BetterWithCheddar

You hit the nail on the head again. Our unit send some poorly written emails and it drives my wife nuts. But the senders are willing to do the work and they do it pretty well, so you'll never hear me gripe about their communication style. Their efforts have made the Pack's program much stronger, but some people can't get past the amateur emails because they're used to a higher standard at work or through other kids' activities run by a for-profit operator.

A few more suggestions: take responsibility for portions of a family reunion (differentiated from immediate family) assist with a local parks and rec event (doesn't require an ongoing commitment) participate in a school service project (again, doesn't have to be an ongoing commitment) contribute to an online discussion (with parent supervision) write a letter to the editor of the local paper (civic engagement) I hope this Scout is able to earn Eagle, if he desires, but I would think improving his grades should take priority over a merit badge. Not every Scout needs to aim for straight A's, but passing all classes is a fair expectation.

This thread is really hitting the nail on the head. I wish someone with influence would take note. Many of the other youth programs we've been exposed to either have 1) an affiliation with the school district that allows families to get access to facilities and quality instructors at a greatly subsided rate or 2) a for-profit operator that is highly motivated to provide a quality program. My wife (an IT project manager) is appalled by the way our Pack operates (even though it's probably one of the better units in the area). My response is always the same - "We're just a handful of parents doing our best. No one else will step up."

We live in a large suburban school district. There are 200 boys in my son's class. So far, in elementary school, about 50 of the 200 come out for basketball every year. Of those 50, only 10 make the top team. The cost of youth sports keeps increasing because it's just an arm's race to give your kid a slight advantage. When I was a kid most player development occurred within the (low cost) school program. Today, it's closer to 1/3 (if that). Most kids hone their skills through some combination of private small group training, personal trainers, shooting cages, summer camps, and travel teams. My son is pretty good, but I'm not delusional. I don't think he'll ever play professionally, get a college scholarship, or even start for his high varsity team. I just want him to make the team (if he desires). My wife and I are generally supportive because: He seems to be enjoying himself. He's exercising and socializing. He's established a feedback loop where extra practice and offseason work often results in noticeable improvement. He now gets excited about other pursuits like math and reading because he correlates practice with improvement.

Well said. I could not agree more. Also true.

Regarding the OP, I think this is pretty common. As others have mentioned, our unit's meeting schedule is often function of the school calendar. Same with our meeting space - Den Meetings are at the public library, but sometimes they close for holidays or special events. The library staff is very accommodating, but they deserve time off too. Adult volunteer burnout is real and cancelling meetings on short notice is a shame, but I see no problem when a "week off" from Scouting is communicated months in advance. It gives families a chance to make other plans or just relish an evening at home.

Not a fan of the name "Family Scouting" ... it gives the impression that Mom and Dad can earn badges too. 🙂

I'm sure she has her reasons. Maybe the family has encountered some challenges and are searching for meaning. In this case, landing on Scouting seems healthy. It could be the pre-teen equivalent of a middle-aged man deciding he's going to go from his couch to a marathon in less than a year. There are sure to be some missteps in his training, but his goal is still admirable ... It's also possible that you're working with a family of grade-A narcissists who are going to drop into your troop life for a short time and make things miserable for everyone as they try to mow down every obstacle in their perfect little boy's way. 😬

I'm 6'1'' and prefer tall sizes to help prevent my backside from showing (or my shirt coming untucked). I sympathize with the folks who are taller than me and dealing with ill-fitting clothing. Old Navy has a great selection of tall sizes without a markup, but no Scout Shirts.

@oldasdirteagle: If it's an item you really treasure, then I would suggest dry cleaning. I've machine washed old neckerchiefs on a gentle cycle only to see some of the stitching come loose. Alternatively, I would suggest maintaining the worn look as a badge of honor to show you've been doing the work a long time. 😉

As a youth, I was part of a new Troop that quickly established itself as one of the best in the district. Looking back, I think it got off the ground so quickly for three reasons: We had a great Scoutmaster who was willing to do most of the heavy lifting. We had plenty of parents who were willing to go camping. We had a strong feeder Pack. You'll have to be the driving force (for everything). As your Troop matures, you can cede control to the PLC and to adult volunteers who may be willing to head up certain key functions (fundraising, new scout patrol, High Adventure, etc.).

