sctmom

I read the article last night. I think the expectations in the article are reasonable. A very important part of the article is the sidebar that explains "normal" anger and when to get professional help. It is NOT saying Scout leaders should deal with kids who hurt animals! Mommascout, About the karate -- I considered that for my son. The advice I got from numerous people who had been in karate was it all depends on the style of the teacher. There are some karate styles and teachers that would only encourage this young man to attack others. Then there are some styles and teachers that wo

Wow, I'm feel so honored!

We played baseball in a cow pasture. You didn't dare slid into 2nd or 3rd. Too many briars and cow patties. I remember playing with about about 11 kids, ages 8 to 16. We made up the rules as we went along, often depending on the skill level of the person at bat. Oh, how tired that imaginary man on base must have got!

Yaworski mentions something I've often thought about. I grew up in a rural town where every boy owned a gun. Some boys went deer hunting in the morning before attending school. Their guns were in their pickup trucks. Every boy and even some girls had a pocket knife. Some of these kids came from "rough" homes -- alcoholic or abusive parents. Yet, I don't remember anyone threatening to shoot someone else or cut them, except for the town crazy boy who threatened to shoot his dad unless he got a new sports car. Knives and guns were not toys. I remember the occasional fist fight and even a few bric

If you are a new Webelos leader, I'd like to share a few suggestions with you. The Webelos program can be followed, the boys can earn a lot of pins, yet they are still not ready for the transition to Boy Scouts. Have the boys involved in planning what Webelos badges to work on. Have the boys start running the meetings -- flag ceremonies, taking attendance, collecting dues, teaching skills, etc. Can't go camping? Have a family cookout nearby, letting the boys cook over a campstove and fire for their families Find out what each boy likes to do in his spare time. Find a w

This was my son's idea in 4th grade for talking about safety with the Webelos. He took his carpet that looks like a road, used to play with matchbox cars, to the den meeting. He also took an array of matchbox cars, including a school bus, pick up truck, police car and ambulance. Used army men as pedestrians. You could also use those little Lego people. He set up the mat with the vehicles and people in different situations, some safe and some not safe. Then we went around the circle, having each boy point out an unsafe condition and what to do to fix it. Once we finished the main part

OGE, Thanks so much! We will read this together this weekend. I think also he has seen my interest waning. I also realized I have not been attending meetings in uniform. If I want my interest back up, and to be taken more seriously by the scouts and scouters I need to appear in uniform even as a committee member. Then I'm not just seen as another meddling mother/parent. I have made some mental notes about things my son has talked about this week that are related to merit badges. Some may seem to be over his head, but I think he can handle them. Badges such as engineering and railr

ASM1, After your last update, I had to read back through the whole thread again. Have any of these people said exactly what you did that was so wrong? Or just is it "we don't like you"?

This may not work for everyone but our pack had all den meetings on the same night, same place. The new den leaders didn't have to worry about what night nor where to meet. The cubmaster and other den leaders were also in the next room. The new den leaders would see the other leaders and families at least once a week for a few moments, not just at pack meetings and leader's meetings. Another source of den leaders is parents with more than one boy. Maybe they aren't leaders with their oldest, but you see they are involved and attend a lot of events.

"We have some really stupid parent/kid combinations out there. Parents that think that basketball shoes are hiking shoes. Kids that believe that snow boots or steel toes work boots are good for a hike. " Good point. Yet at the same time, the "hiking" that many troops do can be done just fine in a good pair of sneakers. If you a hiking on a well traveled, packed trail through the local park, no need for high priced boots. You should see what some women think are "hiking boots" -- they look stylish, but are NOT for hiking! I am very picky about shoes for myself and my son. I believe in

Ethics in Action is the title of a small book you can get at your Scout store or Council office. It has ideas of discussing ethics with young people. Includes some activities for the youth to do as a group and then how to lead them in discussion about what it all means. The Cub Scout Fun Book that just got discontinued had ideas at the back of it for teaching ethics to Cub Scout age kids. I don't know if the same thing is in the new Fun Book or not.

