Scoutmomof4

Involved 8 years. 1st son Hubby,cub den leader, asst cubmaster, boy scout merit badge counselor. Me: various committee chair, parent committee. Attended every cub den & pack meeting from tiger to sr webelo as a parent helper.

2nd son, hubby & myself , cub leaders. parent committee. help new cubmaster. assist new tiger leaders.

I have scouts who miss meetings, that's going to happen, but I ask them meeting after meeting if they completed the missed work yet. I then ask the parents and email continuous reminders. Sometime they don't arrive prepared or complete home assignments. Now, when I plan my meetings, I bring everything that is needed and do the "home assignment" with them.

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RE: ISA & 2014. Just so I have this right, ISA’s are illegal? Have they sent notification out? Or, has this been the case & blind eyes are turned?

Our pack implemented them a few yrs ago. The boys do not have individual bank “accounts†their individual earnings are just recorded in an excel worksheet keeping track of $ in & $ out. If they transfer to another pack, or crossover to BS, the $ can be transferred but if they leave, they lose the $. The only fundraiser that goes to ISA is pop-corn. For those who do not popcorn fundraise, the committee comes up with yearly per scout cost & ask you pay that $ in. We have 2 other fundraisers, but that $ goes to the pack. Some people just can’t sell overpriced pop-corn , especially if they are in a deprived area. Many have a few sons or kids in same neighborhood and is near impossible to sell. The other fundraisers: candy bars & a dinner. The candy bars are cheap, so the boys do well with this, but this $ doesn’t go in their “own†ISA. With the dinner, some of my scouts are there the whole day, not just for their 1 hour time slot, make nothing for their ISA. I can’t even begin to tell you how wrong this is. And for those who think scouts are sponging, that’s not very scout like. It’s a joint effort…like the same people who volunteer time after time. It’s not “fair†but they do it because it’s scout like.

RE: Participation. At the cub level, we have scouts who do not show up for any den meetings, pack meetings, scout activities helping the public or fundraisers. When it comes to awards ceremonies or the B&G, the parents call me at the last minute with a laundry list of everything done & expect to show up & have their scout recognized. Then the advancement chair has to scramble to order stuff. Sometimes the boys who show up routinely & aren’t quite completed, ask me why they didn’t get their badge. One time I had apparent ask how so & so got their wolf badge already since they never see the scout at the meetings. This is heartbreaking for me.

RE: Lately it seems there has been an increase of extravagance at the B&G and other festivities. I would almost say over the top. The cost to participate is rising, despite the ISA. Parents and siblings can’t afford to attend.

RE: Boy Scouts. We have some who are not very welcoming of parents who want to become a Boy Scout Leader or merit badge counselor. I was shocked to witness this recently. Since when do we ever turn away help?

I have attended every committee meeting, every parent meeting, worked with our cub masters and have brought these issues up. It seems to be getting worse. This weekend, I feel like quitting. It is a great program. I love it. I have been doing this many years. I just don’t like the direction we are heading in. I am very disheartened this weekend.