Welcome to Omgili,
Omgili ( Oh My God I Love It ;) is a search engine for discussions. With Omgili you can find answers and solutions, debates, discussions, personal experiences, opinions and more... To learn more about Omgili click here.
This is a complete preview of the discussion as it was indexed by Omgili crawlers. Use this preview if the original discussion is unavailable.
Click here to view the original discussion.
 |
|
 |
|
Opinions on boy scouts? - MotheringDotCommunity Forums
I have a 5 (soon to be 6yo) boy.
I think he would like scouting but I am not sure what I would be buying into.
Do you like Boy Scouts for your boys?
(I never made it past Brownies myself) Thanks
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
|
|
|
No.
My husband was in scouts for an ungodly amount of time (I think over 17 years).
He was really excited to put ds into it this last year.
It was a big disappointment to them both.
Its no longer (here anyways) the same character education, charity, learn to tie knots kind of club (for the little ones) they did one nature walk all year.
My husband even was a scout leader but found the parents were not so interested in "scouting" but a cheap place to put their kids for two hours.
The ratios of parents to kids would have been fine in our day but with all the unruly kids it was pure bedlam.
We are not doing it next year.
The boys might join when they are older.
And with the troop well scouted out to be like it used to be.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
DS just finished his first year (bobcat to wolf scout, working on his bear scout) and he LOVES it.
It is his favorite thing to do and is always excited to go to the meeting, events, work on his belt loops and pins.
We have an awesome pack, though.
We're in a small community and everyone is very outgoing, friendly and motivated.
DS's den is 6 boys and 2 adult leaders (plus the dads and moms who stay and help).
Last year DS made the derby car, a toolbox and boat, did a nature bike ride, planted trees, went on a garbage/recycle walk, had a charity pancake breakfast, did flag raisings, made Christmas decorations (yule logs and candle holders), toured an aircraft carrier (which was amazing), had an overnight camping trip where the boys whittled, cooked and hiked and went to the Sheriff's dept.
(lead by DH) to see all the swat stuff and K-9.
Each summer is a 3-day camping trip where the boys
I like it because it's so family-oriented and involved.
DH goes and helps with every den meeting and the 4 of us attend the monthly pack meetings (where we usually are helping with something).
My daughter and I are always welcomed along to everything (which is different from the Girl Scouts where it seems more exclusive).
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I wouldn't.
This thread might help .
It discusses issues some people have with the scouts as well as alternatives to it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
My older son would love being a boy scout, but I can't in good conscience support an openly discriminatory organization.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Quote: : It was a big disappointment to them both.
Its no longer (here anyways) the same character education, charity, learn to tie knots kind of club (for the little ones) they did one nature walk all year.
My husband even was a scout leader but found the parents were not so interested in "scouting" but a cheap place to put their kids for two hours.
The ratios of parents to kids would have been fine in our day but with all the unruly kids it was pure bedlam.
So if you find your particular pack to be lame midway through, do you have any recourse to change packs locally?
Or is this just not done?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
It really depends on the pack, and yes, you can transfer membership if you do not like the pack you are in.
I find a lot of the arguments against scouts, also depends on which pack you are in.
Supposedly 'national' has these policies, but our pack has a gay leader, many differing religions, including christianity, judaism, muslim and yes, atheists.
Maybe it's because we're in a college town...i dunno.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
If you aren't philosophically opposed to the Boy Scout's Values, then I think it totally depends on your local group.
My brother's didn't have a bad experience so to speak, but compared to things other groups do theirs was kind of lame.
They didn't stick it out.
My DH works with teens and a number of them are working on earning their Eagle Scout awards...they have had a very good experience and speak highly of their group.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Quote: : My older son would love being a boy scout, but I can't in good conscience support an openly discriminatory organization.
My older son has also decided that he's an atheist so he wouldn't even be permitted to join.
And either one of my kids may be gay.
Why set them up for such pain and rejection?
My father was an eagle scout.
He was also an atheist.
Once upon a time the Boy Scouts didn't care.
I hope to start our own area group for kids to learn to tie knots, sharpen knives, camp, etc.
We won't discriminate.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
It really depends on the den/pack/troop you're in.
My boy was in Scouts from Cubs, and went into BSA in middle school.
Our cub den/pack were really great - lots of outdoors stuff, camping, either parent was welcome (we were the only family with only one parent, but I pulled my weight on the camping trips, Klondikes, etc).
His Scout troop....
Had a lot of good points, especially to start.
They weren't bothered (when we joined) if a boy didn't want to work on his Eagle, but was just interested in the camaraderie and outdoorsy stuff.
A was SPL (Senior Patrol Leader) his second year.
