{"id":1432,"date":"2012-12-24T13:38:10","date_gmt":"2012-12-24T18:38:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/netcommissioner.com\/askandy\/?p=1432"},"modified":"2012-12-25T08:34:31","modified_gmt":"2012-12-25T13:34:31","slug":"andys-rules-december-25-2012","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/netcommissioner.com\/askandy\/2012\/12\/andys-rules-december-25-2012\/","title":{"rendered":"Andy\u2019s Rules -December 25, 2012"},"content":{"rendered":"

You\u2019ve asked for them– Here they are!<\/em> <\/strong><\/p>\n

My \u201c101 RULES\u201d for Scouting and for Life. <\/strong><\/p>\n

With personal thanks to B-P, Ken King, Diana Cilluffo, Mark Twain, Leroy Jethro Gibbs, Douglas MacArthur, Laurence Peter, Oscar Wilde, and Murphy.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

No. 1:<\/strong>
\n \u2022 Stupid has no cure.<\/strong><\/p>\n

No. 2:<\/strong>
\n \u2022 You show up at \u201ctroop volunteer night\u201d and after ten minutes you still can\u2019t figure out who the new Scoutmaster\u2019s gonna be\u2026 It\u2019s gonna be you.<\/strong><\/p>\n

No. 3:<\/strong>
\n \u2022 Don\u2019t try to teach pigs to fly\u2026 It wastes your time and annoys the pigs.<\/strong><\/p>\n

No. 4:<\/strong>
\n \u2022 When in doubt, ask a Scout!<\/strong><\/p>\n

No. 5:<\/strong>
\n \u2022 The apology you\u2019re willing to make to your fellow Scouter causes you to grow, not shrink, in your own and everyone\u2019s eyes.<\/strong><\/p>\n

No. 6:<\/strong>
\n \u2022 Pray not so much to win but to do your level best.<\/strong><\/p>\n

No. 7:<\/strong>
\n \u2022 The first thing to do after delegating is: Get out of the way.<\/strong><\/p>\n

No. 8:<\/strong>
\n \u2022 Scouting\u2019s first \u201cvolunteers\u201d are the Scouts themselves.<\/strong><\/p>\n

No. 9:<\/strong>
\n \u2022 Program produces participants. Show me a dull, no-show troop or pack and I\u2019ll show you dull programs.<\/strong><\/p>\n

No. 10:<\/strong>
\n \u2022 Cleanliness is next to godliness; except at camp, where it\u2019s next to impossible.<\/strong><\/p>\n

No. 11:<\/strong>
\n \u2022 If you\u2019ve molded yourself to have Command Presence you never need to announce who\u2019s in charge and you\u2019re never challenged.<\/strong><\/p>\n

No. 12:<\/strong>
\n \u2022 Life is a series of lessons. Each lesson appears to us in different ways and forms until we learn it. Then the next lesson appears.<\/strong><\/p>\n

No. 13:<\/strong>
\n \u2022 Once you\u2019ve hit \u201csend\u201d Mister Flame-Mail is no longer your friend; neither is he the missile you expect him to be…He\u2019s now a boomerang.<\/strong><\/p>\n

No. 14:<\/strong>
\n \u2022 When personal dignity is genuine, it cannot be made less by the foolishness, meanness, indifference, or invective of others.<\/strong><\/p>\n

No. 15:<\/strong>
\n \u2022 We succeed 100 percent of the time\u2026at what we\u2019re really up to.<\/strong><\/p>\n

No. 16:<\/strong>
\n \u2022 Scouts and teabags: You never know how strong they can really be till they get themselves in a bit of hot water.<\/strong><\/p>\n

No. 17:<\/strong>
\n \u2022 The only sensible answer to the question, \u201cMay I be brutally honest?\u201d is: \u201cNo.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

No. 18:<\/strong>
\n \u2022 Beware any Scouter who\u2019d rather be wrong than take the time to look it up.<\/strong><\/p>\n

No. 19:<\/strong>
\n \u2022 The extent of politics in any organization is inversely proportional to its ability to show results.<\/strong><\/p>\n

No. 20:<\/strong>
\n \u2022 \u201cCOMMISSIONER CHARM SCHOOL\u201d is where, among other things, we learn to say \u201cThat\u2019s just amazing!\u201d instead of \u201cWhich of you geniuses thought that one up all by yourself?\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

No. 21:<\/strong>
\n \u2022 Don\u2019t waste time reading the \u201cNutritional Content\u201d of a Three Musketeers, Snickers, or bag of Gummi Bears\u2026 Nutrition isn\u2019t what they\u2019re for, or what you want, anyway.<\/strong><\/p>\n

