Article- The male crisis thats ruining our boys

[Eagledad]

http://nationalpost.com/opinion/barbara-kay-the-male-crisis-thats-ruining-our-boys-and-no-one-cares-about

I’m posting this article because it hints to what many of us were saying during adding girls debate. The article is mostly centered around fatherless boys, but there is some mention of what boys need to develop their instinctive nature that I’ve talked about in other threads. 

For example: “As Farrell and Gray explain: “The traditional boy’s journey to self-sacrifice incorporated service to others, and required responsibility, loyalty, honour, and accountability. It created his mission. And his mission created his character.””

I get that the BSA has moved on and there is no going back, but just maybe a few here will be swayed to consider the needs of the boy, sperate from the girl, and bend their family scouting program, at least a little, toward that need. 

I know that as much as girls needed a program like the Boy Scout program, boys need it a lot worse. 

Barry

[Rick_in_CA]

Interesting article, thanks for sharing it!

I wonder, has anyone read the book the article is talking about: "The Boy Crisis: Why Our Boys are Struggling and What We Can Do About It"? And what did you think of it?

[Eagle94-A1]

I have.  Very informative, and one of the reason why I am against coed Scouting. That said I am glad I am homeschooling as schools are very rapidly becoming toxic to boys.

[The Latin Scot]

Hey, I was homeschool for many years! Good for you. I highly recommend it; I got accepted into some of the best universities thanks to my time at home, and I was able to escape much of the social anguish that I suffered during the years that I was in the public school system. 

[69RoadRunner]

Much effort went into improving schooling for girls when school was viewed as less important for them and that was much needed.  Girls are doing much better than in decades past.

Now boys are falling behind, dropping out in much greater numbers and much more likely to end up in prison.  I don't claim to have all the answers, but more effort now needs to go into addressing the problems boys are facing.  When I say that, some people have a knee-jerk reaction to think that girls will be pushed aside again.  That's not the case at all. I have a daughter and a son.  I want them both to succeed in life, however that may be defined for them based on their skills.

I can't cite them by memory, but a simple Google search will show that scouting is one way to help boys with these issues.  BSA should look at why the program succeeds in this regard.  Some of the things they are doing, IMHO, are likely to do harm to that success.

[Gwaihir]

  On 6/14/2018 at 8:05 PM, Eagledad said:

I get that the BSA has moved on and there is no going back, but just maybe a few here will be swayed to consider the needs of the boy, sperate from the girl, and bend their family scouting program, at least a little, toward that need. 

I know that as much as girls needed a program like the Boy Scout program, boys need it a lot worse. 

Barry

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God know, I'm trying. I just wish other units would put in the work to do the same, for the kids' sake, and not take the easy way out and just lump everyone together.   

ancillary to this discussion... it's time for a serious discussion about criminal justice reform in this country. 

[David CO]

  On 6/15/2018 at 1:15 AM, The Latin Scot said:

Hey, I was homeschool for many years! Good for you. I highly recommend it; I got accepted into some of the best universities thanks to my time at home, and I was able to escape much of the social anguish that I suffered during the years that I was in the public school system. 

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There are many good reasons for home schooling, but home schooling in order to avoid learning how to socialize with one's peers is not one of them.

 

[gblotter]

  On 6/14/2018 at 8:05 PM, Eagledad said:

http://nationalpost.com/opinion/barbara-kay-the-male-crisis-thats-ruining-our-boys-and-no-one-cares-about

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Thanks, @Eagledad. I stumbled on this article before you posted the link on this forum. I cried when reading it because truly we are losing our boys and nobody cares. Not even BSA cares anymore. My son faces this on a daily basis in a school environment dominated by female teachers and female administrators. He is graded according to female methods of learning and disciplined according to female standards of behavior. Scouting has been his refuge - a safe space for boys to just be boys. That is now sacrificed on the altar of inclusiveness.

 

  On 6/14/2018 at 8:05 PM, Eagledad said:

I know that as much as girls needed a program like the Boy Scout program, boys need it a lot worse.

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With troops of 12-13 year-old boys and 12-13 year-old girls in the same summer camp environment, tell me which will be called out for being disruptive and distracting, and which will be praised for being focused and attentive?

 

  On 6/14/2018 at 8:05 PM, Eagledad said:

I get that the BSA has moved on and there is no going back, but just maybe a few here will be swayed to consider the needs of the boy

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There is no going back. So our boys will retreat to their last remaining dominions: sports teams for those who are athletically inclined, and the dropout society of the video game culture for the rest. Sad beyond belief. This social petri dish is putrid.

[Gwaihir]

  On 6/19/2018 at 6:38 PM, gblotter said:

Thanks, @Eagledad. I stumbled on this article before you posted the link on this forum. I cried when reading it because truly we are losing our boys and nobody cares. Not even BSA cares anymore. My son faces this on a daily basis in a school environment dominated by female teachers and female administrators. He is graded according to female methods of learning and disciplined according to female standards of behavior. Scouting has been his refuge - a safe space for boys to just be boys. That is now sacrificed on the altar of inclusiveness.

