Committee Chair

[SagerScout]

We do all want to know how excessive is "excessive." In my case, I also want to know if the discipline was concealed at all. In a bass-ackwards way, I'd feel better if it were not.

 

If dad said, "Son, get your hind end over here and let me whup it" for some good reason, then does exactly as he promises in view of all to see, I'm probably going to find myself reluctantly with all those on this board who consider that a parental right and/or duty. I personally disagree, I've not used such methods on my kids since they were 3, but at least this parent is trying to teach his son and we do appreciate his interest. I would re-focus the problem solving on how to keep scouting fun for all, since parents don't usually enjoy having to discipline their kids and kids don't generally enjoy being disciplined. How much better it would have been for the time and energy spent to have been used in something more productive, like putting up a tent, building a bridge, or cooking dinner.

 

On the other hand, if son arrived with a split lip and stiff body, a story about falling in the woods, with frightened a sidelong glance to Dad - I'd notify CPS immediately. Mind you, it wouldn't do a lick of good in my state, where they routinely send children with broken bones home with the parents that broke them - and take other children away from their parents for going to school in dirty clothes - but as Bob correctly said, it is the law whether we like it or not. (The reason I know this won't do any good is that I had to do it for a nine-year old girl. The investigator never even contacted me to ask why I made the report. She visited the upper middle class family and decided it must be ok. And then the employer considerately transferred the family to another state so that the protective services people wouldn't trouble her anymore.)

 

If that occurs on a scout outing where they might be caught, just imagine what happens at home.