xinaDeRockie

We did CIS as a troop and I believe it was really good for the scouts and adults. 

One of the things I brought up was that people come from different economic backgrounds and that we help with scholarships for those families that need it.  One scout stated that no one in our troop needed that.  He is wrong.

I also shared with them the story of my 91 year old father who came to the US (Arkansas) from China.  When he was a child, he was not allowed to attend school in his town because of the Jim Crow Laws, i.e. my father was labeled "colored" and therefore wasn't allowed to attend school.  Most  kids (and adults) don't know about this part of history.  It seems that since it didn't affect them personally, it wasn't all that important to focus on, or they felt "that couldn't happen now".

My son told me a scout mentioned online that if one of our Southeast Asian scouts became SPL, he would "knock that towel-head back to India". This same scout referred to another scout (a good friend of his) as "Jew Man".

Even though the scouts say the Scout Oath and Scout Law, not all really UNDERSTAND what it means, i.e., it's just something they have to memorize.   We don't know what is taught in their schools or their homes, but as a troop we felt it was important to discuss situations and role-play to help them get a better understanding.  Not all will get it, but our goal is to reach some of them.