COMPLETE - Build-A-Buddy Patch

Build-a-Buddy Patch – Troop #346

Scout Name: Paul-Meronym

Date: ____February 8 2018________________

Costs: ___Cost of Buddy and Accessories_______Patch - $2___________

Directions: Listed below are 10 steps to complete. At the end, turn in the sheet and patch fee to receive your patch (to be ordered). Be sure to take pictures of your work to display.

1. Do your research first! Check out www.buildabear.com and look at the Furry Friends that are available. Think about what accessories you want to get with it, and start budgeting for your visit. Remember that not everything you see online will be available at the store, and there may be things at the store not available online. Jot down a few Friends you might want.

- I've been seeing ads for the Peter Rabbit friend - I know I want that one. Of course, the groundhog is really fun-looking too. Ooh, Peter Rabbit has a denim jacket to get - maybe I could earn this patch and get TWO of them - and put the other on his jacket! That's $34.50 for the rabbit and the jacket. Plus taxes and stuff, of course.

2. Join Build-A-Bear's Bonus Club so you can get discounts. Check your email between now and your visit. Did you get an email welcoming you to the club?

- We've been a member of the BAB club for a long time. We have a bunch of build-a-bear stuffies.

3. While you're at the site, look around. Aside from shopping, what else can you do on the website (hint: search for the word PLAY!)? Where is the location you'll be going to?

- There's valentines to print and share, videos to watch, a coloring sheet, DIY instructions, and a bunch of games. There's a party-planning section, a way to join their email list, and the usual website FAQs and Contact Us and Corporate Information stuff. We'll could go to either the Opry Mills BAB or to the one in Cool Springs. All of the BAB stuffies we've bought before were either online or at Opry Mills; we've never bought anything at the Cool Springs one.

Peter - and Legos

4. Build-A-Bear is more fun with friends! Who are you taking to the store with you? Are they also planning to get a new Furry Friend?

- Miss Anarcadia went with me - we made a total date out of it and had dinner and bought Legos and played games at Dave & Busters too!

5. What other stores are near the Build-A-Bear store that are also Little-friendly? Look around in those stores, too, but don't spend your Buddy money!

- My most favoritest store is the Lego store, and it's just around the corner. And we always like the Disney outlet store over in that area too!

6. Go into the Build-A-Bear store. Be sure to answer the employees' greetings and be polite. Look around at the Furry Friends available today in the store, and also look at the clothing and accessories in the store. Make a plan for what you want to buy. Is it within your budget?

- We had a pretty big budget to work with for the evening, but most was supposed to be for the Lego store. I was gonna get that denim jacket for my rabbit, but then I found one of the unstuffed bodies where the ear tucked down and there's a furrow in his brow, and I decided he needed to be not-Peter-Rabbit. Then I tried the Beast outfit (from Beauty & the Beast) on him and knew that's what he needed to be wearing. It was about twice as expensive as the jacket, and then I saw a dragon skateboard I really wanted - not for my rabbit, but just 'cause. I still only spent about $15 more than expected, though.

7. Pick out the Furry Friend you've chosen. Go through the entire process of stuffing it. Follow the directions you're given. How did you feel about the process?

Peter and Scout, ready to find their homes!

- The store employee was going to let me just put the heart in the rabbit, but Miss Anarcadia insisted we do the whole process. I felt a little embarrassed and silly, like I knew I would. But it wasn't a bad embarrassed, and we were all laughing and having a good time.  

8. Pick out the accessories you've chosen and dress your new friend. Tell a brief story about your Furry Friend.

- Peter was born to a family of carrot gardeners in France. But he found that he really hated carrots; it broke his parents' hearts, but he went out into the world to find a different favorite food. He found a job trimming topiaries at the manor of an aristocrat. One day, they threw out some unwanted avocados, and Peter tried them. He had found his new favorite food! But avocados are expensive; how could he afford them? Being a bit of a scoundrel, Peter came up with a plan. He studied his employer, learning to mimic their blue-blood manners, and stole away his employer's third-best outfit. Then he traveled to America, where he styles himself Peter Le Jardinier. He hopes that by portraying himself as a homesick french aristocrat, he can find a way to get all the avocados he can eat.

9. Be sure to make a birth certificate for the new member of your family. What did you name them? What all is listed on the certificate?

- Here's Peter's birth certificate. it has information describing him and the signature of the founder, but more importantly has an ID number on it. That ID is also inside him, and if he ever got lost and found, BAB could email or call me to let me know.

10. When you get home, find a great place for your new friend to belong. Take a picture of them to show your troop!

- First stop was our kitchen, where Peter looked around for any avocados. Sorry, Peter.

