From sports to scouts - Quick change!

I''m not sure it''s possible to have a "friendly" discussion about uniforms, but I am curious what others would do, in my situation.

On Mondays, it''s my turn to drive four 6th graders to football practice after school. My son barely has time to eat a quick snack and put on his football gear before we have to leave.

We live in the country, so once I get in to town, I stay there. Next, I pick up my older son from soccer practice and take him to a fast food restaurant for his dinner. We also pick up food for younger son, so he can eat in the car as soon as we pick him up from football. We barely have time to make it to boy scouts, and younger son ends up wearing the scout shirt with his football pants and cleats! He''s not the only one who shows up like this.

If we took the time for him to change into scout pants, then he would be late for each meeting (not to mention having to change in the car.) He changes his shirt while standing outside the car.

My older son gets only 15 minutes of scouts before we have to hop back in the car so I can take him to marching band practice. If we took the time for younger son to change his pants, then older son would not get any scout time during marching band season.

So, my question is, "Which is more important, wearing the correct uniform or being on time? What would you do?

Why can''t younger son change into Scout pants in the bathroom at the meeting place?

He could change clothes at the meeting site, but then he''d miss the opening of the meeting. We literally get there and have to run from the parking lot to get there before the flag ceremony begins.

In the Spring, Summer and Fall, we have our meetings outdoors, (under a kiva if it rains). The closest "facilities" are outhouses, and I wouldn''t want him changing clothes in there! There is a cabin on site with a bathroom in the basement, that I guess he could use.

So, is it better to show up consistently late, but in full uniform, or be on time with only the scout shirt?

In this situation I''d prefer on time, BUT, it doesn''t take long to do a quick change at the meeting place if any kind of privacy can be arranged - we happen to have a supply room we use for that.

It''s what my Seventh grade, Tenderfoot, Football player - starting Tight End/Defensive Back does when we are running behind.

Holy cow, how does your son play football and march at the same time? Im sure you have a logical answer, but I''m imagining your son making a fine tackle on the quarterback then throwing his helmet on the sideline and grabbing his instrument to run and join the band for halftime.

The answer to your question is where there is a will, there is a way. Typically our SPLs are also involved in other activities like band, drama and sports. Our SPLs are very busy, if they can do it, anyone can. But they have to have the will.

But Im trying to understand if 15 minutes of scouting is worth all the aggravation. At one time we averaged between 85 and 95 scouts in our troop. However, we average only 65 scouts at meetings because the rest were doing a sport, band or whatever. 90% of those scouts usually only missed a couple to three months of scouting out the year. And in many cases, that was only meetings. Many still made the weekend activities. Our approach is we would rather have you 9 months out of the year then no months. You should have seen us during Christmas break and summer camp when all the scouts could attend. It was a mess.

I dont know your troop policy or the parental demands on your kids, but it sure sounds like they are spread pretty thin.

Barry

Barry,

My 6th grader is in football, and my 9th grader is in soccer and marching band. I take both boys to scouts even though older son only gets 15 minutes before we leave for band. I take 2 other kids from scouts to band, and someone else brings older son home. Thank goodness for carpools!

I can''t wait for football/soccer/marching band season to be over!

I had to add this. One of our Middle School football players showed up to the scout meeting tonight in full uniform - football, that is! Yes, he still had his shoulder pads on! LOL Two others had on the scout shirt with football pants and cleats. The football players who showed up in scout uniforms were all 10-15 minutes late.

Eagledad wrote:

Holy cow, how does your son play football and march at the same time? Im sure you have a logical answer, but I''''m imagining your son making a fine tackle on the quarterback then throwing his helmet on the sideline and grabbing his instrument to run and join the band for halftime

Since EagleSon has been in the marching band, I''ve known no fewer than 4 HS students who do exactly that: Play ball, at halftime, they march with the band! Thankfully EagleSon is not one of these.

Of the 4, 1 was a senior last year and is gone, 1 was a top flight tubist, but went to football only for his 11th grade year, 1 dropped out of football for his senior year and is now band only, and 1 just made the team this year, and he''s finding it Hades.

There are also cheerleaders and yell leaders who are in our band!

To funscout: I''d rather have them at meeting, working with their patrols, than have them not be welcome. PLC and SM/ASM folk should be encouraging, not berating.

Good hunting with them

>>Since EagleSon has been in the marching band, I''''ve known no fewer than 4 HS students who do exactly that: Play ball, at halftime, they march with the band! Thankfully EagleSon is not one of these.

I (at the risk of offending the UP) agree that a very active Scout who is very active outside scouting might get cut a little more slack about showing up in parts of other uniforms - after all they are trying to be there. It''s the Scouts who just don''t want to wear the uniform and have the chance to changeover from whatever else they wear during the daythat get me.

And unfortunately for him even though he doesn''t get a POR for it being the SM''s boy is a defacto POR - and the reason I enforce HIS changeover.

Well I had to laugh as I read this because we''ve got several boys in the exact same situation with football/scouts. Happily, the football team practices right outside the building where our troop meets. So when practice ends, the boys just march right on in, in (football) uniform, pads and all. The only complaint I''ve heard is "yuck, you stink!" directed at a couple of very sweaty boys. Maybe it helps to keep in mind that the rest of the year, these boys are typically in uniform and doing whatever they can to help their patrols.

On the other hand, we have a couple of football/scouts who we never see until about mid-November when the season is over. On the whole I''d rather that they be there - out of uniform and late - than not at all.

Uniforms are important... but attendance and participation are more important to me. It''s just been accepted in the two troops I''ve been part of that during whatever season the boys are in, they get a pass on being in full uniform if they''re coming straight from practice.

I have to be the Devil''s Advocate here. The reason being is that I see it all the time. Also understand that I am not directing this at anyone in particular, just making comments in general. People seem to have their children in more and more activities today. It almost seems that quantity has become more important than quality. My wife and I decided to limit our children to two non-conflicting activities a week. It is less stressful on us. They get more out of them. And school work does not suffer. Also, consider this....if you are rushing from one activity to the next, missing part or sometimes all of many activities (I will refer to Scouts, but it applies to any activity)....

1) Are they getting the full benefit of Scouting?

2) What are you teaching them about the importance of Scouting?

3) What are they learning about the importance of a commitment? (yes Scouting is as much of a commitment as football...Leaders put alot of time into a program, your son participates in the program for everyones benefit)

4) Are they getting full benefit from Scouting when their mind/body is worn out or on something else?

I can''t help but think that when children come running into meetings late, miss them, or leave early; that Scouting has been relegated to second class status. And if this is the case then why are they even there?

Mr or Ms Pack212 Scouter,

I promise you, when your child gets to High School, if they are active in athletics, band, or theater at all, they will have time conflicts with Scouting.

Been there, dealing with it now.(This message has been edited by John-in-KC)

John-In-Kc...

I have no doubt that conflicts will occur, but does the fact that they exist really change my point? It seems more and more in our society we feed the "we can do and have everything" syndrome. Parents and their children need to learn to make choices about what is important to them. Do you think it's fair to the marching band, or the football team if they miss half of the practices, show up late or leave early? No...the coaches would kick them off. But somehow we have it in our minds that Scouting isn't as important. Why is this?

And I mean you no disrespect. I just think that this valid point.(This message has been edited by Pack212Scouter)