Scouts Unite!

[mattbib]

I'm not challenging or debating with you - but the Troop our Pack is assciated with is similar, so I have some questions.

District-wide events - like patrol competetions at District Camporees was a great part of scouting for me. We also had what we called a First Aid-O-Ree which was a patrol competetion with First Aid knowledge that was fun.

When you say insular- what do you mean? Do you still attend Camporees?

And why do you think autonomy from the District has helped you?

We do participate in our District Camporee largely because it's the same weekend as the Webelos Woods. Troops host Webelos Dens so it's an important part of our recruitment program.

We're also able to teach Scouting "our" way. We stress Leave No Trace and the Outdoor Code. We camp light, all year long. It really bugs me when my kids see other troops that mobilize like a military unit with their giant PVC-canopies, their buses, etc. I think that kind of camping is not what Scouting is supposed to be teaching.

However our boys for the most part HATE camporees and similar inter-troop activities. I don't know if it's just something to do with today's kids, or if they somehow foster my own attitude (I'm not vocal about my attitude at all, so it's funny that the kids would share my disdain for inter-troop programs).

Our autonomy has allowed us to concentrate on our own kids and our own patrol structure and programs. We include inter-patrol competition included in our meetings/camping, so we're able to put together a program that we KNOW will appeal to our kids, rather than throw them into whatever lame program someone else has devised.

We do promote various district activities though. For instance Merit Badge College and other advancement or community service events.

I really meant we were insular when it came to the adult leadership. We don't really participate in a leadership sense (such as attending Roundtable).

[Winslow]

No, I know that, I mean what animal is it. You go Wolf, Bear, Webelos. And all the words for grades of Boy Scout are actual words that mean something. So what the hell's a Webelo?

It was coined by the old Cub Scout ranks:

Wolf, Bear, Lion, Boy Scout . . .Webelos when the program got rid of Lion.

Now it stands for "We'll Be Loyal Scouts"

[Michael P]

It was coined by the old Cub Scout ranks:

Wolf, Bear, Lion, Boy Scout . . .Webelos .

When the program got rid of Lion.

Now it stands for "We'll Be Loyal Scouts"

Fair enough. BUt I'm still going to make it my life's mission to discover some new animal and name it a Webelo.

[mattbib]

Fair enough. BUt I'm still going to make it my life's mission to discover some new animal and name it a Webelo.

FYI...they're each a Webelos Scout. Or, collectively, Webelos Scouts. The word Webelos is never used without the word Scout or Scouts.

Webelo isn't the singular of Webelos. (I don't even think Webelo is a word in the program).

[Michael P]

This does not alter my plan.

[Shellhead]

I was in Scouts for 6 years, 2 as a Cub Scout, 1 as a Webelo, and 3 as a Boy Scout. The highest rank I achieved was "Second Class Scout", which I think was one level below "Star Scout."

The first Boy Scout troop that I was in was a very blue collar bunch. I didn't mind until Summer Scout Camp, when the week was marred by multiple fist fights in camp each day. After that, my best friend and I were pulled out by our parents, even though we weren't fighting anybody, and we changed to an upper-middle class Boy Scout troop that met just a couple of miles away from the first troop.

The thing I really miss about the first troop was that we met in the basement of really cool looking church, and we played Blackout Football nearly every meeting. In Blackout Football, you have two teams, a large clear section of floor, and a studry beanbag "ball". You score by getting the ball across the goalline defended by the other team. The catch is, you can only move when the lights are out. Periodically, one of the referees would flip on the lights, often after hearing an alarming cry of pain, and anybody caught moving, standing, or playing dirty (hitting below the belt, gouging eyes, choking, etc.) would be pulled out of the game until the next time the lights were turned on.

The second Scout troop was more civilized in most respects, except for hazing the new guys with snipe hunts or pelting them with food on the first couple of campouts in the fall. Oh, and they played some pretty brutal games at the meetings, too. Their favorites were Dodgeball using real basketballs (really stings when a 17 year-old football player throws a basketball at a skinny 13 year-old nerd), and Duck-Duck-Goose using a plastic baseball bat.

