Boy Scout Brats

[fred johnson]

SSF - Thank you for replying.

 

Scouts can be stressful. It's often the first time the boys are responsible for their themselves for days and feel really independent. Changing clothes. Grooming. Getting up and going to bed. Cooking. Cleaning. That stress can bring out bad behavior. But if we can teach past it, those kids have strength for a life time. IMHO.

 

The one thing that I can say is that scouting is more tolerant of kids with problems. Kids who get distracted or are space cadets or have other issues. As such, we tend to collect some "interesting" youth at times and significantly out of proportion to other groups such as sports.

 

IMHO, this is an area us adult leaders are not good at. We are not always sure who we can work with and who we can't. We have had some scouts with autism spectrum disorders from mild to major. They are almost always great kids and fit in fine.

 

On the flip side, we've also had kids with really bad behavior. Oppositional. Defiant. One scout that was stressed vented his emotions by knifing up a tent. Another socialized by swearing all the time. Both of them excelled in sports. Star basketball player. Star wrestler. But they could not ... or would not ... handle the freedom and responsibility in scouts. IMHO, us adult leaders need to recognize and be decisive on some of these issues and get the bad behavior out of the troop.

 

It's the expression all kids need scouting, but scouting does not need all kids. Some do way more damage than any benefit we can teach. We need to recognize that earlier than we usually do.

 

 

[perdidochas]

 

 

The person appointing him is his totally disconnected Dad who happens to be SM. Dad appoints all PORs "becasue the same scouts kept getting elected and now everyone gets a chance at being a leader."

 

Wow, I can't imagine a boy wanting to be SPL again and again. Our troop elects the SPL and PLs. The other PORs are the SPL's "cabinet" so he appoints them (with the advice and consent of the SM).

[qwazse]

... Wow' date=' I can't imagine a boy wanting to be SPL again and again. Our troop elects the SPL and PLs. The other PORs are the SPL's "cabinet" so he appoints them (with the advice and consent of the SM). ...[/quote']

 

Depends on the troop. When I was a scout, I enjoyed being SPL the most. I can't remember how long I held it, but I would have for a number of years if I could.

[Eagle94-A1]

Peri,

 

Actually if what I was told is correct, SM decided to appoint leadership positions when son couldn't get elected PL. Now that he appoints all the PORs, Son has been a PL, TG, ASPL, and I think he is currently SPL.