Then he met the coyote in the dining room and showed that he's not scared of her.

In my room, Peter met a giant red panda friend.

And finally, he found some shelf space to make his own for now. 


 http://www.advantageemblem.com/fun-patches/S-3203-build-a-buddy.asp

COMPLETE - Giving Thanks Patch

Giving Thanks Patch – Troop #346

Scout Name: ____Paul_Meronym________________
Date: ___________________
Costs: ___Candy and card making supplies - Varies_________________________________Patch - $2__________

Directions: Listed below are 10 steps to complete. After each one get Miss Anarcadia or Beta-Pup to mark them off. At the end, turn in the sheet and patch fee to receive your patch (to be ordered). Be sure to deliver any cards you make. While this is Thanksgiving related, it can be done at any time. 

1. Thanksgiving is a time for giving thanks. But what does it mean to be thankful for someone or something? What does gratitude mean? Talk about thankfulness either in a group or journal about it. 

- Google's dictionary gives 'thankful' as 'please and relieved' or 'expressing gratitude and relief'. And it gives 'gratitude' as ' the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness'. So gratitude is about being aware of the impact someone or something has on you, and being thankful is about acknowledging that. 

2. There are many things you can be thankful for. Think of something big in your life that you are thankful for. Now think of something small. What’s something you are thankful for from today?

- This month we're doing a daily 'I'm thankful for' on Facebook. The biggest things we're grateful for are all people - Boss, our kids, and our friends and family. Something small to be thankful for... mini ice-cream sandwiches in our freezer. And from today... sitting at home watching a movie with Boss.

3. Think of someone in your life you are thankful for. Maybe a partner A close friend The friendly cashier who always has a smile when you get coffee? Your favorite stuffie for always being there for you for cuddles? Make a card for them to let them know how thankful you are for them. 

- I made a card for our metamour, who helped me work on a bunch of my badges, so I drew the badges on her card to thank her for that work specifically.

4. How does it make you feel when someone tells you “thank you?” Talk about it with a group, with a few friends, or journal about it. 

- important, happy, embarrassed, appreciated, warm & fuzzy

5. Thanksgiving wouldn’t be complete without turkeys! Make up a turkey to “gobble” up using different types of candy. Use a nutter butter for the body, a peanut butter cup for the base of the tail, candy corn for feathers, jelly beans for accents, and extra peanut butter to hold it all together. 

- I made two!

6. Did you know that the turkey is partly picked for Thanksgiving because it is a uniquely American animal? What are some unique things in your life that you are thankful for?

- Being a multiple. Being a kinky geeky poly queer multiple.

7. While Thanksgiving is a great time to remind ourselves to be thankful, it’s good to show gratitude all the time. What some ways we can express thankfulness in our everyday lives? What are some things that can be added to your kaper charts? 

- Being polite to people is a way to express thankfulness to them - saying thank you (and meaning it), listening to them, tipping well, being patient.

8. Thankfulness is a two-way street. For someone to be thankful, someone else needs to do something for them such as helping with a big project, helping someone to smile, or any number of things. What’s something you’ve done recently to help someone else? 

- Our daughter needed a ride home from the airport when her landing time changed, so we skipped going to the club that night to take her home instead.

9. Do you celebrate Thanksgiving Do you visit family? Do you invite a bunch of friends over? What is one way you can help with the Thanksgiving celebrations you attend? What can you do to show you are thankful?

- Thanksgiving is also M's mom's birthday, so growing up they all went out to eat and did birthday stuff. This year we're driving up to Cincinnati to see her and her husband for Thanksgiving Day.

10. Come up with your own ABC’s of Thankfullness! Write out the alphabet and come up with something you are thankful for on each letter. For example: 
A – Animals
B – Buttercups
C – Christmas
Etc.

- A - Anarcadia
- B - Boots
- C - Candy
- D - Daddy
- E - Edamame
- F - Family
- G - Gaming
- H - Hot Chocolate
- I - Internet
- J - Jokes
- K - Kinky People
- L - Little Scouts - Leather - Lego
- M - The Mark
- N - Naps
- O - Otters
- P - Pokemon
- Q - Queer-safe places
- R - Rope
- S - Sex
- T - Toys
- U - Uniforms
- V - Victoria
- W - Wonder Woman
- X - Xmas
- Y - Youth
- Z - the Zoo

COMPLETE - Polyamory Badge

Polyamory Badge

1. Explore. Make a list of polyamory-related terms you encounter as you work on this badge. Find definitions of each and list them here. Some to be sure to include: ethical non-monogamy, polycule, metamour, unicorn, hierarchy, primary, secondary, triad, quad, compersion, fluid-bonded, comet.

