USMB Coffee Shop IV

[Sbiker]

For the last year, Pogo Games has been running tournaments involving teams of five members each that compete against hundreds of other teams. The top 10% get gold ribbons at the end of each two-week tourney, the next 10% get silver, the next 10% get bronze. You play up to nine not all that challenging games to win up to nine ribbons for each game. You don't get anything for the ribbons--they aren't worth anything--you just accumulate them.

Would you believe people take it so seriously that I've been thrown off three teams recently because I'm not playing enough to please the team captain? How seriously do people take playing rather mindless games to win worthless ribbons?

Oh well. I play for fun and the cutthroat teams aren't having any fun that I can see.

Unfortunately all multi player games are like that, those who live for the game, those who's competitive spirit means they will do anything (including cheat) to win, those who who cheat simply to disrupt the game (power and control) and the rest of us who do it just for fun and relaxation.

There are no more effective relaxant, than to play game with railroad and locomotives ) Like in Transport Tycoon, or Sim City or so on ))

 

[Ringel05]

For the last year, Pogo Games has been running tournaments involving teams of five members each that compete against hundreds of other teams. The top 10% get gold ribbons at the end of each two-week tourney, the next 10% get silver, the next 10% get bronze. You play up to nine not all that challenging games to win up to nine ribbons for each game. You don't get anything for the ribbons--they aren't worth anything--you just accumulate them.

Would you believe people take it so seriously that I've been thrown off three teams recently because I'm not playing enough to please the team captain? How seriously do people take playing rather mindless games to win worthless ribbons?

Oh well. I play for fun and the cutthroat teams aren't having any fun that I can see.

Unfortunately all multi player games are like that, those who live for the game, those who's competitive spirit means they will do anything (including cheat) to win, those who who cheat simply to disrupt the game (power and control) and the rest of us who do it just for fun and relaxation.

There are no more effective relaxant, than to play game with railroad and locomotives ) Like in Transport Tycoon, or Sim City or so on ))

I prefer RTS (Real Time Strategy - war) and FPS (First Person Shooters). I haven't played Sim City in over a decade and Transport Tycoon doesn't interest me.

 

[Foxfyre]

For the last year, Pogo Games has been running tournaments involving teams of five members each that compete against hundreds of other teams. The top 10% get gold ribbons at the end of each two-week tourney, the next 10% get silver, the next 10% get bronze. You play up to nine not all that challenging games to win up to nine ribbons for each game. You don't get anything for the ribbons--they aren't worth anything--you just accumulate them.

Would you believe people take it so seriously that I've been thrown off three teams recently because I'm not playing enough to please the team captain? How seriously do people take playing rather mindless games to win worthless ribbons?

Oh well. I play for fun and the cutthroat teams aren't having any fun that I can see.

Unfortunately all multi player games are like that, those who live for the game, those who's competitive spirit means they will do anything (including cheat) to win, those who who cheat simply to disrupt the game (power and control) and the rest of us who do it just for fun and relaxation.

There are no more effective relaxant, than to play game with railroad and locomotives ) Like in Transport Tycoon, or Sim City or so on ))

I prefer RTS (Real Time Strategy - war) and FPS (First Person Shooters). I haven't played Sim City in over a decade and Transport Tycoon doesn't interest me.

Haven't tried any of them. Other than just skill type games, the only games that I currently play that have any kind of story line is "Rise of Nations Patriots" and it is really ancient. It does keep me entertained for an hour or two now and then. I also have "Civilization" but haven't played that in years.

I do have a railroad game where you drive your own train through an endless countryside or cities--realistic scenarios in various countries--delivering stuff and completing tasks along the way, but I've never been able to get it on the screen so that all functions are visible and that makes it miserable to play.

 

[Ringel05]

For the last year, Pogo Games has been running tournaments involving teams of five members each that compete against hundreds of other teams. The top 10% get gold ribbons at the end of each two-week tourney, the next 10% get silver, the next 10% get bronze. You play up to nine not all that challenging games to win up to nine ribbons for each game. You don't get anything for the ribbons--they aren't worth anything--you just accumulate them.

Would you believe people take it so seriously that I've been thrown off three teams recently because I'm not playing enough to please the team captain? How seriously do people take playing rather mindless games to win worthless ribbons?

