BetterWithCheddar

I would support this on the condition that the leader gets multiple automated warnings (3-month, 2-month, 1-month, etc.) and maybe even a call from the DE or district training char. There are a lot of leaders out their just doing their best with Scouting as a tertiary priority in their lives. Our Pack had an absolute nightmare dealing with the new rolling registrations this year because many families did not receive reminders and were dropped from the Pack (and began missing out on communications even though they were still active in practice). Most families would gladly have paid the invoice if they knew it existed.

I might have you beat. My mom had to take PTO on my 18th birthday to drive my paperwork to where it needed to go because it was too late to mail it. 😬 I also didn't mind wearing the square knot at 18 - still thought it looked sharp. Obviously, if I was that concerned about wearing the badge, I would have been a little more diligent about the paperwork.

This would have been me. I submitted all of my Eagle paperwork on my 18th birthday and never wore the badge on my tan uniform; however, I staffed local council camps for a few years in college and proudly wore it on a green uniform until I turned 21. Don't tell this guy about square knots or he'll have four rows! (sarc) 😛

The only time I can see where this is borderline acceptable is when it's a "throwback" uniform (unaltered from their youth). My favorite local council camp holds a "retro night" during the summer camp season and it's fun to see all of the old gear come out at once.

This seemed like a (mostly) thoughtful take. Aside from stating the obvious (lawsuits and recent membership changes have adversely impacted participation), he honed in on 2 other factors: 1. Civic engagement (Elks Club, Optimists, etc.) and church attendance has decreased in the US. These organizations have been major sponsors of the BSA and their parallel decline has resulted in less support for Scouting. 2. Society's definition of masculinity has widened. Fewer young men are expected to hunt, farm, fix cars, or join the military. Scouting was once viewed as an age-appropriate way to introduce self-reliance to boys. Today, those hard skills are less important in the information economy. I especially appreciate the second point. I doubt I'd meet the standard of 1970s masculinity. I'm not handy. I maintain my home to the minimum standard and hire help the second I get in over my head. However, I do make a decent living. Plus, we live in a safe neighborhood and are on track for retirement. My son also has everything he needs, including most of my attention outside of work. By the 2020s standards of masculinity, I'm probably doing just fine.

I think our Pack is pretty typical, and possibly one of the better Packs in our area: ~40 kids 1 Pack Meeting, 1 Den Meeting, 1 Special Activity per month (September - May) Dues are ~$100 (inclusive of national and council fees) Popcorn is our only fundraiser and funds most of our program Additional cost to families is minimal (<$100/year), excluding summer camp 3 dads (including me) do 90% of the work. The cost isn't a factor and I enjoy helping out, even though it can be taxing. My biggest concern as a den leader of soon-to-be 4th graders is that we have some kids heading into their 5th year of the program and it no longer excites them. Cub Scouts just seems to drag on ~ that's what I mean by "too much."

I'm a dad / den leader just completing our 4th year of Cubs. We've still got Webelos (4th Grade) and AOL (5th Grade) to go. It's too much.

I love my local council camp, but it's 75 miles outside of town (90 minutes by car). I would trade it in a second for a camp 1/10 the size but only a short trip from home.

@scoutldr, I don't disagree. The SM's behavior, as described, is abhorrent. However, you also have the SM claiming the 11 y/o scout issued the first death threat. Would you really want the OP to risk their son's membership in the BSA's kangaroo court? Both parties need to move on and be done.

I'm a pretty frugal guy, but $800 isn't a significant barrier to my son's well-being. You could ask tactfully about transferring the funds to a different unit and see what happens. Otherwise, be prepared to move on. I would take a few days to cool down and then probably take no further action unless you truly felt there were YP issues in the former unit. Otherwise, you could find yourself in a messy back-and-forth with someone bent on torpedoing your involvement in Scouting. Embrace the fresh start but also have realistic expectations about your child's Scouting experience. I don't think there are many top-notch units left. Best care scenario, you find one where a few well-meaning parents are doing their best to get kids outside.

I would really like to see a "Where are they now?" article on Mike Surbaugh.

The absurdity of this article caught my attention this week: Prank with pencil gone wrong at Stoney Creek Elementary school | Charlotte Observer Does this mean 5th grade in inherently unsafe, the teacher was negligent, and students shouldn't use pencils anymore? Of course not. This poor behavior is so far outside the norm that it's impossible to take into account. The prankster's family should be the only one involved in the lawsuit, but I'm sure other parties will be lumped in anyway.

When my son was 8, he broke his arm in a playground fall that occurred while he was participating in a day camp run by a well-known community organization. He fell just 2 feet but landed on his arm awkwardly. Our health insurance company wanted every detail about the situation so they could prove that << well-known community organization >> was liable and avoid playing the claim. It got to the point where we considered paying the $4,000 ER bill out of pocket because we didn't want to bring harm to the organization (who also provides us with reliable after-school childcare during the school year). They eventually dropped their attempt, but our deductible is pretty high, and we wound up covering the entire bill anyway. Given the extent of our troubles for a standard playground fall, I can't imagine the insurance nightmare this situation will be with a 12-year-old aggressor, a leader out vaping, and a wounded national organization that's just a walking claim-paying machine.

This feels like more than a big kids vs. little kids issue. Accidents happen, but the police report noted 2 punches, a push, and a stomp. That has a lot more to do with the aggressor than it does the age gap or the game they were playing.

It's all yours! It's a common phrase it my region used to question whether a benefit is worth the effort. In the case of Scouting, I think we can all agree the juice is really sweet, but our hands occasionally get sore from squeezing.