Leaderboard

Yet another feature news article about girls joining BSA, this time in the Houston TX area: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Boy-Scouts-new-recruits-234-Houston-area-girls-13683424.php

Scouting should be his activity. It should be something he wants to do. It shouldn't be something that he is pushed into doing because his parents feel it would be good for him. He gets plenty of that stuff in school. As a scout leader, I sometimes got kids who didn't want to be there. Sometimes it was because the parents felt it would be good for them. Sometimes it was because the parents wanted a cheap babysitter. Either way, I felt used. I enjoyed sharing my hobbies with like-minded boys. I did not enjoy, or appreciate, being saddled with uncooperative, whiny kids who had no desire to

A youth with an actual anxiety disorder is not going to EVER going to get to go to camp if some accommodation isn't made for the first time. Staying home the first year just puts it off because now 2020 is the first year... and 2021... until the kid ages out and never makes it to camp at all. If we're talking about homesickness in the general realm of "normal" I totally agree with you. A lot of anxiety is normal and is best handled by either jumping in with both feet or waiting for another year of maturity to help the anxiety go away. Kids with anxiety disorders tend to have it get worse

I used a pair of Kelty low cots for about 6 years. They are not bad, the new models are around $80 at REI. Helinox's are supposed to be great. Cold weather (for TX) camping was a simple moving pad under the mummy bag. If you are plop camping and want elevation or storage underneath, Cabela's XL's are great, use one for spare guest bed at times.

Sorry, diverging from advice... Tsh...5 in a tent? I see you five and raise you to 11, to start with... We went on a Jamboree on the Canary Islands a couple of years back, it was an experience. They supplied tents. To be fair, I'm sure they were doing their best, and it was only for a week and no one died so....anyway...we turn up at the site a few days after everyone else, and there are some people in "our" tents. The scouts with us were supposed to be somewhere else on site...there was some more people in their tents too. We went and had dinner, at about midnight, while they had a

Sorry Liz, but your Scoutmaster would be well served to keep you away from camp...and to keep away any other adult who has the misguided notion that they would be welcome in camp so that they could be there "his first time if that's what he needs." No scout is well served by a parent in camp who can't, or won't, let her son try things and experience things on his own. It just ruins the camp experience for everyone and it undermines scouting's aims and methods (especially the patrol method, when you star counter-manding the instructions and leadership of the PL and SPL). Sure, you k

I fully agree. I'd also suggest developing your own plan for camp. Such as ... bring two or three large books to read. Or bring wood carving supplies for yourself. Or work on your schoool lesson plans for next year. Or a sewing kit. Or take lots of naps. Create a plan for yourself so that you are busy. Maybe there are courses at the summer camp for adults to become trained adult leaders. I've seen that too. But make your activities boring for your son so that he goes off on his own with his friends and grows.

For those units interested in learning more about Gus Grissom there is a small, but nice, Gus Grissom Memorial located at Spring Mill State Park. Spring Mill is located right outside of Grissom's hometown of Mitchell, Indiana. The state park is also a great place for scouting units to visit even without the Memorial. It has a youth campground, hiking trails, caves, a cave boat tour, and a very nice pioneer village with interesting building to explore.

I have a Byer of Maine's Maine Military Cot. It's heavier than a Chevy but more durable. I throw my thermarest on-top for cushion and insulation. They run about $100.

We do all of our development weekends together. We'll do joint meals and flag ceremonies, a few trainings like Trainers Edge as a whole group, then split up by course for most of the on course practice/training. More than last year I've noticed our SPLs doing some practice activities jointly. Realistic First Aid and Problem Solving round robin. I'm ASM for Program(backup course director.)

I was a Den Chief in the 60s...the cord was worn over the right shoulder, attached to the MB sash when worn. As an Explorer in 1970, I wore the Eagle knot and religious award knot. The Eagle knot purchased from the Scout shop had the dark green background (not a private issue). I also recall the adult muckity-mucks of that era wearing knots such as Scouter's Key, Training Award, and Silver Beaver, among the few that were available.

This is how I personally deal with anxiety. For most trips I go on I look the place up on Google Maps, see if someone has posted videos of what they did while there, see if there is a schedule of events or menu from years prior. I'll even visit the social media pages of the people running the event so I can recognize their faces. His therapist should really be able to help pinpoint the trigger for the anxiety, once you know that it'll be easier to make a plan to help him.

As Chapter Advisor and having just finished our chapter elections last month and having had a few exciting conversations with unit CC's and SM's over election outcomes, I'd like to put a few points out there. Are there mature 11 year olds, experienced in outdoor activities and capable of induction weekend? Undoubtedly. But if your child isn't SurvivorMan at 11 he probably isn't going to enjoy induction weekend anyway or participate later on. Just another Sash-N-Dash. So why press it? While the SM may not have had first year Scouts names on the ballot, the election team should have ma

Just my 2 cents. As Liz says above, it will always be his first time until it isn't. And the anxiety may grow each year it's not faced. So off to Camp he should go. Should Mom go along? Leadership usually is thin on outings and chaperoning parents have almost always been welcome. So go and learn more for yourself. You being there won't actually allow him to deal with his anxiety though. You might be able to remind him of self-soothing techniques his therapist has given him but any of the adult leadership can be prepped and ready to do the same thing. What will help most with his

@CaptBurgers , the den chief cord should be over left shoulder. IMHO maybe add a Band-Aid, a defacto part of the uniform, to the knee or elbow.

