Cub Pals vs. YP

[AnnLaurelB]

In a conversation with the CC of another Pack today, we talked about things like birthday parties. I was told to be careful about inviting Cub Scouts to things like my son's birthday party. Um...isn't the POINT of Cub Scouts so that the boys have PALS?!?

 

But her point was that if the kid falls out of my tree or something, that the parent will see it as a Cub Scout event, and try to sue the CO. And if MY insurance knows it was a Cub Scout kid, they might see it as a Cub Scout event, and deny me coverage. But Cub Scouts would see it as a private event, and I'm screwed.

 

She also said that my son shouldn't have Cub Scout pals spend the night at my house (even if he already knew them from Kindergarten) because of the same issue. If an allergic kid snarfs some peanut butter, or WORSE claims something inappropriate happened, I'm in the same predicament.

 

Is this really a risk?!? I have to admit that I'm stunned at the whole thought. So just because I'm a Scout leader, my kid can't have private friendships with anyone IN the Pack? That's...absurd. And, if Packs follow the model that nearly every parent should BE a registered leader, that precludes ANY kid from spending the night at ANY OTHER kid's house, if they're in Cubs together.

 

HUH?!?

 

 

[Scoutfish]

The obvious answer is to befriend another boy from another pack..trhen it becomes a district problem!

 

Nah, that is just being overly cautious and kne jerking about nothinmg!

 

If it is not a den or pack meeting, or a pack sanctiioned meeting for fun or buisness..then there is nothing....NOTHING that puts the CO or pack on the hook.

 

Scouting stuff happens while on scouting time.

 

Personal stuff happens the rest of the time.

[jamist649]

Rediculous. MY son's birthday party was TODAY, matter of fact..and it was Cub Scouts (off-duty LOL) from wall to wall!

 

I "suppose" that in the far fetches of reality that all of what you described could happen (Maybe once in a thousand years)...I certainly wouldn't tell my son he couldn't have his buddies over for his party. No way.

 

The only partygoers today that were NOT Cubs where the (very few) girls that were there!

 

Party on Scouts!! :-)

[AnnLaurelB]

Thank you; that's what I thought. If my son couldn't HANG OUT with other boys from Cub Scouting just because I'm a leader, then a huge part of the POINT would be lost.

 

I'm not going to worry about it again. :0)

[Scoutfish]

I do want to mention something I seen happen a few years aho at a birthday party for one of our FORMER DL's sons who only invited boys from his den:

 

The mom, who was a FORMER committee member, would holler "Signs up" to get everybody's attention, say "Scouts are reverent" before saying grace for dinner. Then say "Scouts leave no trace" after dinner - meaning help take down the tables and chairs and put thenm away.

 

Now, while a scout is supposed to be a scout 24/7, I told the mom that this was a birthday party for her son, and not a den meeting. Even though the boys were all scouts, she needed to lay of all the scouting references and terms.THis was a private personal birthday party and not a scout function.

 

I'd no more expect the scoutingf references as I would expect my boss to give me orders if my son stayed at his house.

 

Point being, if you treat a b-day party the way those two did, I could see where somebody could mistakenly think it was indeed a scout event.

[AnnLaurelB]

That's almost comical!! Now, I *might* remind a recalcitrant Cubbie who's visiting my home that he needs to behave like a good Scout...but I would NEVER call out Scouting terms at a non-Scout event.

 

That's just ... annoying.

 

 

[SeattlePioneer]

You might CONSIDER holding the birthday party AS a den meeting, if you wished to do so. Lots of den meetings are held in people's homes.

 

Get permission from the Committee Chair or Cubmaster, and perhaps include on the invitation that this IS a Den Meeting.

 

If you don't want to hold it as a Scout activity, you could also specify that on the invitation, which would put everyone on notice.