- ethical non-monogamy - a relationship style in which everyone involved agrees that each person may have emotional and/or physical relationships with multiple people. This is an umbrella term that encompasses anything from swinging to polyamorous marriages.

- polycule (intimate network, tribe) - a network of connected non-monogamous relationships. This can get very complicated as each connection may add multiple new connections

- metamour (lover-in-law, other-significant-other/OSO) - the partner of one's partner, with whom one does not share a direct sexual or loving relationship

- unicorn - a (usually hypothetical) bisexual woman who is willing to date both members of an existing couple in an exclusive relationship with the couple rather than with the two individuals and may move in with the couple

- hierarchy/primary/secondary - a relationship structure where partners are not considered equal in rights, permissions, or responsibilities, the primary having greater influence in relationship matters

- triad or vee/pivot - a polyamorous relationship involving three people. When all three people are sexually and emotionally involved with each other, the term triad is common. When two people are each involved with the third, but not with each other, the term vee is more often used.

- quad - a polyamorous relationship involving four people, each of whom may or may not be sexually and emotionally involved with all the other members. Often formed by combining two couples.

- compersion - a feeling of joy when a partner takes pleasure from another romantic or sexual relationship - the opposite of jealousy

- frubble - a feeling of pleasure arising from seeing one's partner with another person

- wibble - a feeling of insecurity when seeing a partner being affectionate with another person, typically temporary

- fluid-bonding - an agreement limiting with whom bodily fluids may be shared. Those who are fluid-bonded have been exposed to one's sexual fluids, blood, saliva, etc. Others must use protection if they are not to become fluid-bonded to the group of people who are.

- comet - a lover who passes through semi-regularly, but occasionally enough that there is not continuity

- new relationship energy (NRE) - the strong excitement and infatuation common in the beginning of any new romantic relationship

- polyfidelity - a multiple relationship which does not permit the members to seek additional partners outside the relationship

- domestic group - the group of people who live together in some relationship structure and share a household and group property

- one-penis policy - an arrangement in which the man is allowed to have multiple female partners, each of whom is allowed to have sex with other women but forbidden to have any other male partner

- open marriage/relationship - a relationship in which one or both partners is permitted to have outside romantic and/or sexual relationships. If only outside sexual relationships are permitted, there may be an expectation of avoiding romantic entanglements

- polywog - a child in a polyamorous household

https://www.morethantwo.com/polyglossary.html

2. World. Find out about cultures where polyamory is practiced. How are they different from one another? From the culture you grew up in?

- In more ancient times, having multiple wives and/or concubines was frequently practiced by wealthier folk and royalty. Ancient Mesopotamia, Assyria, Ancient Egypt, Muslim Africa, Old-Testament Bibilical, Ancient Hinduism.

- In current times, polygyny (many wives) is allowed under Islamic law, as long as the husband can support his (up to four) wives. Malaysia is one of the countries where this is legal. 

- Polyandry (many husbands) was once very common in Nepal and Tibet, less so today. For poor farmers, having more than one male in the family makes farming easier. Sometimes the husbands are brothers sharing a wife.

- 'Walking marriages' in China are the equivalent of sexually open marriages. And polyamorous relationship are becoming more and more common in the US and other first-world countries, though poly marriages are not legal.

- "From 1960-1980, the Ethnographic Atlas Codebook derived from George P. Murdock's Ethnographic Atlas recorded the marital composition of 1231 societies. Of these societies, 186 societies were monogamous. 453 had occasional polygyny, 588 had more frequent polygyny, and 4 had polyandry. That's right ... 85% of the world's population included some form of polygamy."

- "As of 2006, Indian marriage laws are dependent upon the religion of the people involved. Hindu marriage laws specifically prohibit polygamy for Hindu, Jains, and Sikhs. However, Muslims in India are allowed to have multiple wives."

- We grew up in a culture where monogamous marriage was the only option we were even aware of. Everything we learned about being poly came up after we were middle-aged,even, and came about from being involved with the kink community.

https://www.alternet.org/sex-amp-relationships/10-surprising-times-history-when-polyamory-was-acceptable
http://factsanddetails.com/southeast-asia/Malaysia/sub5_4b/entry-3641.html
https://matadornetwork.com/life/non-monogamy-around-world/
https://sites.google.com/site/itsawomanschoice1/history-of-polyamory

3. Community. Go to a meeting of a poly-oriented group and/or join and participate in one or more polyamory groups on Fet. Get to know other polyamorous people.

- We've been to a couple of meetings of ManyLoves at The Mark, and may go to more. MM is a member of the ManyLoves and Practicing Polyamory groups on Fet. We used to attend a local poly-munch that is no longer active. 

