Re: Parents in Camp
Rich Bates (rbates@ANENT.COM)
Tue, 3 Aug 1999 16:21:41 -0400
Well put! We try so hard to get as many adults involved as we can, but find
that, sometimes, too much of a good thing is bad. Recently out pack sent 20
Cubs to Goshen Scout Camp, and 10 adults. It was an interesting time.
Some of the boys whose dads were there felt that they could run amok because
Dad was there to protect them. Sure enough, one did. One boy stood and
held his flashlight two inches from another Cub's eyes and turned the light
on. We had a rule about no flashlights within the fire circle for just this
reason. Cubs and flashlights are a prickly mix at best. Any way, as this
was the fourth day in camp with this well established rule and as the boy
had been warned previously he was excused to his tent for the evening. Sure
enough, Dad, who was not present at the incident, vocally questioned the
Camp Master (the adult in charge of the week).
We had another Dad who's response to his son's outlandish antics was to pull
a paperback novel out of his pocket, sit under a quiet tree and read. Of
course, the majority of the Cubs whose Dads were there were top notch
Scouts.
An observation (which echoes another posting on this subject): the problem
Dads were the ones who were not in uniform, registered or trained.
Is there a BSA policy that says Only registered, trained adult leaders may
attend the BSA sponsored camps?
Rich Bates
Cubmaster, 1154
Advisor, Post 1666
COR, Pack 1666
-----Original Message-----
From: Scouts-L Youth Group List [mailto:Scouts-L@LISTSERV.TCU.EDU]On
Behalf Of MCCET
Sent: Monday, August 02, 1999 11:34 PM
To: SCOUTS-L@LISTSERV.TCU.EDU
Subject:
"I would volunteer but ..."
"and another thing, if the boys would only.........."
" this troop needs to be organized better....I would do it but ......"
"RV parking is where?"
We try so hard to get parents interested in joining the operation and
support of our troops (packs too)
But there is an old (several) sayings
Too many cooks, etc
and two,s company, threes a crowd. or 4 company and 15 a mob.
Many ,almost all, of the units in my district are always crying for more
adults , than having too many.
But recently (last 10 years or so ) there seems to be a trend (noticed also
in my neighboring districts and other councils close by as well ) a few
(very few) units that are capable of generating large peanut galleries of
adults whose sole presence is to watch their boys jump thru the whoops of
scouting.
Like a spectator sport.
They come ready to be waited on (served camp services, firewood, water etc)
by the older boys (they dont have that much to do and the experience will be
good for them) and generally will not or cannot interact with supporting the
program de jure whether it be summer camp or a campout ,a committee meeting
or a 50 miler (really burdensome).
They offer volumes of suggestions on ways and means but will not, despite
copious amount of training and other educational opportunities, learn and
function within the present organizational form of scouting and constantly
providing a stream of ad hoc solutions to jobs only boys should be doing.
Its hard enough for scouting pros (payed or not) to deal with scoutings
official unit leaderships while having to remain cool headed and PC in the
presence of mostly unregistered or token registered scouting moms & dads.
I offer this as an observation ,not a criticism, of a small but observable
problem and posing by it to the list in this way, my purpose is to
A...see if there are similar observations by other scouting leaders and
professionals(payed or not)
B...How can we (the present zoo keepers) turn this to our advantage , get
them on to our side which is understanding and insuring the longevity of
scouting, BP, patrol method, game with a purpose, woodbadge, scout oath and
law, scout spirit form of character, fitness and citizenship for boys.
C...and leave them thinking it was their own idea as a mission quest and not
a job.
Marcel C
Commissioner and practicing Owl
Anthony Mako wrote
>Summer camp may provide opportunities for continuing adult training,
>but it's not the place to give potential adult leaders a taste of
>Scouting. Take them on a Dad and Lad, or Mom and Son campout
