Youth Behavior at 2017 Jamboree

[wdfa89]

Son just got back.  He had an amazing time.  Did a tremendous amount of activities (his troop went to Summit last summer so he knew his way around and had done a lot of the high traffic stuff already), lots of good fellowship, raved about the program.  He was able to distinguish what was scoutlike and what wasn't from the POTUS speech (both by the speaker AND the audience.

 

My disappointment: stories of lots of unscoutlike behavior.  borrowed w/o return phone chargers (phones were encouraged to use the jambo app), scouts huddling by the charging stations so they can unplug boys who drop off their phones and charge theirs.  Biggest bummer:  the patch trading.  boys just being rude, dismissive and just out right mean.  There is no call to insult other council sets that aren't as elaborate, don't have a famous logo, don't have 12 CSPs and 4 lodge flaps.  If yo do not wish to trade that is ok, but one can say no thanks or be polite, not just give the back of the hand.  And it wasn't just kids, adult scouters as well.  I understand the pre jambo hype for trading and see the neat possibilities to meet/learn about other areas but now they are QR coded so there scarcity and "value" can be assessed.  My son made plenty of trades, was very happy w/ his haul and had an overall good experience but I could sense his disappointment with the attitudes and behaviors of many of his fellow scouters.  And these stories have been repeated by the parents of other boys I have spoken too.  Is this the norm for Jambo, I am not saying that.  I have no idea how widespread this was and I get this is all anecdotal based on what the boys from our troop experienced. 

 

Again, my son didn't out a blanket or spend massive amounts of time on trading so he got out what he put in, found some patches he liked and met some boys from all over.  He spent most of time having adventures and had a great time.  Not ranting to indict jambo, just a little disappointed in less than optimal behavior which I Guess is to be expected in a gathering that large.

 

rant over thanks for listening.

Edited July 31, 2017 by John-in-KC
Topic Title Edited by a Moderator

[Stosh]

As long as your son had a great time, the rest is not important.  There's always going to be a negative side to every event this large.  As long as the majority of issues were positive, or even if he only took home one really exceptional experience, it's a win.  We spend too much time on the negative, celebrate the positive instead.

 

Hopefully airing out your vent will be enough so that you can enjoy the rest of the good stuff that went right.  If you stay bummed out along with all the other parents, eventually it will become the focus of their experience.  It's difficult to do, but one needs to work at it anyway.

 

My Jambo experience was the Centennial in 2010.  Sure there were plenty of things that went wrong.  Heat, rain, discipline problems, lousy food, long walks, huge crowds, long lines, but when all was said and done.  I had a good time.  That's the part I choose to remember.

Edited July 29, 2017 by Stosh

[wdfa89]

good perspective.  and that is why I came here.  I dont want to discuss it with/in front of him.  He had an amazing experience and that is enough.  And I am not focused on the little that was suboptimal, just wanted to put out a rant and move on.  Very glad he went, I know he is.

[wdfa89]

sorry for the double  waited too long to edit.  I was prepared to deal w/ bummers from wx or lines.  didn't expect kids to be kids I guess.  I am such a realist in all other facets of human endeavour but tend to run towards idealism w/ respect to Scouts

 

but it really was a minor trifle to him which is what counts

[Stosh]

Sometimes the best lessons in life come from our kids. 

[ALongWalk]

My son had great things to say about the patch trading. He had never really gotten into the patch thing so this surprised me. I think he really enjoyed the "salesmanship" aspect to it. His phone never seemed to be charged so I am not sure he made it to the charging stations much.

 

Now the food.....he was not a fan.

[qwazse]

Nice to know things haven't changed much since the 80s.

I went to Jambo once and decided that I preferred rocks in the middle of nowhere alone or maybe with a buddy or two.

[RememberSchiff]

Locally, I imagine we all have experienced behavior issues of the "other troop" at camporee and scout camp. Other than some talk not much changes - boys will be boys, just having a little fun,... Sad that we find our scouts falling back on street smarts or perhaps friendly caution is a better term at activities with other units.