At the November ManyLoves meeting, we created a list of resources. Here are some of the ones I noted down. All of the resources mentioned are available on the FetLife group for ManyLoves.
- Movies: Professor Marsden and the Wonder Women; Under the Tuscan Sun; The Bonobo Movie
- Books: The Hidden Life of Wonder Woman; More Than Two; The Ethical Slut; Ask me About Polyamory - the Best of Kimchi Cuddles
- Online video - Sexplanations/Polyamory (https://youtu.be/0VKGRrOzMDg)


4. Self. What does your style of polyamory look like? If you are in a poly relationship, discuss with your partners what your poly looks like. If you are not in a poly relationship, journal about how you would like a polyamorous relationship including you to be like.

- If you take both our system and Boss's system as single individuals, we are currently in a vee relationship, but would like that to be a zee/N relationship (and it has been before). He currently has a secondary relationship, but we do not.

- If you take each alter as an individual, we have an incredible mesh of relationships between his alters, our alters, and the outside relationship he currently has.

5. Create. Create something that visualizes what your poly relationship looks like. In some way indicate roles and responsibilities of each person. If you aren't in a poly relationship, then imagine a goal relationship. Draw a diagram or get more creative.

- I made a slideshow presentation about how our polycule has evolved.

6. Advocate. Join an organization that is polyamory-positive. Or research polyamory issues on your own and write a letter or email to a lawmaker about those issues.

- We have already joined NCSF and are lifetime members of The Mark.

7. Benevolence. Give a gift to a metamour, if you have one, to show support of them in your relationship. If you don't have a metamour, give gifts to people you know in a poly relationship.

- We recently gave our metamour a silicone baking pan. She was sad that hers had gotten left somewhere and not returned, so we bought another one for her. Now she can make brownies for us all!

8. Diligence. What are some rules that your poly relationship follows together? Or rules you would expect to have in a poly relationship?

- We have condom rules. We have an agreement to discuss with each other when new steps are being taken in physical or romantic relationships. Overnight guests are generally limited to once a week, but they correspond to an 'open date' night where secondaries get the focus. 

9. Selflessness. It's important to recognize that it's a good thing for your partner can enjoy themselves without you there. Plan a date night for your partner and metamour, or two or more partners, that doesn't include you. If you aren't in a poly relationship, plan a nice evening (that doesn't include you) for someone you care about.

- One night Boss and his girlfriend wanted to go see a movie. We met them at the theater and bought a ticket for her with our MoviePass card, and then we went home for a bath while they saw the movie. Everyone had a good time.

10. Mentorship. Create a list of relationship advice for people in poly relationships - especially those new to polyamory.

- MM has already created a writing on FL about this - https://fetlife.com/users/120724/posts/3296999

- For my advice personally, I'd say to be sure to be a full person all yourself, with or without your partner around. And then when they are around they add to you, but you don't flounder when they aren't. Second, work at your relationship with your metamour. You have to decide to make it work. And third, talk about it. Talk with your partner(s) and your metamour(s) about all the things that are good and bad and what's going on.


Love Infinity Patch - https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B07365GQ8Q/

EASY SWAG - Event Patches

Sometimes we'll be able to get a patch just for attending an event, without having to do a patch/badge sheet. Many have a worksheet available for those that weren't able to attend, or the award might be specifically for being part of the event.

Halloween Party
Our troop had a really fantastic Halloween Party, and we get a patch for that. Since I won the Scariest Pumpkin (and Best Costume), I got the patch for free in my prize bag!

Plant a Seed Patch
We worked on this patch during our troop meeting too. We talked about how plants grow and planted some lavender.

Let There Be Music Patch
Another patch earned by participating during the troop meeting. We shared some favorite songs that mean a lot to us, and some of our weird favorite songs, and talked about music experiences.

COMPLETE - Pumpkin Picking Patch

Pumpkin Picking Patch – Troop #346

Scout Name: Paul Meronym
Date: ____10/7/2017________________
Costs: ___Free Admission / Pumpkin and Activities - Varies_____Patch - $1.69___

Directions: Listed below are 10 steps to complete. At the end get Miss Anarcadia or Beta-Pup to mark them off. Then turn in the sheet and patch fee to receive your patch (to be ordered).


1. What is the benefit of buying locally?

- By buying locally, we support people in our community (or nearby communities) and encourage smaller businesses to keep going. And they spend money in their local community, and so on. Plus, one thing we bought was some local honey. Eating local honey helps with allergies to local things!



2. Pick a pumpkin that is perfect for you! Are you able to carry it yourself? Is your pumpkin healthy looking? Do you know how to tell if a pumpkin is healthy? Learn about pumpkins to find
out which one is right for you.

