Is cub/Boy Scouts considered dorky?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Past elementary school, absolutely.

I'm a MS teacher and I wish more parents would MAKE their kids conform and be like the masses. There's plenty of time to be an individual after age 18. Until then, those are the most important formative years and it hurts me so much to see or hear about a kid being teased for being different. Of course, teaching tolerance is also very important. If I have to contact a parent about their child being a bully more than once, I seriously look down on that person as a parent. Once, eh, kids can have bad days and be little sh!ts. But twice or three times? Nope, that's on you, mom & dad - you're raising terrible offspring.

Examples I'm talking about when I say conforming: 6th grade boys NOT walking the halls with cartoon/superhero character lunchboxes or backpacks. Sixth grade girls not wearing unicorns or other clothes that look like they came from Justice. Not dressing your son like a mini accountant or your daughter like the female offspring of a political family.

WTAF does any of this have to do with scouting?? I'm not even sure I understand what you're trying to say here.

Apparently, parents should make their kids quit scouting so as to conform to what "the masses" do, regardless of the kids' interests, because they will get made fun of. That way, kids can learn tolerance or something, and they can magically be themselves when they turn 18.

Hahahahahaha

[Anonymous]

That dork that was in boy scouts is probably your boss or CEO.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To answer the original question: Not to universities who are seeking Eagle Scouts.

BINGO! If you can get your child to stick with it through HS, they will reap the benefits. Not all kids retain that level of interest, though.

Along the same line, I will admit that my rising 3rd grader who made AAP will be in a homeroom class with a lot of his den-mates; there seems to be an uncanny correlation.

That would bea great outcome but I want my son to continue Scouting if he is enjoying himself not because he could earn Eagle Scout and that will help him with college and future jobs. A great plus, for sure, but it is more important to me that he enjoys the activity and gets something out of it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know teen boys who still enjoy Boy Scouts and they're at the Eagle Scout level. They're all great people with some unique skills. They could survive in the wilderness if they had to, for example. I think it's a great program.

They also learn more about leadership than any other program particularly if the troop is boy led. The troops with parents who insist upon taking over and leading everything absolutely suck.

[Anonymous]

Eagle scouts don't seem to be chick magnets, unless like it's really like a badge about chickens.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Eagle scouts don't seem to be chick magnets, unless like it's really like a badge about chickens.

I married an Eagle Scout. He is super handy and resourceful. Not why I married him, but it has become one of my favorite attributes of his.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Older kids might enjoy Venture Scouts or Sea Scouts more then a Scout Troop. Venture Scouts do more "extreme" trips and the like and is co-ed. Scout Troops are still gender specific and the plan is to keep them that way. So there are Female Troops and Male Troops. They might do activities together but they are separate Troops and Patrols.

not anymore. my kid's boy scout troop has "family scouting." there are girls in his troop. when my daughter gets older, we'll probably just sign her up for family scouting. it's easier for us logistically and honestly, the activities the boy scouts do are often more interesting that the girl scout activities (the stupid cookie selling and family budgeting unit at least.)

If the Council finds out that there are girls in a boys Troop there is likely to be some action taken. Girls and Boys are suppose to be in different Troops. Mixed dens at the Cub Scout level is frowned upon but seems to be ok, because of the age of the kids. We were specifically told that once there are 4 girls of the same age, we were suppose to create a girls den.

Girls are suppose to have their own Troops and their own Patrols. There is an acknowledgement that it will be easier, in the beginning, for female and male troops to hold events together but girls are suppose to have their own camp site totally independent of the boys. I am on my sons Pack Committee and attend the Round tables and the like. While there are Troops that are trying to work around the gender segregation, it is not something that the Local Councils and National are trying to allow. It could very well be that your family is in a Troop that has a Female and Male Troop but are holding events together. Or at least, that is the way they are presenting it to the Council and National.

I agree that the activities for Scouting BSA are attractive to girls, it is the reason that female troops were created last year. But there are suppose to be gender specific troops.

And yes, I am aware that females were also allowed because Scouting BSA is worried about declining numbers with the Mormon Church departing the organization wholesale. But there were a lot of girls going with their brothers to Cub Scout activities who were enjoying them and wanting to join Scouting BSA.

Hang on: girls get their own dens, run by moms, but we're all in the same pack. Regardless of formal scout affiliation, the Youth Protection rules require same-gender chaperoning and two-deep with any kid, and obviously overnighting unless opposite-gender is your family. Not sure what the wrong is that you are referring to here. Can you elaborate (for real, so I can learn)?

[Anonymous]

It may be. But my kid is and he loves it. It doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks. He will likely reach Eagle Scout.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It may be. But my kid is and he loves it. It doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks. He will likely reach Eagle Scout.