I loved the campouts. I hated the mindless obsession with gaining merit badges and ranks. When I felt like I was spending too much time on the merit badge stuff and not enough on the campouts, I dropped out. Since then, I have spent almost zero time doing wilderness stuff like camping, hiking, rock climbing, canoeing, and spelunking. Once in a while, I get the urge to do some camping, but my girlfriend and all of my current friends are very urban people who would rather stay in the city and shop or drink coffee or hit the clubs.

[Callie]

I was a Girl Scout, earned my Gold Award and everything. Did the summer camp counselor thing for several summers after high school too.

I was briefly an Explorer Scout with BSA in college with a group of friends. Didn't do a whole lot, but I did get to go backpacking at Philmont. I was like one of 3 girl campers in the entire camp.

[Winslow]

However our boys for the most part HATE camporees and similar inter-troop activities. I don't know if it's just something to do with today's kids, or if they somehow foster my own attitude (I'm not vocal about my attitude at all, so it's funny that the kids would share my disdain for inter-troop programs).

Interesting.

I get the same vibe from the Troop my son will be in next year, that patrol competitions are not fun.

I don't get it.

But I'm a former jock that misses competition.

[Winslow]

I was a Girl Scout, earned my Gold Award and everything. Did the summer camp counselor thing for several summers after high school too.

I was briefly an Explorer Scout with BSA in college with a group of friends. Didn't do a whole lot, but I did get to go backpacking at Philmont. I was like one of 3 girl campers in the entire camp.

Gold Award is harder to achieve than Eagle Scout from everythign I've heard, it's shame it isn't as well known.

[mattbib]

Gold Award is harder to achieve than Eagle Scout from everythign I've heard, it's shame it isn't as well known.

I really don't know much about it. I just looked up the requirements and they seem much more developmental/goal oriented than Eagle Scout. I don't know how the Gold Award requirements relate to their lower award requirements.

I think the problem may not be that Eagle is easier to earn, but that some troops don't hold Life Scouts fully accountable for certain Eagle requirements. For instance the leadership and participation requirements should be much more demanding of Life Scouts. In actuality many troops let their Scouts slide by. This would definitely give the impression that Eagle is easier, when in fact it may just be that troop making it easier on their Scouts.

[Winslow]

I'm probably speaking from ignorance . . .

But I thought I read somewhere that the Gold Award service project had to leave an enduring and lasting improvement to the community - or "leave a legacy" or some such thing.

In other words, I thought the Gold Award service project requirements were tougher.

Both are certainly a huge accomplishment.

I didn't mean to dis Eagle, just wish the Gold Award was more well known.

[Lex]

I was a Scout.

My dad was hugely into Scouts as a kid. He did it all. He got Eagle, many honors and even became a troup leader for a long time.

And when I came along, he put me into Scouts as soon as he could. It was kinda fun for me for awhile, but I'm not the most outdoors-y person. And I don't know why, but I grew to dislike Scouts. So much so that I quit when I was in high school.

I sometimes think that was a big disappointment for my dad. And while I think I made the right decision for myself, I sometimes look back and think it would've been nice to at least get as far as Eagle.

[Callie]

I'm fairly certain the Gold Award was developed to mimic the Eagle Award.

They've changed the reqs a few dozen times. IIRC, I had to complete tons of hours of service work, earn a couple badges, and attend a training on developing and planning events. Don't remember if the Silver Award was a requirement or not, but I had earned that way back too. Then, I had to completely develop, plan, and carry out an event with only minimal assistance from our leaders. I worked together with another girl from my troop to create a big Brownie day for council with environmentalism as a theme.

[K'Nort]

I was a Brownie/Girl Scout through either 6th or 7th grade. It was a pretty mellow troop. I only remember camping once, but it was also Alaska and being out in the wilderness was a little too routine for most of us. I was a lousy cookie seller.

My brother was in scouts for about the same timeframe. I mainly just remember him cutting the heck out of his hand three years in a row when trying to carve his pinewood derby entry.

[Puma]

I was a brownie and the a girl scout for one year. The troop was just too into domestic things like cooking and sewing so I joined Campfire. We went boating, hiking, swimming, and the camp was great! I went every summer til I was fifteen, Camp Killoqua is still one of my favorite memories from being a kid.