Jump to content

sctmom

Members
  • Content Count

    1494
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Everything posted by sctmom

  1. Hey Guys! Long time, no talk. I'm no longer a scout mom, just "mom of teenage boy". No longer a Cub Scout leader. Heard this news story and knew this place would be buzzing with talk. At first I gave the guy the benefit of the doubt. Maybe he received an email that he didn't request. I've known that to happen. News now says they found 520 images including video clips of boys, some under the age of 12. He had been doing this for years. As an outsider, let me say this....if a Scout or leader or employee does "good" everyone wants to say "Look, He/She is a member of BSA". Well
  2. National also distributed a computer CD for the troop level. I didn't look at the one I had, just passed it on to the troop. It came in a sleeve that looked like a backpack. From what I gathered, the boys could create a disk that showed the things their troop did and how cool scouting was. Then they would share that disk with their friends. It was aimed at 11 and 12 year old scouts. I never did get my hands on the Cub scout disk, as much as I tried.
  3. One more comment about the stick in the fire...this is a TOP rule with our pack -- up there with the buddy system, NO POKING THE FIRE, Scouts are to NEVER put ANYTHING in the fire. Never, never, never. We even tightly control marshmallow and hotdog roasting. Maybe with one or two kids it is possible to do, but with the scouts we have too many to do it safely.
  4. Did you address the mother specifically to tell NO STICKS? Our pack has found we have to do that at times. Does the boy have documented behavior/emotional problems? Maybe sit down with the mother and explain the problem and ask for solutions. Ler her and son know that next time they will be asked to leave immediately. On a recent campout, we had a 5 year old sister who kept wandering out of eyesight (behind the picnic pavilion). I finally looked her straight in the eye and said "if you are mad and want to walk away, fine, but you must be where i can see you. if you walk away aga
  5. Not trying to get off subject, just adding a bit of info --- my sister is Pagan. She attended a Protestant church a few months back when I got baptized. She recently attended a Catholic Mass for someone who had died. We all might learn something from attending Vespers even if it is not the same religion we practice each day.
  6. I would also recommend decorating cards. We did some last year by cutting out snowflakes from white paper. The younger kids glued on snowflakes that older kids cut out. Folded a piece of construction paper in half, snowflake on front (sometimes more than one snowflake on front). Inside glued 1/2 sheet of white paper and the kids drew pictures or wrote Happy Holidays (give them an example). The boys also colored Christmas type pictures I printed off the internet. All ages enjoyed that. Both of these are things that even the younger siblings can help with.
  7. I just read this today. Due to some personal problems I have been considering quitting Scouting. Last night I had one of "those" moments. Young boy in my neighborhood that has lots of family problems and school problems joined cubs this year. His family barely survives. His grandfather paid his registration and got his uniform for him. The parents barely can take care of themselves, much less children. I got the pack to pay for the family to go on a family campout. Borrowed a tent for them, others put up the tent for them. Let them borrow a couple of sleeping bags for the kids. To b
  8. EagleDad, I also thought the snack should come last but then remembered that the den meets at 3:30 in the afternoon. The boys are probably ready for a snack when they get to the meeting.
  9. Therm-a-rest self inflating sleeping pads!
  10. Maybe I missed something, but in your list of everyone you contacted it sounds as though you are focusing on males. While that might be a great idea for men to Webelos leaders, it is not reality in many communities. What about some of the moms of those Webelos?
  11. As the others said -- busy, busy, busy. Get a wall advancement chart from the Scout shop -- something like $1.35. Let the boys put sticky stars on the chart when they complete an achievement. Do get Program Helps -- a wonderful thing. Maybe it's just me, but I shudder everytime I hear the idea of the candle. The last thing I want in the room with a bunch of active boys is an open flame!!! First safety. Next boys are atracted to fire -- some will spend the whole meeting staring at it or trying to play with it. The idea of den rules is also great -- you may have to sugge
  12. Well said Campaholic & Yarrow. If a parent doesn't like the direction of the Scouting Program (girls or boys), then they need to step forward and see that it is done the "right way".
  13. There are still lots of girls in the United States that are told they can't have traditional male jobs. Studies have been done that show girls are still steered away from math and science in high school. Society teaches boys to be the leaders and girls to be the followers. Yes, there are some areas where this is not true. But you might be surprised (as I have been) at how many people still live in the 1940's mindset when it comes to education of females.
