I think I got a Boy Scout in trouble

I was at Super One in Kenwood last week, and a local Boy Scout troupe was bagging groceries. I didn’t want to give them a hard time, but I am opposed to the organization’s stand on gay rights, and so I finally said to the Scout Master adult, “Look, I’m not going to give you any money because of your stand on gay rights,” and offered to bag my own groceries (nicely, I hope). The Boy Scouts both proceeded to bag my groceries. I thanked them and said, “When your organization’s stand on gay rights changes, I’ll give you all the money I have.” Whereupon one of the young Scouts told me, “Well, actually, there is a movement at Minnesota State Scout Headquarters to change the State Scout charter in support of gay rights,” etc., and this kid looked totally excited about it! Then his Scout Master comes up and starts running his hand under the young man’s uniform collar, as if to shut him up, in a vaguely threatening manner.

Anyway, I profusely thanked this (very brave for incurring his Scout Master’s wrath) young man for the information, and I told him I certainly hope Minnesota Scouts does change its position.

I haven’t researched this yet, as I then went home and got extremely sick, so if anyone knows about it, please let me know. And thank you, brave Boy Scout, for the information!

35 Comments

Endion

about 11 years ago

I didn't know the Boy Scouts were in "troupes" as I thought that was more for French dancers.

Why would you come on a blog like this and share a story that is both a waste of time to read and really belongs more on a Facebook post than a "share with everyone in the community" blog? Although, I do think that blogs are turning into Facebook pages for those who don't get to share enough on their own page.

This post should be classified as "Bitching" and "Duluthlandia" complaining.

TimK

about 11 years ago

Troll Alert!

[email protected]

about 11 years ago

I enjoyed reading this slice of life posting.

Endion

about 11 years ago

Status update: I am not a troll. 

Today, I sniffed my own farts and felt that they were far superior to everyone else's. So I guess my @#%# doesn't stink.

I doubt the Boy Scout got in trouble and please save posts like these for your Facebook account and circle of friends who also love "slice of life" postings. 

I agree with this poster in other threads, but this was too preachy for my tastes to end up on a local blog. Why don't I start posting my interactions with the local community on political and social matters?

quirtep

about 11 years ago

If a person can't post local anecdotes like that, then what is the point of a Duluth blog?  Some people appreciated the story.  If you didn't, bite your tongue.  (If you have nothing nice to say, then don't say anything.)  Go to facebook yourself.  "Your taste" or anyone else's (except, I suppose, Paul Lundgren's) don't dictate what can be said or posted.

quirtep

about 11 years ago

PS:  Go "F" yourself.  Just kidding.  Go Facebook yourself.  Yes, slice of life postings are way too common, but why is Facebook a better place to post them than here?

udarnik

about 11 years ago

The Northern Star Council, which includes Minneapolis and parts of Wisconsin but not Duluth, does not follow the national org's policy regarding GLBT people. There are varying pushes to buck the national policy in the other councils (I think there are six in MN), and of course individual troops may vary as well.

Endion

about 11 years ago

I will go "f" myself. I just feel that this site can at times seem like someone's personal Facebook page as opposed to a blog of local events and happenings. I get tired of some people's constant Facebook posts on political matters, but this post takes on a tone that is what I call, "The Fart Sniffer Tone." I think it was South Park that ripped on it best, but I think blogs are becoming passe as Facebook has grown. 

I usually keep my mouth shut, but this was too much. At least take the time to research your own thread as opposed to just asking someone else to do it for you. The way it read was less blog and more status update in my view.

Go ahead and post more things like this and I may keep my mouth shut, but I had to say it just once as blogs are going downhill fast. 

So today I walked up to someone on the street and gave them a hard time to press my own political beliefs upon them. I refused to pay them for their fundraising services because I felt I had the higher ground. While yes, I did use their service that they were doing to raise money for probably a worthy cause, I refused to give money to said cause because of my own personal views of their association's beliefs regarding an issue that is important to me.

If you flat out refused the bagging of the groceries and made a point to bag your own it would make sense. Instead, you had them bag them for you and then said, "When your organization's stand on gay rights changes, I'll give you all the money I have."

So can we assume that when the day comes that the Boy Scouts change their stance that you will give them ALL THE MONEY YOU HAVE? Can we hold you to that statement?

I don't mean to be a troll, but when you post something like this on a blog it opens it up to the world.

Endion

about 11 years ago

This might be helpful in explaining my post:

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMTkedIUX8U


httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HqSibBZaRGs

emmadogs

about 11 years ago

Hmmm.

well, as David St. Hubbins once observed, there is a fine line between clever and stupid. Endion, the next time you cross it, I will be as kind and constructive as you, including making clever fart-sniffing observations.

Endion

about 11 years ago

Were these the scouts?

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbVifPkbYsk

Barrett Chase

about 11 years ago

I absolutely disagree with Endion in this matter. 

