Has your troop ever gone to Disney World?

[ianwilkins]

12 minutes ago, WisconsinMomma said:

Thanks for the discussion, this is good.  My concern with my sons' troop is that the camping coordinator tells them up front -- don't say Disney World -- on your survey about where you want to go and what you want to do.

And my thought is -- why not Disney?  Sure, it is expensive, but let them dream big and figure out how to make it happen or decide for themselves to adjust their plans.

I think I know where that co-ordinator is coming from. Every time he sits your boys down for a "where shall we go camping then?" and they all shout "DisneyLand!" and they get all excited and talk about DisneyLand and nothing else and when he says okay boys so that's $300 for the long weekend and they get all deflated and switch off.  The co-ordinator has heard it all before and they want to nip it in the bud. They probably don't mean specifically the mouse, but generally excessively expensive campouts that aren't necessarily very "scouty". Setting the scene to manage expectations possibly.

It's like when we do programme planning and ask our explorers what they want to do, and it's "yeah let's go paintballing and go-karting and quad biking and sky diving and buy a plane and all become pilots and and and"...and we go "yep, your budget for the term is £150. No, not each, total. So which three of you are go-karting while the others watch?"

 

[WisconsinMomma]

Yes but isn't this where the Scoutmaster guides them?   Isn't there something like -- well if you want to go to Disneyland -- how can you make it relevant to scouting, and are you willing to do extra fundraising?  

[ParkMan]

1 hour ago, WisconsinMomma said:

Yes but isn't this where the Scoutmaster guides them?   Isn't there something like -- well if you want to go to Disneyland -- how can you make it relevant to scouting, and are you willing to do extra fundraising?  

This seems pretty easy to solve to me.  The camping coordinator or Scoutmaster needs to ask a better question.  Something like:

Scoutmaster: Boys, we need to plan the camping trips for this year.  We can do one or two large trips - like Philmont or a long road trip.  We also need to do 10 weekend trips that are within a three hour drive.  Please come up with a list for both groups.

The camping coordinator's form can simply ask both questions.  If, for the big trip, every boy puts down Disney World - then great.  if they put down Disney World for the monthly trips - hand it back and say please fix it.

[Back Pack]

We did a local theme park in patrols as a special event one summer but I couldn’t see making a special trip to disney. That’s not really what scouts is about. My friends and I would rather be on the lake or hiking or something. We can do disney with our families. 

[Jameson76]

7 minutes ago, Back Pack said:

We did a local theme park in patrols as a special event one summer but I couldn’t see making a special trip to disney. That’s not really what scouts is about. My friends and I would rather be on the lake or hiking or something. We can do disney with our families. 

[Tampa Turtle]

9 minutes ago, Jameson76 said:

I feel left out only having two boys. I guess you can't be a gay couple either. 

[Jameson76]

6 minutes ago, Tampa Turtle said:

I feel left out only having two boys. I guess you can't be a gay couple either. 

Correct

In looking at the approved and provided photo (graphic??), Family Scouting also does NOT include:

• Only children families
• Families with more than three children
• Children more than 3 years apart unless the youngest is an infant
• Single parents (male)
• Single parents (female)
• Families with children of the same gender
• Male parents shorter than the female parents
• Bald parents
• Frowning 

Edited February 16, 2018 by Jameson76

[NJCubScouter]

On 2/15/2018 at 8:30 AM, ianwilkins said:

I think I know where that co-ordinator is coming from. Every time he sits your boys down for a "where shall we go camping then?"...

Except that in American English he probably wouldn't include the "then." 

Edited February 16, 2018 by NJCubScouter

[Tampa Turtle]

10 minutes ago, Jameson76 said:

Correct

In looking at the approved and provided photo (graphic??), Family Scouting also does NOT include:

• Only children families
• Families with more than three children
• Children more than 3 years apart unless the youngest is an infant
• Single parents (male)
• Single parents (female)
• Families with children of the same gender
• Male parents shorter than the female parents
• Bald parents
• Frowning 

Inter-racial parents. 

Fat Parents

Fat Turtles

[Jameson76]

2 minutes ago, Tampa Turtle said:

Inter-racial parents. 

Fat Parents

Fat Turtles

Definitely no weight challenged, would not be able to fit all of them into the group photo

[Tampa Turtle]

1 hour ago, Jameson76 said:

Definitely no weight challenged, would not be able to fit all of them into the group photo

I have been in enough Troop photos to know: short newbies to the front, fat old guys to the back. I like my first years to be belly shielding height. 

[blw2]

3 hours ago, Back Pack said:

...... but I couldn’t see making a special trip to disney. That’s not really what scouts is about. .....

I'm not so sure I totally agree.  I think scouts is about a group of friends, usually 6-8 of them, getting together to do fun stuff together as a patrol.  In the process they practice leadership, learn skills, and all sorts of stuff.  Sure, the 'game' of scouts is outdoor oriented but isn't that only because the idea is that boys get so much good out of being outside?

Sure it wouldn't count towards nights camped, it probably shouldn't  be encouraged as a regular thing....but I'd liken it to a patrol getting together for a game of basketball at the scout hut. 

A special event, fun, leaders lead, .....

[perdidochas]

1 hour ago, Tampa Turtle said:

I have been in enough Troop photos to know: short newbies to the front, fat old guys to the back. I like my first years to be belly shielding height. 

I resemble that remark.  

[Tampa Turtle]

32 minutes ago, blw2 said:

I'm not so sure I totally agree.  I think scouts is about a group of friends, usually 6-8 of them, getting together to do fun stuff together as a patrol.  In the process they practice leadership, learn skills, and all sorts of stuff.  Sure, the 'game' of scouts is outdoor oriented but isn't that only because the idea is that boys get so much good out of being outside?

Sure it wouldn't count towards nights camped, it probably shouldn't  be encouraged as a regular thing....but I'd liken it to a patrol getting together for a game of basketball at the scout hut. 

A special event, fun, leaders lead, .....

Sometimes the Patrols meet up for a movie, a house sleep over, or meet up to eat. I see that as a plus as long as some camping gets done too.

[Col. Flagg]

1 hour ago, blw2 said:

I'm not so sure I totally agree.  I think scouts is about a group of friends, usually 6-8 of them, getting together to do fun stuff together as a patrol.  In the process they practice leadership, learn skills, and all sorts of stuff.  Sure, the 'game' of scouts is outdoor oriented but isn't that only because the idea is that boys get so much good out of being outside?

Sure it wouldn't count towards nights camped, it probably shouldn't  be encouraged as a regular thing....but I'd liken it to a patrol getting together for a game of basketball at the scout hut. 

A special event, fun, leaders lead, .....

The cost of going to Disney for a few days could cover going to a high adventure base. Most kids I know would rather do that than see the mouse.

We stopped at DW on the way to Seabase one year, day trip. But to make a special trip? Doubt our PLC would even consider it. The cost for such a trip could be put to going to Alaska for HA, hiking the AT or doing white water on the Natahala.