Scouts is Uncool

[Basementdweller]

Nike......

 

I wonder if every district needs to have a Pack and Troop that specializes in these kinds of boys.

 

I have attended some courses on add/adhd and autism and I am fully aware that I am not qualified to deal with these boys.

 

 

[Sentinel947]

I dunno Basement, I was diagnosed with ADD, never took medication, was Senior Patrol Leader, Section Leader in the Marching Band, played Soccer in High School and earned my Eagle. I think it depends on the severity. Every case is different.

[Basementdweller]

I think we are having a couple of different discussions.

 

 

Cub Scouting.....Nike and I are seeing boys who do not have issues leave the program because of those who do. Parents of boys with issues using the Pack for babysitting. With a bad experience in Cub Scouting either program or member wise there is next to zero chance of them becoming a boy scout.

 

Boy Scouting....Boys who are in the program and hide the fact.

Loss of the popular and high profile youth as members.

 

 

Bottom line is I believe this is a local issue. As noted by other member that their scout son are popular and all star's in both athletics and academics. This is not my local experience as Coachs and band directors both discourage boys from participating in scouting and athletics.

 

 

[qwazse]

These things are like pendula, they go back and forth. Son #1 was scholar athlete along with a couple other scout buddies in the troop. There were a string of football players in our troop like that. Son #2 is the only scholar athlete in the troop, the boys are mostly technical school types.

[SSScout]

 

I am a sub-teacher in the public schools and a couple of private schools. Elementary and middle school classes.

Often, I find occasion to use my Scout training/skills in class, either as a game, or discusssing a topic like history (flag courtesy? ), or geometry (pioneeing, surveying) or even general stuff like self discipline and treating others with respect.

I often ask if there are any Scouts in the class, and I am always gratified by not only the number who raise their hand ("I saw you at the camporee!") but the seeming pride they express when given the chance. No reticence at all.

Girl and boy. Even the girls like to mention the camping and hiking they have gone on. I always encourage the kids to continue with their Scouting, that they will go and do things their friends here in class may never have the chance to, and leave it at that.

I also tend to wear a Scout hat or jacket to class (Why did the man wear a Scout belt ? To hold his pants up!), which often leads to kids asking me if I am a Scout. See no reason to limit Scout attire merely to Scout events.

Often, I see kids wearing Scout T-shirts in school, and I compliment them thereby.

 

When I see a Scout in the grocery store or elsewhere (T-shirt, Scout cap, recognized from CSDC?) I give'm a Scout salute, and watch them smile.

 

Is Scouting held as uncool? Only if we do not reinforce the opposite. Name your Scouts as "Scouts", not "guys" or "kids". The adults need to also be un-embarrassed by wearing Scout stuff. Take the time to invite the conversation. "Hey, Scout!"

 

I was asked to chaperone a overnight field trip of middle schoolers. As we loaded the bus with gear, I called out, "Hey! Any Scouts out there to help with this?" and three boys yelled "Yeah!" and came up and we had the bus organized and loaded in no time. I made them my assistants on the trip, to good effect.

 

Now THERE's a good SMMinute....

 

 

[Basementdweller]

Guess I am just lucky enough for my boys to be the bottom of the barrel.... I am including my own son in that......

[JMHawkins]

Desertrat77, I hear what you're saying about the image adult scouters convey. It's a difficult message to convey while still being kind, but I think you did a good job there.

 

I'm conscious of it. I try to keep myself in decent shape and convey a sense of competency. At summer camp last year, all three of the adults with our troop did the High Cope course. I was kind of surprised at how proud the scouts were of us when the staff called us up to give us our patches, but I learned something from it.

[desertrat77]

JM, thanks. You raise excellent points--staying in shape and competency. Both are important for credibility.

 

I'm also active duty AF, approaching retirement, and I think your points apply to the military as well as scouting. The "seasoned" guy/gal who can keep pace with the young folks gains alot of points in their eyes.

 

Indeed, it takes alot of effort to keep fit and competent as the years fly by...but it's worth the time and energy. Professional image, respect (self and from others), and long term mental and physical health are the pay offs.

[Brewmeister]

Of course scouts is "uncool." How many boys will wear a uniform, or even a Class B, to school? Now, how many will wear their sports jersey? I talk about it with the boys from time to time. They have to know it and be able to deal with it.

