cub scout for DS or girl scout for DD, choose one only

[Anonymous]

I wouldn't do scouts for either. Especially your K daughter. She goes to school, language school, gymnastics, and sometimes swim lessons? That is enough.

Yes, scouts will help your son make friends so maybe do it for him. But your K dd is over scheduled already and you are too busy with work.

[Anonymous]

Girl Scouts is a much safer, better run organization. It usually does not require parents to attend meetings. Parents are asked to help with general duties like being in charge of the cookies or being a first-aides on a camping trip. It is much less expensive. In GS, everything is optional. Girls are not required to sell cookies, but do learn about entrepreneurship when they do. They have a variety of activities, depending on the leader. You can join at any age.


In GS, your daughter will learn to work with others and will leadership opportunities. It’s very empowering for girls.

I would sign your son up for a sports team or class.

[Anonymous]

Tangent question

When is it too late for kids to join Scouts? I know most of the kids in our neighborhood (not DC) joined as early as they could. When is the ideal time to join? And when do kids typically quit? I know most kids aren't putting BSA on their college apps, so I'm guessing they quit in upper elementary?

[Anonymous]

I would do GS for DD, recognizing that gymnastics is not a long term activity for most kids, while soccer and scouts are.

Or, depending on where you live, you could look into 4-H for both.

Or, get them both into a sport they can do at the same time, like climbing, year round swimming, etc, to simplify your schedule.

FWIW, I dont think it's too late for your son to join BSA. But, it doesn't sound like BSA is a good fit for your DD.

[Anonymous]

GS is generally drop off unless you are the leader or volunteering at the meeting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:GS is generally drop off unless you are the leader or volunteering at the meeting.

Really? Why is GS drop off while Scouts requires a parent?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Tangent question

When is it too late for kids to join Scouts? I know most of the kids in our neighborhood (not DC) joined as early as they could. When is the ideal time to join? And when do kids typically quit? I know most kids aren't putting BSA on their college apps, so I'm guessing they quit in upper elementary?

DS is 11. His Troop, kids aged 11-18, has 60 or so kids. There are 7 Eagle Scouts and 12 Life Scouts. Life Scouts normally are working on Eagle requirements.

About half of his Cub Scout, age 5-11, cohort bridged to a Troop. I would guess that kids were dropping out mostly on 4th and 5th grade.

The Troop sees kids dropping out in the first few years, so 11-13. We also have kids joining in high school.

Eagle still stands out on a college application. There are lots of leadership training classes and opportunities for a kid in a Troop even if they don’t earn Eagle. More importantly, it is a good place to build friendships, learn skills, and hang out with other kids. Kids who want to hike, backpack, paddle, scuba or sail have some amazing options as they get older. Scouts BSA has a ton to offer but you have to find a Troop that fits your kids needs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Girl Scouts is a much safer, better run organization. It usually does not require parents to attend meetings. Parents are asked to help with general duties like being in charge of the cookies or being a first-aides on a camping trip. It is much less expensive. In GS, everything is optional. Girls are not required to sell cookies, but do learn about entrepreneurship when they do. They have a variety of activities, depending on the leader. You can join at any age.


In GS, your daughter will learn to work with others and will leadership opportunities. It’s very empowering for girls.

I would sign your son up for a sports team or class.

BSA currently has one the best youth protection programs available. It is the model for other organizations at this point. I am not excusing the past but it has changed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:GS is generally drop off unless you are the leader or volunteering at the meeting.

Really? Why is GS drop off while Scouts requires a parent?

Scouts BSA requires a parent for K and 1st but not after. Most Dens ask parents to stay to help kids focus. Meetings tend to be every other week, it depends on the Pack.

Honestly, the meetings helped me meet other parents. DS best friends have been in Scouts with him and we have developed great friendships with the parents. We go camping and are headed off for another long weekend trip with two of the families. The kids enjoy the time hanging out and we enjoy the parents company.

[Anonymous]

Having been involved in both, I think Boy Scouts is the far better program.

My son started in third grade and went all the way through to Eagle. Cub Scouts are more fun based but BSA Scouts teaches great life skills.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Tangent question

When is it too late for kids to join Scouts? I know most of the kids in our neighborhood (not DC) joined as early as they could. When is the ideal time to join? And when do kids typically quit? I know most kids aren't putting BSA on their college apps, so I'm guessing they quit in upper elementary?

DS is 11. His Troop, kids aged 11-18, has 60 or so kids. There are 7 Eagle Scouts and 12 Life Scouts. Life Scouts normally are working on Eagle requirements.

About half of his Cub Scout, age 5-11, cohort bridged to a Troop. I would guess that kids were dropping out mostly on 4th and 5th grade.

The Troop sees kids dropping out in the first few years, so 11-13. We also have kids joining in high school.

Eagle still stands out on a college application. There are lots of leadership training classes and opportunities for a kid in a Troop even if they don’t earn Eagle. More importantly, it is a good place to build friendships, learn skills, and hang out with other kids. Kids who want to hike, backpack, paddle, scuba or sail have some amazing options as they get older. Scouts BSA has a ton to offer but you have to find a Troop that fits your kids needs.

How tough is it to make Eagle Scouts? The only Eagles I knew of growing up maybe did debate or one sport or band. I'm very much from an Asian American family and we did Saturday language school and music. I also didn't know, given the race thing and political climate, whether Eagle Scouts (and BSA in general?) are slightly negative. I don't know a single Asian Eagle Scout, and all the Eagles I do know are from very traditional, wealthy, white families. Would appreciate some honest comments here, since we are anonymous and I can't exactly ask the very white local den whether an Asian looking kid should join!

[Anonymous]

I was given the advice to not start scouts until 5th/6th grade. I took that advice and my son started Boy Scouts in 6th and eventually became an Eagle Scout. The reason to start later is that Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts (BSA) are different programs. One cannot start on the Boys scout track until around the end of 5th grade. Technically those in cub Scouts come into boy scouts slightly ahead but it takes very little time to catch up.

I agree with the previous poster that your experience is entirely dependent on the troop. There is an enormous amount of variety between troops.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was given the advice to not start scouts until 5th/6th grade. I took that advice and my son started Boy Scouts in 6th and eventually became an Eagle Scout. The reason to start later is that Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts (BSA) are different programs. One cannot start on the Boys scout track until around the end of 5th grade. Technically those in cub Scouts come into boy scouts slightly ahead but it takes very little time to catch up.

I agree with the previous poster that your experience is entirely dependent on the troop. There is an enormous amount of variety between troops.

What's the difference between Cub Scouts and BSA then? Besides age.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The quality of both organizations is going to depend on the local adult volunteers.

But cub Scouts does have the advantage that you could enroll both kids, and hopefully take them to the same place at the same time. (Whether the den meetings are coordinated is, again, dependent on the volunteers for that unit).

Depends on the troop but our Scouts BSA girls and boys troops meet at the same time, in different rooms.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:BSA is sick a terrible organization

Agreed