First of all, blogs are not "going downhill fast." What time are you hearkening back to when blogs didn't include personal anecdotes? 

Secondly, personality, first-person accounts, and opinion are what make a blog interesting. What someone is deciding to do on a Thursday afternoon, what other people remember about the Miller Hill Mall, photos of someone's Christmas tree, some local guys who look like a non-local guy ... these are all conversations that people are having about their community, and that's what a good blog is all about: conversations. What good is a conversation without personality?

TimK

about 11 years ago

Without personal anecdotes, and thus the chance to share thoughts and experiences, you would only have a calendar. Thanks for sharing, Emmadogs.

Herzog

about 11 years ago

And not to dog pile on the rabbit, but as a consummate Bullshit sniffer myself Endion, it is hard to follow your logic.  Emmadogs was bringing to light, many feel, an important topic, that if the Boy Scouts are anti-gay, she feels it is her duty to make it known she does not support them for this reason, and perhaps by sharing this thought, may enlighten some who are not aware of it.  Be the change, you know? The brave son who spoke up gets big points, and the scout leader who intervened needs to be bitch-slapped like so many scout leaders do.

 Fart sniffing is irrelevant here, though it happens everyday. I thought it was a good, relevant, pertinent story to share with folks.

wildgoose

about 11 years ago

Some of my best and most important formative memories during my childhood came through scouting. However I have kept my own kids out of scouts due to the anti-gay nonsense. As kids we had NO IDEA about the gay thing and every single one of  the adults was a great role model that taught us so many great skills and values. I was just wishing that my son could be in scouts earlier today. But I just can't be a part of it. The gay ban is so preposterous and mean-spirited. So I am glad to hear about this.  Also at risk of feeding a troll, I will say that those kids would have bagged emmadogs groceries no matter what even if she hadn't said anything. They have a set of values and principles instilled on them. Trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, cheerful, brave, thrifty, clean and reverent.  Something like that. The anti-gay policies are cited under the "clean" thing. Which is a complete fabrication and such a stretch that it boggles my mind and disgusts me. Anyway, the kid would have bagged her groceries anyway. The problem with scouting isn't the kids or the leaders, it is parents a small minority of  parents with a hyper controlling agenda influencing the national office. That is my opinion anyway.

emmadogs

about 11 years ago

I want to thank you guys for your nice comments.  Yay PDD!

wildgoose, you're right, I absolutely agree.

Claire

about 11 years ago

One time at Cub Foods, some kids, they may have been Boy Scouts, I can't remember, were bagging groceries for people. Well, I really didn't want them bagging my groceries, but, against my better judgement, let them do so. Anyway, later the mango I was positive I'd put in my basket was nowhere to be found. I was pissed. I think these kids should do something besides bag people's groceries to earn money. If I'd been bagging my groceries, I would have made sure my mango was bagged.

[email protected]

about 11 years ago

Point of comparison, Claire:
I spent seven hours wrapping gifts for tips at the Barnes & Noble (thanks again to their awesome Community Relations Manager for making that possible).  In that time, not only did I raise enough money to feed a ton of baby squirrels for Wildwoods, but I also spoke to two dozen hunters about the lead poisoning that has killed 8 eagles brought to us so far this year, and a half-dozen gardeners about alternatives to livetrapping "nuisance" animals, and more.

But I would never do the grocery bagging thing -- the opportunity to educate as well as snag tips is not there.

Endion

about 11 years ago

Wildgoose: Good points, I was a scout when I was young too and I am the recipient of the Eagle Scout Mentor Award. They are good boys and should be commended for their individual service more than their organization's political stance.

Claire, I guess you and Emmadogs should hang out more.

Let me repeat this one question/observation:
 
If you flat out refused the bagging of the groceries and made a point to bag your own it would make sense. Instead, you had them bag them for you and then said, "When your organization's stand on gay rights changes, I'll give you all the money I have."

So can we assume that when the day comes that the Boy Scouts change their stance that you will give them ALL THE MONEY YOU HAVE? Can we hold you to that statement?

Instead of refusing to pay the kids why don't you contact the Boy Scouts organization? Why not set up a day to bag groceries to make people aware of the scouts' beliefs alongside a register next to them? 

Going on a blog and posting your story is not really taking action. I hope the Scouts can plan on ALL of your money when they change their stance someday.

I'm not trying to be mean to Emmadogs, but I really didn't see the point to the story appearing here. I guess some opinions matter more than others... To make it clear though, I am for gay rights in every way, but I just didn't think this was the place for this story. 

Do something about these issues you disagree with because not paying kids that bagged your groceries and then posting on a blog about it is not really going to solve the problem.

You end your post saying that you don't even have time to research on the issue you stand on despite this happening a week ago. 

Come on, really? This is lazy political activism...

