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Started By
Message
re: Hey Dads of the OT. Any of your kids in Cub/Boy Scouts?
Posted on 8/29/23 at 8:10 am to SantaFe
Posted on 8/29/23 at 8:10 am to SantaFe
quote:
Football/baseball are team building sports.
Serious question: Unless they become D1 or higher athletes, What are they going to learn in football/baseball that they aren't going to learn in scouting? My post above speaks to team building. I know we've gone on some canyoneering and other adventures where the scouts HAD TO work together to accomplish their hikes.
Is football/baseball going to teach them the additional life skills that scouting does like first aid, outdoor skills, cooking, citizenship and personal/financial management?
0
Posted on 8/29/23 at 8:23 am to Undertow
quote:
I was lucky and got on with a great Troop with great friends and great leaders.
My sons Troop had it's moments of pretty good times, but he was in a small Troop. There was definitely a power struggle between an OCD guy who always wanted to be the leader, and some really good leaders who he made it his mission to run off. Cap it off with several engineer type parents who were in the mix, and there was usually a fair amount of garbage to deal with.
My son got tired of it when the OCD leader had a hissy fit after dinner one night about finding the Clorox in the trailer. He was just short of Eagle when this happened.
Too much drama always going on for us, but we had friends who were in great Troops with none of these types of experiences.
It all boils down to the group of guys in the Troop, but a lot has to do with the personalities of the other parents and leaders. If you get good people, it will be fun. If you get the other side, they have the potential to take the fun out of most anything.
This post was edited on 8/29/23 at 11:42 am
Posted on 8/29/23 at 8:32 am to Giantkiller
Agree with many of the others. We had a negative experience with my older son, as they really didn't do anything - so when my youngest son wanted to get in, I wasn't really excited about it. But we had a great group of Dads and the kids stayed in it until they hit Middle School before losing interest. Camping trips ended up being a lot of fun. I can't say that my son really learned any life skills that he actually remembers, but he did get to appreciate being outdoors and away from the electronics for a while. Seems to me though that the tasks to earning badges were a lot harder and a lot more hands-on when we were kids.
Posted on 8/29/23 at 8:34 am to PillPusher
My son just started his 4th year. He loves it. Most of the kids are in his elementary school and lots live in our subdivision that he's friends with.
Posted on 8/29/23 at 8:38 am to Giantkiller
Mine did cub scouts till webelos then got burned out and didn’t end up doing Boy Scouts. I also ended up getting volunteered to be den leader and assistant pack master. Boys seemed to enjoy it but the only truly exciting thing we did was the twice a year camping trip to V Bar in MS.
Posted on 8/29/23 at 9:14 am to Giantkiller
My kids play sports year round and sometimes 2 different ones in the same season that doing that becomes impossible.
Posted on 8/29/23 at 9:28 am to Giantkiller
Cub Scouts only meet once or twice a month, usually on the weekend (Sunday afternoons) is how our den did it. The Pack will usually do a pack wide event once a month. The merit badges are mostly parent/leader led discussions/adventures. It's not too much effort on the parents or cub scout unless you're a den/pack leader. Cub Scouts lasts until the end of 5th grade.
Boy Scouts meets once a week, but it's not mandatory to go to every meeting. The merit badges are all pretty much scout led. The parents are basically just there for logistics. Most kids in the Scout troop have multiple things going on: sports, band, etc. There's no time limit on earning rank. You just kinda do what you can.
Neither the Cub Scouts or Boy Scouts meet during the summer. It's just during the school year. It's a very low cost way to help your kid make new friends and introduce them to the outdoors and good values.
Boy Scouts meets once a week, but it's not mandatory to go to every meeting. The merit badges are all pretty much scout led. The parents are basically just there for logistics. Most kids in the Scout troop have multiple things going on: sports, band, etc. There's no time limit on earning rank. You just kinda do what you can.
Neither the Cub Scouts or Boy Scouts meet during the summer. It's just during the school year. It's a very low cost way to help your kid make new friends and introduce them to the outdoors and good values.
Posted on 8/29/23 at 9:33 am to Giantkiller
I was a scout and both of my sons were scouts, but my youngest didn't care much for the others in the troop and dropped out. I didn't much care for them either.
Nothing wrong with scouting if the leadership is engaged and active, and not sick, twisted pedos.
Nothing wrong with scouting if the leadership is engaged and active, and not sick, twisted pedos.
Posted on 8/29/23 at 9:44 am to PillPusher
No, Im a dad that taught my boys how to do all that stuff. Every Boy Scout troop Ive ever seen is full of dorks and weirdos.
Posted on 8/29/23 at 9:45 am to Giantkiller
I'm an eagle scout. My son is a life scout. Everything depends on the troop you join. Some are more active than others. Some focus just on rank advancement. Some are woke. Some don't allow girls. Some don't allow women leaders.
Scouting is a good thing for the right kid if the troop is good. So visit every troop in your area before making a decision on which one to join.