Oh well. I play for fun and the cutthroat teams aren't having any fun that I can see.

Unfortunately all multi player games are like that, those who live for the game, those who's competitive spirit means they will do anything (including cheat) to win, those who who cheat simply to disrupt the game (power and control) and the rest of us who do it just for fun and relaxation.

There are no more effective relaxant, than to play game with railroad and locomotives ) Like in Transport Tycoon, or Sim City or so on ))

I prefer RTS (Real Time Strategy - war) and FPS (First Person Shooters). I haven't played Sim City in over a decade and Transport Tycoon doesn't interest me.

Haven't tried any of them. Other than just skill type games, the only games that I currently play that have any kind of story line is "Rise of Nations Patriots" and it is really ancient. It does keep me entertained for an hour or two now and then. I also have "Civilization" but haven't played that in years.

I do have a railroad game where you drive your own train through an endless countryside or cities--realistic scenarios in various countries--delivering stuff and completing tasks along the way, but I've never been able to get it on the screen so that all functions are visible and that makes it miserable to play.

I still play some of my older (not old) games as most of my old games will not run on Win 7 through 10. Some nice games too. I do have one old game (written for XP) that seems to keep going even on Win 10, wonder how long that will last..........

 

[Sbiker]

For the last year, Pogo Games has been running tournaments involving teams of five members each that compete against hundreds of other teams. The top 10% get gold ribbons at the end of each two-week tourney, the next 10% get silver, the next 10% get bronze. You play up to nine not all that challenging games to win up to nine ribbons for each game. You don't get anything for the ribbons--they aren't worth anything--you just accumulate them.

Would you believe people take it so seriously that I've been thrown off three teams recently because I'm not playing enough to please the team captain? How seriously do people take playing rather mindless games to win worthless ribbons?

Oh well. I play for fun and the cutthroat teams aren't having any fun that I can see.

Unfortunately all multi player games are like that, those who live for the game, those who's competitive spirit means they will do anything (including cheat) to win, those who who cheat simply to disrupt the game (power and control) and the rest of us who do it just for fun and relaxation.

There are no more effective relaxant, than to play game with railroad and locomotives ) Like in Transport Tycoon, or Sim City or so on ))

I prefer RTS (Real Time Strategy - war) and FPS (First Person Shooters). I haven't played Sim City in over a decade and Transport Tycoon doesn't interest me.

How do you think about Zerg Queen? As for me, I like CS but last times playin' Unreal... Old, but good shooter...

 

[Ernie S.]

BACON!!!!

Now now Ernie. That's not nice. Funny, but not nice.

Like Drifter though I've heard that pigs make great pets. And maybe if I actually knew one I would think differently about them. But my personal prejudices no doubt arise from experiences with smelly and very pushy, even dangerous, pigs and hogs from my youth, terrorizing if one got out of the pen. So I see them as food instead of pets.

Reminds me of a rancher friend years ago who ran a large herd of mother cows and sold the calves when they were big usually as beef cattle. But he wouldn't eat his own beef. He said you can't watch the calves being born, so pretty they were, and so cute frolicking in the pasture, that he just couldn't see them as food. So he sold them to others and bought his beef.

I'm not Vegan. I just think they are cute.

BACON is cuter

 

[Ernie S.]

I was a Boy Scout and a good one. I did not earn the Eagle rank, but I was in the Order of the Arrow. OA, as it is known, is the society for Honor Campers, boys who were avid campers.

Initiation into the OA involves something called Tap Out. That happened on the last night of the summer camp week. Our camp was on the shores of Leesville Lake, one of the Muskingum Watershed lakes built by the WPA during the Great Depression and nestled in the rolling hills of east central Ohio. Leesville Lake had a restricted motorboat horsepower of 9.9 so there were small sailboats and canoes plying the tranquil waters.

On the last night during our nightly campfire confabs, members of the OA would paddle aluminum canoes across the lake. They were illuminated by torches made from broomsticks with a coffee can containing a roll of kerosene soaked toilet paper. The OA members were clad in buckskins and slathered with 'war paint'. They landed the canoes on the bank of the lake within sight of the roaring campfire.

