Public Perception of the BSA

[CalicoPenn 729]

To clarify, I meant the BSA has it's own "Catholic Church" problem, not the defending religious group.

[King Ding Dong 540]

i can honestly say I had no idea what I was getting into when I signed my fist son up as a Tiger. Treated all the fine print the same way we all treat an EULA when installing software. It was clear my son was not going to be athletic so it looked like a fun program for him to get involved in. It's kids in blue shirts going camping, what was there to think about? I don't think I became aware of all the controversies until he was a Webelos and I know I wasn't the only one.

[LeCastor 641]

Calico, to clarify, I am a HUGE dork anyway so Scouting suits me. LOL

 

KDD, I don't think the majority knows about our controversies, no. We are clued in because we read Scouter.com and monitor all things Scouting. But in my community, which is politically charged anyway, the membership policy was really put front and center in the news. The local paper interviewed me and several other local Scoutmasters in February 2013 when the debate was really blowing up.

 

Stosh, I'm curious now what you did have in mind when you started this thread. It's a valid question and I'm enjoying the back-and-forth.

[Stosh 3452]

It had nothing to do with what is being discussed, but that's okay.

 

Stosh

[SeattlePioneer 144]

I was just at an elementary school today, pitching boys about attending our pack Halloween party tonight.

 

 

I generally find that K-2nd graders don't have much of an image of Scouts, or Cub Scouts. So the image I place there is going hiking and camping, bbgun and archery, games and activities and such. FUN!

 

That does a reasonable job of motivating boys to turn out for our signup nights.

 

I wear a uniform when I'm in schools, and I carry a bigle "Join Cub Scouts!" flag or other stuff I can use to create an image of Cub Scouts.

 

I figure that's a start.