Troop Meeting Place has a.... stocked bar

[Col. Flagg]

I wonder how many of these indignant parents lock up their liquor, us e parental locks on TV or monitor their kids phones or online activity. In my experience their concern is misplaced.

 

Where I live there used to be dry counties all over. It is a very conservative area, and yet many VFW posts sponsor BSA units where this very thing is allowed (private clubs). There's little to no discussion on the topic. It is simply a non-issue.

[RememberSchiff]

Indignant or responsible or moral or smart choice?  Some parents have no alcohol in their homes. I don't.

 

Back in the day (here he goes), my old Council would not charter organizations which had/served alcohol on their premises. There was no shortage of public schools and churches willing to sponsor BSA units.

 

I think the BSA will adopt the Scouting Association stand on alcohol (link below) and as soon as we hear beer being served at Summit for whatever the activity, scouting or not, there will be beer at scout camps.

 

https://members.scouts.org.uk/supportresources/1862/alcohol-and-scouting?cat=419,299,303

Edited March 17, 2017 by RememberSchiff

[NJCubScouter]

I wonder how many of these indignant parents lock up their liquor, us e parental locks on TV or monitor their kids phones or online activity. In my experience their concern is misplaced.

 

I have seen no sign that the original poster (or anyone else involved in this particular situation) is "indignant" about this.  And I don't think the main issue here is really whether someone (adult or youth) is going to steal any of the alcohol.  The "concern" seems to be whether this particular room is really the "right environment" for a Boy Scout meeting, and even beyond that, whether the CO's facility as a whole is the "right environment."  I don't see how anyone here (other than Cubmaster Pete) can really know whether that concern is "misplaced", and it isn't our decision anyway.

[Col. Flagg]

Providing the original post...

 

Both the Pack and Troop share the same CO, a local sportsman club. We have a great relationship with them, they are financially supportive.

 

The pack meets at church in town. The church hall has a better layout for us as a pack. The troop meets at the club, which has a bar. They meet in the room with the bar, but I do not believe the bar is open at the time of the troop meetings. It is stocked with alcohol in plain view.

 

Thoughts? It this ok? I feel like its a fine line. 

 

 

I have seen no sign that the original poster (or anyone else involved in this particular situation) is "indignant" about this.  And I don't think the main issue here is really whether someone (adult or youth) is going to steal any of the alcohol.  The "concern" seems to be whether this particular room is really the "right environment" for a Boy Scout meeting, and even beyond that, whether the CO's facility as a whole is the "right environment."  I don't see how anyone here (other than Cubmaster Pete) can really know whether that concern is "misplaced", and it isn't our decision anyway.

 

The words were mine. I was not quoting the OP. I was applying the word indignant to the sentiment that the temperance movement seems to be applying to the situation, and I drew out other issues which are more pervasive and less monitored of which adults should be more concerned. The OP knew the line was fine. My point was that yes, the line is fine, but the existence of booze should be no worse than a TV being on with prime time programming, someone smoking near by or 

 

Simply put, having booze in plain view of Scouts (with adults around to monitor and help discuss if there are questions) is LESS of an issue than bullying, YPT, internet or chat room usage, use of SnapChat, or other things that Scouts are confronted with daily where this is little to no adult monitoring or intervention.

 

If we are going to get upset about booze bottles we should be upset about a few other things done around Scouts. IMHO it is a non-issue.

[Stosh]

The hypocrisy of this issue is quite prevalent in our area.  At our annual awards banquet, for example, one can tell the ones who are drinking alcohol and those that aren't, just look to see who's wearing a uniform and who is not.  Like that is some magical elixir that allows them to have a cocktail, just dump the uniform.  They are at a public restaurant, it is a scouting event, sitting with uniformed adults knocking one down. Really?  Sometimes I often wonder if the kids are more mature with their decisions at a CO that serves alcohol than some of the adults. 

[T2Eagle]

Indignant or responsible or moral or smart choice?  Some parents have no alcohol in their homes. I don't.

 

Back in the day (here he goes), my old Council would not charter organizations which had/served alcohol on their premises. There was no shortage of public schools and churches willing to sponsor BSA units.

 

I think the BSA will adopt the Scouting Association stand on alcohol (link below) and as soon as we hear beer being served at Summit for whatever the activity, scouting or not, there will be beer at scout camps.