 

With troops of 12-13 year-old boys and 12-13 year-old girls in the same summer camp environment, tell me which will be called out for being disruptive and distracting, and which will be praised for being focused and attentive?

 

There is no going back. So our boys will retreat to their last remaining dominions: sports teams for those who are athletically inclined, and the dropout society of the video game culture for the rest. Sad beyond belief. This social petri dish is putrid.

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Sorry, but we men need to stand up, especially those who are "retired" or those who feel that all is lost.  The defeatist attitude is a contributing factor to the detriment of boys.  Rally those in your community to your cause, put in the extra work.  Be vocal (not online).  WE have to fix this, and bemoaning the state of affairs doesn't fix anything. 

Edited June 19, 2018 by Gwaihir

[gblotter]

  On 6/19/2018 at 6:42 PM, Gwaihir said:

Sorry, but we men need to stand up

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Let me know how that goes for you. Consider those on this relatively tame forum who dare to decry girls entering BSA (unScoutlike is the kindest of those characterizations).

Are you ready to be assailed as sexist, chauvinistic, and patriarchal? You had better check your male privilege at the door. The only reason that article could be published at all is because the author is female.

Edited June 19, 2018 by gblotter

[Eagle94-A1]

  On 6/19/2018 at 6:38 PM, gblotter said:

With troops of 12-13 year-old boys and 12-13 year-old girls in the same summer camp environment, tell me which will be called out for being disruptive and distracting, and which will be praised for being focused and attentive?

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It's has already happened with Early Adopter Packs that have "joint den meetings.," aka "coed dens." One DL posted a link to an article on FB. In the article he commented how the girls more focused and attentive and not as disruptive as the boys in his den.

 

  On 6/19/2018 at 6:38 PM, gblotter said:

There is no going back. So our boys will retreat to their last remaining dominions: sports teams for those who are athletically inclined, and the dropout society of the video game culture for the rest. Sad beyond belief. This social petri dish is putrid.

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My youngest, who is into baseball, has told me yesterday that he is not interested in being in a "linked troop" He will stick to baseball if the older two's troop becomes "linked."

Older two are already into gaming. Thankfully  we limit their time, and they have jobs, both around the hours and with the lawnmowing business they started.

 

  On 6/19/2018 at 6:28 PM, David CO said:

There are many good reasons for home schooling, but home schooling in order to avoid learning how to socialize with one's peers is not one of them.

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Agree. sadly the local parochial school closed its doors before oldest was in kindergarten. Heavy anti-Catholic bias in my neck of the woods. And the private schools are out of our budget. Thankfully we are doing a Classical Conversations, which includes a one day a week tutoring with trained tutors. More expensive than the parochial school, but a heck of a lot cheaper than the private schools.

 

 

[Gwaihir]

  On 6/19/2018 at 6:53 PM, gblotter said:

Let me know how that goes for you. Consider those on this relatively tame forum who dare to decry girls entering BSA (unScoutlike is the kindest of those characterizations).

Are you ready to be assailed as sexist, chauvinistic, and patriarchal? You had better check your male privilege at the door. The only reason that article could be published at all is because the author is female.

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A Scout is brave. 
 

Also, I'm not saying we all need to be Jordan Peterson (who is called all those things, but presses on because it's what's right) on youtube with millions of subscribers... I'm saying focus on your neighborhood, on your community.  Start there, double down there. 

I'd also argue that the retired group has got much less to lose, so they have a little extra capital to expend before their time on this earth expires.  But to each their own. 

[Eagle94-A1]

  On 6/19/2018 at 6:53 PM, gblotter said:

Let me know how that goes for you. Consider those on this relatively tame forum who dare to decry girls entering BSA (unScoutlike is the kindest of those characterizations).

Are you ready to be assailed as sexist, chauvinistic, and patriarchal? The only reason that article could be published at all is because the author is female.

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Agreed 100%. You make any comments promoting boys, and you are decried and vilified as being  against girls. Book's author is also female. And she cites plenty of examples where not only men, but women are vilified for trying to do something for boys.

[Gwaihir]

  On 6/19/2018 at 6:59 PM, Eagle94-A1 said:

Agreed 100%. You make any comments promoting boys, and you are decried and vilified as being  against girls. Book's author is also female. And she cites plenty of examples where not only men, but women are vilified for trying to do something for boys.

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So quit.  throw in the towel.  the fight is lost.  

[gblotter]

  On 6/19/2018 at 7:01 PM, Gwaihir said:

So quit.  throw in the towel.  the fight is lost. 

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The fight is over with BSA, but it is not lost. My efforts will continue full force with our church youth program that is well-equipped in the realm of developing boys into responsible men, capable providers, strong fathers, and loyal husbands. In that environment, one may still assert that men and women are actually different, with each filling essential and complementary roles in life (how outrageous is that?).