Claire

about 11 years ago

Rhetoricguy, I would have no problems someone wrapping gifts for me at a bookstore for tips. Much harder to lose the copy of Lost Duluth I'm buying and you are wrapping than losing a mango.

Paul Lundgren

about 11 years ago

Endion, thank you for defending the Internet against things that are a waste of time to read. Very commendable work you're doing.

Beverly

about 11 years ago

@emmadogs: This was an interesting post, a mild political statement with a tad of bitching mixed in, completely relevant to current events in Duluth. Thanks for sharing.

Endion

about 11 years ago

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHHKU4znvo8

Hot Shot

about 11 years ago

So..you've spent how much time posting in response to this post you don't think belongs here?

TimK

about 11 years ago

But his philosophy is 75% South Park.

Herzog

about 11 years ago

Well shit. I guess Endion is back into making a little sense, somewhere in the middle perhaps?   You can kind of see his point about blogs not being the most effectual way of instituting the change.  So, you know, maybe E-dogs will accept your challenge, not of giving all her money away, but of taking a further step.  It should almost go without saying that posting a blog on a topic like this isn't going to rock the world, but it's got to land somewhere onto better than doing nothing.  She enlightened me on this problem with the scouts.

All in all, it's easy to lampoon the "something happened and I went home and blogged about it" thing.  But you're probably calling the kettle black a little too?  There's worse philosophies than borrowing from the top political satires of our time.  The Colbert/SP vehicles are the only things keeping total hippocrazy at bay.  Firmly believe without them we would be eating oats out of Palin's hand.

tamara

about 11 years ago

I will just say this: until the Boy Scouts of America change their national bylaws (or rules or whatever they are, because I can't remember exactly what it is right now) which expressly prohibit homosexuals from being in a position of leadership, it doesn't matter what the local groups do.

Endion

about 11 years ago

Call it boredom, call it humor, or call me wrong; either way it is all in good fun. Thank you Herzog for seeing it for what it is.

If you put something out there for the world to see you must be prepared for feedback. While many people saw it as a moment to spew their biases and affirmations upon the viewpoint of the poster, I was seeing it from a different side. 

What is the difference between a blog and a facebook update today? Does the anonmitity of a blog allow for a different form of speech still? When some people know who you are on a blog and others do not, doesn't that almost bully participants through exclusion? 

I didn't really care about the original post because it was lazy to begin with, but it got me thinking about what a blog is, what should be classified as another facebook update, or if PDD was something larger. 

It is all in good fun though, keep sniffing!

Jen McEwen

about 11 years ago

I appreciated this post.  I had a similar moral dilemma when the Boy Scouts bagged my groceries at Kenwood, and it stayed on my mind for a while.  It was nice to read a little conversation about it.  Thanks emmadogs.

B.I.N.G.O.

about 11 years ago

Late to the party on this, but ... The Scout Leader that you described "as if to shut him up, in a vaguely threatening manner" was merely being a responsible adult making sure the kid wasn't being unfairly lambasted by a fellow "citizen." Having worked in nonprofits for too many years and with kids and adult volunteers for a variety of public causes, I'm no longer amazed (quite jaded actually) by the willingness of a few fellow "citizens" to unleash hell and fury on a volunteer or member who is out trying to help a good cause that the "citizen" disagrees with or may not fully understand. Nice to hear the young scout respond to your concern with positive and reasonable information. I think the only one in trouble in all of this is Endion.

Sweetpea

about 11 years ago

Somebody's case of the Mondays hit pretty damn hard for a Thursday.

PDD, please refrain from jokes, religion, anything food related, TBT updates and cats.  These are all things that belong on FB.

BadCat!

about 11 years ago

Maybe we should create a list of the five topics that are allowed on PDD to make excluding things that are uninteresting to me much easier. /sarcasm

Conrad

about 11 years ago

Emmadogs thanks for the post.  I have the same feeling when the Boy Scouts have their drive and I am hit up for a donation in the weird position.  In fact I do what I can to avoid interaction and look for the register least likely to have a bagger looking.
 
As for "topic material" the only posts I don't really think needs to be posted are the ones that tear another topic down because it doesn't resonate with the reader.  Just move on, don't need to spew negativity.

Endion

about 11 years ago

Conrad: You end your statement with advice that you should also heed... You sound like a fart-sniffer to me.

I would like to avoid you the same way you avoid Boy Scouts. Geez, they are young boys doing good will to toward their fellow man.

This thread is legendary.

Endion

about 11 years ago

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/ups-yanks-boy-scout-support-anti-gay-policies-article-1.1201171

Here is some research BTW... UPS stopped giving the Boy Scouts money too. 

My point was I didn't like the story. I shoulda just ignored it and moved on, but I thought it was so bad of a story that it required comment. 

Not that someone refused to let Boy Scouts bag their groceries, but the overall laziness of the entire thing. It cracked me up, sorry if I shared on a blog. I should just read and shut up I guess/sarcasm... roll-eyes...

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