After 100 Years, Are The Boy Scouts Still Relevant?

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

Post by rgrwest »

Baseplate wrote:distruction. spelling isn't my strong suit

Should have been a Boy Scout and got your Spelling Badge.
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Re: After 100 Years, Are The Boy Scouts Still Relevant?

Post by BonesC75RVN »

I was a Cub Scout and then a Boy Scout. I never stayed in long enough to be an Eagle scout, but ,I made it to a First Class Scout with 12 merritt badges.

I knew how to pack a ruck, sharpen a knife, follow a game trail, and which direction I was walking in via a compass. Scouting also taught me all that D & C ceromony stuff I disliked in the Army. Bottom line is when I got to basic training, I had already "been there".

I believe Scouting is more important today then ever. We can joke all we want, but, we all know that Team Work, Desicipline, and Skills is what makes someone a survivor. The Boy Scouts taught me the basics, the Army taught me the advanced procedures, being a RANGER taught me how to kill, evade, and stay alive.

Just my opinion, for whatever its worth.

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

Post by Ranger175csar »

It's relevant if your a catholic priest....

Seriously though.. I'm going to look into for my boy and if interested, I'll get involved becasue I dont trust many poeple with my spawn.
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Re: After 100 Years, Are The Boy Scouts Still Relevant?

Post by DirtyBlackSocks »

My experience with the Boy Scouts as a child was poor. Our Den Leader did next to nothing to promote any training within the organization for us to earn our skills badge, and most of the meetings ended up with all of the kids watching The Simpsons while the parents hung out downstairs doing whatever they wanted.

I'm sure not all Den's are like this, and I think they are still relevant in many ways. Building strong community bonds in an era when people disassociate themselves from society in favor watching TV, etc.

My son is in an alternative Scouts program that is run by our Church - and it's helped to shape his character and moral values in way that single parenting cannot.

Hell yes they're still relevant, building strong community ties and instilling a sense of community responsibility in kids is as relevant today as it was 100 years ago - if not more so now. As parents we need to be involved, though. It's not a baby sitting service so mom and dad can get an evening to themselves. In most respects it takes extra commitment from parents that we would not be held to if we had chosen to leave our son out of this group.
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Re: After 100 Years, Are The Boy Scouts Still Relevant?

Post by PAGrunt »

My mom was a Den Leader for about the first half of my time in Cub Scouts. She mainly volunteered for it (on top of a full-time job) because noone else would do it. We lived in an inner-city neighborhood and surprisingly had a large amount of members. Our meetings would range from fun physical activities like playing kickball to informative ones like meeting with K9 police officers. After moving, I joined another Den, and that's where the fun ended. Most of the meetings considered sitting around doing arts and crafts without ever actually doing outdoor activities. I was in the Boy Scouts but quit soon after. Like others said it wasn't the outdoor hiking, shooting and camping experience my father talked about. After quitting Scouting, I enjoyed the outdoors more by hunting,fishing,hiking and camping with friends and families.

I think what the Boy/Cub Scouts try to teach is still relevant today. However, as many of us have mentioned there are alot of Dens that are not run the way the should be. If you don't have a good experience as a Cub Scout it's a gurantee that member will not be joining the Boy Scouts. Also, there are alot of activities today offered by schools that provide kids with a sense of teamwork and a chance to socialize. If I had a kid I'd much rather put him/her into some kind of sport since it seems like there are normally more volunteers who are able to help out with the program.
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Re: After 100 Years, Are The Boy Scouts Still Relevant?

Post by 42L5V »

DirtyBlackSocks wrote:My experience with the Boy Scouts as a child was poor. Our Den Leader did next to nothing to promote any training within the organization for us to earn our skills badge, and most of the meetings ended up with all of the kids watching The Simpsons while the parents hung out downstairs doing whatever they wanted.

I'm sure not all Den's are like this, and I think they are still relevant in many ways. Building strong community bonds in an era when people disassociate themselves from society in favor watching TV, etc.

My son is in an alternative Scouts program that is run by our Church - and it's helped to shape his character and moral values in way that single parenting cannot.

Hell yes they're still relevant, building strong community ties and instilling a sense of community responsibility in kids is as relevant today as it was 100 years ago - if not more so now. As parents we need to be involved, though. It's not a baby sitting service so mom and dad can get an evening to themselves. In most respects it takes extra commitment from parents that we would not be held to if we had chosen to leave our son out of this group.

Go look at my post on your "letters from school" thread.
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Re: After 100 Years, Are The Boy Scouts Still Relevant?

Post by RSOVRanger »

If the most local troop sucks, look at others in the area.

When I was a kid I was a boy scout... only made it to 1st class but I had a blast doing what I did and going where I went with it.

My first scoutmaster was a 'Nam vet who got us our shotgun merit badges by using an Ithica that had some history behind it. He had carried that shotgun in vietnam.

By far one of the best experiences I had as a youth.
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Re: After 100 Years, Are The Boy Scouts Still Relevant?

Post by rgrokelley »

I was going to be a Girl Scout, but they kicked me out for eating a brownie

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

Post by Horned Toad »

ANGRYCivilian wrote:
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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I was a Scout in FL and we went camping every month. Summer camps were in NC. Of course our Troop was the terror of the North Florida Council and when it disbanded after my friends and I got out they banned our old number from being used again.
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Re: After 100 Years, Are The Boy Scouts Still Relevant?

Post by Horned Toad »

BruteForce wrote:I think it's relevant, but I don't like how it's handled here in Utah.

In Utah, the Mormon church sponsors just about every troop, so there's some Mormon indoctrination that occurs.

I do think as long as the Scouts continue the tradition of teaching outdoorsmanship, basic ethics and working with hand tools, etc that it will remain relevant.

I absolutely can't stand to see a 50-60 year old man in a Boy Scout uniform though -- makes me think Pedophile every time I see it.
Due to location I have talked to a bunch of Mormons about this. They say the troops are non denominational but obliviously that’s BS when they come back from camping trips on Saturday night so they can make it to church on Sunday. I have already started scoping out other Scout Troops in the area that are NOT sponsored by Mormons.
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Re: After 100 Years, Are The Boy Scouts Still Relevant?

Post by Jim »

Thought I would repost this thread in light of what has gone on in the BSA.

http://www.cnn.com/2013/05/23/us/boy-sc ... rientation
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Re: After 100 Years, Are The Boy Scouts Still Relevant?

Post by rgrokelley »

The Scouts have now become a political tool. Doesn't matter if you were one or not, their brand is now tarnished.
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Re: After 100 Years, Are The Boy Scouts Still Relevant?

Post by centermass »

Nothing like caving in to the needs of the few. What happens now to those "NORMAL" boys who might have joined but now want no part of of having to share a common shower area with a bunch of meat gazers?

I equate this on the same level to letting males join the Girl Scouts with all levels of tasks and domicile areas shared equally amongst both.

"To keep myself physically strong, mentally awake and MORALLY STRAIGHT" :roll:
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Re: After 100 Years, Are The Boy Scouts Still Relevant?

Post by Jim »

centermass wrote:Nothing like caving in to the needs of the few. What happens now to those "NORMAL" boys who might have joined but now want no part of of having to share a common shower area with a bunch of meat gazers?

I equate this on the same level to letting males join the Girl Scouts with all levels of tasks and domicile areas shared equally amongst both.

"To keep myself physically strong, mentally awake and MORALLY STRAIGHT" :roll:
Amen, brother!
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