New Troop!

[Hawkwin 299]

What a roller-coaster ride these last two days were. We went from my son quitting scouts on Sunday night to him "having fun at a meeting" during a troop visit last night, and him committing to join the new troop before we even got home - all in a 48 hour period. I am an emotional wreck!

Rather than continue this story in the previous thread:

I thought, in light of what is in all reality a positive end result, to start a new thread that isn't burdened by all the heartache of the old thread. While we will miss the scouts of the old troop, as well as some of the scouters, I am sure we will make new friends and relationship in the new troop (or rebuild some that we used to have as some of the scouts and scouters of this troop came from my son's old pack).

The SM of the new troop is also a member of the district leadership and was already aware of the problems we were having in the old troop. Both my son and I asked many questions to address our concerns and the SM seemed to clearly indicate that the new troop is about fun first, and advancement and requirements second and that the SM was more than happy to do SMCs at a meeting. As I nodded my head and grinned I could not help but blurt out, "a game with a purpose."

Again, thank you to everyone that help my scout (and ME) get through this. It brought tears to my eyes last night when my son related his excitement in having a new scouting home.

 

And a bonus! This troop will be creating a sister troop so my daughter will have a place too in February!

 

[Eagle94-A1 2685]

EXCELLENT! My boys have also been frustrated with their troop, and are switching. Monday will be their last with the current troop. Tuesday they are turning in the transfer paperwork to the new troop.

[Jameson76 1481]

FUN is the main thing, actually the only thing.

We as leaders need to do what we can to make the GAME of Scouting easier.  They lead it and we need to enable and be flexible in our part of it.  Scouts competes with many things for attention in the youth's lives.  Just this week we had a Scout, went to summer camp, but plays football in the fall, he was back at meetings this week.   Let them be part of the Scouts as much as they can

Great results and hope it continues to be positive.

[HashTagScouts 435]

Feeling hopeful for you both Hawkwin and Eagle94-1.  My son had some experiences that were similar to yours, and discussions with the SM would become what I would term as "bullish".  My son hates confrontation, and at the first sign that the conversation is turning to being heated, he will bow out.  Personally, I would have been right there giving it back to the SM, but I appreciate my son didn't.  My son stuck it out to finish off his Eagle rank in that troop, and then even ran for a term as SPL- that was his attempt to "be the guy" to try and turn things around as the senior leader.  I was not hugely in favor of him going for SPL, as I saw that it was going to be a breaking point for him when he realized the SM was not going to actually give him control or change anything.  Ultimately, that was what happened, and after even more frustration that every suggestion he gave at the annual planning conference for the next year was immediately critiqued (and downright shot down mostly) by the SM, my son walked away.  That troop was also all about the "friends & family" plan as well, which was a disaster to my view, and my son hated it.  He took the summer to talk to Scouts/Scouters he has befriended from summer camp, OA, etc. and found a troop that he is happy with, and "troop life" became fun again for him.  I am hugely pleased with the fact he is happy, and that he didn't just rest on being an Eagle and walk away from Scouting. 

Letting your kids find themselves and being able to enjoy Scouting is key.  Just instill in them to keep a cheerful attitude, and if youth/adults from the old troop engage them, just wish them well and stay positive.  My son got some negative comments since he left, and I half expected that he would, but I told him that those people were the ones who didn't recognize there was a problem in the first place, so he isn't going to do himself any favors trying to change their attitudes now.