No. 22:<\/strong>
\n \u2022 Any adult leader who can\u2019t make his point to a group of sharp teen-aged boys in under three minutes is in the wrong job.<\/strong><\/p>\n

No. 23:<\/strong>
\n \u2022 \u201cBecause I said so,\u201d is often reason enough.<\/strong><\/p>\n

No. 24:<\/strong>
\n \u2022 Whoever says, \u201cThe score doesn\u2019t really matter,\u201d isn\u2019t winning.<\/strong><\/p>\n

No. 25:<\/strong>
\n \u2022 The batteries of your flashlight will die only when you need light the most.<\/strong><\/p>\n

No. 26:<\/strong>
\n \u2022 A bought neckerchief slide will always become lost; a hand-made slide will never be lost.<\/strong><\/p>\n

No. 27:<\/strong>
\n \u2022 Knowing where to get the answer always trumps guessing.<\/strong><\/p>\n

No. 28:<\/strong>
\n \u2022 Order of the Arrow elections are always \u201cpopularity contests.\u201d Scouts who best live the Scout Law with their fellow Scouts will always be the most popular.<\/strong><\/p>\n

No. 29:<\/strong>
\n \u2022 Two things you never want to see being made: Unit bylaws and sausages.<\/strong><\/p>\n

No. 30:<\/strong>
\n \u2022 The moment you decide to wear the medal you received for your modesty, you no longer qualify.<\/strong><\/p>\n

No. 31:<\/strong>
\n \u2022 Sometimes it\u2019s OK to be average: It means you\u2019re still ahead of almost half the group.<\/strong><\/p>\n

No. 32:<\/strong>
\n \u2022 There are always five types of people in every brainstorming session: YES-BUTers, NOT NOWers, IT’LL NEVER WORKers, WE TRIED IT BEFORE AND IT DIDN’T WORKers, and LET’S DO IT!ers. Rally the LET’S DO IT!ers — They\u2019ll get the job done.<\/strong><\/p>\n

No. 33:<\/strong>
\n \u2022 No book is error- or typo-free.<\/strong><\/p>\n

No. 34:<\/strong>
\n \u2022 All blanket statements have exceptions, including this one.<\/strong><\/p>\n

No. 35:<\/strong>
\n \u2022 While on tour and staying in a hotel, the very first thing all Scouts will do upon entering their assigned rooms is check to see if there\u2019s access to the TV\u2019s \u201cadult\u201d channels.<\/strong><\/p>\n

No. 36:<\/strong>
\n \u2022 Any Commissioner who believes Commissioners out-rank unit leaders should be immediately taken outside and shot.<\/strong><\/p>\n

No. 37:<\/strong>
\n \u2022 Two-thirds of the earth is covered by water; the remainder is covered by FOS chairs and Popcorn colonels.<\/strong><\/p>\n

No. 38:<\/strong>
\n \u2022 Wealth doesn\u2019t assure happiness; neither does poverty.<\/strong><\/p>\n

No. 39:<\/strong>
\n \u2022 Knowledge and intelligence can be faked; clever and witty can\u2019t.<\/strong><\/p>\n

No. 40:<\/strong>
\n \u2022 On any campout, the gadget most needed will be the one left behind in somebody\u2019s car trunk.<\/strong><\/p>\n

No. 41:<\/strong>
\n \u2022 In any confrontation between emotion and logic, emotion always wins.<\/strong><\/p>\n

No. 42:<\/strong>
\n \u2022 Either employ the Scout sign or simply shout, \u201cSign\u2019s Up!\u201d To do both is pointless.<\/strong><\/p>\n

No. 43:<\/strong>
\n \u2022 Never give a Commissioner a weak cup of coffee.<\/strong><\/p>\n

No. 44:<\/strong>
\n \u2022 Never argue with idiots. They\u2019ll drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience.<\/strong><\/p>\n

No. 45:<\/strong>
\n \u2022 The question, \u201cWill you promise not to get mad when I tell you something?\u201d is a guarantee that you will.<\/strong><\/p>\n

No. 46:<\/strong>
\n \u2022 Despotism cannot be cured; only overthrown. Before they hurt the next Scout, rise up and throw the rascals out.<\/strong><\/p>\n

No. 47:<\/strong>
\n \u2022 Scouts: The probability that your Scoutmaster happens to be looking your way is directly proportional to the stupidity of what you\u2019re doing at that moment.<\/strong><\/p>\n