- I picked out two pumpkins. One smallish tall orange one with a long curly stem, and one much smaller round white one with no stem at all. I could carry both at the same time, one by the stem and one in my hand. I think they look healthy - they are approximately symmetrical all the way around. I picked the tall one because of it's skinny shape and the winding-around stem.
 
3. What do you plan to do with your pumpkin? Are you going to enter the Troop Pumpkin Decorating contest? Are you going to carve it at home to use as a table center piece? Turn it into a pumpkin treat?

- I plan to decorate both, but I'm not going to cut them up at all. I'll take one or both to the Little Scouts Halloween party for the pumpkin-decorating costume, and then a couple days later to another Halloween party our daughters are throwing. Then maybe we'll take them in to work?

4. Pumpkins come in many different colors. How many different colors do you see? Learn what makes pumpkins different colors.

- We saw pumpkins that were bright orange, dark orange, green, brown, and white. Different varieties of pumpkin turn different colors as they ripen. Jack O'Lantern pumpkins are green until they are ripe, when they turn orange.

5. Going to a pumpkin farm is a lot of fun but it’s also a lot of work for the farmers. What are some ways to show them that you appreciate their business? Can you give them a donation? See if they have a facebook page and share it? Tell others about it?

- We showed them appreciation by being polite and following all the rules and buying things and saying 'thank you' a lot. We bought cards and did all the activities, and we invited our daughter to come out there with us. They do have a website - www.waldenfarm.biz - and a Facebook page, too - we shared that on our Facebook!

6. Pumpkins are edible. Do you enjoy pumpkin treats? What are some of your favorite pumpkin treats? Maybe try to bake or buy your favorite pumpkin treat to share with a friend.

- I do not like pumpkin flavors. Our friend Sarah made pumpkin bread last week, and I tried it, but I don't really care for it. My favorite pumpkin treats are Reese's Pumpkins! We have some at home to share for Halloween.

7. Did you see any other produce other than pumpkins? Do you know their names? If not look them up. Can you think of any popular fall foods that are not here?

- We saw corn, including indian corn, and lots of gourds.
- We didn't see apple cider or candied apples.

8. Did you see any of the animals? Which was your favorite?

- We saw cows, donkeys, goats, chickens, a peacock, bunnies, doves, sheep, piglets, and a turkey. The piglets were probably my favorite, mostly because they were more active and because you don't usually see piglets in like petting farm kind of things. 

9. Pumpkins are well known for this time of year. Do you know why? Find out three facts about pumpkins and Halloween or other holidays for this time of year.

- Pumpkins are harvested in the fall, as is corn. You can use the flowers, seeds, and flesh for food, and it's made into soups, desserts, breads, and pies. They are low in calories, fat, and sodium, and high in fiber, vitamin A, vitamin B, potassium, protein, and iron.

- Jack O'Lanterns used to be carved from turnips or potatoes, but when Irish immigrants found pumpkins in the Americas, they started using them instead.

- Pumpkins are a member of the gourd family, like cucumbers, melons, and zucchini.

10. Tell a friend or post online about your experience at the pumpkin patch.

- I'm posting online about it right now! And we shared the experience with M's daughter, too!

____________________ has completed all 10 steps and given payment to receive this patch.

COMPLETE - Queer Scout Badge

1. Explore - Learn about different ways to identify as 'queer'. What/who does the term refer to, and what is the history of the term? Discuss the term 'Queer' versus LGBTQ, QUILTBAG, or other terms that refer to similar populations?
- LGBT refers to people who are Lesbian (female gay), Gay (male gay), Bisexual, or Transgender. So three non-normative sexual orientations and one gender orientation.
- It was expanded to be LGBTQIA - LGBT plus Questioning (sometimes Queer), Intersex, and Asexual (sometimes Allies) - so another sexual orientation, another gender orientation, and those not sure. But getting to be a mouthful, people in our community started referring to 'rainbow' instead.
- And that was expanded further into LGBTQQ2IA* (LGBT Queer Questioning Two-Spirited Intersex Asexual and Allies) or LGBTTQQIAAP or a variety of other long rambles of letters.

-QUILTBAG - Queer & Questioning, Unidentified or Undecided, Intersex, Lesbian, Transgender/Transexual, Bisexual, Asexual, Gay & Genderqueer - This acronym has come about only in the last few years, and has been adopted, in part, because it's so much easier to say. It has a friendlier feeling to it and evokes the image of a bunch of pieces stitched together.


