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Why Can't Adults Trust the Scouts


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I stand corrected.   Allow me to rephrase  We seem to have adults who think that the troop exists for their fun and benefit rather than the scouts.

Sadly, my most problematic Scouters have been Eagles.  Others seem to be more willing to not fall back on, "When I was a scout..."

I can't recall if you said the SM was complicit in this or if he just didn't care that he (and his youth leaders) kept getting mowed over by this ASM. But as a former SM I would want to know this situ

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Troop money was spent, it wasn't a gift.

The tents the troop were gifted when they started back up were not taken care of properly and some were deliberately vandalized by previous Scouts in the troop.

 

As for SM talking to the Scouts, that was after everything was purchased and delivered.

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48 minutes ago, Eagle94-A1 said:

Funny thing is that this weekend he took all the older Scouts and had a chat with them with the ASMs present. The oldest Scout present had to be forced to talk, and even then he didn't say much. That was Gunship's son. Next oldest Scout said they needed help to learn how to lead. Gut feeling is that he doesn't feel that way, he's expressed otherwise to me in the past, and just said what he thought the adults wanted to hear. 

...or he is telling you what he thinks you want to hear. Who knows?

When the adults are squabbling amongst each other, it is hard for the boys to express their own opinions. Boys will often feel like they have to take their parent's side in the ongoing debate, and the PLC become proxy voters for their parent's positions. 

When this happens, it is time for the CO to step in and set things right.

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I'm just going to commiserate and share what I think is some ridiculousness in our own Troop.

Troop library needs updating.   I suggest that the Librarian be given some money (modest amount) to go buy books.   

What they do -- they send three uniformed adults to the Librarian's house to go through the library with the librarian.   

My husband was one of the ones to go and I grilled him a little before giving up -- why does it take three adults to do this? Why couldn't the kid just do it himself with a little instruction and review?

Duh.   So sorry about the tents.  

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32 minutes ago, Eagle94-A1 said:

The tents the troop were gifted when they started back up were not taken care of properly and some were deliberately vandalized by previous Scouts in the troop.

This is the exact reason why we don't have troop tents.

 

26 minutes ago, HelpfulTracks said:

If we’re a Scout, I doubt I would be doing any further fundraising for the troop.

Same - but not for the reason you stated. Vandalized tents equal wasted money.

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On 1/30/2018 at 2:15 PM, Tampa Turtle said:

I'm impressed if any of the moms still KNOW how to sew on any patches...most of ours farm them out to a local shop. I do mine...you can tell because they are crooked and fall off sometimes.

I'd love to see some scans of the those patterns!

I know how to sew on patches!!!   Lookee here....  

Son #1 (first patch Mammal Study)  and Son #2 (first patch Nuclear Science, really!)
Now I need to teach the boys how, but when I was an early teen I did stuff like counted cross stitch.  I'm not sure how to teach them to sew.  Maybe that's s Dad job.   Side note, I am learning to knit...

Yes, I'm showing off my kids's sashes!  I'm a proud Scout momma.

 

26850652_10212558185802488_3330962269077696757_o.jpg

26907956_10212557992677660_8016359837875928524_n.jpg

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39 minutes ago, David CO said:

...or he is telling you what he thinks you want to hear. Who knows?

 

I don't think he was telling me what I wanted to hear when I talked to him in the past because when we had a meeting like this twice before, he said he wanted less interference from adults, and wanted to be allowed to make mistakes. And after the last PLC, he made some comments about adults taking over again. In the past 6 months, this Scout has essentially become disengaged, and is only in Scouts to get Eagle. Which is sad because when my son visited the troop 5 years ago, this Scout was SPL, and was the reason why my son joined the troop.

40 minutes ago, HelpfulTracks said:

Who authorized the ASM to spend $2,500 of the Troop money? Sounds like a much larger issue. 

If we’re a Scout, I doubt I would be doing any further fundraising for the troop.

The money raised at the last two fundraisers were designated for new equipment. In essence everyone agreed to it: scouts and adults. Scouts did the research into the new stoves. While I admit the stove they picked was not the one we got, it was very similar. Stove we got was a heavy duty version of the one they picked, and was on sale for $10 more than the one they picked. Originally the Scouts did not put the one we got on the selection list due to the cost. Scouts were surprised and happy to get the one we did.