 

https://members.scouts.org.uk/supportresources/1862/alcohol-and-scouting?cat=419,299,303

How sure are you about the no chartering orgs that served alcohol.  That could easily eliminate most Catholic parishes and Knights of Columbus councils.  Back in the day, and it was a long day ago, my Pack was sponsored by a KofC, and we met in the social room that also contained a stocked bar.  That council sold their building and so we met in the parish school gym, which also was the parish social hall, and there were live (locked) beer taps in the corner.

[RememberSchiff]

How sure are you about the no chartering orgs that served alcohol.  That could easily eliminate most Catholic parishes and Knights of Columbus councils.  Back in the day, and it was a long day ago, my Pack was sponsored by a KofC, and we met in the social room that also contained a stocked bar.  That council sold their building and so we met in the parish school gym, which also was the parish social hall, and there were live (locked) beer taps in the corner.

Could have been just my Council back then. Our local Republican Club tried to charter a Boy Scout troop and was turned down for that reason. Some thought it was politics as it was '68 and candidate Nixon was coming to town.

 

Catholic churches chartered through their parochial school where their units also met, not the Knights of Columbus.

 

Back then, there were plenty of schools and churches, where the boys were, seeking charters. 

 

Times change.

Edited March 18, 2017 by RememberSchiff

[Cambridgeskip]

 Back in the day, and it was a long day ago, my Pack was sponsored by a KofC.

I read that first time as having been chartered by KFC. Would have been a different string to Colonel Saunders bow

[Stosh]

How sure are you about the no chartering orgs that served alcohol.  That could easily eliminate most Catholic parishes and Knights of Columbus councils.  Back in the day, and it was a long day ago, my Pack was sponsored by a KofC, and we met in the social room that also contained a stocked bar.  That council sold their building and so we met in the parish school gym, which also was the parish social hall, and there were live (locked) beer taps in the corner.

 

Why stop there?  The first troop I was with at a sportsman/conservation club had a stocked bar, the second troop was at an American Legion had an open bar in the next room.  So far the only units that didn't have a bar was with either a school or non-Catholic church.  One of our Cub packs is chartered by a pizza restaurant, which of course serves alcohol in the room next to the room where the Cubs meet.  Yet, I have never heard in the past 20+ years anyone having an issue with these situations.  Neither has this topic been brought up in any training done by the council, any RT discussions or even conversations where scouts gather.  The only topic discussed has been the hypocrisy of not wearing a uniform to an adult scouting activity so they could consume alcohol there.

[RememberSchiff]

IMO, the ideal CO was one which had a gym for our meeting place. As a scout, my troop met in a gym which was part of a Presbyterian school. Those were the days my friend.

Edited March 18, 2017 by RememberSchiff

[Stosh]

When I was a kid, many moons ago, my buddy and I would go downtown to one of the local bars where his dad worked at as a bartender.  We would get a soda and sit at the bar.

 

I didn't become an alcoholic later in life.  Do I drink?  Yes, but never on days that I drive.  If it's my birthday and I want a glass of wine, the Mrs. drives and doesn't drink.  I do the same for her when it's her birthday. 

 

Did I grow up in an alcohol free home?  Nope.  My dad became an alcoholic later in life.  I have been around alcoholics all my life and it's the #1 reason why I am not.

[DadScouts]

The only true thing in Scouting life is you can never please all Scout parents all of the time.  We meet at a church facility that is not our CO.  The church is great and allows several community groups to meet there.  One or two parents complained when the church allowed an Alcoholics Anonymous group to meet in a different side room the same night as our Troop meetings.  The SM was floored.  

We would even see a couple former Scout parents from time to time attending the AA meetings.  It was nice to chat with them, catch up, and see how their sons were doing.  

[Rick_in_CA]

One or two parents complained when the church allowed an Alcoholics Anonymous group to meet in a different side room the same night as our Troop meetings.  The SM was floored.  

We would even see a couple former Scout parents from time to time attending the AA meetings.  It was nice to chat with them, catch up, and see how their sons were doing.

What was their complaint?

[gumbymaster]

[ sarcasm on ]

 

Yes I can clearly see that we would rather not meet at the same time, and risk our scouts being in the same area as those degenerates who are actively working on improving their lives and not drinking.

 

Maybe we could replace them with a nice book club, where they sit around and drink wine (or other beverages) while discussing their books, and then get in their cars (in the shared parking lot) and go home.

 

[sarcasm off]

[eagle90]

Our former church had an AA group meeting there, and those people were the nicest, kindest, most generous people.  They were very appreciative of the meeting space and always helped out when they could.  They would make donations on Christmas and Easter and even show up on work days.