Follow Me Boys

[tagguy]

This movie is good for a few chuckles,but also a class action lawsuit in the making.I can think of more than a dozen scouting rules that were completely ignored,and/or tossed away.No 2-deep, blatant lack of proper supervision,youth protection issues,equipment issues,etc. A few years ago, I viewed this with my troop committee and we used it as training as what to do,and not do in certain situations,and to review how they approached it.

[oldsm]

I don't recall the year that the movie was set in, but I'll bet that the 2-deep leadership requirement didn't exist back then, along with a whole passel of rules and regulations that have been forced upon us by the lawyers. Those were to good ol' days.

[emb021]

A good chunk of the movie is set before WWII.

 

A little bit (the war games section) is set during WWII.

 

The later part (court room stuff, Whitey as adult, 'Lem Simmons Day') is post-WWII.

 

As others noted, the 'issues' you put forth just didn't exist back then.

 

And frankly, if you are watching the movie just to nit-pick on stuff like that, you are MISSING OUT on the major message (or messages) of the movie. There is a more recent movies (Whitewater Summer for example you can use for that sort of thing.

 

The BSA actually shows FMB at PTC for their movie night. Something to think about.

[Gold Winger]

That movie was set back in the days when Scout was SCOUTING. Common sense ruled, continual supervision was not considered a good thing.

[gcnphkr]

The only real problem I had was that Whitey didn't know how to tie a bowline. People who pick it apart are more like Ralph Hastings than Lem.

 

"Young man you are a popinjay...and you are an employer of popinjays."(This message has been edited by jet526)

[shortridge]

I don't think I could watch this movie in a room with other Scouters, because it always makes me cry. The scenes with Whitey and his father, particularly at the troop meeting, are heartbreaking.

 

It does give one pause to think that once there was enough land cheaply available (or freely given) for brand-new Scout camps. Now where I'm from, it'd cost you an arm, leg and your first-born child to get enough land on a suitable site.

[Crew21_Adv]

tagguy and Fellow Scouters,

 

Greetings!

 

First I would view the movie for entertainment value, and first as a heartwarming story.

 

But secondly, it may be a good opportunity to segue into topics such as G2SS and safety. (If the majority of your committee was not yet trained) Rather than making a bad example out of the movie, I would only remind them "Hey, you know we handle safety much more thorough now." and "You know, we don't climb on the back of a moving car, or ride in the back of a truck"

 

I would hope that everyone would let it be a fun night for the audience, and maybe only take away that there are more current safety guidelines in place to return our Scouts safely back to the parents after a campout.

 

Scouting Forever and Venture On!

Crew21 Adv

 

[Stosh]

Hollywood produces entertainment, not documentaries or educational films. Once one realizes that they may actually enjoy the movie.

 

And it's not just movies. If one reads the early novels of scouting from 1910-1930, one would be totally agast at the political incorrectness, dangerous activity and total disregard to what is acceptable by today's standards. We laugh and wink at the Dangerous Book for Boys, when in fact the adventures of the past were indeed far more adventurous than those of today.

 

And those days weren't that long ago. Yes, I do remember riding to a scout event in the back of a pickup with a bunch of scouts and other gear.

 

Long live the spirit of Pee Wee Harris, Tom Slade, Westy Martin and Roy Blakeley. One can be assured that the Pee Wee of the 1920's is definitely not the cartoon character Pee Wee that's around today.

 

Stosh

[OldGreyEagle]

Actually, I think it was Lem who couldn't tie a sheep shank to prove to the POW commander he was a scoutmaster

[CNYScouter]

My sons Cub Pack just watched this for a Family Movie Night.

 

One thing that stood out to me was that the town didnt have a Boy Scout Troop because no one would step up to be Scoutmaster.

 

It doesnt sound a lot different then what is happening today in many places.

 

[gcnphkr]

I was referring to the scene where Whitey is saving the scout that fell down the cliff. Watch the know he ties. IIRC it is some variant of the two half hitches and not a bowline, or some other fixed loop.

[skeptic]

While tying the correct knot may be preferable, the real issue is that he was able and willing to act to rectify the situation, and that he had the ability to get support of his patrol. That is the ideal of being a leader, and what we hope may happen with our own charges at some point.

 

What makes this movie so appealing to many of us is that it does an exceptional job of showing both the dedication of concerned adults, and the ability of a "fun" program to develop young minds and character.

[emb021]

Adding to skeptic's comments, I think its valuable to watch Lem and how he conducts himself as a scoutmaster. He's not a martinet or a dictator, he's never bellowing orders or the like. He works with the boys more like a favorite uncle and the like. He's not perfect (who is), but works to rectify things when he realizes his mistakes.

 

 

[asm 411]

"While tying the correct knot may be preferable, the real issue is that he was able and willing to act to rectify the situation, and that he had the ability to get support of his patrol. That is the ideal of being a leader, and what we hope may happen with our own charges at some point.

 

What makes this movie so appealing to many of us is that it does an exceptional job of showing both the dedication of concerned adults, and the ability of a "fun" program to develop young minds and character."

 

And this from someone named "skeptic".

 

Many are quick to point out the short comings in this movie I am personally amazed at how true to life many of the situations are. In the great balance of all that is Scouting every troop has its strong and weak points, things that go right and things that need work, good Scouts and Scouts that need more encouragement and training...(This message has been edited by asm 411)

[OldGreyEagle]

well Jet (hanging head humbly) I have never noticed what knot he tied before he went over the edge. I will have to pop in the DVD and check that out