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Do you see value in Boys Life?

 

Does your pack make use of Boys Life in their program?

 

Does your Pack purchase Boys Life subscriptions for all Scouts when rechartering?

 

Personally, I don't see much value for Boys Life for my pack unless Den Leaders wanted to use it as part of their program on a regular basis. My pack has quite a few low income families, and spending another $10/year is not something I would ask unless there is a good reason for doing so.

 

So.....

 

What use do you get from Boys Life if you subscribe, and what use is made of it as part of your den and pack program, if any?

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We did not provide Boy's Life for a number of years. Two years ago, we started including the subscription with dues, and the response has been well received. The boys enjoy getting their own magazine delivered to them, and each month there are one or two good stories of high adventure camping which they like.

 

So on the whole, I like it and will continue to provide it with dues.

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I do see the value of Boys' Life as it does promote reading, give the Cubs esp. a "my own magazine" feel, and has some good articles.

 

Pack does not use it for programing nor pick up the tab for it. The CO use to pay the recharter fees for us, our dues went to advancements and supplies. But now we are paying to it. Has made it challenging.

 

 

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The old BL had some good info in it. Skills, make your own gear and lots of stories.

Had a guy give me 7 years of BL magazines from the 50s the other day. My son looked at them, his first statement was "these are BIG magazines". Then he started looking through them and said "who's this Greenbar guy? He knows a lot of stuff"

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My DE often looks reproachfully at me when I haven't checked the "Boys Life Box." But I aint spending the scarce dollars of the families in the pack without a good reason to do so.

 

The best reason I can think of would be that the Den Leaders would find enough utility in the magazine that they could use it as part of their program.

 

What I should have done was get some extra copies I could spread around to Den Leaders and to parents at committee meetings and got their opinions and input for that early.

 

Doing that about October would have been about right. Well, something else to think about for next year.

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Answer to OP:

 

1) Yes

2) No

3) No

 

I highly encourage families to subscribe but we do not require it. As a CM, I do pick up my son's Boy's Life and occassionally get some new ideas for outings or events. I do not believe that Boy's Life keeps boys in the program but serves simply as a supplement to the program. If you have an active program and the boys are having a good time, they will stay.

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No.

 

No.

 

It shows up at my house, my Scout as never opened one. Gets thrown out with the newspapers and other magazines, catalogs, etc. on a periodic (sic) basis.

 

Some magazines I don't even let in the house...like the one that he gets because his Grandpa bought him a lifetime membership to the NRA when he was 6.

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  • 1 month later...

In our pack, we don't use it for our program, and if the family intially paid for it, we'll renew it.

 

For my families part: my son and I both love to read 'most' of these.. but not all of them have very good articles.

 

I do believe the magazine does a good job of promoting Scouting, and helps boys stay active in the program...so for that part, I certainly see vale.

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