- Queer is an umbrella term to mean non-normative people of sexual or gender minorities who are not heterosexual and/or not cisgender. It includes rejection of traditional gender identities and sexual orientations, but is broader and deliberately more ambiguous than the label LGBT... The queer-identified community reject several binaries as being the only options (male/female, gay/straight). The term was used pejoratively against those with non-normative lifestyles in the late 19th century, and later applied specifically to gay men, but beginning in the late 1980s, began to be reclaimed. And recently it has begun to include kinky people under the umbrella, too, as a non-normative sexual orientation.

Other acronyms used:
* GSM - Gender and Sexual Minorities
* GNC - Gender Non-Conforming
* SAGA - Sexuality and Gender Acceptance

https://mic.com/articles/52001/9-gender-and-sexuality-acronyms-you-should-learn#.xequN3Qmt

2. Self - What does it mean to you for someone to identify as Queer? How do you identify? Journal about your queerness.

- When someone identifies as Queer, to me that means that they don't feel comfortable fitting into the boxes society has set up. They aren't a cis-female feminine woman, and they aren't a cis-male masculine man. But they also aren't the flaming gay man or the butch lesbian woman that fits the stereotype of gay/lesbian that our culture has become less uncomfortable with. There are standard societal 'boxes' to check off that are male/female, gay/straight, young/old, feminine/masculine. But some people can check boxes on both sides of the slash, or don't fit either one. 'Queer' means strange or odd, but also means to spoil or ruin. Queer people spoil society's checklists; they swing results in weird directions. They don't fit well into expectations.

- We/I identify as Queer (and also as Genderqueer). Because we're a multiple system, there are people in our head that are several different kinds of 'non-hetero-normative'. I identify as a transgender ftm boy who is gay. M is a butch cis-female and straight. Sam is a more feminine cis-female who is  heteroflexible. Kiara is very feminine cis-female and not really interested in sex, but is generally drawn to women. Rubi is masculine cis-female and heteroflexible too. So overall we hit all over the gender, sexual attraction, and romantic interest spectrums, as well as age. And I think all the girls are into at least some kink. Really, 'queer' is the about the only short way to describe how we are!

- For me personally... If I weren't part of a system, if it was just me, I would probably do more to transition from female-bodied to living as male as possible. But because other people use the same body, I'll never do any kind of transitioning beyond clothing and such. Regardless, I identify as trangender male. I am also gay; I am only interested in men. So yeah, I could stick with the more established LGBT and cover my personal identity. But I enjoy the rejection of the idea that I have to be boy or girl. Or that I have to be one person instead of many.

3. Create - Make a piece of art (draw, print & color, design on computer, or get more creative!) that expresses your gender identity and/or sexuality.

- I made a slideshow presentation about my queerness vs. M's queerness. It's available here.

4. Mentorship - Download and print out the Genderbread Person at http://itspronouncedmetrosexual.com/2015/03/the-gen… (or a more recent version if there is one). Talk with another person (queer or not) about where you fall on each continua in the diagram. Encourage them to talk to you about where they identify and what that means to them.
- I printed out two of them and we both marked ours while we talked about each piece.

• My gender identity is high on man-ness and very low on woman-ness - I'm a man. 
• My gender expression is pretty much in the middle of both, since I have a female body but make an effort to be as masculine as I can, so I appear pretty androgynous. But today at the pumpkin patch two strangers referred to me as male, so I was successful in presenting on the masculine side of androgynous.
• My biological sex is, as far as I know, genetically completely female. But my body does display some male traits, like facial hair growth, so I marked the male side about 25% up from the bottom. My body is female.
• I am sexually attracted to male bodies pretty high on the scale, and women not at all.
• I am romantically attracted like three-quarters to men, and only a tiny bit to women (usually butch lesbian women).

So yeah, I'm a gay trans-guy who presents pretty ambiguously.

5. Selflessness - Introduce yourself to a person who identifies as queer. Ask them what it means to them to be queer, and listen to their answer. Write a journal entry about their answer and how it made you feel. How is their queer identity different than yours? How can you help validate their experience being queer even though it's not the same as yours?

- My friend explained that she is currently identifying as heteroflexible because she is sexually attracted to women sometimes, but not romantically. And though she identifies very feminine, she likes to cross-dress. And she is also kinky. So she's very different from me, but still queer also. We talked about validation, and mostly it comes down to including her when I'm talking about 'queer folks' or 'my people' and just not treating her like she can't understand my queerness just because she experiences it differently than I do.

6. Community - Find a local group or space that has outreach programs and/or safe places for people of various orientations. Visit or look around on their website. What kinds of assistance do they offer?


- The Mark, of course, is a safe place for queer people. But we also looked at Out Central, which is another local organization. They have game nights, a transgender support group, yoga classes, lesbian film nights, and gay, lesbian, and generally queer book clubs. They also have resource links to other organizations, and they promote events like Nashville Pride Weekend and the Gay5K.