Welcome, @lw3s. Good on you for reaching out! I don't have any programming experience, but here are some pointers that would be applicable to most industries: The best internships post in the Fall. Many places will begin the process of hiring summer students and Spring graduates in the Fall. That seems early, but they're trying to attract the best students to fill their talent pool. Try proactively reaching out to places of interest to inquire when they typically post their summer internships. Write for Blogs or Newsletters. Make a list of information sources that compile professional content for your industry. Reach out to them and offer to submit content or provide peer reviews. It might not be an internship, but you'll start to write and think like a member of your chosen field, and you'll make connections with the editors of these publications. Hire a Resume Coach. Go to Fiverr and pay someone $50 to review your resume. You can often find people with HR experience in your chosen field who will help improve your resume and make it stand out. They'll also alert you to any gaps that you might be able to address. Bonus: You've now added someone in your chosen field to your network. Good luck!

Isn't that the truth? I don't see many coaches saying "no" to a week off for Scout Camp. More than likely, they express frustration when requests pile up. For many kids, it's not just a week off for Scout Camp, but also a week off for a different activity and another week off for family vacation. Despite not being the smartest, or best-looking, or even the most diligent person at my place of employment, I've carved out a pretty decent existence over the last 15 years just by being consistently not stupid. I show up on time, I dress a little nicer than required, I try a little harder than required, and I rarely miss a day of work. Half of life is just showing up. A few coaches might be unnecessarily strict on attendance, but most are trying to convey the same life lessons as we are.

There are probably a few "hardo" coaches out there who make it difficult for kids to participate in other activities, but I'd imagine most are willing to make reasonable accommodations. The real issue lies in team sports where roster spots and playing time are scarce. Few coaches would punish a kid for missing a week of training because they took a family vacation or attended Scout Camp, but eventually, it becomes an issue of self-selection. You either demonstrate your commitment to the program or you take your chances. That's the unspoken ultimatum in many school districts.

Thanks for sharing. I thought that was a nice piece of marketing material - surprisingly well done for the BSA / SA. If SA positions itself carefully, there's a good opportunity to add and retain more athletes to our units. Scouting can be a nice counterbalance to the year-round youth sports grind, provided SA and local units maintain flexible programs. At our annual New Scout Information Night, our Pack always mentions "we're OK being your family's second favorite activity" and that has helped lead to some healthy numbers. When we look for a Troop, I'll probably steer my son to the one that has the best parent support, but a secondary factor will be the SM's philosophy on attendance and advancement. I don't mind if the Scouts who attend all Troop functions advance faster than my son, but I'd still like for there to be a path to Eagle if my son communicates his availability to his SM / SPL and is willing to do extra work when he's not playing basketball.

It looks like the Northern Start Council (Twin Cities Area) absorbed 2 of the Voyageurs' Districts, but I couldn't figure out where the other Districts went (assuming to either the Central Minnesota or Northern Lights Councils). This merger resulted in what has to be one of the more oddly shaped Councils in the country: Northern Star Scouting > About Us

It's definitely an uphill battle with the recent membership decline and abuse scandal. I often question the time I have invested in the program, but my son and his friends still seem to be having fun, so I'll push forward. We're providing a welcoming environment where they can exercise, socialize, and get outside. Some kids really need that.

