Laurie 10 Posted July 1, 2003 Share Posted July 1, 2003 The following is a list of the highlights of what our son had accomplished since bridging to Boy Scouts in February at age 10. His only other Scouting experience was Webelos II, and he loved it. Family debate: one of us says he's not motivated enough; the other says he's doing very well. Thoughts from experienced Scouters? By the way, it's not our call to make, but we want to encourage our son without pushing, manipulating, or the like. TIA February: 1st camping trip & 1st month as Scout March: 2nd camping trip & some Tenderfoot requirements April: 3rd camping trip; some Tenderfoot; began Totin' Chip (he asked for this & his whole patrol did it) May: 4th camping trip; some Tenderfoot; finished Totin' Chip; earned Fingerprint MB June: no camping trip (due to summer camp expenses); some Tenderfoot; earned all of Fireman Chit (he asked for this & his whole patrol did it); began Nature MB (he asked for a blue card & several others are working this with him now); helped new but older Scout to learn his knots and helped him out by showing him how to use the Scout handbook, etc. July 1 (today): planning ahead to summer camp with goals of learning to swim, doing Astonomy and Oceanography at camp(not sure of other MBs yet); finishing Tenderfoot this month. Summer camp is the 5th camping trip in 6 months. Link to post Share on other sites
eagle90 125 Posted July 1, 2003 Share Posted July 1, 2003 Laurie - Sounds to me as if he has accomplished quite a bit in four short months! I wish all of my new scouts whobridged in February were as far along. Congratulate him, encourage him, but don't push him! Dale Link to post Share on other sites
Sparkie 12 Posted July 1, 2003 Share Posted July 1, 2003 My vote is right on track!! He'll have a great time at summer camp! Sparkie Link to post Share on other sites
silver-shark 10 Posted July 1, 2003 Share Posted July 1, 2003 Laurie, Sounds like he's doing just fine, or maybe better. A gentle reminder from time to time about looking at the SC and FC requirements will probably reveal to him that he's further along with them than he thinks as well. Good Luck ! Link to post Share on other sites
Bob White 20 Posted July 1, 2003 Share Posted July 1, 2003 Laurie at this point which requirements for Second Class and First Class has he completed? BW Link to post Share on other sites
sst3rd 129 Posted July 2, 2003 Share Posted July 2, 2003 Bob, you beat me to it. Laurie, It all sounds good, but emphasis needs to be more toward his getting First Class in the first year. All of this merit badge stuff is diverting his attention from this. In the mean time, most summer camps have a program designed for first year Scouts. These programs have different names, but are designed to support the Troop and their new Scouts in working on these first few ranks. What's he taking at summer camp? It should be this first year program. Just my thoughts,,,,,,,,,,,, sst3rd Link to post Share on other sites
Laurie 10 Posted July 2, 2003 Author Share Posted July 2, 2003 About the merit badges. He took Fingerprint with the troop when a police officer came to help with it. Nature is the only merit badge approved for him with the exception of summer camp merit badges. Those are the oceanography, astromony, and a couple others that he's talking to the SM tonight about. Second class: he's earned most of the camping-related items, helped with SM approval on an Eagle project to earn service hours, and has earned the danger of drug use item. First class: camping-related, lashings, knots items have been earned or are currently being worked hard on. Swimming is his biggest issue with these, and we (as in his parents) and his SM agree that summer camp may be an excellent opportunity to work on that. I think he's doing well. He is a hands-on kid who struggles with school because he bores pretty easily with book work. Scouts is exciting to him, and my hope is that as he continues to work, to help, to earn, to see progress that this will spill over into other areas of his life. I should add that his SM discourages more than one MB at a time during the first year (with the exception of summer camp), and that the counselors (most of whom attend troop meetings) have every other week to work with the boys. The recommendation is to work one week on a MB, one week on advancement. Until a MB was asked for, it was all advancement. The boys are gently reminded to work on advancement with questions about what they've been doing (how did that service project go? did you tackle that knot? etc)(This message has been edited by Laurie) Link to post Share on other sites
packsaddle 753 Posted July 2, 2003 Share Posted July 2, 2003 Just a general comment - after all, you know your son better than any of us. Don't forget about the fun. If he has fun doing the advancement stuff, that's great. If he loves the merit badges, that's great. At age 10 there's plenty of time for everything, don't worry, be happy. Enjoy watching your son explore and learn. Take a moment to record for your memory the twinkle in his eyes, the smudges on his face, his laughter and his frustrations. You'll be glad you did. Link to post Share on other sites
Laurie 10 Posted July 2, 2003 Author Share Posted July 2, 2003 Thanks Pack I love what Scouting is doing for my son. He is truly happy with everything he does, and as long as he keeps moving forward in some way, I'm happy with that too. He stunned me when he announced he wants Eagle. Short-term goals are avoided by him; this is a long-range goal and not exactly easy. I've said nothing other than "let me know how I can help if I can help along the way". He wants to go the Jamboree in 2005, so we looked up info on it. His goal is to have First Class by then so he is eligible. Emphasis on *his goal*. He is a happy boy, and I've been waiting a long time to see him find his place to feel good about himself. Scouting is doing just that for him. My purpose in posting originally was to see what experienced folks in Scouting think of how he's begun his experience. I'm new too, so having this kind of feedback helps. p.s. I'm recording lots of memories. One that is etched in my memory is one of the times he arrived home from camp, looking as if he were wearing a good portion of the campsite! The only bright things about him were his smile and the sparkle in his eyes. Another is the time he pitched a tent on ice--all he could talk about was how uncomfortable sleeping was but how cool the trip was--the entire time with a big goofy grin on his face. Fun--yep, plenty of it (This message has been edited by Laurie) Link to post Share on other sites