No. 48:<\/strong>
\n \u2022 Want to create half-hearted Scouts? It\u2019s easy: Just wear a half-hearted uniform.<\/strong><\/p>\n

No. 49:<\/strong>
\n \u2022 No boy can be saved from his own parents.<\/strong><\/p>\n

No. 50:<\/strong>
\n \u2022 Beware excess enthusiasm. It often masks incompetence.<\/strong><\/p>\n

No. 51:<\/strong>
\n \u2022 It\u2019s lonesome at the bottom, too. It\u2019s just more crowded with lonely people.<\/strong><\/p>\n

No. 52:<\/strong>
\n \u2022 Conscience is what you do when nobody\u2019s looking.<\/strong><\/p>\n

No. 53:<\/strong>
\n \u2022 The Scouters who actually thank their Commissioner are often the ones for whom he\u2019s done the least.<\/strong><\/p>\n

No. 54:<\/strong>
\n \u2022 The more simple, logical, and Scout-friendly the Scouting policy, the more it will be ignored.<\/strong><\/p>\n

No. 55:<\/strong>
\n \u2022 In phone conversations with fools, say whatever will make them pause; then hang up.<\/strong><\/p>\n

No. 56:<\/strong>
\n \u2022 The most essential gift of a good Commissioner is a built-in crap detector.<\/strong><\/p>\n

No. 57:<\/strong>
\n \u2022 One troop in town will constantly struggle to stay afloat; two troops in town will both succeed.<\/strong><\/p>\n

No. 58:<\/strong>
\n \u2022 If \u201cthe fine print\u201d were your friend, it would be printed in large.<\/strong><\/p>\n

No. 59:<\/strong>
\n \u2022 When your good work speaks for itself, don\u2019t interrupt.<\/strong><\/p>\n

No. 60:<\/strong>
\n \u2022 When called upon to speak to any group or audience, resist the urge to describe the thoughts that ran through your head before you figured out what you were actually going to say.<\/strong><\/p>\n

No. 61:<\/strong>
\n \u2022 The three most important elements of a good speech or talk are (1) a \u201cwake-up\u201d opening, (2) a thoughtful close, and (3) keeping 1 and 2 as close together as possible.<\/strong><\/p>\n

No. 62:<\/strong>
\n \u2022 Beware what a new acquaintance tells you he\u2019s best at. This often turns out to be his Achilles\u2019 heel.<\/strong><\/p>\n

No. 63:<\/strong>
\n \u2022 \u201cCo-leaders\u201d who agree to share 100% of the responsibilities will each accomplish 10%.<\/strong><\/p>\n

No. 64:<\/strong>
\n \u2022 The length and complexity of all PowerPoint presentations are in inverse proportion to their value.<\/strong><\/p>\n

No. 65:<\/strong>
\n \u2022 Anyone who must tell you he always tells the truth, is lying.<\/strong><\/p>\n

No. 66:<\/strong>
\n \u2022 Anything told to you \u201cfor your own good\u201d isn\u2019t.<\/strong><\/p>\n

No. 67:<\/strong>
\n \u2022 \u201cNo\u201d and \u201cLet me think about that\u201d have identical meanings.<\/strong><\/p>\n

No. 68:<\/strong>
\n \u2022 When contemplating the replacement or removal of a volunteer, make the decision with surgical precision, then carry it out with compassion.<\/strong><\/p>\n

No. 69:<\/strong>
\n \u2022 First law of guides, manuals, and handbooks: The topic you seek is always absent from the index.<\/strong><\/p>\n

No. 70:<\/strong>
\n \u2022 Light travels faster than sound, which is why some people look intelligent\u2026until you hear what they have to say.<\/strong><\/p>\n

No. 71:<\/strong>
\n \u2022 Procrastination can always be solved\u2026eventually.<\/strong><\/p>\n

No. 72:<\/strong>
\n \u2022 The BSA trainer\u2019s motto: \u201cLook Prepared.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

