So Where are the boys going and what are they doing??

[qwazse]

Some of them are going hiking and camping with their buddies and no adult.

I'd say all over the Appalachian foothills. They might be driving back out to a remaining old parcel of the family farm. Or, there's a farmer happy for them to hunt a few coyote's off the property. (Or simply, set up on the far lot and spend the day sighting in rifles.) Sometimes with family sometimes on their own.

 

I met one mom whose boys drove her nuts at the house from time to time, so she would offer to drive them to the edge of a wilderness area and let them walk off some steam for an afternoon while she waited back in the car. Back in the day, those boys could call an SM and make a plan in an hour or so and he'd be hauling us to a site of interest. Nowadays, the paperwork burden in this sad world makes that near impossible so parents are stepping in the gaps that the BSA has stepped out of.

[walk in the woods]

Some of them are going hiking and camping with their buddies and no adult.

True and True qwazse. In my neck of the woods boys who are outdoor oriented come from families that are outdoor oriented. By the time they are 11 year old, have already been camping, canoeing, fishing, and hunting with dad. There are no restrictions on them driving their ATVs into deer camp or riding snow machines. They even carry sheath knives .

[Stosh]

Some of them are going hiking and camping with their buddies and no adult.

Strange that one should point this out. This is exactly what boys did 50 years ago when I was growing up.

 

Stosh

[chrisking0997]

A few thoughts.

1) You have to look at #of available youth. Recent article here talked about fewer applying to college - these are the kids of Gen X - a smaller generation than Boomers.

2) Youth sports around here is only for the top players once you hit junior high. You CAN stay in the rec league, but most of the mediocre kids have dropped out.

3) Youth sports is STRICT about practices and games. I have an ASM setting us up for Philmont because he could never go if he wanted to keep his position as a starter in football.

4) I have boys taking 5 AP courses, spending weekends taking study courses for PSAT, SAT and ACT. In addition, they have school clubs with mandatory weekend activities if you want the letters of rec for college.

 

Kids are busier than hell around here - so that is where my high schoolers are.

agreed. Had this conversation with my son the other night. All those other activities (sports, schoolwork, jobs) have mandatory requirements. Scouting is optional.