This wasn't done in Scouting, but still a great idea. A department store chain was expecting huge crowds for the back-to-school sale, which happen to also be "sales-tax-free day" in our state. Instead of hiring extra help just for the weekend they ask for volunteers that support different charities. The money that would have gone to pay temporary help goes to the charities. I think you do have to be 14 or 16 years old to do this. We helped bag clothes at the cash register, straighten clothing on shelves, put shirts on hangers, etc. Each volunteer worked a 3 hour shift. On that day only, t

I agree with you Rooster. Recently I have wondered how many of these cases are "copy cat" cases. How many wackos are sitting there and get an idea from having seen another wacko on the news? The internet also makes it easier to access and share pornography. Makes it easy to find victims. I will not let my child have internet access in his room. I would rather let him have a TV in there (which I don't do that either). Cable TV allows more channels into our homes. It allows more strange and bizarre shows a place in the world. The internet lets every weirdo have his/her podium from which to

Sagerscout writes: "have a quiet chat with the ASM over the new scout patrols" THE ASM over the new scout patrols? That might be part of the problem. There are lots of ASM's, but none seem to be assigned to either of the new scout patrols. Neither are troop guides assigned. Maybe one day they were but the guides didn't know what to do. From what I read on this board, the patrol method is not being used very well in this troop. What ever the activity is for the evening, every patrol does the same thing. They don't seem to ever have patrol meetings, only when menu planning. No patrol

Yes he is ADD. He actually does great during the opening (he loves even watching a flag ceremony) and closing. Announcements are kept to a minimum. Maybe some of this is the summer doldrums. Never know how many scouts will show up during the summer. Maybe things will pick back up now that school is in?

I talked about this in another thread. My son has been in the troop for about 6 months since crossing over from Webelos. He is always busy on campouts and other outings. He had a great time at summer camp. Now he doesn't want to go back to meetings. Our school system started back early, and this is the second week of school. We are in an adjustment period because he is now in middle school. I have talked with him some about the troop. I'm not happy with some of the attitudes but he doesn't see them as being bullys or mean, so that's not the problem. I really think he is bored. There

My son's Tiger year was great for the whole family. Biggest problem was the parents had little clue of what was going on. Many of the parents had not even looked at the book before the first meeting. Even after reading it, they could not understand it. Seemed simple and straight forward to me. I was a Webelos leader for about 1 1/2 years. Some of the boys in my den were smart and sophisticated. They had video games and anything else they wanted at home. The biggest problem I had was the lack of interest from the parents. The boys had a blast with everything we did. They may not have earne

It has been my understanding that child molesters can NOT be reformed. Some people might be able to reform their ways, but not all. Do keep in mind that we here about more of the horrible cases than we did in years past -- thanks to CNN and the web. Weirdos have always been out there. That parent with kids that have "issues" needs to face reality. We all have "issues" but it doesn't make us vandals and criminals. We find a way to cope and get on with life.

I think males wearing earrings has gone past the fad stage. I know heterosexual men that have worn earrings for at least 15 years or more. When I described one of the ASM's as having long hair and an earring, my son had no idea who I was talking about, even though there is only 1 adult who fits that description in the troop. My rule with my son is that when he is old enough to clean that ear every day without being told, he can get his ear/ears pierced. Same rule I would use with a girl. But since I still have to remind him to use water, soap and shampoo in the shower, I don't think

Another link that will give you a better idea of the subjects covered: http://www.cubpack133.com/familyactivity.html

I know it is available for Cub Scout families, I'm not sure about Boy Scouts families. The book is titled "Cub Scouting BSA Family Book". The booklet has different sections in it for the family to work on. The sections are: Learning Through Fun and Adventure Strengthening Family Relationships Developing Character Teaching Responsibility Handling Difficult Situations Each section has many activities listed that the family will do together. Once the family has 10 activities (2 from each section) within a 12-month period, they can receive the certificate, a

My 2 cents worth.... Venturer2002, glad to have you participating on the board. You seem to be a wise young man. Keep up the good work. "I do, I just don't care for the way that BSA is spiraling into the abyss of mediocrity. " How do the color of loops and circles contribute to "mediocrity"?

I did this with my son when he was Cub Scout. I wish that BSA and local units would advertise it more. It is a great program for families of any shape or size. Also, fits right in with Cub Scouting.

Yaworski is right on target about girls can't wear earrings and about the people complaining about the costs of uniforms after spending $120 on tennis shoes. My sister was a cheerleader in the 1970's. At the time, earrings with big feathers attached were popular. The cheerleaders were not allowed to wear ANY dangling earrings. And these girls were not doing any of the fancy cheerleading you see today. I do not wear my rings or earrings when I'm doing outside stuff or camping. I do not want the hassle of it. Even necklaces inside a shirt are dangerous. Small stud earrings can become

This family has to go or stop (which is unlikely) or you going to lose others from the troop. Why does this woman even bother with putting her children in Scouts if she doesn't want them to live by the Scout Oath and promise? I'm so amazed at people like this. My 11-year old has behaviorial problems, but he suffers the consequences (he is spending this weekend in isolation with his school books and a couple of novels). And he did nothing compared the child in this thread! My son recently learned a vulgar phrase that he had no idea what it meant, but he understood me very clearly to NEVER