 

 

 

[AnnLaurelB]

We did that a few weeks ago, in fact. We had a den meeting, and "LOUIS' BIRTHDAY!" It was awesome! :0)

 

My son's birthday weekend happens to fall when I wanted a kick-off party, and he wants to hold it at the swimming hole this year (*mental note to make pavillion reservation now*). Sounds like a great combo to me!

 

(*another mental note to get my safe scouting watery whatever it is*)

[Basementdweller]

Son has two scout pals now playing 360 right now on the floor in front of me. I don't think they will sleep tonight. With all the pizza and mountain dew. no sleep for sure.

 

You will always have parents and boys complain if they are not invited to your party.

 

Son had a blow out party at one of the local mini golf/gym/arcade/kart tracks. Had some scout parents complain......So my response was, Sorry, we missed your sons party, oh that's right we were not invited.

 

We camp with several scout families who are also family friends outside of scouting. We make sure we don't discuss our campouts or plans at scouts.......Made that mistake once......had a mom try to dump son on us for the weekend.

[shortridge]

Youth Protection policies are utterly unrelated to private insurance claims for non-Scouting activities.

 

That said, the prohibition on one-on-one contact is a good general rule to follow, IMHO, if only to cover your own derriere.

[Eamonn]

AnnLaurelB

Does bring up a very good question.

What is and what isn't a Scouting event?

I never in a million years seen any of the birthday parties that we had as a Scouting event, even though most of the kids attending were Scouts.

In light of the no Patrol camping rule that seems to have popped up.

What happens when a group of Scouts ask if the can use Troop equipment to go camping and say that they are not going as Scouts?

Is there a line?

If so who draws it?

Ea.

[Scoutfish]

I don't see it as a simple line. I see it as a massive chasm.

 

I am good friends with several of teh other leaders. When we are not having a den ,pack, leaders, funraiser type meeying, or if we are not at a council/ district training/ meeting/ event......then it's not scouting!

 

If I am invited to my (now Webelos) leaders house for a party, and I take my son, who plays with his sons..then it is just that...a party, not a scout event. I'll crack open a beer along with the host and whoever else is there- usually 3 or 4 more of the pack leadership as well as peope who I have known for yrears and years who have nothing to do with scouting.

 

YP is not in my mind any more than taking a high school biology test.

I hardly drink ( maybe 4 times every ten years) and I do not smoke anymore, but if I wanted to, YP or any other G2SS guideline does not apply or have any juristiction or authority over anybody at the party.

 

Now, If I have a party for my scouts, or if a DL holds a "Den Party " for his den - wether at the co or at his home..then full scouting, G2SS and YP protocals are in effect.

 

 

Basically, the premis is this: Just because I invite a few co workers of my boss ( yeah, he's that cool) to my house for a pig pickin or other cookout/ party event - does not make it a work event , nor do any normal work protocals take place.

 

No workmans comp if somebody gets hurt, no unemployment or anything!

[Lisabob]

No, this is over-zealous, misapplication, of the "rules." Happens a lot.

 

What this other cub leader might have heard (say, in training) is that you shouldn't schedule some event that is clearly outside the bounds of scouting, invite all the den kids to it, and (nod nod, wink wink) say, "oh but this isn't scouting" even though it is an event for only people in the den, organized by the den leaders, promoted in the den, etc. I know of some folks who have done just that to get around scouting guidelines.

 

But to suggest that, because your boy met some friends in scouting, he now cannot invite those friends to his house, is silly beyond all doubt. Have the party, have the sleep-over, have fun.

 

[Scoutfish]

Umm, when I said I do not smoke anymore... I meant cigarettes. Having just read it again, I could see where that might be misunderstood.

 

I quit smoking cigs, and I do not smoke anything else...except brats and suasage!

[Oak Tree]

Is this really a risk?!?

 

No.

 

I mean, you can get sued any time, but I can't see how it could possibly matter whether there were other Scouts there. I don't think it could be construed as a Scout event, and even if it could, the BSA covers the CO with their insurance.

 

So to summarize, this is a ridiculous notion.