Is it really all that fun??

[MedicPrincess]

My 7 year old, wonderful little son brought home the flyer on Monday for the Cub Scout Meeting on Thursday. So I rush home from work, throw some dinner together..."EAT! We are gonna be late!!" is about every other sentence from my mouth (YEP..I am a little obcessive about being on time).

Get there...cafe is PACKED!! They start talking about how much fun they have, camping and activities and they really need some help with the packs. With lip out, the cutest eyes you would ever find on a kid, mine looks up at me and says "Please help!"

So now I am a Den Leader too??? How did that happen??? My boy could not be more thrilled. I could not be more freaking out! That whole "always ready" thing with scouting....I am lucky if I remember to screw my head on each morning! Guess it will be a learning expirience for us all....and is it really all that bad to tie them using the HandCuff Knot when they get out of control....cub scouts have to learn ropes and knots right??? <_<

So I know a few of you spent years as scouts....Did you really enjoy it? Were your parents involved? Do you think it has helped you know that your "physically" all growed up??

OH and my scouting expierience consists of stalking the girl scouts at cookie time, to make sure I get to place my order

 

[Jon]

That whole "always ready" thing with scouting

Ummm... it's "Be Prepared" - Tom Lehrer wrote a song... but that is a different topic (Click Here for the Lyrics)

As for cub scouting..... really simple..... as a den leader, you would be responsible for a group of 8-10 boys your son's age.... sort of like "room parent" with the school's PTO, but different....

Scouting is very fun, and can be very rewarding for both you and your son.

Usually "camping" isn't a common thing with cub scouts, but as they get older, camping becomes more common (Boy scouts often have a camping trip one weekend a month).

I'm very willing to help with this.... feel free to PM me with questions.

Also, as for Fourms - Scouter Network / scouter.com Fourms seems helpful... many, many people already asked most of the same questions you will want to ask.... just look through the past topics. The lists are rather tame... not TOO much flaming is tolerated, as they try to act like the mature adults scouting builds.....

Jon

 

[runindash05]

I was a cub scout for a few years but then became a Boy Scout and LOVED it. I ended when I was 16 cause I thought I was "to cool", then my friend 2 years later recieved his "Life" (the highest in BS) and I was actually jellious. We camped all the time. Went on some awesome trips and yes, my parents were somewhat involved. I loved it.

 

[Cap'nPanic]

Runindash05 - I hate to break it to ya but "Eagle Scout" is the highest ranking in scouts one can get. My brother was involved in boy scouts from age 6 until he was 17. 11 years of scouting. Of course my dad made him stay in scouts. By the time you get to Eagle scout, you are sick of it. Especially if the group members are usually those kids that think they are going to play hero during grizzly bear attack at the next campout.

Scouts can be beneficial, but driven too hard and you push the drive to stay in, right out. So Enjoy it and have fun, thats what scouting is for.

Im the younger sibling of an Eagle Scout.

-Cap'nPanic

The one, the only, the good little scout.

 

[Jon]

I made life.... never did get eagle..... Now I'm going to start serving on troop committe come Monday :huh: .

Scouts is great... Right now in society, though, it isn't popular.... seen as a bunch of gay-bashing, ultra religious folk by too many people. I disagree with the scout's desicion on who can and can't be a leader.... but I'm going to shut up before this turns into a political rant.....

Jon

 

[TTLWHKR]

Originally posted by MedicStudentJon@Aug 13 2005, 01:23 PM
I made life.... never did get eagle..... Now I'm going to start serving on troop committe come Monday :huh: .

Scouts is great... Right now in society, though, it isn't popular.... seen as a bunch of gay-bashing, ultra religious folk by too many people. I disagree with the scout's desicion on who can and can't be a leader.... but I'm going to shut up before this turns into a political rant.....

Jon

Gay bashing? The scouts are gay bashers, or people call the scouts gay?

Is this because they wouldn't let the little girl be a boy scout? Our group had girls when I was a cub scout, this caused a huge fight. Just because it's cub scouts, doesn't mean it's not a part of BSA. Everyone pulled their kids because all of the scout leaders were women, and they believed boy scouts should be combined with girl scouts. We were in the cooties stage, and didn't want that. We never went camping, we always went ice skating or on nature walks to count and find flowers. Weren't allowed to go to the annual camps, etc, because it was for "boy scouts", and the leaders didn't approve. So... We quit, or got pulled away from it. Now I wouldn't have minded that as a teenager, when we discovered that you didn't get cooties from being around girls. But still, politics had to rule over childhood fun.

It's no fun when people turn it into the "lets all be the same/politically correct-scouts". Some things just should not involve politics.

 

[runindash05]

****...sorry, your right. I made it to life. He got eagle. mistype.

 

[MedicPrincess]

Originally posted by MedicStudentJon@Aug 13 2005, 11:55 AM

That whole "always ready" thing with scouting

Ummm... it's "Be Prepared" -

Then who is the "always ready" group....

The Marines? Navy?? Someone out there is "Always Ready!" and I will now go Google it and figure it out!!

And thanks Jon for the site....They are just full of info.

