Black and white....with many shades of gray

[Buffalo Skipper]

Actually that was a cut-paste from the website.

 

In spite of being a SM and thinking that we have a great troop, I strongly encourage all visitors to make sure they let their son is a part of the decision process. I have seen many scouts quit because their parents made a decision for them and it was not really the best choice.

 

Man I don't get no respect!

[Eagledad]

>>I'm going to disagree with Eagle92 and some others about having your son be the one to ask these question.

[Mafaking]

 

Our Troop's scoring:

 

No Troop has earned Quality Unit Award

Yes Scoutmaster has completed basic training.

Yes Troop follows traditional troop-meeting pattern, standard troop-meeting plan with two or more skills training groups)

Yes Troop has a high ratio of active adults to youth.

Yes Leaders regularly attend roundtable.

Yes Troop meetings are planned at Patrol Leaders' Council meetings.

No (But we do an annual Calendar plan) Woods Wisdom is used in planning Troop program.

No (traditional Mixed age patrols) A patrol for new Scouts exists, with a Troop Guide and Assistant Scoutmaster.

No (more like 6-8) Troop adds at least ten Scouts each year.

Yes Troop has annual minimum of twenty-five days and nights of camping.

Yes (but out of council) Troop attends a council long-term camp.

Yes Leaders are proficient in outdoor skills.

Yes Troop has at least twenty-one Scouts.

No Troop has a program for older Scouts.

 

[Eagle92]

Ideally, the scout should decide what unit to join. And he should be the one asking the questions at the unit visit.

 

But I also noted that parents should do their homework as well, and the parents need to find out what unit fits their son's needs, basically narrowing it down to a few choices. Sorry I wasn't as clear on that one.

 

I think 3 is a good number, but I admit that when I started looking for a pack, I did narrow it down to two packs, and I looked at the whole package when i did so, i.e. the pack the troop, and venturing crew if available, to narrow my choices. I also looked at how my son would fit in, especially since he does have a minor speech disability, and one of the units had a leader with the same problem. So i really liked the fact that my son had a leader to look up. Unfortunately that leader is no longer with the Pack as of Monday nite as he crossed over to the troop.

[Buffalo Skipper]

I know I have posted this before, but I cannot find it on the forum so I will write it out again. I have a real story which I can relate about Webelos who choose their own pack.

 

When I was CM, the Webelos den was had 5 boys; these Webelos had gone camping with two troops and had visited two others. All but one of the scouts decided to go to one particular troop ("Troop A", the oldest in the council), while the last scout wanted to go to another ("Troop B", by chance, the second oldest in the council). This last boy was a high risk of dropping. Minority, low income family, couldn't always get transportation (DL often helped), father in jail, you get the idea. The DL was very concerned about this boy's future, and wanted him to continue with scouting. Troop A was very close to this boy's house, while Troop B was much further away, and all his friends were crossing to the other troop.

 

The DL tried to talk him into crossing to Troop A, but he boy said he really had a good time with camping with Troop B. The DL, a friend of mine, explained the situation to me, and encouraged me to assist. I was a committee member of Troop B, but I really liked this scout and wanted what was best for him, so I encouraged him to cross, not to my troop, but to the other troop with his friends. The boy said "No." I even spoke to the SM, who also talked to the Webelos during the required SMC. But he insited NO, he wanted to cross to Troop B!

 

After 3 years, only one scout from the den remained in Troop A (DL and son transfered--military, and the others dropped). Yet that same year, the scout in Troop B made EVERY meeting and campout, and became the youngest SPL the troop had seen in decades. He is almost Life now and if he continues as he has been, he could be the youngest Eagle Troop B has seen in a dozen years or more!

 

As I am now the SM of Troop B, I am very proud! If I had 4 scouts like him, I would have the best troop in the state. I am very glad he did not do what we adults were encouraging him to do. He followed his heart and it was certainly the right choice.

[lrsap]

I truly appreciate everything I've read. Advice like this is why I keep coming back to these forums almost every night. What I get the most is that the differences in advancement (and other areas) isn't necessarily a bad thing. As long as we have our eyes open, the differences will allow for the best fit for my boy.

 

Now if I can just keep the SMs in the area from recruiting me instead of my son I'll enjoy this process even more. I started my scouting life the same day as my son, 4 years ago at the Tiger Roundup. But I went to WB21C within 6 months (and I know some of you are howling now . And yes, as one of those newbie TC leaders that did so, I agree it was much too soon) so apparently that makes me a prime ASM target.

It might be a good time to tell them I don't know a BOR from a COH.

 

But again, thank you all very much.