 

Wouldn't it be great at closing ceremony  to award such units?

    Troop xxx come forward and receive the Granny Knot. You will not return (some period of time)...

 

My $0.02,

[wdfa89]

again, this was a very minor part of HIS experience.  I have certainly overblown my interpretation of hearsay evidence.  I imagined an Amish farmer's market, which at times it was, when it turned out to be the commodities pit of the Chicago Board of Trade a lot of the time.  He had an amazing time and I would highly recommend.  

 

and, yes, he was not a huge fan of the food...

[Scout12]

Second time for him and all above is true...but for 2K (with all) probably spent better on HIGH adventure w/friends somewhere,not LOW expectations with the hord at the Summit.

[SSF]

Sadly, I'm not at all surprised to hear about Boy Scouts acting selfishly and with little regard or consideration for fellow scouts. I've long believed that the scout oath and law have simply become for many scouts - and scouters - just a bunch of words to be rambled off at the beginning and end of troop meetings. Too few scouts and scouters alike actually live by the oath and law.

[dedkad]

My son went to Jamboree and had a great time. He said that there were things stolen from his troop, including patch sets, but the boys just shook it off and continued to enjoy themselves. He's even thinking about going to World Jamboree in 2 years.

[RememberSchiff]

I wonder if any culprits were caught and how they were reprimanded. If one of my scouts stole, he would be heading home.

[Stosh]

It is my opinion that everything in Scouting should be a learning opportunity for the boys.  We have Citizenship MB's, codes of conduct, Scout Law, Patrol Method structure, yet when something goes wrong, the adults step in, take away the leadership, send the boy home.  What's the lesson in that?  Should not the PLC convene?  Should the PL determine the course of action? Are there steps that are taken similar to what would happen in "real life" outside of scouting?  Or is the world of Scouting exempt from the world in which it exists?

 

Yes, at first I would do the same knee-jerk reaction of immediately sending the boy home.  But is that process the lesson I want to teach? 

 

Yes, I had a Scout steal at the Jambo I attended.  I was 2nd ASM.  The scout was one of the younger boys.  It is my philosophy of disciple to do things differently than what most people do.  When a child misbehaves badly, the parents usually scream, yell and maybe dole out of bit of corporal punishment or incarceration (time-out for the little ones, grounding for the older ones).  Same hold true for teachers and others responsible for the welfare of the child.  I don't do those things primarily because then the child doesn't know what to expect.  It is "normal" for adults to scream and yell and kids learn how to deal with it.  Usually they just blow it off as they get older. 

 

So, then, I don't scream and yell and it puts the child in a different position they don't know how to handle.  Why isn't this adult yelling at me like adults are supposed to do?  So I take the child aside and give them a long and uncomfortable silence.  Then I let the boy know I know he did something wrong and that I'm sure he knows he did something wrong as well.  This is followed by another long and uncomfortable silence.  Then I quietly ask, "What are YOU going to do about it?"  Almost always the child will dole out punishment more severe than what I would have done.  In the case of the scout at Jambo, he sought out the person he stole from, returned the item, apologized for his indiscretion.  Facing up to his "crime" was far more difficult for him than merely getting on a plane, heading home where Mom and Dad will just scream and yell at him...maybe.

 

The boy was not a member of my local troop, but I did find out a few years later he did Eagle and was described as an excellent scout after that.  I won that round, but alas, the method doesn't always work, but the majority of time it does.  It is far more dramatic and effective to have the boy take responsibility, own up to his indiscretions, than it is to be separated from the consequences and move on.

 

.

[RememberSchiff]

I have not attended a Jamboree, but we make it crystal we expect our scouts will follow the Scout Oath and Law and the consequences if they do not.  Parents are informed.

 

Bullying or theft is ticket home in our unit.  I can't remember the last time we had any thieves among our unit. Bullies, yes. Home they went and they chose to leave scouting.

Edited July 30, 2017 by RememberSchiff