Note to Boy Scouters: Your Meetings Look Boring To Cubbers

[Jeffrey H]

gwd-scouter,

 

No offense was intended. Actually, I would consider Boy Scout leaders to be the "superior", especially those that were once Cub Scout leaders. Several of them I consider mentors.

 

--Jeff

 

 

[msnowman]

Back in the day (okay, about 2 1/2 years ago) when Nephew was doing his Troop visits we stopped in one night unannounced. They were preparing for a Troop election and reviewing the positions, what the qualifications were, etc. Well man, didn't I think that was the most boring meeting in the world. I understood that it was necessary and that if we had asked we probably wouldn't have come to that meeting. However, when I apologized to Nephew for the boring meeting he said "That was great, I didn't think it was boring at all!". He felt he learned a lot about the guys and what he was going to be when he was in the troop. Sometimes boring is in the eye of the beholder.

 

That being said - Cub Scout Leaders vs Boy Scout Leaders are like Chocolate vs Vanilla ice cream - one isn't better than the other, they are just different. Not everybody is cut out to be a Cub Scout Leader, just like not everybody is cut out to be a Boy Scout Leader. Sometimes cutting and pasting isn't just about what you are making but rather an age appropriate exercise in following directions and motor skill practice. A 6 yo Tiger needs more practice with those than a 9 yo Webelos who needs more practice than a 12 yo 1st Class Boy Scout. Its ages and stages....heck, I won't ask my Webelos to make Toilet Paper roll Cowboys for Blue and Gold (decorations) but the Tigers are going to love working on those. Webelos are getting modeling clay for 3D Wild West Mobils (an artist pin option), as well as hammers and nails to make tin can lanterns.

 

We are all heading in the same direction, our boys are just at different points on the trail.

 

YiS

Michelle

[CalicoPenn]

I love the title to this thread and keep trying to come up with a obverse to it - something like "Note to Cubbers: Your Meetings Look Like Friday Nights at Chucky Cheese to Boy Scouters" but frankly that doesn't advance the true nature of the discussion.

 

Yep, Boy Scout meetings can be boring. Yep, there are times when the "ideal" meeting plan just doesn't happen (doing an active game on a Monday night in 10 degree above temps might just not happen at all). Yep, sometimes bringing in an outside person, like a merit badge counselor, to teach a skill just doesn't work out as one hoped. Yep, there might not be any patrol yells, singing, cheering, even patrol flags at a meeting. I was in my school's choir when I was in Junior High School and I wouldn't have liked singing at the Troop meeting - it was an around the campfire activity for us (stupid songs in cars and busses the exception of course - key words being stupid (no John Jacob Jingleheimer - we're talking 99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall or those slightly "risque" songs you wouldn't dare sing in front of the parents).

 

I wonder about those Troops that make elaborate plans for meetings when they know Webelos are coming to visit. Dutch Oven Cobblers? Bet it happens at one meeting a year - and guess which meeting that is. The rest of the year? Probably those same boring meetings the other Troops have.

 

Try to visit a Troop more than just once before making a decision. And get a copy of the upcoming event plans for the year. See if someone can talk about the events that took place the last year or two. You may go to a meeting that is fantastic and think this is the Troop to go to but if they do the same campouts and events year after year, is it really the best one for you? That Troop with the boring meeting? They may also be the Troop that forgoes a typical summer camp every other or third year to do an all-Troop backpacking trip to Isle Royale or canoeing in the Quetico, or a horsepack trip in Colorado. Remember to also keep in mind that unlike in Cub Scouts, where every boy in the Den is working on the same rank advancement, in a Troop, you will have boys working on 7 different ranks, a possible 120 (or so) different merit badges, and a number of skill/specialty awards (Paul Bunyan, Mile Swim, Hornaday Award) all at their own pace, yet all meeting together. Think watching a skill session for a Second Class rank requirement is boring for Cub Scout to watch? Try being a Life Scout who has likely not only seen it multiple times, but has taught it a few times too.

 

Try to visit the Troop meetings from beginning to end too - you may very well have done so but its easy to get the impression from the post that you showed up for 20 minutes or so during a small section of the meeting. As a couple of others have pointed out, think of it from the Cubs perspective - what might be boring to an adult, might be fascinating to a Cub - especially if the older boys are engrossed in the presentation. The "old man" teaching the aviation merit badge may have been boring to you but how were the Scouts behaving? Were they attentive or were they fidgeting? I'd be interested in a follow-up - how many Scouts went on to get their Aviation Merit Badge - and how many started saving up for flying lessons?

 

Just food for thought.

 

CalicoPenn

 

 

[GernBlansten]

That being said - Cub Scout Leaders vs Boy Scout Leaders are like Chocolate vs Vanilla ice cream - one isn't better than the other, they are just different. Not everybody is cut out to be a Cub Scout Leader, just like not everybody is cut out to be a Boy Scout Leader.

No truer comment yet in this thread.  Me personally, I could never work with cub scouts as a leader.  It just ain't in my genes.  God bless those that can.  Even our young boy scouts I have trouble connecting with, but when I work with 13+yr olds, there's a connection.  Perhaps I'm just a young teenager at heart.  The older boys seem to like and respect me and its mutual.

The best leaders are the ones who can shift gears between all these ages.  A few, proud crew.

[Its Me]

 

The "cut & past den" makes me chuckle. I now wonder if it would have been better had I been more of a cut and paste den leader.

 

Rather than address every issue brought up in three pages as to why my expectations were not met I will say this. I am looking at attending Troop #2's weekly meeting and I am looking at going on a campout with troop 4.

 

Thanks for all the comments.

 

 

 

[evmori]

~~ Temporary hijack ~~

 

Ed, you're absolutely right of course. Troops are way different from packs. But with respect, the "cutting and pasting and crafts" comment comes across as condescending, at least IMO.

 

Wasn't meant to be condescending. I was a Cubmaster for three years prior to moving to Boy Scouts & I am very well aware what Cub Scouts do. The comment "Note to Cubbers: Your Meetings Look Like Friday Nights at Chucky Cheese to Boy Scouters" is also accurate.

 

~~ Temporary hijack complete ~~

 

Ed Mori

1 Peter 4:10