Cub Scouts

My son brought about a flyer for Cub Scouts in his homework folder over the weekend. I'm thinking it might be good for him as he is a very outside type of kid, caring, people person. Yet, he is kind of clumsy.

Does anyone have any input on the organization, good or bad? We don't have a ton of extra money with 3 kids and my wife in school full time as well. So that is a concern as well.

It can get spendy, with the patches and project cash and pinewood derby and whatnot. I don't know that I approve of the no gay policy, but that's me. Honestly, it could be a way to get him into more things of interest to him, as well as teach him a lot of cool things a lot of kids don't know these days.

My experience is close to 50 years old now but I had a good time in Cub Scouts. A lot will depend on who's in charge - we had good leadership, but by the time I got to Boy Scouts a different guy took over and he was kind of a wet blanket.

I was a den leader for two years when my oldest was in Cub Scouts. It's a great organization. My youngest is in Cub Scouts now and the middle boy is in Boy Scouts. It really is a great learning experience. I vote do it. You won't regret it.

I was in the scouts and it really helped when my daughter had her accident and had arm parts hanging. What I used to help her came straight out of the Cub Scout's handbook.

And mndsm since you brought it up, I approve of the no gays policy.

And like all activities it does depend upon the leadership of your group.

Cub Scout packs are as good as the adults participating - and that includes you. I suggest that you pick up some of the Cub handbooks and read them.
Personally, I was a Scout way back when, and my sons went through the whole program from Cub to Eagle. It was a lot of work for all of us, but we also had a blast and learned a lot about a lot.

As a loner kid who much preferred building with Lego to playing sports, Cub Scouts got me out of doors and interacting with other kids who were probably better role models than those in the neighborhood.

I can't talk in particular about Cub Scouts but I work for the Girl Scouts and people think we're alike all the time but we really have no affiliation. I've heard some pros and cons but ultimately it teaches skills that aren't necessarily learned anywhere else so it will pay off sometime when he least expects it.

My one caution is that I know that it requires lots of parent time. A parent usually has to attend all meetings, take a prominent role in the pack, whether you want to or not. If you sign up, expect to be working lots with the kids. This isn't a problem if you're ok with being active with your kid, but I've heard it can get full of politics with a bunch of parents trying to run the thing.

Just my 2 cents.

Chrissy wrote: ... but I've heard it can get full of politics with a bunch of parents trying to run the thing.

Kind of like, oh, PTA, sports, and every other organization and activity involving kids these days.

I vote yes if your kid is into it as well, just go to a meeting with him and talk to him about it. I did cub scouts from age 6 until boy scouts at 18. still wish I would have gotten my Eagle, I had quit for a brief period, missed camp one year, and ended up 1 badge short of Eagle at age 18: no extension granted.
As said, it's a lot of work, but there is a lot of good learning and experience, a lot of outdoor activity, and, most importantly in my mind, if he is lucky enough to have good leadership, good morals, responsibility, and respect are possible side effects.

Yes.

Member of Scouts Canada for 25 years.

It does a kid a lot of good.

The liability involved has sucked a lot of life out of the program but it's still good for kids and he'll have friends all over the world.

I've never been aware of a published "no gays" policy but perhaps it's something different in America. I would think a "no pedophiles" policy would be better but what can you do.

Shawn

Trans_Maro wrote: Yes. Member of Scouts Canada for 25 years. It does a kid a lot of good. The liability involved has sucked a lot of life out of the program but it's still good for kids and he'll have friends all over the world. I've never been aware of a published "no gays" policy but perhaps it's something different in America. I would think a "no pedophiles" policy would be better but what can you do. Shawn The impression that I got when I was a scout was that if you were gay you were likely a pedo. Joey

Trans_Maro wrote: I would think a "no pedophiles" policy would be better but what can you do. Shawn

Kinda what I was thinking. Would your average cub scout know he was gay yet, anyway?

The problem is, like any organisation, they can only go so far as a background check.

Unfortunately, the background check only shows that you've been convicted.

It won't catch a sicko who hasn't done anything yet.

But, I think kids are no more at risk in scouting than they are at the playground, in sports or anywhere else.

Agreed on the gay thing, it shouldn't even be an issue at their age but that is my opinion.

A guy I had working for me at one time said he knew when he was a kid. He liked "my little pony" and "Golden Girls" better than Transformers and the A-Team.

BTW, up here the girls whined and cried and pulled the discrimination card to get girls into boy scouts but anyone with a winkie isn't allowed in girl guides.