All the campers were assembled in a semi circle as the imposing older boys took their spot in the center. Then silently the older OA scouts would walk around the semi circle of nervous younger scouts. When they came upon a prospect (usually three or four out of the 70 to 90 campers) they would pause, face the now terrified young prospect, and tap them on the shoulder three times.

Now I used the word 'tap'. These were not the tap a wife might give a husband as he grumbled through dinner conversation. These were not taps a stranger might apply when seeking one's attention. No. These were taps given by a larger, older intimidating boy to a smaller, more impressionable one. Smacks, slugs, hits that might dislocate a shoulder would be more appropriate.

My 'taps' were given to me by Donnie Raber who would go on to be named All State in high school wrestling in the heavy weight division. Forty eight years later and I still remember the impact of his massive paws on my shoulder.

I rose through the ranks of the Order of the Arrow finally achieving the rank of Vigil, the highest rank in that group.

During the Vigil ceremony, one must take to the woods alone, build and maintain a campfire all through the night until you are retrieved to obtain your sash and Vigil Lene Lenape Indian name. Mine was Kaak. That means 'wild goose'.

For the next few years, until high school activities (read 'girls') took my attention, I was very active in the OA. During Vigil ceremonies, current Vigil rank members would approach the Vigil candidate's campfires throughout the night. We would make sure that their fires were burning and they were still awake. Hiding in the shadows, we would read motivational passages to the candidate, calling them out by first name.

One of my candidates was actually a Scout master from another troop. His name was Bernard Casto.

"Bernard" I began "I too have kept the Vigil!"

It was the first time I had ever called an adult by his first name. I'm quite sure that I was more impressed by the circumstance than he was.

Amazingly similar to my tap-out! A lake built by CCC during the depression, indians in canoes and tapped so hard I almost fell. A friend who was tapped out the same night was just getting over a broken clavicle. A big guy stood to his left and grabbed the Vigil's hand as it came down and whispered, "right shoulder". Both Franky survived and I survived out night in the woods except that I awoke about 50 feet down hil from where I was left.
20 some odd years later, I tapped out my son.
I rose from Cub through Explorer to Scout Master and finally to Council Adult Leader Training Committee. I was a Boy Scout for 38 years

 

[Foxfyre]

I was a Boy Scout and a good one. I did not earn the Eagle rank, but I was in the Order of the Arrow. OA, as it is known, is the society for Honor Campers, boys who were avid campers.

Initiation into the OA involves something called Tap Out. That happened on the last night of the summer camp week. Our camp was on the shores of Leesville Lake, one of the Muskingum Watershed lakes built by the WPA during the Great Depression and nestled in the rolling hills of east central Ohio. Leesville Lake had a restricted motorboat horsepower of 9.9 so there were small sailboats and canoes plying the tranquil waters.

On the last night during our nightly campfire confabs, members of the OA would paddle aluminum canoes across the lake. They were illuminated by torches made from broomsticks with a coffee can containing a roll of kerosene soaked toilet paper. The OA members were clad in buckskins and slathered with 'war paint'. They landed the canoes on the bank of the lake within sight of the roaring campfire.

All the campers were assembled in a semi circle as the imposing older boys took their spot in the center. Then silently the older OA scouts would walk around the semi circle of nervous younger scouts. When they came upon a prospect (usually three or four out of the 70 to 90 campers) they would pause, face the now terrified young prospect, and tap them on the shoulder three times.

Now I used the word 'tap'. These were not the tap a wife might give a husband as he grumbled through dinner conversation. These were not taps a stranger might apply when seeking one's attention. No. These were taps given by a larger, older intimidating boy to a smaller, more impressionable one. Smacks, slugs, hits that might dislocate a shoulder would be more appropriate.

My 'taps' were given to me by Donnie Raber who would go on to be named All State in high school wrestling in the heavy weight division. Forty eight years later and I still remember the impact of his massive paws on my shoulder.

I rose through the ranks of the Order of the Arrow finally achieving the rank of Vigil, the highest rank in that group.

During the Vigil ceremony, one must take to the woods alone, build and maintain a campfire all through the night until you are retrieved to obtain your sash and Vigil Lene Lenape Indian name. Mine was Kaak. That means 'wild goose'.