7. Benevolence - Donate money or time to support a queer-supporting organization or a helping hotline and write about your feelings or experience doing so.


- Well of course we've donated a lot of time and money to The Mark, which is a very queer-supporting organization. We also donated to OutCentral, and we've joined/donated to the American Civil Liberties Union and the National Coalition for Sexual Freedom. These are organizations we feel pretty good about donating to in support of queer issues. The circle of people we are around is very queer-friendly, but that's the exception rather than the rule, and these are all organizations that are aware of and actively following queer issues both locally and on a larger scale, and can influence progress in a way that I as an individual can't.

8. World - Learn about how the community is treated in other places of the world. What are two friendly places for queer folk to live? What are two dangerous/unfriendly places?

- So I started by searching the internet for 'best places to live queer', and I loved this opening for one of them: "LGBT best city lists are often pretty predictable: New York, San Francisco, London, Paris, Berlin, Provincetown ... you know the drill." 

On that list, Amsterdam was #4. Amsterdam's always been mentioned to us as a great place that is very accepting of queer people, kinky people, just very open and tolerant and liberal period. Same-sex marriage has been legal since 2001, and there's a huge annual Pride Festival. One article said "the habitués of Amsterdam’s ‘gays-only’ districts are increasingly joined at the bar by legions of open-minded ‘straights’ looking for a fashionably edgy night on the tiles. In other words, wherever Grindr may take you, you’re more likely to be turned away for wearing the wrong sneakers than for anything as irrelevant as whom you sleep with." I like that 'irrelevant'.

A great place in the U.S. to be queer, aside from the west coast, is New Orleans. It's a town that's known for embracing the weird and the flamboyant, and it has one of the largest African-American LGBT communities in the U.S. Cafe Lafitte is one of the oldest gay bars in the country, and several gay events and organizations have been in operations since the early 1950s. Louisiana was the first state in the Deep South to pass a hate crimes law that covered sexual orientation. 

Although Eastern Europe is, generally, a good place to be queer, almost anywhere in Western Europe is certainly terrible. But worse, there are countries where being gay is criminal and where queer people can be legally tortured, chemically castrated, jailed, exiled - and killed. Nigeria and Uganda allow homosexuality to be punished by death by stoning, or up to 14 years in jail. They even have laws punishing people for failing to report people suspected of being gay.

And being in the U.S. doesn't make it safe to be queer. Many towns, especially in the Deep South or in Texas, score terribly on any scale measuring quality of life for queer residents. From the HRC Municipal Equality Index (2014), some of the worst cities:
Southaven, Missisippi
Hattiesburg, Mississippi
Mobile, Alabama
Huntsville, Alabama
Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Laredo, Texas
Mesquite, Texas
Lubbock, Texas
Irving, Texas

9. Advocate - Research some bills, laws, or policies that are negatively impacting the Queer population. Then write a letter or email or place a call to your Senator or Congress member or person in power to let them hear your voice and opinion on equal rights.

- MM signed a petition at the ACLU's Tennessee site supporting equal rights for LGBT equality (I can't sign such things as I don't have any individual legal standing). Also she's sending an email to some Senators or Representatives about SB 752/HB 892, which jeopardizes gay marriages in Tennessee (http://www.aclu-tn.org/dont-try-to-jeopardize-tennessee-marriages/).

10. Diligence - Promise to regularly check on the bills or actions that are hurting the Queer population, and to do something about it. Send an email, make a call, go to a protest, write a letter, teach a class. Make it part of your routine, put it on your kaper chart, or just commit it to your schedule.

- By being a member of the ACLU and NCSF, we get a periodic newletter that tells us about things happening, and we're signed up for their alerts. We're also following OutCentral on Facebook so that we can be aware of opportunities to get involved on a local level. And of course, The Mark's group on FL is good place to keep up with opportunities and events, too.

Patch - https://www.etsy.com/listing/212930020/queer-scout-badge

Alternate patch (rainbow flag) - If using the flag, adjustments can be made to the sheet to promote different terms instead of 'Queer'.

IN PROGRESS - Junior Ranger Badges

The National Park Service has a Junior Ranger Program for getting more badges for scout sashes. On their Junior Ranger Program page, they have a bunch of options. I plan to check out their Webrangers, but in the meantime I printed out a bunch of their booklets for earning badges at home. One of the other scouts in my troop found the page for where to mail the booklets, but I don't know how to then get a badge from them!

The National Park Service did a badge worksheet for the solar eclipse (https://www.nps.gov/kids/pdf/JR-Eclipse-ExplorerActivity%20book.pdf), and I've turned in my paperwork to get it. The eclipse badge was the first badge I earned.

