Re: Whale Watching
(no name) ((no email))
Sun, 7 Mar 1999 21:05:29 -0600
Steve Eisinger <steve.eisinger@UNISTUDIOS.COM> asked a great
question:
During a Pack outing (I'd want to be there for that outing,
Steve...sounded like a LOT of fun and excitment!), several of the
parents of the Scouts purchased and consumed alcoholic beverages on
the ship...
>So, my question to the list is: Should I politely remind the
>adults on future trips to abstain from alcohol whenever there are
>Scouts present? Or do adults have the right to drink on these
>types of events, as long as they do it without the boys spotting
>them?
The "let's sneak and do this and hopefully nobody will know the
difference" approach NEVER works out, for it's always SOME Scout
(or friend of a Scout) that finds out and informs other Scouts whom
informs (directly or indirectly, sooner or later) an adult.
The "gentle reminder" to ALL participants (youth and adult) that
"we're doing this as a Scouting event, and Scouts don't drink beer
or wine or any other alcoholic items" would do wonders. It reminds
the Scouts that there's something special about them being in
Scouting and reminds Mom, Dad, and Meema that "oh yeah, we're not
on a pleasure trip today...this is for the kids."
Now, will this PREVENT anyone from going to the bar and getting a
"cool one"?? Nope, it won't. There's nothing that can be done
with regard to parents or any other non-Scouting members from doing
so, other than your plea BEFOREHAND asking them not to.
In Germany, as well as other central European countries, it's not
uncommon to see youth as young as nine or ten years of age
consuming beer at resturants, many of which are family-owned and
operated for decades. They see nothing wrong with that. As a
former Scoutmaster, I had to caution my Scouts during outings that
"while our hosts here may allow you to drink, the BSA, me, and your
parents don't. And even if your parents DO allow you to drink beer
(we had some Scouts whom are the product of German nationals and
American soldiers and because of family customs, they do allow
their children to consume beer IN THEIR PRESCENCE or during family
events or activities), YOUR PARENTS ARE NOT HERE and the BSA and me
don't allow you to drink."
Most of the time, before I could get out the second sentence, my
Scouts would chime in "yeah, we know, we know...." and the rest
wasn't neccessary. And in several cases, my Scouts were GLAD that
I advised them not to drink anything except "spludelwasser" (kinda
like "Seven-Up" or "Sprite", except tarter), colas, water and of
course, coffee.
Settummanque!
>Regards,
>Steve Eisinger
>Verdugo Hills Council
>Burbank, CA
>
>Steve.Eisinger@Unistudios.com
(c) 1999 Mike Walton ("no such thing as strong coffee,...") blkeagle@mninter.net
http://www.mninter.net/~blkeagle Burnsville, MN 55306-7130 (612) 435-3068
privately at kyblkeagle@aol.com or waltonmi@usarc-emh2.army.mil
---- FORWARD in service to youth ----
Claim YOUR BINDER(s), ready for the BSA's new 8x11" pubs, at my website NOW!