For the next few years, until high school activities (read 'girls') took my attention, I was very active in the OA. During Vigil ceremonies, current Vigil rank members would approach the Vigil candidate's campfires throughout the night. We would make sure that their fires were burning and they were still awake. Hiding in the shadows, we would read motivational passages to the candidate, calling them out by first name.

One of my candidates was actually a Scout master from another troop. His name was Bernard Casto.

"Bernard" I began "I too have kept the Vigil!"

It was the first time I had ever called an adult by his first name. I'm quite sure that I was more impressed by the circumstance than he was.

Amazingly similar to my tap-out! A lake built by CCC during the depression, indians in canoes and tapped so hard I almost fell. A friend who was tapped out the same night was just getting over a broken clavicle. A big guy stood to his left and grabbed the Vigil's hand as it came down and whispered, "right shoulder". Both Franky survived and I survived out night in the woods except that I awoke about 50 feet down hil from where I was left.
20 some odd years later, I tapped out my son.
I rose from Cub through Explorer to Scout Master and finally to Council Adult Leader Training Committee. I was a Boy Scout for 38 years

Our son was a scout (daughter was a Brownie but didn't go on to Girl Scouts) and hubbie was a scoutmaster for many years and then was on the district team often volunteering to be the cook for the staff. The night in the woods wasn't too tough in Kansas, but when the camps were in New Mexico bear attacks were a concern. So unbeknownst to the OA candidates, there were guards posted out of sight of the candidate just as a precaution.

 

[Foxfyre]

I do.
I read Umberto Eco's The Name of the Rose about 20 years back or so in the 90's.
It was a pretty good mystery & history book, from what I can remember.

Have you read others books of Eco? For example - "The island of the day before" - another good mystery for baroque epoch...

Sorry, I haven't read any more by him, just that one.

"The name of Rose" is very good book. Eco compiled a lot parts of it from real medieval books, so it's seems like another one. And also, he had a manner to write about medieval times like it happen now and here. I like it. Especially, positioning the tiime of book in real history, when the 14th century only begins, with Switz warriors, total plague, but already with Templiers burned...

Do you enjoy medieval fantasy such as Tolkien writes? David Eddings, together with his wife, wrote some of my favorites.

Oh, offcourse, yes! Swords, magic and so on... But it's strange - I've never heared about David Eddings before. I read many fantasy cycles, from Tolkien and Howard to Martin ( )), but, I think, I have to try Eddings... Like Michener, he is not famous on Russian...

I like both fantasy and Sci-Fi because of many unusual ideas of social interaction in different books Our world is not single, at least in our dreams... Do you believe in aliens?

I enjoy Eddings. He writes in an relaxed page turner style--good yarns.

 

[blackhawk]

 

[Ringel05]

For the last year, Pogo Games has been running tournaments involving teams of five members each that compete against hundreds of other teams. The top 10% get gold ribbons at the end of each two-week tourney, the next 10% get silver, the next 10% get bronze. You play up to nine not all that challenging games to win up to nine ribbons for each game. You don't get anything for the ribbons--they aren't worth anything--you just accumulate them.

Would you believe people take it so seriously that I've been thrown off three teams recently because I'm not playing enough to please the team captain? How seriously do people take playing rather mindless games to win worthless ribbons?

Oh well. I play for fun and the cutthroat teams aren't having any fun that I can see.

Unfortunately all multi player games are like that, those who live for the game, those who's competitive spirit means they will do anything (including cheat) to win, those who who cheat simply to disrupt the game (power and control) and the rest of us who do it just for fun and relaxation.

There are no more effective relaxant, than to play game with railroad and locomotives ) Like in Transport Tycoon, or Sim City or so on ))

I prefer RTS (Real Time Strategy - war) and FPS (First Person Shooters). I haven't played Sim City in over a decade and Transport Tycoon doesn't interest me.

How do you think about Zerg Queen? As for me, I like CS but last times playin' Unreal... Old, but good shooter...

Don't know any of those.

