why is your son a scout

[Basementdweller]

Great spin off I thought

 

I was a scout and had some really great memories.

 

While I was raised in a two parent household my father chose work and fraternal organizations over his family so he was not much of an influence in my life. Baby boomer Father. My scout master was my real father.

 

My son saw the scouting pictures in my scrape books and we talked about it before he was a tiger. We talked about the outings, jambo, philmont and camping. So when he brought the flyer home from school he was really excited. the rest is history.

 

I became involved to fill a void in leadership. The rest is history. My son has since moved on to boy scouts. I am still acting as CM and Web den leader.

 

It is his scouting adventure now......not mine.

[Rockford8070]

My sons are in scouting because they got to attend my cousin's Eagle Court of Honor. They saw all the pictures and regalia, which impressed them. Then during the ceremony I stood up as they called for all Eagles to recite the Eagle Scout Pledge. That pretty much sealed the deal for them.

[Oak Tree]

I've asked this question at some of our leader training sessions.

 

The majority answer I received is that the boys are in Scouts because they like the chance to hang out with their friends while getting a chance to participate in some cool activities.

 

I try to remember that when we discuss how disciplined, how organized, how much advancement we want to do. We work all that in, because just "hanging out" with no purpose quickly goes astray, but I also don't try to push too hard to make sure they all get Eagle, or drill them repeatedly on Scout skills, or worry about having some idle time in the schedule.

 

So far it's worked amazingly well for us. We've had more word of mouth recruiting than I would have ever imagined. We have around 25-30 Scouts on our current roster that joined our troop from somewhere other our feeder pack. Maybe half of those are boys who had not been in Scouting before they joined us.

[shortridge]

So I could be just like Daniel Boone and Davy Crockett.

[afscout]

I will admit it, I pushed him into it. I learned alot of skills in scouting that I still use today (leadership, knot tying, sewing, and cooking to name a few) from scouting and it has helped me be the man that I am today. There was no way my son would not at least try scouting for at least one year. If he really hated it then, he could quit, but he had to try it despite his love of playing soccer and baseball. As it turned out, he loves it and while he can go a season without playing soccer or baseball, he gets really upset if we miss a den/pack meeting.

 

The other reason I wanted my son in scouting is that it seems many young people are only in it for themselves (What's in it for me?, What about me?, What do I get? etc.) I wanted my son to learn about service and helping others. Through Scouting for Food, community service projects, winter clothes drives, etc. he's learning about service and hopefully become part of his character.

 

In the end, I truly believe scouting will help him become a solid and independant adult which it my greatest wish for him (that and a fear that he will boomerang and try to move back in with us after he finishes college)

[Lisabob]

My son joined because he brought a flyer home from school when he was a little fellow, and he wanted to do it.

 

We wanted him to join because we had just moved from a very different area to the town we live in now, and he was having a hard time adjusting. All the little boys around here were in cub scouts. That seemed like a good way for him to make some friends.

 

Today he's nearing the point where he'll age out of boy scouts. I don't think Eagle is a goal for him although he still has time, if he changes his mind. He's in scouts today because he enjoys it. He likes the guys in his patrol and he likes the things scouting allows him to do.

 

 

[GernBlansten]

At the time my son joined, we offered him all opportunities he wanted. Pee-wee soccer, piano lessons, art classes, then his friends wanted him to join as Cub scout. He liked it, we supported it.

[acco40]

My oldest expressed some interest in being a Tiger. What's this new thing, a Tiger Cub?, I ask my sister. She explains, I wait until Wolf for son #1. Son number two sees his older brother and so two years later he is a Tiger and my wife signs me up to be a den leader when he is Wolf (no Tiger den leaders then).

 

Fast forward a few years, the boys want to join Boy Scouts and the oldest was very active, earned Eagle and stayed involved past 18. Younger son waivers some, earned Eagle and kind of dropped out at 16. Both are now registered Scouters because teh BSA gives them a paycheck (something I never got!). Both work during the summer and intermittedly during the year as dining hall staff.