My wife was a guide leader and I was a cub leader, we both think that the two groups need to stay separate.

Girls need time to just be girls and boys need time to be little pigs. They can play together all they want at school.

Shawn

Another former Scout here - Tiger to Eagle. Looking back I gained skills through scouting that many people do not even have the opportunity to learn. Things I am able to apply even in adulthood.

That said, some people are "scouting" people, some just aren't. You have to try it and see. And like others have said, the experience is VERY dependent on the leadership.

mikeatrpi wrote: That said, some people are "scouting" people, some just aren't. You have to try it and see. And like others have said, the experience is VERY dependent on the leadership.

SO true. I work for Girl Scouts because I had an excellent experience. Got my Gold Award (equivalent to Eagle) and loved every second. But- both of my sisters had terrible experiences and my mom says nothing but bad things because their leader didn't do anything with them and then stole their money, so she thinks its just bad all over the place.
All depends on who's leading and how they get along with the other kids in the group. You can always try and then find something else if its not for him.

I'll recommend scouting. I was in it years ago when I was a kid, and I enjoyed it then. I wish I had stayed with it.

Both my boys are in Cub Scouts now. We are lucky to have a fairly active Pack with some very dedicated parents. As with a great many things, you will get out of it what you put into it.

Chrissy wrote: Gold Award (equivalent to Eagle)

No way. Granted, near the end of my Tiger-to-Eagle stretch, I saw the pussification of the BSA, so that could be true these days, but as recent as the mid 00's, no way.

I loved my time in scouts, and may when I'm a little older give an adult leadership position a try, but I had a very rare troop that was a bastion of the old-school in a progressively softer system. We'd go on kickass things like 50 mile canoe trips, survival camping, and wilderness first responder classes; a very Norman Rockwellesque troop. On the other side, the new face of BSA is represented by the scout mistress I overheard while I was working at a summer camp (CRM, baby!) who told two squabbling scouts to "hug it out." Or the scout master who, in giving examples of low impact camping, said you should "shine a bunch of flashlights on the ground to simulate a fire."

We also stuck to this weighty tome: Not the suckfest of an 11th edition.

Like everything, it's the people. Shop around troops (packs for Cub Scouts).

I was a Cub scout until the Den Leader's house burned down. No, we didn't do it. :)

Like others have said, it all depends on the leadership. Having been part of several different packs and Scout troops growing up, I saw the good and the bad. The good far outweighed the bad.

i let peer pressure get to me and i quit when i was in 9th grade, after changing troops and not clicking with anyone from the new troop. can't say i really learned anything that has stuck with me, although several years ago i dug out my scout handbook and started reading it again. yeah, there's a lot of good stuff in there. it's really going to come down to leadership and individual motivation.

Osterkraut wrote: Or the scout master who, in giving examples of low impact camping, said you should "shine a bunch of flashlights on the ground to simulate a fire."

Did that really happen? I saw it on an episode of King of the Hill once.

I went all the way though cub scouts and really enjoyed it... wish they would have done more camping and such though... still won the rain gutter regatta when I was 7 or 8 vs everyone else in the area (new port news va area)... :)

got a little older and did boy scouts for a little while... was fun and learned a good bit, leaders heart was in the right place but just not great... the night changed and had a schedule conflict so boy scouts was no more for me...

years later my mom told me that there was some "issues" with some of the leaders... how far it went I don't know but it was enough for my 'rents to ask me questions...

my son is of age for cub scouts now... but we're going to wait another year...

I wish I'd gotten into Scouts earlier. I was only really introduced in like my sophomore year of high school because three of my best friends were scouts. That was too late to really get any ranks, and my friends were part of the troop in the next town over, so it was tougher for my dad to get me to anything. What I did was good fun though. Two of my friends made Eagle, the third was one rank away and only didn't make it because his service project wasn't complete until after his 18th b-day.

Oh, and Eagle Scouts are all pyros. But they're smart ones who know how to keep the big cool fires from spreading or injuring anyone.

A few weeks ago I found my old cub scout uniform, badges and handbooks at the folks place that mom stashed away. Brought back good memories and was a lotta fun, at least back around '66. Hope my pinewood derby cars are still around. Never went far in boy scouts tho, that troop was too damn cliquey so me n my buds said berkeley that.

Most of what I remember is building stuff, good way for a lad to learn diverse skills too. Wonder if kids today are so inclined... or are there merit badges for Angry Birds play levels.

I'd say let the kid try it but don't push him, and parents definitely need to be involved.