Scouts Unite!

**Kid Omega** · 04-26-2006, 06:30 AM

(inspired by the High School thread)

I know that there are some past and present Scouts on the board (Bibb, Loren, Winslow)... who else was active in Scouting?

I was pretty hardcore. Eagle, Vigil Honor... I worked heavily on a council level and attended two NOACs. I worked at Summer Camp for several years, and was an administrator for our council camp (one of the biggest in the Southeast) before it was over.

As an adult, I was an ASM, an advisor in the lodge, our District Commissioner... very active for a few years while I was back in TN.

Since moving back to NY, I am completely inactive. But I still have remnants all over my apartment (vintage photos, posters, flags, etc). My collection of vintage scout stuff is packed away, but I have some real goodies. Several items from the 1910s, and a complete uniform (patches, neckerchief, shorts, etc) from the late fifties.

I had a great time in Scouts, but I found recently that a few key donation sources (The LDS mostly) were swaying the movement politically, and it became less fun. On a troop level basis, I still love the program though.

**Winslow** · 04-26-2006, 06:39 AM

I was an Eagle Scout (Chief Okemos Council class of 1978)

I'm currently my son's Webelos Den Leader, and am a having a blast.

I was active on a District level, recruiting Cub Scout Packs to go camping. But to be honest, it was a waste of time. It's tough to get parent's convinced that camping is a great investment of time for their kid, as well as their relationship with their kid. I find an odd dynamic with today's parents, they want their kid in scouts, they want him to go camping, but they don't want to be involved.

The political stuff bums me out too. I wish both sides would mellow out.

**west3man** · 04-26-2006, 06:41 AM

I was a Cub Scout for a while. Not hardcore, at all, but it was pretty fun while it lasted.

**Winslow** · 04-26-2006, 06:44 AM

I think I posted this before, but here's the Webelos Dragon Den:

I'm the geek at the podium, and my son is second Webelos from the left (with the red patch vest)

**Kid Omega** · 04-26-2006, 06:46 AM

Originally Posted by Winslow

I was active on a District level, recruiting Cub Scout Packs to go camping. But to be honest, it was a waste of time. It's tough to get parent's convinced that camping is a great investment of time for their kid, as well as their relationship with their kid. I find an odd dynamic with today's parents, they want their kid in scouts, they want him to go camping, but they don't want to be involved.

I had the opposite problem as an ASM.... every dad HAD to be on every trip. The kids weren't leading, they weren't acting as patrols... they weren't doing anything. There dads were right beside them the whole time. It was a losing battle, getting these guys to chill out- "I want to spend time with my boy!"

They never understood that Scouts was not a family camping program.

(Of course, Webelos is a different ball of yarn...)

**west3man** · 04-26-2006, 06:46 AM

Originally Posted by Winslow

I think I posted this before, but here's the Webelos Dragon Den:

I'm the geek at the podium, and my son is second Webelos from the left (with the red patch vest)

1) At first, I thought your son was the one with his hand in the front of his pants.
2) Turns out your son is the only subject actually looking at the camera.

**SteelTownr** · 04-26-2006, 06:48 AM

I had enough Merit Badges for Life when I got away from Scouting.

I really enjoyed Scouting, but like I said in the Highschool Thread, Camping was a lot more fun with Girls involved.

That is a shame to hear about the apathy from the Parents these days, Winslow. My Dad made every camping trip that he could and we had a lot of active participation from other parents in our troop.

I had a long stint as the Chaplain's Aide in our troop. I was never really Churchy, but the prayers that I led, I think could have went for anyone. Being thankful for everything that we have and doing cool stuff for other people isn't exclusive to being Christian.

We had to change our Patrol name every six months or so, We were the Paladin Patrol and the Ranger Patrol, inspired by Dungeons and Dragons. My Favorite Patrol Name was the Rat Patrol. We had a really cool Red Flag with a Black Rat on it. I still have it in my Mother's Basement.

Do a Good Deed Today!

Mark B.