I worked through the booklet for the Junior Ranger Night Explorer. I mailed off the booklet to the address online, and about six weeks later, I received the packet back with the badge.

COMPLETE - A Day at the Zoo Patch

Day at the Zoo Patch – Troop #346

Scout Name: ____Paul________________
Date: _____10/1/2017_______________
Costs: ___Zoo Admission - $16 + $5 Parking (unless you’re a member)     Patch - $1.69___

Directions: Listed below are 10 steps to complete. After each one get Miss Anarcadia, ASongforLya, or Beta-Pup to mark them off. At the end, turn in the sheet and patch fee to receive your patch (to be ordered). If you’re doing this on your own, try to take pictures to show you completed each step. Be sure to grab a map of the zoo as you enter (hint hint).


1. Think of your favorite cartoon or movie. It probably had some sort of critter in it. What kind of animal was it? See if you can find that animal in the zoo.

- My current favorite is the Lego: Batman movie. So... bats! I found short-tailed leaf-nosed bats in the Unseen New World building.

2. Find your favorite animal who lives at this zoo. Go to its exhibit and learn something new about it. Report your new factoid to one of the trip leaders.

- Red Pandas are a favorite because they are so poofy and look like walking stuffed animals. That's why I suggested them for our Troop Mascot! My new Red Panda fact: They will often spend up to 13 hours a day searching for food.










3. Animals come in all colors. Some are brightly colored to attract friends. Others are dull colored to hide better. Fine one brightly colored animal and one dull colored animal.

- I found some bright animals in a tank together - the rainbow boa and the poison arrow frogs. 

- One of the dull-colored animals I found was the desert tortoise. He's very sand-colored; just boring safe gray.

4. What is your favorite color? Can you find an animal who is that color?

- My favorite color is army olive green. The best green animal I found was the rhinocerous iguana.

5. Animals come in all different shapes and sizes. Pick out two animals. How are they alike? How are they different?


- We contrasted the red-ruffed lemur and the red panda. Both are red, black, and white with stripey tails and live in trees. But the lemur is really active and bouncy and lives in family groups, while the red panda lives mostly solitary and likes to lounge a lot. Red pandas eat mostly bamboo, but lemurs mostly eat fruit.



6. How do you feel about creepy crawlies? How about snakes? Is there an animal you are nervous about? Get as close to its exhibit as you are comfortable with to show how brave you are.

- I like snakes, but not scorpions or spiders. I touched the glass on a scorpion tank.

7. Did you remember to grab a zoo map at the entrance? Maps are helpful to keep from getting lost. Can you find where you are currently? What about where you entered the zoo at? Can you find your favorite exhibit?

- I always grab a map; I don't feel comfortable without one, and consult it frequently. We came in the Entry Village and dungeoned left, going around the gibbons and meerkats to see Unseen New World, then the petting zoo and flamingos. We took the look that went past the tapir and cougars and lemurs and clouded leopards. Then we too the loop that took us through the Kangaroo Kickabout and to see the antelope, zebras, and other plains animals. Then we were tired, so we went home without seeing the rest of the zoo. 


Here's the funniest picture of the day. The alpacas at the petting zoo were all laid out in the sun resting.

8. Is snack time one of your favorite times of day? The animals love it too! Which animal has the most interesting or weird diet that you can find?

- I love to eat. I had a pretzel and an Icee and Dippin' Dots at the zoo. The most varied diet we found was the Double-Wattled Cassowary. In the wild it eats plants, fruits, snails, frogs, small birds, invertebrates, and fungi (that seems like just about everything).

9. Like people, many animals form groups and families. They protect and take care of each other just like we do. See if you can find an animal that forms a family unit.

- I originally put down the meerkats for this, because I saw a pair of meerkat adults and three babies hanging out there. 

But when we got to the red-ruffed lemur exhibit, there were about seven of them out there. When I started taking pictures of a group of them off to one side, a single one that was elsewhere ran up to the front of the exhibit, like he wanted his picture taken - so we did. And then another lemur came over to join him, and they groomed each other with their hands and kept licking each other's face and cuddling.

10. What animal did you see that came from the farthest away? Which animal(s) are native to here in Tennessee?

- The red-ruffed lemur seemed to be from the furthest away. They (and the ring-tailed lemur) are from Madagascar, which is pretty far the other side of the world.

Some animals we saw that are native to Tennessee were the copperhead snake, the water snake, the spiny softshell turtle, and the cougar. Two cougars were out today, both hanging around at the top of their enclosure.















________Paul____________ has completed all 10 steps and given payment to receive this patch.