  14. Yes, that is the right age comparison. And that's about all you can compare. I'm not sure what you think is "not fair". Perhaps that is a discussion for a different thread. If you are refering to earning the Gold vs. earning Eagle, I think you are misunderstanding a few things. The Gold award is very hard to achieve and requires a set number of hours and many other achievements (like boys earn merit badges). The difference is you can't have a 13 year old Girl Scout with her Gold. Just not allowed. That age earns her Silver (still a major project). You must remember Girl Scouts and Bo
  15. Girl Scout "ranks" are not like Cub Scout ranks. Cub Scouts still earn their rank each year. Girl Scouts are called Daisy, Brownie, Junior, Cadette, and Senior. It is not a rank but a level. Like Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts are two levels of the same program.
  16. The boys probably will not tell you if money is a problem, they may not know themselves. I had this problem last year. I started calling each parent and asking them if they had a chance to get the book yet. If the money issue comes up, then let them know if the pack is willing to help. They may not be reading the note that is sent home.
  17. We always play a few games at pack meetings, give out awards (we need to improve and actually have ceremonies), and never go over an hour. I'm trying to incorporate more skits. Special events like PWD, B&G, Halloween Party, are NOT at pack meetings. We have a pack meeting and PWD in the same month. PWD is just that --- the derby. People will get up and start walking out after an hour. Kids need to get home and get to bed. I agree with minimal announcements because you know what? People aren't listening anyway. To me a great pack meeting has skits, songs, games and awar
  18. I do believe this is the first time I've seen someone call OGE an "self acclaimed know-it-all". Moving up in the world, OGE? LOL
  19. Our district tells us the prorated amount for registration and for Boy's Life. For parents who do not have money that night, they are to return to the next meeting with money. That week we will figure out a way to get those to the council, no need to hold up the other 25 new scouts registration. The health history doesn't go to the council, that stays with the pack, you can gather it later. Why do they need the SSN of boys and non-leader-parents? Most don't know their boy's number and I see no need for that info to be written down. The leader apps need the SSN to do a background
  20. Our district has us turn it in THAT night. Since our district is rather large, as in many miles, the DE sat at a central location each SNFS waiting for units to return with their package of apps.
  21. While browsing some Cub Scout manuals last night I found something your den leaders and the mother should read. There is a section in the Cub Scout Leader handbook about working with boys with disabilities. There is also a section in the Cub Scout Leader How-To book about working with boys like this, including a small section on boys with autism. If memory serves me correctly, there is even a special booklet from BSA about Working With Boys With Disabilities. I say share these with the mother so she can have some ownership in this and feel more in control. Please keep us p
  22. NJ, wasn't trying to attack you, I've heard of the same type of packs not far from where I live --- it amazes me, that's all. Your council and district then need to understand what Cub Family camping is and should be. I guess because I grew up camping, I don't understand the problem with rocks and pit toilets. No, I don't prefer a pit toilet, I prefer a flushie in a room with a real door, a light and sink with running water. It sounds more like that you live in a neighborhood that has few non-traditional families in the pack. My point was to point out to other scouters that they
  23. Just my opinion -- ALL the adults involved need to take some deep breaths and chill out. So what if he doesn't finish the craft being done? He does HIS best. I think you have to reassure her that he gets to participate, but just like every other child will need his parent to help. I think someone needs to be assigned to calming the mother down. For lack of a better phrase, she needs to be stroked. Keep telling her that just like all Tiger Parents, she is the key to his scouting experience. She may be afraid that her son will get embarrassed or emotionally hurt. You have got t
  24. Scoutnut hit on something I hadn't thought about -- you keep going back to a place that is not good for Cub Family camping! Someone in the pack needs to take BALOO. Part of BALOO talks about how you need to choose an approriate place to camp -- decent facilities, safe, easy access, etc. Also, how to plan activities approriate for all ages of Cubs and siblings.
  25. Is she afraid the boy will not be challenged or that it will be too tough for him? Find out which, then point out that Cub Scouting is not a competition. That it is for her boy to do HIS best. She may find out that he is REALLY good at some things she never knew about. She needs to understand that the pressure that comes from school or sports is not there in scouting but at the same time it will challenge him enough for him to grow and mature. Can you get another parent to team up to be HER buddy? Someone to tell her how great her son is doing and how wonderful she is doing to spend th
×
×
  • Create New...