Bob White 20 Posted July 2, 2003 Share Posted July 2, 2003 Hi Laurie, I really wasn't concerned about the merit badges but I just wanted to make sure he was not just working on one rank at a time. Although I disagree with the troops method of the troop meetings I think your son's progress seems just fine. Bob White Link to post Share on other sites
Laurie 10 Posted July 2, 2003 Author Share Posted July 2, 2003 Bob, what do you disagree with? Just curious. This is my first and only exposure to Boy Scouts with the exception of my brother being in Scouting a good 20+ years ago. Link to post Share on other sites
keschmahalen 10 Posted August 2, 2003 Share Posted August 2, 2003 Laurie, Laurie, I do not presume to answer for Bob. Usually he responds to posts quite promptly from what I've seen, but unless he sent you a private post, let me try to put some apprehension to rest. First I went back to his two previous posts which centered on advancement in rank as opposed to merit badges. Some people frown upon "merit badge" troops (a merit badge or two a month), and for lack of an exact phrase, the official policy is First Class in a year. The purpose for this is that boys tend to stay with Scouting more often when they advance to First Class within the first year or two. There is the exception, my son has been in scouting since the first grade. He is 15yrs. and just made first class this year. There are times when they need to be pushed, and I got tired of hearing him answer, "oh just a few more requirements". I would be happy to hear that your son attends the Jamboree, it is a wonderful experience, and he seems to be on the right track. I would hasten to agree with the post which commented on a Scoutcraft program for first year at summer camp. Toss in a simple merit badge or even two, ok, and I'd be betting that he'll be First Class before you know it. He is having fun, and that is the key. Link to post Share on other sites
keschmahalen 10 Posted August 2, 2003 Share Posted August 2, 2003 Laurie, Another note about merit badges and scouts. Have you noticed how we sort of expect the boy to mature as he follows the scouting trail? Tigers is a den of partners so the new Scout, among other things, may feel more secure among the adult leader before he enters a regular den. Then, as they move up to webelos, the den leader takes a more active role in signing off the Scout's advancement (as opposed to Akela). In Boy Scouts, it becomes more boy run __ your son teaching knots and getting help exploring the handbook is a prime, first hand example. The basic idea (one of them) behind merit badges is that he takes this one more step. Along with a buddy, your boy goes out into the community and finds a qualified councelor (maybe that police officer you mentioned). Your District Executive, Council Office, or District Advancement Committee can provide you with the list of approved, qualified merit badge councelors if the troop does not have the latest copy. If the boys complete all of their merit badges in the confines of a sponsored Scouting event (troop meeting, merit badge college, summer camp, or Jamboree) then an integral part of the merit badge program is missing. However, it happens a lot. It isn't bad, but is a part of what makes this whole program so great. YIS, paul Link to post Share on other sites
KA6BSA 10 Posted October 24, 2003 Share Posted October 24, 2003 You already have lots of good advice here. I might just add that more than 90 years ago the founder of Scouting Lord Baden-Powell said a First Class Scout is a 100% Scout. The Merit Badges are just there to allow a wide range of new interests and keep advancement an open-ended game for the older boys. This can be a big distraction for the new Scouts who should really be focusing entirely on the basic Scout Skills of camping, woodcraft, cooking, first aid, map and compass, etc, exactally what it takes to become 1st Class. As a parent you should get registered with BSA (only $11 the application is easy... we ask all our parents to register in our troop) and start attending some of the monthly troop committee meetings. You can volunteer to help the Advancement Chairperson keep track of rank advancement in your son's patrol, and that will reduce your worrying when you have more information on all the boys. Ahead of time at the patrol meetings you can come a little early at pickup time and talk to the patrol leader and his Asst. Scoutmaster about the advancement of all the boys. Make sure they always have plans to work in some 2nd or 1st Class advancement progress on every outing to keep checking the requirements off. In Boy Scouts each boys moves at his own pace, not like one rank per year in Cubs, and the Scoutmaster is charged with the duty to never give up on any boy. So what is the rush? So get involved as a registered adult volunteer and stop worrying. And make sure the FUN is there in the activities along with the advancement so your son and his friends won't ever consider quitting. Link to post Share on other sites
Laurie 10 Posted October 24, 2003 Author Share Posted October 24, 2003 Thanks for the additional encouragements and advice. I'm not sure why anyone would think that I am worried at all; I'm not. The troop has many older boys then a bunch of newer younger boys. As for leaders, it's the same way--a bunch of seasoned leaders then several newer ones. My husband and I are both registered, he serving as Advancement Chairman now and currently heading away for Scoutmaster training. I am a committee member but also serve as CA for the pack our younger son is in. Scouting is super in that allows boys to advance at their own paces versus those Cubs at one rank per year. By the way, our son received his Tenderfoot at the recent COH, and he's well on his way to Second Class with many First Class requirements. Come February, his first full year, he will have reached First Class in that first year. We're all having fun, but he's just shining Link to post Share on other sites
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