No. 73:<\/strong>
\n \u2022 Learn a subject or skill so well that you can teach it; by teaching it you\u2019ll understand it and it\u2019ll stay with you for life.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Rule No. 74:<\/strong>
\n \u2022 Commissioners: If you want to learn a unit\u2019s greatest weakness, listen to what they brag about.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Rule No. 75:<\/strong>
\n \u2022 You can fix the blame, or you can fix the problem. Take your pick.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Rule No. 76:<\/strong>
\n \u2022 You can tell some Scoutmasters there are four billion stars in the universe and he believes you, but tell him that the Senior Patrol Leader is supposed to be running troops meeting and he looks at you like you\u2019ve just had frogs leap out of your mouth?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Rule No. 77:<\/strong>
\n \u2022 A clear conscience is often the sign of a faulty memory.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Rule No. 78:<\/strong>
\n \u2022 When tempted to fight fire with fire, remember that firefighters usually use water.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Rule No. 79:<\/strong>
\n \u2022 Ready, fire, aim isn\u2019t always the best way to tackle a problem.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Rule No. 80:<\/strong>
\n \u2022 Change is inevitable, except from a vending machine.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Rule No. 81:<\/strong>
\n \u2022 It takes just one careless match to start a forest fire, but it\u2019ll take a Scout the whole box to start a campfire.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Rule No. 82:<\/strong>
\n \u2022 Some volunteers are sorta like Slinkies… not really good for very much, but you can’t help smiling when you see one tumbling down the stairs.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Rule No. 83:<\/strong>
\n \u2022 A boy kept from making mistakes is likely to be kept from making anything else.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Rule No. 84:<\/strong>
\n \u2022 If God is indeed watching us, the least we can do is be entertaining.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Rule No. 85:<\/strong>
\n \u2022 Opinions are never substitutes for facts.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Rule No. 86:<\/strong>
\n \u2022 Scouters: Keep your eye on the heavens and your feet close to the ground.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Rule No. 87:<\/strong>
\n \u2022 When you\u2019re actually right you can count on one or two folks hearing you; when you\u2019re wrong you can count on everyone hearing you.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Rule No. 88:<\/strong>
\n \u2022 A good speech will produce applause of appreciation; a bad one, of relief.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Rule No. 89:<\/strong>
\n \u2022 All ninety-minute meetings last two hours; all thirty-minute meetings last two hours.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Rule No. 90:<\/strong>
\n \u2022 The Scouts who show up for every meeting are often the ones who don\u2019t need to.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Rule No. 91:<\/strong>
\n \u2022 To avoid being elected to a volunteer position you don\u2019t want, chair the nominating committee.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Rule No. 92:<\/strong>
\n \u2022 The unit with the smallest number of youth will be the one requiring the most attention by their Commissioner.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Rule No. 93:<\/strong>
\n \u2022 When you demand that someone meet you halfway, be sure he doesn\u2019t use his fist to do it.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Rule No. 94<\/strong>
\n \u2022 There\u2019s no such thing as \u201cbad weather\u201d for Scouting\u2026 only bad clothing or equipment decisions.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Rule No. 95:<\/strong>
\n \u2022 Productivity is inversely proportional to the size of the committee.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Rule No. 96:<\/strong>
\n \u2022 Before contemplating your own self-importance, consider the lowly pigeon\u2019s reality check: Yesterday\u2019s heroes are today\u2019s targets.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Rule No. 97:<\/strong>
\n \u2022 When doing it right collides with doing it the way we\u2019ve always done it, the latter wins. Every time.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Rule No. 98:<\/strong>
\n \u2022 \u201cI think I can fix that\u201d always solves more problems than \u201cSomebody ought to do something\u2026\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

Rule No. 99:<\/strong>
\n \u2022 The difference between doing it right and doing it almost right is the same as the difference between lightning and a lightning bug.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Rule No. 100:<\/strong>
\n \u2022 Never leave the Scouting Movement with the regret that you might have served better the youth in your care had you just taken the time for training.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Rule No. 101:<\/strong>
\n \u2022 At the end of the day, only three things are truly important: The Patrol, and The Patrol, and The Patrol.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Happy Scouting!<\/strong><\/p>\n

Andy<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<\/strong>
\n Copyright \u00a9 2012 Andy McCommish<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

You\u2019ve asked for them– Here they are! My \u201c101 RULES\u201d for Scouting and for Life. With personal thanks to B-P, Ken King, Diana Cilluffo, Mark Twain, Leroy Jethro Gibbs, Douglas MacArthur, Laurence Peter, Oscar Wilde, and Murphy. No. 1: \u2022 Stupid has no cure. No. 2: \u2022 You show up at \u201ctroop volunteer night\u201d and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1432","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-18"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/netcommissioner.com\/askandy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1432","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/netcommissioner.com\/askandy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/netcommissioner.com\/askandy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/netcommissioner.com\/askandy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/netcommissioner.com\/askandy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1432"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"http:\/\/netcommissioner.com\/askandy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1432\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1438,"href":"http:\/\/netcommissioner.com\/askandy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1432\/revisions\/1438"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/netcommissioner.com\/askandy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1432"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/netcommissioner.com\/askandy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1432"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/netcommissioner.com\/askandy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1432"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}