After 100 Years, Are The Boy Scouts Still Relevant?

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42L5V
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Re: After 100 Years, Are The Boy Scouts Still Relevant?

Post by 42L5V »

I have one Eagle Scout and one who is pending his board of review for Eagle. My wife is the troop treasurer, and I've taught several merit badges. The kids who go on to Eagle are those whose parents take an active role in Scouting. The others fall victim to the two evil scents: gasoline and perfume.

If the Scout troop is lame - it's because the leaders are. Our troop has been to Shiloh battlefield, Washington DC, hiked the Katy Trail in the past year, and is going to Texas for spring break. We do (groan) fundraisers, and it is a minimum of expense for the Scout.

The money that I put into Scouts was immediately repaid with the scholarships my boy got when he headed off to college. Scouting is not irrelevant, it is one of the few values-based orgnizations left.
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Re: After 100 Years, Are The Boy Scouts Still Relevant?

Post by Rock Island Ranger »

Relevant to what? Its kind of a stupid question. The things that are taught in Scouting are based on Honor, Integrity, Truth, Ethics, Morality, Self Confidence, and Self Esteem. Are these things relevant?
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Re: After 100 Years, Are The Boy Scouts Still Relevant?

Post by Invictus »

42L5V wrote:I have one Eagle Scout and one who is pending his board of review for Eagle. My wife is the troop treasurer, and I've taught several merit badges. The kids who go on to Eagle are those whose parents take an active role in Scouting. The others fall victim to the two evil scents: gasoline and perfume.

If the Scout troop is lame - it's because the leaders are. Our troop has been to Shiloh battlefield, Washington DC, hiked the Katy Trail in the past year, and is going to Texas for spring break. We do (groan) fundraisers, and it is a minimum of expense for the Scout.

The money that I put into Scouts was immediately repaid with the scholarships my boy got when he headed off to college. Scouting is not irrelevant, it is one of the few values-based orgnizations left.

This is essentially my perspective, but from a Cub Scout leader and only 1 son active so far. The parents and participation can make all the difference. As a Den Leader i had the same 10 kids for 4 years straight. That was due primarily to the parents and all the efforts my wife and I put into our activities.
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Re: After 100 Years, Are The Boy Scouts Still Relevant?

Post by Rock Island Ranger »

I have to tell you gents something. Many of you I have seen involved with your kids. It is the only hope I have in the future is seeing Fathers train their children they very things we hold dear. Investment in a kid IS community involvement. It IS assurance that the future can be sound.
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Re: After 100 Years, Are The Boy Scouts Still Relevant?

Post by snafu »

I'm 29 so I'm probably on the outskirts of the "Generation Me" category. I was a Tiger-Cub and a Cub-Scout when I was a kid but just as most of you posted earlier, the stuff we did was pretty lame and by the time I was going to do the Boy Scout thing I looked at my dad and asked if I could just play football and baseball instead...Sure they are relevant, but relevant to themselves. Just as being a Ranger is relevant to us and not the average joe walking the street, unfortunately. I can't guarantee my 4 month old son will go into the Scouts, but I can damn sure guarantee he's getting my Ranger Handbook for his first birthday.

"If the Scout troop is lame - it's because the leaders are." (42L5V)-----that says it all in my opinion.
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Re: After 100 Years, Are The Boy Scouts Still Relevant?

Post by rgrokelley »

42L5V wrote:If the Scout troop is lame - it's because the leaders are.
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Re: After 100 Years, Are The Boy Scouts Still Relevant?

Post by Jim »

There is a story in the latest AUSA Feb 2010 Army magazine where BG (Ret) John Brown writes:

"In the mid-1990s, the Army four-star generals met to formally define the values the Army held most dear: loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honor integrity, and personal courage. Taking into account their definintions of each value, their list was a close match to the tenets of the Scout Law: trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courtious, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent. This is no accident; the men deliberating around the table had been scouts in their youth. If the only connection between Scouting and national defense were young men and women who instinctively upheld the Army values, this indeed would be contribution enough."
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Re: After 100 Years, Are The Boy Scouts Still Relevant?

Post by Ranger Hix »

I have been involved with the Scouting program (as an Eagle Scout and Scout Leader )on and off for twenty years. As a father(Scoutmaster) of one Eagle Scout, and another pending his Eagle Board of Review, I don't know haw anyone could think this program is not relevent to todays society. As I like to tell all new incoming boys and their parents, that this is the one program that you are able to be involved completely with your son. It all comes down to putting time in with your kids. You can watch your son practice football, sit in the bleachers while the play baseball or you can help them build to build a fire and sleep under the stars, Tough Choice....How do you put a price on that?
I completely agree with the lame program, lame leader comment and the fact the the lawyers and lawsuits have hampered the Programs future, but somethings are worth working for. You will have a tuff time telling me their core values and ethics are not good for kids.
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Re: After 100 Years, Are The Boy Scouts Still Relevant?

Post by ANGRYCivilian »

rgrokelley wrote:I was a Boy Scout for about two weeks in Florida, then I discovered girls.

Having established by non-Boy Scout credentials, I think the Boy Scouts have been pussified and turns off those who wish to join. My opinion is based upon doing demonstrations with the Boy Scouts over the years. When a Boy Scout has to have a roped off area, in a non-threating zone, just to be able to use a knife to whittle with, they have started down the road to wimpdom. This is merely one example of what I saw, however that is my opinion as an outsider. I imagine it might have the same negative effect on others.
I agree. I was in Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts, and it was gay. No shooting, no backpacking, no real camping...just a whole bunch of gayness in a uniform. This was also in Florida. I imagine that Boy Scouts is probably pretty cool in some place like Utah or Wyoming.
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Re: After 100 Years, Are The Boy Scouts Still Relevant?

Post by Baseplate »

I also must say that I grew up in Mississippi where the outdoors aren't for enjoyment. Really they are just for distuction, that and how many pine trees does a guy have to see in his lifetime
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Re: After 100 Years, Are The Boy Scouts Still Relevant?

Post by RangerX »

Baseplate wrote:I also must say that I grew up in Mississippi where the outdoors aren't for enjoyment. Really they are just for distuction, that and how many pine trees does a guy have to see in his lifetime
Dude, WTF is a distuction?!? Does it involve "checking for bees"?
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Re: After 100 Years, Are The Boy Scouts Still Relevant?

Post by Baseplate »

distruction. spelling isn't my strong suit
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Re: After 100 Years, Are The Boy Scouts Still Relevant?

Post by Jim »

Wall Street Journal
26 Feb 2010
By TONY WOODLIEF
To my detriment, I was never a Boy Scout. Reading the first edition of the Boy Scout handbook, an American classic that recently celebrated its 100th anniversary, I am struck by the appeal it has not only for adventuresome boys, but for grown men. "Do you wish to have all-round, well-developed muscles . . . ?" writes Chief Scout Ernest Thompson Seton. "Would you like to be an expert camper . . . ? Do you believe in loyalty, courage, and kindness? Would you like to form habits that will surely make your success in life?"

My answer is a resounding "Yes!" I am past Scouting age, but my four sons are fast approaching it. Soon I'll learn to tie knots and construct a homemade compass alongside them.

Or will I? While the Boy Scout Law ("A Scout is Trustworthy, Loyal, Helpful . . .") has scarcely changed, the Boy Scout handbook has seen numerous revisions since that first volume made its way into eager young hands. In addition to the 1910 original (it was a temporary guide until the 1911 "first" edition could be produced), there are 12 handbook editions. Nearly 40 million copies of the handbook have been sold since its inception


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