As for the tents and other gear, the SM and ASM approved the purchase, with the rest of us finding out after the fact. I was in the minority. I thought the Scouts should have been involved. The majority of adults in the troop were all for the purchase. IMHO, this is a result of history of hands off committee and CO, with the previous SM running the whole show. Heck even a long time MC commented the late SM was a micromanager.

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32 minutes ago, WisconsinMomma said:

What they do -- they send three uniformed adults to the Librarian's house to go through the library with the librarian.   

My husband was one of the ones to go and I grilled him a little before giving up -- why does it take three adults to do this? Why couldn't the kid just do it himself with a little instruction and review?

I would hope that trained adults would push back on the SM and MEET with the Scout instead of being so hands on. This is where I think we fail the boys. If we know better, why even go to the Librarian's house UNLESS you are going to walk him through what to do?

It's okay for adults to say "No" to the SM and tell him why this is a bad idea.

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2 hours ago, gblotter said:

Same - but not for the reason you stated. Vandalized tents equal wasted money.

I would discourage Scouts from refusing to do fundraising because of vandalism. The PLC came up with a different solution for that.

But, as a Scout, if we are raising money for equipment, and not having a say in it, I would have a problem. If adults want to take the money the Troops has and spend it, then the adults need to be raising/earning it not the Scouts.

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2 hours ago, Eagle94-A1 said:

The money raised at the last two fundraisers were designated for new equipment. In essence everyone agreed to it: scouts and adults. Scouts did the research into the new stoves. While I admit the stove they picked was not the one we got, it was very similar. Stove we got was a heavy duty version of the one they picked, and was on sale for $10 more than the one they picked. Originally the Scouts did not put the one we got on the selection list due to the cost. Scouts were surprised and happy to get the one we did.

As for the tents and other gear, the SM and ASM approved the purchase, with the rest of us finding out after the fact. I was in the minority. I thought the Scouts should have been involved. The majority of adults in the troop were all for the purchase. IMHO, this is a result of history of hands off committee and CO, with the previous SM running the whole show. Heck even a long time MC commented the late SM was a micromanager.

As for the stoves, I really don't have an issue with that, that basically got what the Scouts wanted but a more durable version for slightly more money. Had I been the Committee Chair or Equipment Chair, I would have come back to the PLC and told them that we suggest the more durable version because it will cost less in the long run. I am sure the Scouts would have agreed.

The tents on the other hand sound like adults just running off and doing what they want. That level of equipment purchase is not really in the hands of the SM and ASM, the CC and Equipment Chair should be doing the purchases of that size with the consultation of the PLC and Scoutmaster.

If an adult wants to purchase equipment with their own dime and give or loan them to the unit, more power to them. I purchased a number of Jambo tents after the event because the proce was so good. They are big and bulky, but good quality for dump camping at a great price. I loan them out as needed to the troop, crew and OA. But adults do not need to making unilateral decisions about equipment without the input of the PLC.

I wonder how the SM/ASM would react if all of a sudden the PLC and Committee started doing their jobs?

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3 hours ago, WisconsinMomma said:

I know how to sew on patches!!!   Lookee here....  

Son #1 (first patch Mammal Study)  and Son #2 (first patch Nuclear Science, really!)
Now I need to teach the boys how, but when I was an early teen I did stuff like counted cross stitch.  I'm not sure how to teach them to sew.  Maybe that's s Dad job.   Side note, I am learning to knit...

Yes, I'm showing off my kids's sashes!  I'm a proud Scout momma.

 

26850652_10212558185802488_3330962269077696757_o.jpg

26907956_10212557992677660_8016359837875928524_n.jpg

We taught my son to sew and he does all of his patches.  In fact, he has been known to charge other scouts a $1/per patch to sew their patches.   My wife went to a meeting and showed them how to sew if they wanted.

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I've been  down this road twice in the last 30 years. There's a lot I could say but I need to go to a meeting in 10 minutes so to sum up.

We have adults here who think it's their Troop rather than the Scouts troop that's why they're acting like the world's oldest patrol leader I'm afraid your not going to change their minds.

If I were in your shoes I take my boys and as many of the other Scouts as I could and run there's just no point in beating your head against a stone wall. And let the other Scouts know they're what they're getting is not scouting it's just some old guys who enjoy being in charge and are going to stay in charge as long as they can unless you can get them thrown out

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