[RR] NTC

[Rick Barnhouse]

Just for the record and not to further the debate: I had a wonderful NTC. I came away feeling spiritually pure. Like I wouldn't even listen to the radio for days because I didn't want to be contaminated. I hate it for you guys that had a bad experience. I'm not saying our Sr. Guide was a cream puff, or that we had any spare time to do our spare time projects, or that everyone was sicky sweet to me. But there were great classes, great spiritual times, good patrol times, people with handicaps that everyone worked together with to help it through, cheering over victory, relief over not being caught. I guess "how a boy feels" must be the right way to say it. And I think I saw the tough love in the Sr. Guides eyes (under the shades). And I know I saw it in the Camp Commander when he cried. And the admiration as they sat out on the porch and listened to the patrol at a distance as they FINALLY started working together.   Everyone of you guys from SOMO know that I'm not a mean-hearted paramilitary type  or anything close but my guess is some of our boys would really like some tough love and standards and guidelines and rules and expectations from us, their leaders.   We definitely should not be to our boys, what some of you apparently experienced at your NTC, but on the other hand if the boys know we love them, they will accept when we are tough on them.   Again sorry for you guys that hate NTC. Nothing anyone says in all this bantering will change your feeling. Just don't be too hard on us either that can't understand where you are coming from because ours wasn't that way.   NTC WILL change and you will have your way. It's just the way the world is going. Hope we don't throw out the baby with the bath water.   Rick Barnhouse SMDSPC (Australia Bound)