Scouts, horses and gambling
Jim Peterson (jpeterson@TZNET.COM)
Mon, 23 Jun 1997 09:35:37 -0500
At 11:30 PM 6/22/97 -0400, you wrote:
> But I remember
>some very enjoyable trips to both Del Mar and Saratoga Springs when I
>was a boy. What is it about taking our Scouts to the horse track which
>is wrong? Is it just because betting takes place there? In that case,
>do you stop for gas with your Scouts in the car? After all, in every
>gas station I've been in lately, they sell Lotto tickets.
>
Mark,
Yes, the betting is what I have a problem with, because I have been to
tracks and watched people gamble away their rent money. In the case of a
horse or dog track, gambling is the *primary* reason most of the spectators
are there. I wouldn't have a problem taking a group of scouts to an amateur
horse race, or even to a paramutual track, if the track had a separate
viewing area where betting did not take place. If the boys wanted some
exposure to horses, I would try to find a horse show or rodeo or some event
where gambling was not the focal point of the event.
As for the lottery tickets in the gas stations, yes, they are there,
however they are not the primary reason that most people go to the gas
station (I managed convenience stores/gas stations for the past 11 years, so
this is not just my opinion). When I'm with a group of scouts and have to
stop for gas, or bathroom break, I wait by the checkout counter for all the
boys to return to the vehicle. One of the things I watch for is
inappropriate purchases ("You are not going to eat/drink that in my car, are
you?" or "Would you buy that maazine if your mother were here?"). If another
leader asks for a lottery ticket, I gently remind him/her that gambling may
not set the best example for the boys (I've only had to say something once,
and Larry and I are still great friends). I don't try to deny that gambling
exists out there, I just try to keep the Scouts away from it. By the way, I
do buy a Powerball ticket twice a week, I just don't buy it when I'm with
scouts.
YiS,
________________________________________________________________________________
Jim Peterson
Advancement Chair, Boy Scout Troop 379, Blenker, Wisconsin
Cubmaster, Pack 379, Auburndale, Wisconsin
jpeterson@tznet.com
I used to be an Eagle ... working my ticket C-8L-97
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