Mine can't. Still a couple of times a month he still comes in wanting to get in our bed in the middle of the night. I cant see sleeping in a tent in the woods almost alone would work for him, yet.

I appreciate all of the input so far, but I’m wanting to know about the 1960s collarless summer uniform for adults, I have a period council strip, I’m wondering about the way knots were done, like the Eagle or did they do an AoL knot? Also I have a religious award as a youth and I am a James E West recepient, would those be things found on an adult uniform back then? It’s not my actually uniform but this is a picture of the type that I have.

Agreed We always welcome LEADERS to be at camp and LEADERS who work within the troop matrix. Parents are needed to drive and pickup from camp and wave at the parking lot, not be at camp for the week. Some leader stories Had one leader that was in camp for the week. He came to me on Sunday and advised he felt it better to leave as his son kept coming to him for things and was not participating as he should, he came back later in the week and it worked out well Had one leader not in camp but was coming to get one of his sons at camp for an event, the other son was first y

Not quite yet it aint. At least not everywhere. I aim to keep feeding it as long as I can find sticks.

It’s an honor to be invited. If your family only sees it as just more work, you’re not ready yet. Give it another year so husband and son can learn what it’s all about. Then they can make an informed decision. Barry

That's easy. Because bedridden medical patient's aren't the same as studying the effect of staying in bed for otherwise healthy individuals. Medical patients would introduce too many confounding variables. I'm not sure what they research was designed to evaluate, but I can guarantee that sick people aren't good analogues for healthy people.

Have you asked him what compromise would make him comfortable enough to go?

Attending summer camp as the first trip for most new Scouts is daunting... news boys, away from home, etc. There is a good chance that if he attends some weekend trips between now and summer, he will be more inclined to attend summer camp. Except in cases where special supervision or support is required, parents should not be attending trips. The situation here does not seem very special, but as others commented... input from the counselor and/or Scoutmaster should be helpful.

Have you discussed this with his Scoutmaster? Some leaders will take it as a challenge to make sure your son have the greatest week of his life.

I agree with small steps. Also, be okay if the small steps work but the final big step doesn't. Is he making friends in the troop? And maybe they live close by? Invite them over and do something fun. Have a sleep over at your house. Hopefully that will lead to a sleep over at the other boy's house. Go with him on weekend campouts. If you have to, go with him to summer camp (but don't tell him that now). You want to be firm with him and that's great, but maybe start with some little things to be firm with so you'll have a history to show him that he is getting better at this independe

Sign up and go as a leader. Scouting should be a years long journey. One of the surest ways to have that journey cut short is if the scout has a truly miserable experience early on. If your presence is necessary to keep his experience from being immiserating than you should be there. He may still not like it, scout camp can be a long week away from the things he knows he does like, but it's OK if it's not a great experience just as long as it's not so bad that he doesn't want to continue in scouts at all. DavidCO's advice was don't make him go. I would choose that course of action

@ScoutMom45036, welcome to the forums! A couple of son #2's best buddies had anxiety issues ... maybe related to divorce, but usually it was more complicated than that. If the boy's telling you he's nervous about it now, it's a good indication that giong "cold turkey" wont work. Our troop has welcomed moms like you with kids like yours to come camp with us adults. You're not the problem mom who we generally worry about. Generally, you're good company, and you're not hovering over your son. You get to know the leaders and other parents and catch them up on the things your son is going

Out of the hundreds of scouts that attended summer camp while I a leader, I can remember two that were absolutely miserable, no matter what we did to help them. Both those scouts were in the same situation of good caring single mothers who put their sons in scouting to give them some experiences with independence. I agree with the comments that this is a difficult to answer your question because each scout is different as well as not knowing the adults of the troop. I'm sure you are being as up front with the troop as you are with us, so this may just take some gradual steps. I will th

Go with him! Go with him and make some memories. At camp, don't let him velcro to you, he can go off with the other Scouts but see you back for whenever the adult leaders and youth are in proximity -- meals? (I don't know, I have not been to summer camp yet). But be there, but when you are there he has his own schedule and stuff, and you have your own stuff. Talk to the counselor and the Scoutmaster about it. Your son should be working with his patrol leader and that kid will be the point person for your son at camp, NOT you. I hope that helps! After his first time he

Has he had the chance to go on any troop campouts (weekend) yet? One of the big advantages of earlier crossovers is to go on a few weekend trips before summer camp. That said, yeah talk with his counselor about the best approach, if its putting off summer camp for a year, you going for part of the time, or what. I would recommend against the phrasing of "go and if you get too worried I'll come and get you" because that can setup the wrong dynamic in his mind.

I think a lot a new cross overs are concerned about going to a week long summer camp. My son goes to therapy for anxiety as well and will be going to summer camp. I would first recommend talking with his counselor. Any advice coming from us is not with the full background of knowledge of your son’s situation. The counselor should be able to help. 1) My son will be going on a new scout camp out before summer camp. Just 2 nights away then home. 2) I’m working with my son prepping him for the swim test. He’s close but not quite there. If he doesn’t pass or doesn’t feel comforta

Start with an overnight? Or a weekend nearby?

@FGarvin, welcome to the forums. I love to hear about scouts getting out there. The short answer: yes, the SM can decide that scouts who've only been in the troop for a year aren't ready for this honor. I can think of several reasons: These scouts might not really be demonstrating 1st class skills consistently, The SM sees a maturity issue. He heard back from the lodge about a previous batch of 1st years (his or some other troop's) not really prepared for their ordeal. The SM feels that their might be a bullying problem at the ordeal. I find it interesting that