Utah Guy Considering Getting Back Into Scouting

[GK_]

I just returned from a week at the family camp at camp bartlett.  My wife is a Webelos leader and was doing woodbadge.  I have a son in Webelos and a younger daughter that all went as well.  I didn't have to do any of the training classes and mostly just hung out and did the adult activities.

 

My wife wants me to get back into scouting by the time my son is a regular scout(two years from now). 

 

I earned my life scout badge and was one merit badge/project away from eagle when I was younger before they added an additional requried one and I never felt like finishing things

 

I enjoy doing more of the high adventure type things(rafting, canoeing, primitive camping etc) but have had issues regarding politics and religion in scouting.  Here in Utah, the majority of scouting is ran by the LDS church and I'm not a church type of guy.  My wife goes to church(non LDS) but is the Webelos leader in a LDS pack due to her doing a great job as assistant Wolf leader.

 

If anyone knows of good non church sponsored cub/scout troops in the northern area of Davis County, Utah, let me know.  If possible, my wife would like to find a venture pack as well as she would like my daughter to be in scouting too.

[SeattlePioneer]

Check out the beascout.org website.  All the units in your area are listed and you can hunt around for a program you might be comfortable with.

 

Personally I'd give priority to finding a unit with a quality program rather than one that conforms to your political and social biases unless these happen to be important to your son.

 

It's probably very important to your son that he have a program he will enjoy. Boys tend to filter out stuff that isn't important to them anyway.

 

I'd talk to your boy about the things that are most important to him.

 

Is the current Cub Scout Pack he belongs to an LDS unit?  What do they do that offends your son or you,  if anything?

 

I'm Chartered Organization Rep for a Cub Pack that meets at a Catholic Church.  When introducing "Duty to God,"  I define that duty as respecting the religious traditions of your own family and also respecting the religious traditions of other families.

 

We has a Muslim family where the mother told the Pack Committee that perhaps her family shouldn't participate in the Pack Christmas Party.  We invited her to make a presentation at the Christmas Party on the family's Muslim faith,  which she did in good style.  We accommodated her families desire not to have pork sausage on the breakfast menu of our pack overnight camp.  In short,  we worked to accommodate her religious concerns in ways that met the family's needs.

 

You may be able to find ways to accommodate your concerns in a Scout unit if you discuss them carefully with unit leaders.

[GK_]

Is the current Cub Scout Pack he belongs to an LDS unit?  What do they do that offends your son or you,  if anything?

It is a LDS unit.  It's not necessarily the offensive part, but more the scouting is secondary to the church part where they have church activities take the place of the scout meeting at times and they put such a heavy emphasis on the religion.  I know at least one kid left due to them pushing the Faith in God so hard.  They told him he basically had to do that one(even though he wasn't lds).  They didn't present the God and Me as an option.

[SeattlePioneer]

Shop around for another pack or troop with which you are happy.

 

Beascout.org should be your friend.

[Alabama Scouter]

If there isn't a non LDS troop, start one. You may be quite surprised at the demand.

Not everyone in Utah is LDS.

[qwazse]

Welcome to the forums!

 

 

I'm sorry to say that the Venturing program only begins at age 14 (or 8th grade graduation). So, your daughter has a wait on her hands. In the meantime, keep taking her camping and hiking.

[GK_]

Welcome to the forums!

 

 

 

I'm sorry to say that the Venturing program only begins at age 14 (or 8th grade graduation). So, your daughter has a wait on her hands. In the meantime, keep taking her camping and hiking.

Yeah, I know that.  Would like to find a troop that has a venture program or see if one is out there around our area

Shop around for another pack or troop with which you are happy.

 

Beascout.org should be your friend.

Unfortuantely, beascout is nearly useless for me.  If I do a search with my zipcode, it basically just pulls up the 20 closest LDS troops.  Even if I set it to only show venturing, it still shows the same results.  When the LDS wards do the charter they include all the different types just in case since it's cheaper to do it at that time.  So even though none of the LDS troops near me actually are venture troops, they still all pull up when using beascout. 

[SeattlePioneer]

_{So----  what's your zip code?}

[GK_]

84040

[SeattlePioneer]

Well,  I used the beascout.org message feature to request information on non LDS units in the 84040 zip code.  It lookls like that will go to the council rather than the Cub Pack.  I'll be interested to see what kind of reply I might get from the District Executive.

 

And you might want to consider calling or e-mailing the District Executive with a similar request.  I would GUESS that there are non LDS units around somewhere not too far from you.

 

You can Google the Council website for thye Trapper Trails Council and find the district you live in,  which would list the contact information for the District Executive.  Call that person and ask hime for help in locating a unit that would serve your needs and inrterests.

[Incorrigible]

I understand where you are coming from. LDS troops follow a very altered program. I'm LDS and love scouting. My kids participate in their scouting themed youth groups with the church, as well as real scouting programs.

 

According to our registrar, there are only a handful of non LDS units in the state. Up here, in the Logan area, there is a single non LDS troop and a single non LDS pack. There's also a tiger only pack for LDS members that want their kids to do the whole cubs program.

 

I'm the Advisor for one of two non LDS Venturing Crews. Both were formed by the perseverance of one of the local paid scouters, who was tasked with expanding the program. Until this summer, we hadn't had a non LDS crew up here in at least 7 years. We have crew members driving from an hour away to participate. I'd go into your local scout office and ask what kind of options are in your area....but be prepared that the only options may be ones you create.

[prof]

Welcome back to scouting. I hope that you find a troop that meets your son's interests!

[SeattlePioneer]

<<Well,  I used the beascout.org message feature to request information on non LDS units in the 84040 zip code.  It lookls like that will go to the council rather than the Cub Pack.  I'll be interested to see what kind of reply I might get from the District Executive.>>

 

 

 

No reply.