Outside of summer camp we only do stuff when school is in session. We meet every Monday. We go on a trip once a month. We usually go camping or hiking. We've rafted, rappelled, climbed, caved, canoed and done shooting sports on trips.
My son is getting older and many of his buddies have aged out or went to college so he's ready to finish he eagle and be done. But he's benefited greatly in a lot of ways. Outside of the leadership skills he's learned, I'd say the number one way is that never bitches or complains. Hiking 17 miles in a day with a high temp of 38 degrees made him realize that most of life is pretty easy.
Scouting is a good thing for the right kid if the troop is good. So visit every troop in your area before making a decision on which one to join.
Outside of summer camp we only do stuff when school is in session. We meet every Monday. We go on a trip once a month. We usually go camping or hiking. We've rafted, rappelled, climbed, caved, canoed and done shooting sports on trips.
My son is getting older and many of his buddies have aged out or went to college so he's ready to finish he eagle and be done. But he's benefited greatly in a lot of ways. Outside of the leadership skills he's learned, I'd say the number one way is that never bitches or complains. Hiking 17 miles in a day with a high temp of 38 degrees made him realize that most of life is pretty easy.
Posted on 8/29/23 at 10:06 am to Giantkiller
Thanks so very much to all of you for the responses. Seems it's a pretty wide range of reactions. Definitely a lot to consider. I think I'm going to encourage them to learn more about it but explain to them it's a commitment - just like a sport. Should be exciting to see what develops. I'll update the thread as they go and I'd be very much appreciative for any advice any of you could provide.
Posted on 8/29/23 at 11:03 am to Giantkiller
Eagle Scout, Order of the Arrow. Had scout camp on the Buffalo River. Floating, hiking, and camping without adults except for driving at put ins and take out by the time we were 13.
Did the National Jamboree at Coeur d'Alene, Idaho in 1973. Pikes Peak, Mt. Rushmore, Great Salt Lake among other places.
Some of the best times of my youth.
Did the National Jamboree at Coeur d'Alene, Idaho in 1973. Pikes Peak, Mt. Rushmore, Great Salt Lake among other places.
Some of the best times of my youth.
Posted on 8/29/23 at 11:14 am to Giantkiller
Boy Scouts used to remind me of the US version of the Hitler youth.
Posted on 8/29/23 at 11:35 am to KAHog
quote:
it ceases to be cool at 7th grade. Ain’t no dude selling popcorn and wearing his uniform to school gettin any chicks either.
I know the biggest concern I'll have when my son is 13 is whether he's getting laid or not. So this is helpful info, thank you.
Posted on 8/29/23 at 11:40 am to Giantkiller
Scouting is beneficial and is good for young kids. I know someone who is active in scouting and teaches them about forestry and nature as their primary job is forestry.
However:
You would apparently have no free time.
I always said, if I was an elected state representative, my first action would be to build a partnership between Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and the state parks. The scouts could learn how to build and maintain the areas and the parks provide them the location.
However:
quote:
But the problem is that they're already into football, soccer, guitar lessons, soon to be basketball (again), soon to be baseball (again), etc.
You would apparently have no free time.
I always said, if I was an elected state representative, my first action would be to build a partnership between Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and the state parks. The scouts could learn how to build and maintain the areas and the parks provide them the location.
Posted on 8/29/23 at 12:08 pm to Giantkiller
Kids that participate in scouts are better prepared for life. Son's an Eagle and other Life (football and girls took over). They know how to do lots of everyday things that my nephews (who grew up doing travel soccer and not scouts) don't have a clue about.
As a manager who's been recruiting for many years, scout involvement is always a plus on a resume.
As a manager who's been recruiting for many years, scout involvement is always a plus on a resume.
Posted on 8/29/23 at 12:38 pm to WG_Dawg
quote:You can downplay it but that is a turning point for shaping the lives of teenage males. Not saying they need to be sexually altice at 13 but being accepted is huge in their development.
I know the biggest concern I'll have when my son is 13 is whether he's getting laid or not. So this is helpful info, thank you.
Posted on 8/29/23 at 2:11 pm to WG_Dawg
quote:
it ceases to be cool at 7th grade. Ain’t no dude selling popcorn and wearing his uniform to school gettin any chicks either. I know the biggest concern I'll have when my son is 13 is whether he's getting laid or not. So this is helpful info, thank you.
Agreed. I didn’t say laid…
Posted on 8/29/23 at 2:14 pm to Giantkiller
When I was growing up you got picked on for being a cub/boy scout so not many people in my area joined. Instead, we learned from the school of hard knocks.
Posted on 8/29/23 at 2:31 pm to Giantkiller
I am an Eagle Scout and I have turned my back on the scouts. once you get into the 10th grade, it was more of a "finish what you start" kinda thing, but up until then, I really enjoyed it. I was always more of a kid of the suburbs, so my love of the outdoors was more attributed to scouting.
I hate what its become.
I hate what its become.
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