**SteelTownr** · 04-26-2006, 06:50 AM

Originally Posted by Kid Omega

I had the opposite problem as an ASM.... every dad HAD to be on every trip. The kids weren't leading, they weren't acting as patrols... they weren't doing anything. There dads were right beside them the whole time. It was a losing battle, getting these guys to chill out- "I want to spend time with my boy!"

They never understood that Scouts was not a family camping program.

(Of course, Webelos is a different ball of yarn...)

We never had that problem. The Fathers helped us out preparing meals and cutting firewood and we spent other time with them, but they gave us plenty of free time to play football and stuff.

Mark B.

**Winslow** · 04-26-2006, 06:56 AM

Originally Posted by SteelTownr

That is a shame to hear about the apathy from the Parents these days, Winslow. My Dad made every camping trip that he could and we had a lot of active participation from other parents in our troop.

Like Kid Omega pointed out, there is a huge difference in parental participation at the Cub Scout level vs. the Boy Scout level.

Cub scouts require parental participation cause the kids are too young to make a fire, or use an axe or saw, etc.. Plus their too young to carry alot of gear.

The great news is: I DO think we've turned things around in our Pack (Dictrict-wide it's different). We went camping in early April: rainy, cold, but we had 15 parents and 17 scouts go from our pack - close to half our group.

At a Boy Scout level, the parent's should just be auxilliary support (driving, 2-deep accountability, and emergency backup).

**mattbib** · 04-26-2006, 06:59 AM

Originally Posted by Winslow

I was an Eagle Scout (Chief Okemos Council class of 1978)

You ARE an Eagle Scout.

**Adam Crocker** · 04-26-2006, 07:06 AM

I was a Scout myself, and was involved in the scouting movement from about the age of six when I joined the Beavers (Beaver Scouts is the scouting movment's organization for six to eight year olds in the UK, which carries over into Canada as well). Then moved up to Cubs, and later Scouts. I was attentive, but I can't say I was hardcore. I think I mostly went in and stuck through this at the insistence of my Dad and somewhat resented having to go out every Tuesday night to a meeting and some of the camping trips (especially the winter ones!). I decided I wasn't going to go into Venturers after hitting fourteen.

On the other hand looking back on it I quite enjoy the experience and it was a lot of fun, even if I didn't always appreciate it at times. The summer camps were pretty good. The Manitoba Jamboree was fun, and darnit I liked Klondike Days! For those who don't know, Klondike Days is when a bunch of scouts from Saskatchewan and Manitoba would get together in Saskatchewan's capital, Regina. Often we'd arrive at 10:00 at night to bunk in some gymnasium, not get to bed til 12:00, get up at 5:00 or so to wash our faces and upper bodies in the bathroom sinks and devour a thick gruel made by the Scouters who would lecture us on the need for nutritious food. We would then pack up a bunch of equipment and be driven down to outside the CBC building in the capital where we'd be sent off into teams with their own sled where we would be forced to march around the park of Wascana Centre, slogging through the deep snow, and compete in a series of competitions testing our Scouting knowledge and outdoor survival skills, being sustained on packed lunches and drinks that had since frozen to slush, while our Scouter leaders (including my Dad) availed themselves of the cities sites and pleasures. Oh it was such fun!

And I think it made me a better person too. I learned a lot of about being considerate of my surroundings and others from following its precepts and from listening to my Scouters. (For some reason Scouts was more successful than Church.) Maybe I'll encourage my child to join.

Then I can look forward to enjoying Regina while they slog around Wascana Park in the snow. :D

**Kid Omega** · 04-26-2006, 07:07 AM

"You ARE an Eagle Scout."

Yeah, seriously...

Do you have an Eagle Knot on your uniform? I don't see it....

**Winslow** · 04-26-2006, 07:09 AM

Originally Posted by mattbib

You ARE an Eagle Scout.

Heh . . . :D Once an Eagle . . . . .

My Dad was my scoutmaster. I have a ton of pics on my 'puter from putting together a 50th weddinng anniversary slide show for my parents last summer.

Anyway, here's Troop 82 circa 1978. I'm the geek in the back with a 'fro and glasses that looks like Napoleon Dynamite. It's amazing how much I look like my Dad now that I'm in my 40's