 

And I do agree that Cubs attracts a large number of "special" boys.

[Eagledad]

>>First I enjoy my boys for who they are....... BUT.

 

Bottom line is I look at my boys at summer camp lined up for flags at summer camp, No quarterbacks, class presidents or kids popular with their peers at school.

[perdidochas]

I'm pretty sure my sons would not want to wear their Class A's (yes, I know it's not the official term, but it works) to school, but they love wearing their camporee shirts as well as other scouting related T's. Can't quite figure out the relative coolness of Scouts in my area, as my sons pretty much march to the beat of their own drummers anyway.

[Stosh]

I cannot remember all the free trips I have had over the past 50 years because people know I am a Scout.

 

Small group wants to go fishing in Canada, I go along free because no one in the group knows how to cook on an open fire.

 

Group of women want a kayak guide for a new river and want me along because they lack the outdoor skills of such a trip.

 

Another group of women want me to teach them the Orienteering MB because they want to do more hiking.

 

A young adult asked me this year to mentor him in deer hunting and gun safety because he didn't get his hunter's safety in on time. He was surprised that every time I got out of the car I checked my compass before going into the woods. He also commented that while he had every bit of field dressing equipment offered by WalMart and Gander Mountain, I had the deer almost completely dressed out with a piece of rope and hunting knife before he got his "gear" out of his backpack.

 

I use cast iron every day at home and I don't know how many guests I have had at my house that want to learn more about it once they have seen me using it.

 

While there were a lot of people around me when Y2k rolled around, I was asked more than once whether I had gotten all my stuff together, i.e. generator, survival kit, etc. and I said no, didn't need anything other that what I already had in the house. There were some who were amazed that things would stay frozen in the freezer in Wisconsin in the winter with the electricity turned off.

 

I teach outdoor skills more now to adult groups than I do to scouts. Why? Because maybe scouting might not be cool for the younger generation, but it is still a valued commodity for the adults.

 

It's rather unfortunate that there are a lot of young boys who don't have the maturity to realize this until it's too late.

 

Stosh

[Twocubdad]

I had one kid quite because Scouting was uncool and a bunch of nerds and because he wanted to spend more time . . . wait for it . . . playing dungeons and dragons.

 

Ninety percent is what Beav explained in the first reply -- this is mostly a middle school thing. Everyone is trying to find their place and claw their way to the top of the heap. Unfortunately, for many kids instead of trying to distinguish themselves, they just knock others down. If you are the captain of the football team, someone will call you a dumb jock. The president of the student body gets teased for being a suck-up. The difference is those guys probably have the self confidence to blow off and ignore the twits.

 

When I have the chance I try to let the little guys know whats ahead and give them advice to dealing with it. Yeah, middle school sucks, but this is just what 12 and 13 looks like. But you will live through it. By the time you get to high school no one cares about this junk. Everyone has their group of friend and activities they are comfortable with. I hear stories like Horizon's chemistry class over and over. But until then, stick together. Take care of your friends. When one of your buddies is being picked on, have the courage to say, hey, I'm a Scout too. What of it?

 

I also give the boys some help specifically dealing with the "Scouting isn't cool" thing. Ask the "cool guy" what he did last weekend, 38 hours of video games? I spent the weekend on the firing range and skeet shooting. A month ago I was on a wilderness survival weekend sleeping in a pine shelter and cooking meals on a hot rock. The month before I climbed and rappelled off an 80-foot rock wall. What are you doing next summer, cool boy? I'm spending two weeks backpacking in the Rockies. (Honestly, a couple good, old-fashioned anglo-saxon phrases sprinkled here and there helps the tone, but the boys figure that on their own. )

[WasE61]

Yep, Scouts is uncool...depending on who you talk to, so is Band, Choir, Debate Club, LGBT Club, Bible Club ... that's the world, deal with it.

 

The problem is Scouts is a universal target. Self inflicted by the elitist (Eagle)/discriminatory (anti-Gay) aire of Scouting.

 

Mine wore his Summer Camp shirt to high school the first week of school. I told him that was not a smart idea, he said, "So what."

 

Hasn't worn it a second time...

 

I don't recall any Cub or Scout in uniform when I was in school.

[Sentinel947]

WAS: this is the second thread I've seen you reply to where you have been hating on the Eagle Scout award. Why?