From: Janyce Wright (justjanw@HOTMAIL.COM)
Date: Mon Aug 07 2000 - 19:32:01 CDT
Hello Steve,
Your son is fortunate to have a dad with his best interests at heart. If I
may...
Rearing two grandsons for the past 9 years, 6 of them in scouting, I've
learned a few things. Boys have a long incubation/adolescent process before
becoming 'men.'
During that process, physical pain is not yet covered by the (?) endorphins
or testerone level or whatever hormones give guys a bit of toughness along
the way. In my experience, it works like that for a lot of girls, too.
Not only, like one contributor said, is back injury a real threat to a
growing body, but so is a boy being miserable at a time when all camping
should be as much fun as possible.
Watching the scouts my boys have grown up with, the dads, who 'assumed' and
bought ahead before the boy himself made an informed choice, were sorely
disappointed when the boy didn't fit the plan after too many bruises before
the boy could handle them.
One time our troop leaders cut out parts to simple footlockers from plywood
pieces and the boys each paid $3 for the wood, screws, and hinges. Holes in
each end for rope handles with a 6" length of pvc pipe to shield uninitiated
hands. Simple stuff. The leaders ante'd up, too. The hitch was that only the
adults could have any red coloring on theirs. The scouts could do anything
they wanted with theirs.
I padded the inside of mine with a cushion-backed vinyl glued to the
surface. Still use it. My boys painted chess boards on the tops of theirs.
My big old almost 6' tall boys still use theirs at times. And, using the
buddy system for carrying, adding a touch of something new now and then, the
footlockers are a fine conversation piece. Only positive memories. The
backpacks came later, on their time.
So my counsel would be what I've had to work hardest on: let the boys do it
at their own pace and choosing and in their own way as much as possible.
That is the hardest part.
Jan Wright
Troop 16 Corpus Christi TX
SR-194 '97 and a good ol eagle, too...
Unit Commissioner
----Original Message Follows----
From: Steve Berry <sberry@PDCCONSULT.COM>
Subject: Backpack Advice
Date: Mon, 7 Aug 2000 12:05:37 -0500
My son and I are getting ready to purchase backpacks for our Scouting
adventures.
<snip snip snip>
So, what my son and I do will also be recommended to the other boys and
adults. Any advice from you seasoned veterans would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks.
YiS,
Steve Berry
WL, Pack 124
SM, Troop 124
Raymore, MO
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