 

[Ringel05]

Two plus years ago when we bought our washer and dryer and hooked them up I noticed the dryer wasn't drying as well as any others I've ever owned or used. Never really paid that much attention until about a year and a half ago when it would take up to four hours to dry a load. Figured it was something in the design and determined not to buy another Kenmore........ That was until we disconnected it to move it and found the house dryer vent packed full of lint as hard as concrete. Checked the house dryer vent here before hooking it up and it seemed to dry better the first time we used it. The second time it took longer and today it's taking even longer so I disconnect the hose from the dryer to the house vent and the hose was packed full of lint. It was all the lint that had built up in the dryer over those years and I should have figured that out much earlier, I know how these things work....... Now it's time to take the dryer apart and clean it, and get a new hose...........

 

[Nosmo King]

Two plus years ago when we bought our washer and dryer and hooked them up I noticed the dryer wasn't drying as well as any others I've ever owned or used. Never really paid that much attention until about a year and a half ago when it would take up to four hours to dry a load. Figured it was something in the design and determined not to buy another Kenmore........ That was until we disconnected it to move it and found the house dryer vent packed full of lint as hard as concrete. Checked the house dryer vent here before hooking it up and it seemed to dry better the first time we used it. The second time it took longer and today it's taking even longer so I disconnect the hose from the dryer to the house vent and the hose was packed full of lint. It was all the lint that had built up in the dryer over those years and I should have figured that out much earlier, I know how these things work....... Now it's time to take the dryer apart and clean it, and get a new hose...........

Buy a vent that is smooth on the inside. Vents that look like a spring wrapped in aluminum foil have too many nooks and crannies. These act as speed bumps, slowing down the flow and giving lint space to accumulate. Smooth vents can be installed like a periscope. Hook up the less accessible connection first and extend or contract it to fit the easier.

No charge.

 

[Ringel05]

Two plus years ago when we bought our washer and dryer and hooked them up I noticed the dryer wasn't drying as well as any others I've ever owned or used. Never really paid that much attention until about a year and a half ago when it would take up to four hours to dry a load. Figured it was something in the design and determined not to buy another Kenmore........ That was until we disconnected it to move it and found the house dryer vent packed full of lint as hard as concrete. Checked the house dryer vent here before hooking it up and it seemed to dry better the first time we used it. The second time it took longer and today it's taking even longer so I disconnect the hose from the dryer to the house vent and the hose was packed full of lint. It was all the lint that had built up in the dryer over those years and I should have figured that out much earlier, I know how these things work....... Now it's time to take the dryer apart and clean it, and get a new hose...........

Buy a vent that is smooth on the inside. Vents that look like a spring wrapped in aluminum foil have too many nooks and crannies. These act as speed bumps, slowing down the flow and giving lint space to accumulate. Smooth vents can be installed like a periscope. Hook up the less accessible connection first and extend or contract it to fit the easier.

No charge.

The other possible problem is in the house dryer vents, too many right angles and too long of a run will cause the same problems.

 

[Nosmo King]

Two plus years ago when we bought our washer and dryer and hooked them up I noticed the dryer wasn't drying as well as any others I've ever owned or used. Never really paid that much attention until about a year and a half ago when it would take up to four hours to dry a load. Figured it was something in the design and determined not to buy another Kenmore........ That was until we disconnected it to move it and found the house dryer vent packed full of lint as hard as concrete. Checked the house dryer vent here before hooking it up and it seemed to dry better the first time we used it. The second time it took longer and today it's taking even longer so I disconnect the hose from the dryer to the house vent and the hose was packed full of lint. It was all the lint that had built up in the dryer over those years and I should have figured that out much earlier, I know how these things work....... Now it's time to take the dryer apart and clean it, and get a new hose...........

Buy a vent that is smooth on the inside. Vents that look like a spring wrapped in aluminum foil have too many nooks and crannies. These act as speed bumps, slowing down the flow and giving lint space to accumulate. Smooth vents can be installed like a periscope. Hook up the less accessible connection first and extend or contract it to fit the easier.

No charge.

The other possible problem is in the house dryer vents, too many right angles and too long of a run will cause the same problems.

How far from the exterior is your dryer? Those smooth bore vents have two right angles. I've seen dryer vents coiled up on the floor behind the dryer. Way too long to be effective.