 

Basementdweller - I was becoming your father (a boomer, too much time at work, etc.) so I thought a good way to guarantee I spend more time with my sons was to become their den leader, Scoutmaster, etc. Yes, there are drawback to that too but the good out weighed the bad IMO.

 

To this day we (54, 20 & 18 years of age) talk about the times we had (and possibly will still have) in Scouting.

[Pack212Scouter]

An interesting question. It has evolved over the years. When he started, it was because I wanted to get him involved in something and I liked the Scouting values and leadership development. Then he stayed in Cubs because of the fun activities. After a short while, he found his niche in Scouting when he realized that he lived for the outdoors.

[Stosh]

My son is not a scout. Was a Cub, got AOL, stayed in scouts until he reached Star and then quit.

 

I didn't.

 

Stosh

[packsaddle]

Mine joined because his buddies did it. Stosh, he also almost quit when he was Star so I talked with him about finishing something that he starts and told him that if he wanted to quit and do something else, I'd support his decision. He changed his mind and stayed for Eagle and aged out after that. There seems to be a crest of a hill for some of them...that if they can just get to the top of the crest they can see where they're headed...and go on. Sometimes not. But like I tell the boys I talk with about these things...there's nothing wrong with leaving with Life, Star, or First Class. It's just whatever they decide for their lives...I'm always there to help if I can.

[Abel Magwitch]

Because it's fun.

[raisinemright]

I quit after Webelos. There was no encouragement to continue. When my son joined Tigers, one of our first things was a show and sell for popcorn. He was really shy and I figured he'd spend the entire time sitting under the table sucking his thumb. Instead, when we got there, a Webelos scout who we did not know literally put his arm around him and said "let me teach you how to sell popcorn." Knocked him completely out of his shyness as he approached everyone at the store. Years later, he's a Life Scout, has had oportunities most kids don't even dream of, has been in troop leadership as a PL, ASPL, APL and will be SPL for a new troop we're starting in January.

 

My ASM and I decided to appoint him SPL for a six-month term to get the troop going, then we're going to hold an election.

 

My other son has had many of the same opportunities, one upped his brother by earning all the Webelos badges and is one requirement away from 2nd Class. Due to a job change and cross country move, I was away from the family for about 8 months. He earned Tenderfoot without much more than some encouragement from my wife and I.

 

I cannot say enough good about Scouting.

[IM_Kathy]

my son is currently a life scout and my daughter is senior ambassador in girl scouts...

 

when they where little we got them signed up for basically everything - softball, baseball, basketball, soccer, football, and scouts... letting them start with everyone else and learn along the way.. and along the way decide for themselves what they liked and didn't like.

 

the reason my son is still in scouts is because he liked cub scouts more than he wanted a go-cart LOL. My husband was his DL for tigers and cubs and with traveling for work was getting burned out and so was trying to get our son to quit by bribing him... when my son didn't take the go-cart my husband was out of options but to let him stay in scouts, but he couldn't get anyone to replace him for DL - luckily my daughter was changing troops so I was no long a girl scout leader so I stepped up. 2 years later I was still DL and also girl scout leader again. I'm still involved with both kids' troops.

 

When he was a cub - he enjoyed the family pack campouts (husband hates to camp so was really only time he camped until he got into boy scouts), being with friends, and learning all the new things (especially with webelos).

 

Now as a boy scout - he really enjoys camping and is looking forward to his philmont trek this coming summer. His goal was to make it to 1st class and get OA... now that he has made it to life his goal is to complete Eagle.

 

and I've stayed involved because I too enjoy camping. But I also like to make sure all the kids that want to be involved get what they want to get out of scouting... and while my kids are older and all in the scout-led ages, they still have to have adult supervision to let these things take place.

[msmjr2003]

There's a similar thread in which I answered, but for the sake of detail here...

 

I wanted my son to distance his homebody ways. I was very involved with the BSA as a youth, and have been very involved with the CAP as an adult.

 

I offered either option to him. He chose the BSA so he wouldn't have to cut his hair. Since joining, he's enjoyed the camping portions the most.

 

I'm glad to see him enjoying himself, and would have been happy if he'd have joined either organization.

 

Edited for spelling.(This message has been edited by msmjr2003)