Reminding people why we are here

[Twocubdad]

This isn't making sense. The committee plans a menu and this lady plans another one. So who is buying the food? If it's this woman, and she's buying her menu not the committee's, then simply get someone else -- one of the people doing the complaining -- to do the shopping instead. And if this woman still shows up with a pig in her minivan and expecting everyone else to do the work of preparing it, just say no.

 

While I think you would be getting rid of a great asset, if you don't want this woman running the pack kitchen, just sit her down and tell her so.

[Scoutfish]

We do things slightly different at our leader/ committee meetings. We all work together when we plan and vote. All committee and all leaders get a vote.

 

Since we all have time and energy vested in the pack, we let everybody vote.

 

Of course, before we vote, somebody has to bring stuff up...we talk about it, everybody tosses out their ideas, and then we discuss more, then settle it with a vote.

 

This woman is B&G chair. Does a grea job right up til food selection. Same thing with camping and other events. She helps aout alot.

 

But as soon as we start talking about an event, she starts on pigs, boston Buts. etc...

 

So it's not that we have to over ride her, but more like : "Really? You still bring that up?"

 

Kinda like the one former leader who wanted to have pack provided ( and pack paid for) canoes on the lake every time we planned a pack campout.

 

Okay, that one goes against G2SS, but the similarity was the member bring it up every time just like it was the first time and we never discussed it before.

 

It's not so much a leadership or committe problem, just a big PITA!

[CalicoPenn]

Can I suggest a compromise here?

 

Boston Butt is most commonly used as the meat in BBQ Pulled Pork. BBQ Pulled Pork can now be bought pre-made at most grocery stores. No need to spend hours smoking them yourselves - and, at least in my neck of the woods, kids like to eat pulled pork - it's kind of a sloppy joe with pork instead of ground beef. Is it expensive? Not really much more than a pound of ground beef nowadays. I have a hunch that will satisfy your eager volunteer and everyone will enjoy a much nicer dinner than chicken nuggets. Pulled Pork doesn't have to be the entire meal either - it can be one of a couple of options available - heck, if it were me, I'd offer up either pulled pork sandwiches or sloppy joe sandwiches.

 

Chicken Nuggets? Really?? How do you cook Chicken Nuggets on a campout? I consider them microwave food - and I'm not sure I should use the term "Food" when refering to Chicken Nuggets. I imagine you're deep frying them - and I think deep frying something on a campout is as absurd as spending 5 hours smoking boston butts on a campout.

 

 

[Eamonn]

Kids,especially boys are strange animals.

There are times when they will eat any and everything in sight.

There are other times when food holds little or no interest for them.

Cub Scouts who have spent the day at camp, doing what kids that age do and using the energy that boys that age use will eat the south end of a north bound skunk.

But gather a big group of Cub Scout age Lads together for a B&G and just because they are together and this holds a lot of excitement for them, food loses interest.

 

I do believe that when planning a menu the person doing the planning needs to be aware of who is going to be doing the eating. Age, ethnic origin, religion and maybe even gender are things that are worth thinking about.

I believe that some foods are more kid friendly than others.

If I were to plan a menu for a Cub Scout weekend camp, my goal would be to ensure that the menu did its best to accommodate the likes of that age group.

I don't think I'd serve a Eel and sea urchin fricassee.

Talking with the chef at our club where he says no matter what he puts on the menu, the older members are happy with the same old Prime Rib and a baked potato. -That's why Prime Rib is the special every Saturday.

So while I'm happy and think that educating the palate of our younger generations is a good thing. I also think that there is a time and a place for this.

I'm not sure that the annual B&G Banquet is the time or the place?

 

As Scouter's we see these "Big Events" as being something that's very important.

However not all parents see things the same way as we do.

Back when I was a CM we held our B&G on a Sunday afternoon. Mainly because this was when the church hall was available.

We want and need the parents of the kids we serve to be interested and involved in what we are doing. We need their support.

