re: Hey Dads of the OT. Any of your kids in Cub/Boy Scouts?

15 year old son has gone through Cub Scouts/Boy Scouts and has really enjoyed it. Our troop has a very active parent base- moms & dads, even though we are just a boy troop. It’s been a good experience for both of us.

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That’s a lot of shite. I’ve never believed in playing all of those sports…are they good at any of them? Focus on one, two at most and get good. Playing at the highest level possible when they’re 13 should be the goal…playing 4 sports poorly isn’t helping anyone.

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Wrong, 100% wrong.

Early specialization is a major reason injuries are more prevalent than ever and no one who matters cares that your kid is great at 13.

As far as scouting is concerned, our local experience has been that it’s difficult to be an athlete and a scout.

Father of 3 eagles.

Just be ready for the fundraisers.

It can cost close to 450 dollars a year to be a member.

Of course, if you have an eager son they can raise some of that in fundraising to defray some of the costs.

Then you also have to factor in your time. How much are you willing to be a part of scout events and if necessary travel to different areas for camping events?

Also, it is no longer just boys, they will allow girls to join too.

I am not trying to knock the scouts.

Scouts is what you make of it. I have a son that is an Eagle and it was a great experience for him. He also played baseball and soccer. Even if they don’t make Eagle, they get some good life skills out of it. I was a den leader in Cub Scouts but worked at the District Level during Boy Scouts.

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Wrong, 100% wrong.

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My anecdotal evidence says the opposite. You only REALLY learn to compete when you’re at the highest possible level. I’m talking about squeezing out the last drop of effort and focus you can possibly muster to beat the player next to you. Once you figure that out, hopefully in the 13-14 yr old timeframe, your training and vision for your future is forever altered.

But that’s just my experience with kids and sports.

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Plus, it ceases to be cool at 7th grade. Ain’t no dude selling popcorn and wearing his uniform to school gettin any chicks either.

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KAHog

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Sounds like a personal problem.

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Not since they went queer

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My 12 y/o has been in scouting since he was tiger in the first grade. When he moved up to Boy Scouts I became an assistant scout master. With that as a preface, the amount of safeguards and training the BSA has put into youth protection is not insignificant. In my opinion, one of the most important parts of the Youth protection program is the concept of "Two deep leadership". That is, whenever there are scouts present, there have to be two adult leaders present with every scout or scouts. There can be no 1 on 1 time. Even when meeting off site with a merit badge counselor, there has to be another scout or adult present. As a scoutmaster it makes covering and organizing activities tricky sometimes, but as a parent, I appreciate the focus on keeping the kid safe. Also part of the youth protection guidelines set for by BSA, there are rules on how younger and older scouts interact. For example, there can be no more than a 2 year age gap between scouts sharing a tent or other lodging.

Based on my limited experience, I'd say that BSA has done a good job in mitigating and preventing the types of things that went on in the past.

ETA: One thing that I've found out since being involved in scouting is that Eagle scouts that enlist in the military get a one rank advancement upon completion of basic training with the associated pay increase. That's not insignificant for a young man at that age.

As for an individual kids experience in scouting I'll say this, it's 100% what others here have already said. It totally depends on the young person's enthusiasm for scouting and the involvement of the adult leaders. Of the 8 or 9 boys that started with my son in the 1st grade, two crossed over to become boy scouts (we had a two or three others join along the way, but they have since moved away or dropped out as well). Only my son is truly active in the troop. I'll say that he was well motivated and by strategically going on and working at campouts (as opposed to just goofing around) he earned Star scout by his 12 birthday. His buddy that crossed over with him and has not been as active has been stuck at second class for almost a year now. But every scout's journey is their own (he's stuck on the 1 mile orienteering course (which is a tricky requirement to be honest)).

If I'm being 100% honest I'll say that our kid is an only child, a little bit socially awkward and shy. When we first started attending troop meetings I had to "keep him between the rails" and encourage him to get involved with the older boys. I think the some older boys in the troop leadership saw this and started including him in activities they were doing. F

For example, on our very first camping trip, there was a stream with a log crossing. Of course, within 15 mins of getting there, he slipped in and got his feet wet. He was highly embarrassed in it in the moment. TO his credit, our head scoutmaster pulled him aside, had a 2 min chat with him and reassured him. He put on his other pair of shoes and the troop built a fire and started drying his shoes By the end of the weekend, I don't think a single scout went home with dry shoes. They'd all been in the creek (some on purpose and others accidently). They still say it was one of the best campout.

With that as a starting point at a typical troop meeting or outdoor activity these days, I interact with him very little. He's paling around with the other boys and making his own way in the troop. In this regard, it has been one of the bet things he's ever done. Without siblings, I think it's the first place where he's truly felt like a real part of the group with his peers. In that regard, I know that scouting has helped my young man grow and has and is still teaching him some really good life lessons.