PA. His dad is an Eagle Scout.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Older kids might enjoy Venture Scouts or Sea Scouts more then a Scout Troop. Venture Scouts do more "extreme" trips and the like and is co-ed. Scout Troops are still gender specific and the plan is to keep them that way. So there are Female Troops and Male Troops. They might do activities together but they are separate Troops and Patrols.

not anymore. my kid's boy scout troop has "family scouting." there are girls in his troop. when my daughter gets older, we'll probably just sign her up for family scouting. it's easier for us logistically and honestly, the activities the boy scouts do are often more interesting that the girl scout activities (the stupid cookie selling and family budgeting unit at least.)

If the Council finds out that there are girls in a boys Troop there is likely to be some action taken. Girls and Boys are suppose to be in different Troops. Mixed dens at the Cub Scout level is frowned upon but seems to be ok, because of the age of the kids. We were specifically told that once there are 4 girls of the same age, we were suppose to create a girls den.

Girls are suppose to have their own Troops and their own Patrols. There is an acknowledgement that it will be easier, in the beginning, for female and male troops to hold events together but girls are suppose to have their own camp site totally independent of the boys. I am on my sons Pack Committee and attend the Round tables and the like. While there are Troops that are trying to work around the gender segregation, it is not something that the Local Councils and National are trying to allow. It could very well be that your family is in a Troop that has a Female and Male Troop but are holding events together. Or at least, that is the way they are presenting it to the Council and National.

I agree that the activities for Scouting BSA are attractive to girls, it is the reason that female troops were created last year. But there are suppose to be gender specific troops.

And yes, I am aware that females were also allowed because Scouting BSA is worried about declining numbers with the Mormon Church departing the organization wholesale. But there were a lot of girls going with their brothers to Cub Scout activities who were enjoying them and wanting to join Scouting BSA.

Hang on: girls get their own dens, run by moms, but we're all in the same pack. Regardless of formal scout affiliation, the Youth Protection rules require same-gender chaperoning and two-deep with any kid, and obviously overnighting unless opposite-gender is your family. Not sure what the wrong is that you are referring to here. Can you elaborate (for real, so I can learn)?

+1 I don't know the logistics of it, but there are girls in uniform in my son's pack too. Which is fine with me!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Older kids might enjoy Venture Scouts or Sea Scouts more then a Scout Troop. Venture Scouts do more "extreme" trips and the like and is co-ed. Scout Troops are still gender specific and the plan is to keep them that way. So there are Female Troops and Male Troops. They might do activities together but they are separate Troops and Patrols.

not anymore. my kid's boy scout troop has "family scouting." there are girls in his troop. when my daughter gets older, we'll probably just sign her up for family scouting. it's easier for us logistically and honestly, the activities the boy scouts do are often more interesting that the girl scout activities (the stupid cookie selling and family budgeting unit at least.)

If the Council finds out that there are girls in a boys Troop there is likely to be some action taken. Girls and Boys are suppose to be in different Troops. Mixed dens at the Cub Scout level is frowned upon but seems to be ok, because of the age of the kids. We were specifically told that once there are 4 girls of the same age, we were suppose to create a girls den.

Girls are suppose to have their own Troops and their own Patrols. There is an acknowledgement that it will be easier, in the beginning, for female and male troops to hold events together but girls are suppose to have their own camp site totally independent of the boys. I am on my sons Pack Committee and attend the Round tables and the like. While there are Troops that are trying to work around the gender segregation, it is not something that the Local Councils and National are trying to allow. It could very well be that your family is in a Troop that has a Female and Male Troop but are holding events together. Or at least, that is the way they are presenting it to the Council and National.

I agree that the activities for Scouting BSA are attractive to girls, it is the reason that female troops were created last year. But there are suppose to be gender specific troops.

And yes, I am aware that females were also allowed because Scouting BSA is worried about declining numbers with the Mormon Church departing the organization wholesale. But there were a lot of girls going with their brothers to Cub Scout activities who were enjoying them and wanting to join Scouting BSA.

Hang on: girls get their own dens, run by moms, but we're all in the same pack. Regardless of formal scout affiliation, the Youth Protection rules require same-gender chaperoning and two-deep with any kid, and obviously overnighting unless opposite-gender is your family. Not sure what the wrong is that you are referring to here. Can you elaborate (for real, so I can learn)?

+1 I don't know the logistics of it, but there are girls in uniform in my son's pack too. Which is fine with me!