Reminding people why we are here is great, but it's worth remembering that without the support of the adults and the parents there is no reason for us to be here. When parents get too busy to bring their son to our meetings all the hard work we did in recruiting goes out the window.

If you want and expect me as a parent to vacate my easy chair, give up my TV, leave my nice warm house and give up my Sunday afternoon? Maybe, just maybe you might want to think about doing something that might make it worth my while.

I have to say in my case a few chicken nuggets and macaroni with cheese is not the carrot I need.

So knowing that no matter what is on the menu, the chances are that the Cub Scouts are not that interested and will not eat very much.

The question becomes who are you really feeding?

I say it's the parents.

But that's just my opinion.

Ea.

[CCbytrickery]

Last year, at our B&G, they had a "kid friendly" menu. I'm all for it, but frozen chicken nuggets and corn dog nuggets (barely warmed) and frozen mozzarella sticks (not warm at all) just isn't cutting it. The salad would have been fine, had it not been just iceberg lettuce--not a carrot or celery or even a romaine leaf in site.

 

This year, my DH (WDL) is in charge, and he has a plan. Yes, it will be kid friendly, but kid friendly doesn't have to mean frozen nuggets or fish sticks.

 

Why not compromise, and have that Boston butt, but also have grilled chicken or even hot dogs available? Why not BBQ potatoes and mac-n-cheese? If it's in the budget, then go for it!

 

Our campouts are well attended, partially because of the food. We have done spaghetti, and chili, scrambled eggs and sausages, salad or finger veggies always; next weekend we're making chicken fajitas (marinated chicken breasts, peppers, onions, all the fixin's), pancakes for breakfast, grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato or chicken soups for lunch. Kid friendly, we don't mix the peppers or onions or chicken, so if someone doesn't like onions, they don't have to have them.

 

Our son isn't a super picky eater, but doesn't like chili or heat. He'll eat sushi (real stuff, not just California rolls), French onion soup, and Pho.

 

 

[Lisabob]

So I am laughing at the notion that this lady is "planning" the menu while apparently not expecting to do any of the work? If that's the case, let me put in my order. Hmm, I'll take the seared scallops in brown butter sauce and the lemon-herb risotto, thank you. I'll just nip out and pick up the ingredients so that you can get started cooking.

 

Yes, that would annoy me, too. But perhaps this woman views good food as part of the way people celebrate, and so she wants to have a good celebration? Not saying you should necessarily go along with all of her ideas, just trying to imagine where she's coming from.

 

As for B&G - we always went for relatively simple items because in the excitement, the kids didn't eat much anyway. But that doesn't mean we should be forced to eat crap. I drew the line one year at "tacos in a bag" because the notion of eating canned taco meat filling spooned into a bag of fritos just about made me want to vomit. I don't care that the kids loved it - it didn't deserve the label "food." And to be honest, I feel the same about the idea of eating chicken nuggets, hot dogs, and mac&cheese all weekend long.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Eamonn]

Have to admit that until I read this I'd never heard of Boston Butts.

But coming from a land where Toad in the hole is seen on some menus!

I'll just keep quiet.

Ea.

Toad in the hole is sausages cooked in a Yorkshire Pudding Batter.

 

[ScoutNut]

Ahhhh, the English version of pigs in a blanket!

[AnnLaurelB]

No, no, NO! ;0)

 

Toad in the Hole is a slice of bread with a hole cut in the middle, and an egg fried in the cut-out. Then you set the little circle of bread back over the top.

 

Lift the circle and see the "toad in the hole".

[Tampa Turtle]

I think you are both right about Toad-in-the-Hole.

 

We had this "problem" in our Pack. So we had kids food (burgers, hotdogs, chips) and grown-up food. The grown up food was some pretty sophisticated BBQ--dads showing off. 90% of the kids preferred the kids food, 10% would poach the adults. And few philistines like me would prefer the kid's burgers. It all worked out.

 

I would not be too ambitious with the boys. You need to control serving costs with a lot of boys. If you even planned a few vegetables or salad I bet less than 30% would even touch it.