I think Affleck is a very handsome guy and a great actor. Argo was just super. I hear "The Town" is pretty solid, too. Both directed by him. I don't understand all the hate against Ben. I prefer Affleck to Matt Damon for sure.

I'm a weird guy when it comes to actors. I love Sean Bean, DiCaprio, Karl Urban, Kurt Russell, Ian McKellan, Michael Fassbender, Michael Emerson, Terry O'Quinn, etc.

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I agree that Affleck is handsome - I just don't find his sort of handsomeness all that moving. I haven't seen him in anything for a long time. I rarely enjoy Decaprio movies for whatever reason. i like some Matt Damon stuff.

I also like Sean Bean, and Kurt Russell. Also Ralph Finnes, Liam Neeson, Jeff Bridges, Russel Crowe, Alan Rickman, David Tennant. For Canadian actors I really like Sarah Polley, Christopher Plummer, Carrie-Anne Moss, Gordon Totoosis, Nathan Fillion, Gordon Pinsent.

Orthodoxiy said:

I read somewhere (might have been on rorate cæli) that the Catholics were going to start their own scoutting program. Why not the Orthodox? Lets start a grassroots movement where the manuals and activities are open sourced. No central organization. That way the government can't force heresies down our throats.

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Orthodox do have camping facilities and many jurisdictions not only have summer programs at a lake, but also they have winter skiing options.

It would be awesome if an interjurisdictional Orthodox camping/sports organizations could be formed, not to overtly counter the BSA and GSA programs, but to help the youth stay in our churches.

In some of my former parishes, we had soccer moms who would bring their children to Sunday Divine Liturgies dressed in their soccer, little league baseball, or basketball outfits. However, when the various athletic groups started having practice earlier on Sundays, they quit attending church altogether.

The Bible Bowl group would be included as part of a year round program only without the intensity that often conflicts with academic programs that all converge around St. Nicholas Day in December.

Biblical studies

Parishes could work together to develop Bible machine embroidered badges based on Old Testament Saints, Prophets, Judges, and Kings (using Icons for these saints when completing Old Testament Studies), and New Testament Saints (using the Icons for Sts. Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Paul, Peter, and James when completing sections of the Bible).

Church Fathers - icon badges for different church fathers

Church Saints - icon badges for demonstrating knowledge of our saints

Angels

Ecumenical Councils - icon badges for demonstrating knowledge of each Seven Ecumenical Councils and the heresies that were condemned

Sports - Badges could be provided for sports participation and cheer leading activities for boys and girls throughout the year

Camping - Different camping badges can be offered as children progress in their skill levels.

Church praxis - knowledge of divine services, altar bread, wine, oil from olives, incense, church beeswax candle making, and ethnic cooking

As a young man progresses in the knowledge of serving on the altar and reading the epistle, he could be presented with different badges. Young men and women could help with chanting at the chanter's stand, or singing in the choir, and be presented with different badges. Young men and women could also get badges for making altar bread and helping out during coffee hour to make food. There could be badges for harvesting and pressing grapes and helping to make wine. In warmer latitudes, where bushes can be grown to harvest the ingredients for making incense, children could be taught to make the various flavors of incense. Also olives can be harvested and/or pressed into oil for the church. Beeswax can be collected from hives to make candles. Honey can be used to make the essential baklava. All these activities could be occasions for awarding different skill badges for work in the life of the church.

Prayer badges - awarding badges to children who can pray morning, meals, and evening prayers, not from memory, but who can prayerfully read from the Orthodox prayer books available, and who can faithfully follow a simple prayer rule. Thus, parents would need to work with their priest who can verify.

Gardening and Bee keeping - at the parish level or utilizing properties owned by parishioners to help feed poor and elderly parishioners and the hungry.

Sewing - aprons for church hall use; quilts for the elderly and sick members; more advanced seamstresses and tailors could learn to make liturgical vestments for altar servers or even a priest.

Carpentry - Boys and girls could learn to make chanter's stands and Icon stands. Perhaps with a good router and lathe, these children could make wooden crosses for the church or for sale.

Other badges could be offered for:

Knowledge of Electricity
House building - taking trips to Mexico
Computer skills
Reading and writing competence
Math
Ethics

It would be important to insure that children have a balanced program of activities, which would includes award badges from different life activities which focus on personal health, spiritual health, physical activities, family, and community activities (largely but not exclusively within the parish as we need to take care of our own).

Yes, looking at the old BSA, GSA, and Campfire books would be very helpful. However, care should be taken not to violate copyright laws so that we can develop our own Orthodox ethos.

inconsequential said:

Oh, we fish and shoot and camp and such but I want him to also do those things in groups and learn the other aspects of scouting in a structured environment. I plan to take him hunting this winter and instill in him a sense of conservation and respect for nature.

He's the only 6 year old I know with his own shooting glasses and ear muffs who has also fired an AR-15 offhand unaided. It was too heavy for him to aim steadily but he is quite accurate with his .22 from a bench and a 4" .38 revolver in a Weaver stance. I'm not going to let him learn either of society's skewed views on guns. He wants to be an FBI agent anyway so I'm getting him started early.

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Bravo, sir. Well done indeed. Tell him to be a US Marshall instead. All bad guys all the time.

gurneyhalleck1 said:

DiCaprio is an AWESOME actor. Lookswise, I don't see him as a stud like my wife and so many other women do. I think Affleck is a very handsome guy and a great actor.

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I can't find beauty in a man. I find them repugnant and unappealing.

I couldn't agree more about Finnes, Neeson, Plummer, etc. Those guys are incredible!!!

MKJ said:

I agree that Affleck is handsome - I just don't find his sort of handsomeness all that moving. I haven't seen him in anything for a long time. I rarely enjoy Decaprio movies for whatever reason. i like some Matt Damon stuff.

I also like Sean Bean, and Kurt Russell. Also Ralph Finnes, Liam Neeson, Jeff Bridges, Russel Crowe, Alan Rickman, David Tennant. For Canadian actors I really like Sarah Polley, Christopher Plummer, Carrie-Anne Moss, Gordon Totoosis, Nathan Fillion, Gordon Pinsent.

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