The dads involved were all really supportive of a kid w/o a Dad local and really took him under their (collective) wings.
Unfortunately, in his freshman year, one of the boys and his Dad (who we knew and were friendly with for YEARS) decided that my son was gay.
(Not that it matters, but as far as I know, he's not.) By the time they were done, all but one family and the Scout Master had stepped back from him (and the SM wasn't willing to step up to the plate and back him up).
So he quit. He's still best friends with that one boy (in fact, as soon as he heard D was working on his Eagle, A was on the phone volunteering to help him in any way possible - every other "Scout" had to be cajoled to help), and I'm tight with the parents.
Whenever I run into the other parents, I get that squirrely look from them (sorta "sorry 'bout your kid...").
And I think... "at least my boy actually lives by the Scout code."
So, yeah.
Depends on the group.
I don't regret his being in Scouts one bit.
But I'm glad he chose to leave when he did.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I hope my son would be interested.
I loved girl scouts, i was in it til highschool when my troop disbanded, and i didnt want to join a new one that late in the game.
however i know that it totally depends on the leaders if its a good troop or not.
My sister and i both had sorry ones before we got to our good ones
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I won't support an organization that is openly and proudly homophobic and religionist.
So, my boys aren't/won't be involved.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Quote: : My older son would love being a boy scout, but I can't in good conscience support an openly discriminatory organization.
Exactly. And this is why I wouldn't put my son in it (when we have a boy).
Another big problem I have with the scouts is the original intended purpose of it.
Now it may seem stupid, and it probably very well is, but the Scouts were originally conceived as a way for England to train all the little boys how to be good soldiers, not good men.
It was basically like a boot camp for children.
But my main problem is how discriminatory they are and how they require you recognize and worship a higher power.
And they are horribly hypocritical.
Their "laws" state: "A Scout is reverent toward God.
He is faithful in his religious duties.
He respects the beliefs of others." The whole concept just bothers me to end.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
We don't have a son but my dh is an Eagle Scout and a Vigil Member of Order of the Arrow, an affiliate to Boy Scouts.
Boy Scouts was fantastic for him.
He lived and breathed scouting for many years and learned s many great leadership and practical skills, as well as getting him to enjoy the outdoors.
I'd like to look into Girl Scouts for our dd when she's older.
If I had a son, he would be a scout in a heartbeat.
But we support the Scouts' religious views so we have no personal objection.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
As someone who taught outdoor education and worked with kids all the time...
I have a special loathing for scouts.
I'm sure there are "good" scout groups out there, but almost all of them that I worked with over the years treated the outdoors as their personal playgrounds to destroy as they saw fit.
I've seen more destruction in our national & state parks & forests due to boy scouts than by any other group.
Its truelly horrific what many scout groups do to our parks and forests.
And then theres their religious stances - no gays/lesbians, no athiests, etc.
Which are also a huge turn off for me.
Those things combined make me very, very unsupportive of the boy scouts.
I can't imagine letting DS join them, ever.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
My dd is only one...so not yet thinking of such things, but if/when she does, i hope that my dp will organize a 'boy scout' type group.
Co-ed if possible, and learning survival skills, camping type things, etc.
i think 4H sounds fun too.
i definitely could not support an organization who is disciminatory, even though their views do not personally affect me negatively, i think it is hypocritical and wrong to be so 'anti' people who are different than you.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
We won't do Boy Scouts for the reasons mentioned re: discrimination.
I will consider the other earth-based scouts out there if DS expresses an interest.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I would have loved to have my boys active in scouts--if it was an old school troop they would have loved it.
However, since the leadership is steadfastly, openly, and *proudly* anti-gay folks I can't in good conscience allow my boys to join.
Also, it seems to me that despite the fact that in their creed they should be respectful of other religions the leadership currently has moved away from that.
Unfortunately (IMO) there is no good equivalent.
I hope one day that the boy scouts will take the route that GSA did and give up discrimination against sexual orientation, when they do I'll be the first to allow my boys to give it a try.
We are looking into starting a 4-H group though.
I actually think that single-gender organizations can offer special things to kids who participate, but not if they come with attachments that violate our family's ethics and religious beliefs (we are Christian, but are UCC).
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Quote: : I won't support an organization that is openly and proudly homophobic and religionist.
Yup. I would never allow DS to be a scout.
My nephew is a scout and it breaks my heart.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Quote: : So if you find your particular pack to be lame midway through, do you have any recourse to change packs locally?
Or is this just not done?
Not sure dh was one of the pack leaders so they both were stuck.
my hood has a lot of Chinese Buddhists and athiests there was no god at scouts...there was not much of anything I think they took god out of the pledge this year.
Scouts here is not for boys only its unisex.
(canada)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|