The rules are different for packs (Cub Scouts) and troops (ScoutsBSA, aka Boy Scouts). In Cub Scouts there are supposed to be separate dens for boys and girls, but all of the dens belong to the same pack, so you'll see boys and girls at a pack meeting. At the troop level, which is Boy Scouts, not Cub Scouts, the rules say that there need to be separate troops for boys and girls. So there shouldn't be both boys and girls in one troop. The PP that talked about boys and girls being in the same troop mentioned family scouting, which is a Cub Scout function, not Boy Scouts - they may have meant that they have both boys and girls in their pack, which is ok. That said, another PP was correct that BSA seems to be stricter about these rules with ScoutsBSA (maintaining separate boys and girls troops) than at the Cub Scout level. We have mixed dens in our pack, and no one in our district or council seems to care.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Older kids might enjoy Venture Scouts or Sea Scouts more then a Scout Troop. Venture Scouts do more "extreme" trips and the like and is co-ed. Scout Troops are still gender specific and the plan is to keep them that way. So there are Female Troops and Male Troops. They might do activities together but they are separate Troops and Patrols.

not anymore. my kid's boy scout troop has "family scouting." there are girls in his troop. when my daughter gets older, we'll probably just sign her up for family scouting. it's easier for us logistically and honestly, the activities the boy scouts do are often more interesting that the girl scout activities (the stupid cookie selling and family budgeting unit at least.)

If the Council finds out that there are girls in a boys Troop there is likely to be some action taken. Girls and Boys are suppose to be in different Troops. Mixed dens at the Cub Scout level is frowned upon but seems to be ok, because of the age of the kids. We were specifically told that once there are 4 girls of the same age, we were suppose to create a girls den.

Girls are suppose to have their own Troops and their own Patrols. There is an acknowledgement that it will be easier, in the beginning, for female and male troops to hold events together but girls are suppose to have their own camp site totally independent of the boys. I am on my sons Pack Committee and attend the Round tables and the like. While there are Troops that are trying to work around the gender segregation, it is not something that the Local Councils and National are trying to allow. It could very well be that your family is in a Troop that has a Female and Male Troop but are holding events together. Or at least, that is the way they are presenting it to the Council and National.

I agree that the activities for Scouting BSA are attractive to girls, it is the reason that female troops were created last year. But there are suppose to be gender specific troops.

And yes, I am aware that females were also allowed because Scouting BSA is worried about declining numbers with the Mormon Church departing the organization wholesale. But there were a lot of girls going with their brothers to Cub Scout activities who were enjoying them and wanting to join Scouting BSA.

Hang on: girls get their own dens, run by moms, but we're all in the same pack. Regardless of formal scout affiliation, the Youth Protection rules require same-gender chaperoning and two-deep with any kid, and obviously overnighting unless opposite-gender is your family. Not sure what the wrong is that you are referring to here. Can you elaborate (for real, so I can learn)?

+1 I don't know the logistics of it, but there are girls in uniform in my son's pack too. Which is fine with me!

The rules are different for packs (Cub Scouts) and troops (ScoutsBSA, aka Boy Scouts). In Cub Scouts there are supposed to be separate dens for boys and girls, but all of the dens belong to the same pack, so you'll see boys and girls at a pack meeting. At the troop level, which is Boy Scouts, not Cub Scouts, the rules say that there need to be separate troops for boys and girls. So there shouldn't be both boys and girls in one troop. The PP that talked about boys and girls being in the same troop mentioned family scouting, which is a Cub Scout function, not Boy Scouts - they may have meant that they have both boys and girls in their pack, which is ok. That said, another PP was correct that BSA seems to be stricter about these rules with ScoutsBSA (maintaining separate boys and girls troops) than at the Cub Scout level. We have mixed dens in our pack, and no one in our district or council seems to care.

This. Although as the number of girls grows I think there will be more of an emphasis on gender separation at the Cub Scout Pack level as well. Right now the numbers are small enough that it is hard to create female only Dens, that might not be the case in 10 years.

[Anonymous]

Scouts are a racist and sexist organization. Not dorky but sort of a risk within all those abuse they covered up too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Scouts are a racist and sexist organization. Not dorky but sort of a risk within all those abuse they covered up too.

Interesting, my kids Pack has a nice mix of kids from different racial, ethnic, and economic back grounds. And we have boys and girls. And all the Adult leaders have attended mandatory training that takes about 6 hours before being allowed to be with the kids. There are very specific rules for the number adults with the kids, minimum of 2 at any time, how to contact a Scout (parent must be included and our pack insists on including the Cubmaster), how to handle bathroom breaks (bathroom buddies, no adults in the bathroom with a Scout).

And that doesn’t include Baloo training for camping. That is an almost 48 hour long training that includes camping out.

Scouting does not have a perfect history but the organization as a whole is working hard to improve and implement policies to protect kids.

[Anonymous]

My 10-year-old daughter and I think the uniforms are incredibly dorky. Especially when worn by adults. The program itself seems ok.