 

[blackhawk]

 

[Ringel05]

Two plus years ago when we bought our washer and dryer and hooked them up I noticed the dryer wasn't drying as well as any others I've ever owned or used. Never really paid that much attention until about a year and a half ago when it would take up to four hours to dry a load. Figured it was something in the design and determined not to buy another Kenmore........ That was until we disconnected it to move it and found the house dryer vent packed full of lint as hard as concrete. Checked the house dryer vent here before hooking it up and it seemed to dry better the first time we used it. The second time it took longer and today it's taking even longer so I disconnect the hose from the dryer to the house vent and the hose was packed full of lint. It was all the lint that had built up in the dryer over those years and I should have figured that out much earlier, I know how these things work....... Now it's time to take the dryer apart and clean it, and get a new hose...........

Buy a vent that is smooth on the inside. Vents that look like a spring wrapped in aluminum foil have too many nooks and crannies. These act as speed bumps, slowing down the flow and giving lint space to accumulate. Smooth vents can be installed like a periscope. Hook up the less accessible connection first and extend or contract it to fit the easier.

No charge.

The other possible problem is in the house dryer vents, too many right angles and too long of a run will cause the same problems.

How far from the exterior is your dryer? Those smooth bore vents have two right angles. I've seen dryer vents coiled up on the floor behind the dryer. Way too long to be effective.

Mine is a coiled, curled up behind the dryer, too long however if I cut 2/3rds off then it will be just long enough but I'll have to squeeze between the dryer and wall to install it. Not sure how long the house vent is but if that becomes an issue I can always install an indoor vent, it's in the garage which is already hot.......

 

[Nosmo King]

Two plus years ago when we bought our washer and dryer and hooked them up I noticed the dryer wasn't drying as well as any others I've ever owned or used. Never really paid that much attention until about a year and a half ago when it would take up to four hours to dry a load. Figured it was something in the design and determined not to buy another Kenmore........ That was until we disconnected it to move it and found the house dryer vent packed full of lint as hard as concrete. Checked the house dryer vent here before hooking it up and it seemed to dry better the first time we used it. The second time it took longer and today it's taking even longer so I disconnect the hose from the dryer to the house vent and the hose was packed full of lint. It was all the lint that had built up in the dryer over those years and I should have figured that out much earlier, I know how these things work....... Now it's time to take the dryer apart and clean it, and get a new hose...........

Buy a vent that is smooth on the inside. Vents that look like a spring wrapped in aluminum foil have too many nooks and crannies. These act as speed bumps, slowing down the flow and giving lint space to accumulate. Smooth vents can be installed like a periscope. Hook up the less accessible connection first and extend or contract it to fit the easier.

No charge.

The other possible problem is in the house dryer vents, too many right angles and too long of a run will cause the same problems.

How far from the exterior is your dryer? Those smooth bore vents have two right angles. I've seen dryer vents coiled up on the floor behind the dryer. Way too long to be effective.

Mine is a coiled, curled up behind the dryer, too long however if I cut 2/3rds off then it will be just long enough but I'll have to squeeze between the dryer and wall to install it. Not sure how long the house vent is but if that becomes an issue I can always install an indoor vent, it's in the garage which is already hot.......

So long as your dryer isn't gas!

Hook it up to the dryer first, then push the dryer into position. Then take the exhaust end and connect it to the exterior vent. Make it long enough, but no longer.

 

[Montrovant]

For the last year, Pogo Games has been running tournaments involving teams of five members each that compete against hundreds of other teams. The top 10% get gold ribbons at the end of each two-week tourney, the next 10% get silver, the next 10% get bronze. You play up to nine not all that challenging games to win up to nine ribbons for each game. You don't get anything for the ribbons--they aren't worth anything--you just accumulate them.

Would you believe people take it so seriously that I've been thrown off three teams recently because I'm not playing enough to please the team captain? How seriously do people take playing rather mindless games to win worthless ribbons?

Oh well. I play for fun and the cutthroat teams aren't having any fun that I can see.

Unfortunately all multi player games are like that, those who live for the game, those who's competitive spirit means they will do anything (including cheat) to win, those who who cheat simply to disrupt the game (power and control) and the rest of us who do it just for fun and relaxation.

There are no more effective relaxant, than to play game with railroad and locomotives ) Like in Transport Tycoon, or Sim City or so on ))

I prefer RTS (Real Time Strategy - war) and FPS (First Person Shooters). I haven't played Sim City in over a decade and Transport Tycoon doesn't interest me.

