2Eagle

When this problem arises my advice to parents in our troop who have it is....You're the adult, the boy isn't. You're in charge, he isn't. Be the adult. You can try all the psychology and mind games you want but the bottom line is the boy's going to be a Scout. If you let him quit or have his way because of peer pressure, lack of "cool", uniform or whatever else he doesn't like you are teaching the wrong lesson. Does he get his way with everything? If not where do you, parent, draw a line in the sand? Most times he is just "testing the water" to see what his boundaries are. You are teaching and fostering a culture of quitting not the ideals of Scouting if you let him quit. You are teaching him that all he has to do is whine a bit or have a bad attitude and he can get his way. Is that what you want the boy to learn? That's what you're up against. It's your job, parent, to teach and foster the right stuff not the wrong stuff. What the boy wants is interesting but not compelling. Sometimes a little "tough love" is required.

I put together a Power Point briefing of the differences between Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts that I give to all new parents. If anyone wants a copy send me a personal email and I'll shoot it to you.

Different view here maybe...Parents are encouraged to come on campouts. I am only the Scoutmaster not the head babysitter. We only go places that will take large groups when we take the whole troop. Venture patrols for older boys can help break into smaller groups if necessary. If the parents come the boys will come and, after all, the boys are the target audience. Going to summer camp with 39 of 39 boys and taking 21 Dads/leaders (who are also Dads). All will have, as a minimum, Fast Start and YPT (easy to do online). Many have Safe Swim, Safety Afloat, Climb on Safely, etc. The more the merrier. Doing great. Don't make this Scout stuff too hard.

Ok anarchist,

You got me again....what's "ice fishing"? Is it like fly fishing but with an ice cube?

What's "hockey"? Never heard of that here in the Old Dominion.

Try a positive spin on all of this....we hold to the program. If a parent wants to be an MBC for their son then they have to be a registered MBC. They take Youth Protection training, they fill out the adult application, they sit through the troop's assistant-scoutmaster-for-merit-badges class on how to be a counselor and are handed the literature pertaining to such that we get from council. Then they can be an MBC. You end up with a lot of parents registered as MBCs and I've never had one turn down a request to be MBC for another boy. Some of the merit badges lend themselves nicely to doing at home...Family Life for instance (best to let the boy use his own family, not mine). Pet Care...use your own pet, not mine, etc, etc. We ENCOURAGE Scouts to use MBC's other than parents for the purpose of aiding in their development and it is not abused. All of the parents and boys have "buy-in". It ain't hard.

I don't agree with any grouping of merit badges other than how BSA has grouped them. I also don't agree with age restrictions. If you impose age restrictions you are putting up one more barrier to unity and giving older boys one more thing to poke fun at the younger ones about. You are also adding a requirement to a particular badge that doesn't exist. That's a no-no. If a summer camp has age restrictions then fine, follow their rules or don't go to their camp but I strongly disagree with age restrictions, size restrictions etc. They are all Scouts. If they think they can accomplish something they probably can. These artificial restrictions are bougus, detrimental to good order and certainly not listed as BSA policy in any course I have ever taken or book I have ever read. There are numerous anectdotal stories of the small kid/young kid/fat kid/skinny kid accomplishing a merit badge that some adult didn't think he could or should try for. Let the Scout decide what he is interested in. Guide him. Inform him. But don't invent something that isn't there.

SITREP....couldn't agree more. Nobody wants to go back to white only, no women, no whatever Scouting. But sometimes I believe Scouting has gone too far the other way towards PC, overly sensitive, etc. What I call the "wussification" of Boy Scouts. I also truly believe it is one of the reasons why numbers are down. I was shocked to read that someone thought Git 'er Done was even remotely racist or sexist. It never entered my mind. I don't see or look for "bad" in every thing that goes on. Some people are way too sensitive. My message to them....Git a Life (gee is that sexist or racist). Let the boys live a little. Let them figure out if the phrase is just a fad or sticks.

The best trailer I could find in our area was a Leonard. Dealer gives breaks for Boy Scouts, churches and other non-profits. 16 inch on center metal studs, plywood interior, salt treated lumber flooring, dual axle, electric brakes, back barn doors with extra side door. Requires beastly vehicle to haul loaded (we have lots of boys) long distance. Very sturdy and well built. Should last a long time. Local car dealer logo'ed and lettered it for free as his contribution to us. $3350 rolling. Checked with Virginia DMV and accountant and got Federal ID number and registered in Troop's name/number. Permanent trailer tags, requires annual inspection because of dual axle in VA. Check your own state rules. Recommend you do not try to get old U-haul (remember Mom...don't put that in your mouth, you don't know where it's been). Get best new you can afford. Dual axle with brakes is safer. Easier to pull especially if driver is inexperienced. Also recommend you require each family in the troop to have a monster vehicle to haul trailer in the same color scheme as the trailer so you look good going down the road...just kidding...