 

[Jon]

Alex.... not trying to get into an arguement.... but BSA (BOY Scouts of America) runs a co-ed program... Venturing (used to be Explorers). Co-ed 14-21 y/o's..... at the age where cooties are gone .

Cub scouts is Boy scouts for younger children.... it isn't a co-ed program. (Imagine what it would be like to be a male Browine Girl Scout).

Lord Baden-Powell's "great experiment" has blossomed into a great program, and the program has rules.... I support women as Cub / Boy Scout leaders, just don't see any justification for a co-ed (participant) boy scout / cub scout group.

As for the Gay-bashing.... remember the whole "I'm a gay boy scout leader" who isn't a boy scout leader anymore, thanks in part to the supreme court???? that was all I was saying.... I dissagree with National's policy on this, but too many people are afraid that if you put a gay guy in charge of a bunch of young boys, he will either confuse them or molest them..... (the molesting part is done enough by non-gay, happily married men) THe BSA get this view from the Scout Oath... Part of the Oath is "to keep myself Physicially strong, mentally awake, and morally straight"

As for the "religious warrior" comment - boy scouts do not "take an oath to support God," as sometimes claimed.

The scout Oath says
"On my Honor, I will do my Best, To do my Duty, To God and My Country, to obey the scout Law and help other people at all times, and to keep myself Physicially strong, mentally awake, and morally straight"

The 12 points of the Scout Law:
trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obeident, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent.

No where does it say who's god you must belive in, or what you should call your god, but it says you should have one.

As a way to turn boys into men, it sets a good moral code, and agrees with the ideals the country was founded on (We have "In God we Trust" on all of our money, don't we)

Alas... I'm on my soapbox again...

Jon

 

[Jon]

Originally posted by EMTPrincess+Aug 13 2005, 02:54 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (EMTPrincess @ Aug 13 2005, 02:54 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin-MedicStudentJon@Aug 13 2005, 11:55 AM

That whole "always ready" thing with scouting

Ummm... it's "Be Prepared" -

Then who is the "always ready" group....

The Marines? Navy?? Someone out there is "Always Ready!" and I will now go Google it and figure it out!!

And thanks Jon for the site....They are just full of info. [/b][/quote]
Semper Fidelis - Marine Slogan - Always Faithful....

I think Coast Guard is Semper Paratum... always Ready....

Jon

 

[MMiz]

My father was also a den leader for several years for my brother's group and the kids loved him. We went on field trips all the time and would usually build something as a group. It was a ton of fun.

My own den leader, my neighbor's mom, was new and didn't do as much fun stuff. I ended up being a cub scout for a year and then dropping out.

Have fun

 

[Jon]

Originally posted by MedicStudentJon+Aug 13 2005, 03:05 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (MedicStudentJon @ Aug 13 2005, 03:05 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'>

Originally posted by EMTPrincess@Aug 13 2005, 02:54 PM
<!--QuoteBegin-MedicStudentJon

@Aug 13 2005, 11:55 AM

That whole "always ready" thing with scouting

Ummm... it's "Be Prepared" -

Then who is the "always ready" group....

The Marines? Navy?? Someone out there is "Always Ready!" and I will now go Google it and figure it out!!

And thanks Jon for the site....They are just full of info.

Semper Fidelis - Marine Slogan - Always Faithful....

I think Coast Guard is Semper Paratum... always Ready....

Jon [/b][/quote]
Yep:

Semper Paratus--translation Always Ready--is the Coast Guard's motto and the title of its service song.

Coast Guard

Jon

 

[Ridryder911]

Scouting is great at all levels.. the puprose of it was to prepare young men for life. If you don't believe in their principles .. then don't join. I am glad for the stance they have believed in. Thank-God, they have not became politically correct.

As a triple silver palm Eagle Scout (once an eagle always an eagle) & Vigil member of the O.A., they teach youth some basic principles of life that some parents do not. I don't know how many young men were taught cooking, communications, swimming & salesmanship through the their programs. I know many of EMT's was introduced to first-aid & emergency preparedness through scouting organizations.

Good luck, you will making lifetime memories for many children....

Ridryder 911

 

[Luno]

Oh, Jon, just a little bit of clarification, don't ever tell a Marine that it is their "slogan." It will lead to an immediate cranial rectal inversion.

 

[TJC]

I was a den mother one year for my son's cub scout group. It was actually great fun. They only had one camp out and it was for the scout and his entire family, so that we weren't responsible for trying to watch every child constantly. I just laid aside an hour each day to prepare for that weeks meeting. I asked that all parent be involved and had at least one parent volunteer at every meeting to help. We had a blast.

The only reason it came to an end for my son is that we moved. The nearest meetings now are 30 minutes away. Gas prices being what they are we can't afford to drive him to the meetings weekly.

 

[Phridae]

I can't even start a fire correctly.

 

[Jon]

Originally posted by Phridae@Aug 15 2005, 12:13 AM
I can't even start a fire correctly.

Do you mean the proper "good scout" way (matches, tinder, kindling, then fuel)???

Or the REAL scout way.. with ScoutWater (Kerosene ).