I agree the PowerPoint requirement is unnecessary, but I also think it's a pretty reasonable request. If this were my son, I'm not going to expend a lot of social capital to push back. Most kids learn how to use the free Google Slides program in school. As for the unnecessary paperwork - I know a lot of people who make good money by doing things like filling out 3 different forms with the same information and just keeping their mouths shut. 😉

I think you hit on a few big factors that transcend Scouts: Too often, we raise kids to go through life and check boxes. I, along with many in my generational cohort, am a perfect example. My parents earned a decent living but encouraged me to go to college as they viewed it as a "golden ticket." I graduated during the Global Financial Crisis and, all of a sudden, I was overeducated and underexperienced. I did everything that was asked of me - got good grades, joined clubs, played sports, worked summer jobs, etc. and was underemployed for over 3 years. Today, I'm doing fine with a steady corporate job and decent long-term prospects, but I'm not a risk taker. I'm just a very diligent employee who is satisfied with his current career trajectory. I'm raising my son a little differently. My only expectation for him in school is to earn B's and behave appropriately. If he spends 2 hours after school tinkering with a computer instead of studying, that's fine as long as he's still getting his homework done. He and I also operate an eBay store that sells used Lego. For me, it amounts to a crappy part-time job, but at least he's excited and learning about markets, customer service, and e-commerce. Scouting can be a bit of a mixed bag. Some kids go through the program and check the boxes to earn their Eagle Scout Award. Others stand to benefit more from the outdoor program and patrol method. I'm hopeful the latter will push him out of his comfort zone and better prepare him for life. Kids are expensive. Cut us some slack. I love being a dad. I always figured I'd have 2-3 kids but am turning 40 soon and just have the one son. My wife and I are the same age, and our prime reproductive years (25-35) were bookended by the Global Financial Crisis and COVID. We're doing fine now, but having an only child was our form of "economic triage" (despite living rather modestly). Every generation has its challenges and I'm not seeking to minimize anyone else's struggles - we've just had a perfect storm of conditions over the past 15 years that have led to lower birth rates. Sure, there are probably a small number of young adults who value their freedom over parenthood, but most couples are limiting their family size out of economic necessity.

As a Scout, I would have loved the opportunity to pursue some of the more "academic" merit badges in a MBU setting. I don't see the problem as long as 1) the programs are well run and 2) they don't replace the outdoor program.

In my youth, most camporees had a theme and scouts could earn 1 MB by participating. You're telling me some districts try to cram multiple MBs into a single weekend campout?

To be honest, I recall being very motivated to earn merit badges as a young scout. I flipped through the camp handbook every winter to plan my "perfect" summer camp where I would earn 4 new merit badges. I would have turned down a high adventure outing for the opportunity to earn one more merit badge. I don't think the focus on advancement is a bad thing, provided each merit badge is taught correctly and gives the camper a meaningful experience. I take issue with all of the non-outdoor merit badges taught at summer camp these days - that just continues the "School 2" trend we've lamented about in other threads (how many camps now have a STEM Center?) Ideally, camps should offer outdoor merit badges that would be challenging for a troop to offer on their own (shooting sports, aquatics, etc.). Even if kids are "overscheduled" at summer camp, they are still having unique outdoor adventures.

Are you serious? How is that possible? My son is Cub-age now, but when I was a council camp staffer in the early 2000s, 4 MBs was the max at summer camp. There were 2 sessions in the morning and 2 sessions in the afternoon. They ran Monday through Thursday with Friday being a "free" day. We were accused of overscheduling kids back then.

I can't tell you whether this is feasible or even acceptable, but that parent is making an unusual presumption. Of all the points of the Scout Law, I best personify "thrifty" (wife can confirm). My penny-pinching brain would never devise a rebate system where I make a "donation" to a legitimate company match program only to turn around and expect that amount rebated to personal slush fund without first consulting the other parties. I'm sorry this puts you in such a difficult position.

This is absolutely a factor. Just focusing on the recent trend (membership being roughly 1/3 of what it was 10 years ago), there just aren't many new collectors to replace the ones getting up there in age. I actually don't mind the stagnant prices. The limited collecting I do brings me joy and helps preserve Scouting history in my area. I've never sold a patch. I'm sure it varies by region, but I noticed an "explosion" in patches specifically designed to be collectible around 2000 (different borders, limited runs, etc.). I was away from Scouting from 2007-2022 (returning to be my son's den leader). Since I never experienced this era first-hand, the variations have little appeal to me.