How do you think about Zerg Queen? As for me, I like CS but last times playin' Unreal... Old, but good shooter...

Don't know any of those.

I assume CS is CounterStrike.....and come on, you've at least heard of Unreal!

 

[Ernie S.]

I was a Boy Scout and a good one. I did not earn the Eagle rank, but I was in the Order of the Arrow. OA, as it is known, is the society for Honor Campers, boys who were avid campers.

Initiation into the OA involves something called Tap Out. That happened on the last night of the summer camp week. Our camp was on the shores of Leesville Lake, one of the Muskingum Watershed lakes built by the WPA during the Great Depression and nestled in the rolling hills of east central Ohio. Leesville Lake had a restricted motorboat horsepower of 9.9 so there were small sailboats and canoes plying the tranquil waters.

On the last night during our nightly campfire confabs, members of the OA would paddle aluminum canoes across the lake. They were illuminated by torches made from broomsticks with a coffee can containing a roll of kerosene soaked toilet paper. The OA members were clad in buckskins and slathered with 'war paint'. They landed the canoes on the bank of the lake within sight of the roaring campfire.

All the campers were assembled in a semi circle as the imposing older boys took their spot in the center. Then silently the older OA scouts would walk around the semi circle of nervous younger scouts. When they came upon a prospect (usually three or four out of the 70 to 90 campers) they would pause, face the now terrified young prospect, and tap them on the shoulder three times.

Now I used the word 'tap'. These were not the tap a wife might give a husband as he grumbled through dinner conversation. These were not taps a stranger might apply when seeking one's attention. No. These were taps given by a larger, older intimidating boy to a smaller, more impressionable one. Smacks, slugs, hits that might dislocate a shoulder would be more appropriate.

My 'taps' were given to me by Donnie Raber who would go on to be named All State in high school wrestling in the heavy weight division. Forty eight years later and I still remember the impact of his massive paws on my shoulder.

I rose through the ranks of the Order of the Arrow finally achieving the rank of Vigil, the highest rank in that group.

During the Vigil ceremony, one must take to the woods alone, build and maintain a campfire all through the night until you are retrieved to obtain your sash and Vigil Lene Lenape Indian name. Mine was Kaak. That means 'wild goose'.

For the next few years, until high school activities (read 'girls') took my attention, I was very active in the OA. During Vigil ceremonies, current Vigil rank members would approach the Vigil candidate's campfires throughout the night. We would make sure that their fires were burning and they were still awake. Hiding in the shadows, we would read motivational passages to the candidate, calling them out by first name.

One of my candidates was actually a Scout master from another troop. His name was Bernard Casto.

"Bernard" I began "I too have kept the Vigil!"

It was the first time I had ever called an adult by his first name. I'm quite sure that I was more impressed by the circumstance than he was.

Amazingly similar to my tap-out! A lake built by CCC during the depression, indians in canoes and tapped so hard I almost fell. A friend who was tapped out the same night was just getting over a broken clavicle. A big guy stood to his left and grabbed the Vigil's hand as it came down and whispered, "right shoulder". Both Franky survived and I survived out night in the woods except that I awoke about 50 feet down hil from where I was left.
20 some odd years later, I tapped out my son.
I rose from Cub through Explorer to Scout Master and finally to Council Adult Leader Training Committee. I was a Boy Scout for 38 years

Our son was a scout (daughter was a Brownie but didn't go on to Girl Scouts) and hubbie was a scoutmaster for many years and then was on the district team often volunteering to be the cook for the staff. The night in the woods wasn't too tough in Kansas, but when the camps were in New Mexico bear attacks were a concern. So unbeknownst to the OA candidates, there were guards posted out of sight of the candidate just as a precaution.

My specialties on the training sessions were cooking and orienteering. Our course ended with a winter camp out... 2 nights in tents in mid December in Connecticut. I cooked Sunday dinner. The menu was always the same: Roast beef corn or string beans and baked potato. Desert was apple pie. Everything was cooked in site in Dutch ovens. I brought a Dutch oven with me when I shopped to test fit the roasts. It took 10 ovens to prepare the meal. I did cheat a bit and used charcoal and oven thermometers. Controlling the temperature of everything in 10 ovens in a camp fire 8 feet by 4 feet was nearly impossible.