Scoutmaster Ron,

Not sure I exactly understand your question but I'll try an answer...I had to go back and read our by-laws. We use the term 'regularly attends" to mean "active" and do not assign a number to it. Point is, however, it hasn't been a problem. There is always some distraction that causes boys to miss events but I truly believe if the troop program is exciting, adventurous, fun, etc...they will come.

Thought I'd answer the question...I find "active" to be a fuzzy word but don't attach a number to it in our by-laws. We use the word regular. Less than 50% ain't regular. Interestingly enough we tell them the same things they hear from coaches. You don't come, you don't play. Make a choice. We also tell them that Boy Scouts has much more benefit in later life than any sport they play unless they are the rare individual who will make a living at sports. The boys came up with an 80% attendance requirement to be a leader. Works for us. We have high attendance rates at everything. What's really important though is not any rule but to make Boy Scouts so much fun and adventurous that they put it first in their choice list instead of last. We actually have boys who choose Scouting events over Saturday games in their seasonal sport. We have others who have given up a seasonal sport all together because it conflicted with Boy Scouts. You and I as adult leaders are in a hot competition with a whole lot of other influences on these boys, few if any of which will benefit them as much as Scouting. You gotta find the adventures that appeal to your boys and deliver. A real good start is to try real hard to have a boy run troop and let them decide. Works great.

Jason OK,

In answer to your original question...We do grace at meals and have a service on Sunday mornings. Never had any push-back from boys or parents.

Eagledad...my messages keep getting cut off. My first reaction to the sniping was to just bow out. I thought these forums were for sharing ideas not taking fire. This type of behaviour is unacceptable to me. These types of adults-in-the-Boy-Scout-program are not my type of Scouters. I've gotten along for this long without this kind of abuse, admonishment and vitriolic diatribe and I reckon I can survive a few years

Eagledad I am from Virginia. Thanks for the kind words. I may stay on this forum and contribute as a result of your words. As you can see I have very few posts and joined in because a friend thought I should contribute based on my experience. But I've got to tell you after I got sniped at by Bob White and Scoutingagain (though to be fair to Scouting again he made it clear in subsequent posts that he was"just kidd

Man...can't get a whole post through...again braveheart...NSP members learn by doing and training with SM. They elect their PL at end of first year. All have had a "taste". Works great for us.

Horror of horrors....all of my message didn't get through on the post......the rest of it says something like the NSP is also "given" a senior Scout as an Instructor. TG and Instructor assist adult ASM with skill training and role models. NSp members select one of their own to be Patrol Leader for the month. He attends PLC's, planning sessions and serves as PL for the monthly event. Learns by doing and

Ok...after experimentation here's what works famously for the troop I am associated with. We have a new scout patrol every year. They usually cross over from a pack (of the same number by the way, a great thing if you can swing it) as a lump that has been together since Tigers. Some have older brothers in the Troop. The first year they are "given" a Troop Guide (who is a usually a former Senior Patrol Leader or of that ilk and Life Scout

Ok Scoutingagain...we're on the same page. I have the same problem wrenching the SUV away from the boss lady. Not sure I'm understanding Mr. Bob White though...are you admonishing me? I believe Fat Old Guy gets my drift. Not sure you do. Sorry.

Ah Ha...caught one who doesn't understand boys...

Scoutingagain...I also drive huge SUVs and pickup trucks. I feel safe. And they're cool. No one said you had to drive a little car.

Ah...we have forgotten what it is like to be a boy. Sheath knives are cool. We allow them on non-district, non-council events (council and district usually ask that sheath knives not be used on events they run but allow them according to BSA policy otherwise). They are seldom used since pocket knives usually have more utility around camp but it doesn't matter. They're cool. Doesn't matter if they never get used. They're just cool. If you don't understend that then you don't understand boys. They were cool when I was 12 and in my experience that hasn't changed. Teach the boys how to use knives (and axes and bow saws). Don't let them wear them when playing capture the flag if you are concerned about the knife stabbing a boy through the scabbard (I have never witnessed or even heard of a bona fide account of that, by the way, in my admittedly limited 42 years association with Scouting). Let's not be too PC and wimpy. We have enough of that already.

Matches. We don't need no stinking matches. A couple of weeks ago the new Scout patrol was getting ready for their Fire'em Chip requirements. At the 10-minute huddle one of the new kids says, "I've got matches". Hue and cry...hue and cry...the din of protest from the older patrols was deafening. "We don't use matches around here...any monkey can start a fire with a match". "In this troop we only use flint and steel". "Don't sweat it" "We'll teach you how to use it". Scouting at it's best.