Scout Priorities and Responsibilities (Vent)

[CalicoPenn]

I'm curious,

 

Is it common for the Troop to plan a campout a week prior? I can understand planning duty rosters, menus, and activities a week prior, but was it not scheduled earlier?

[Engineer61]

"Is it common for the Troop to plan a campout a week prior? I can understand planning duty rosters, menus, and activities a week prior, but was it not scheduled earlier?"

 

Yeah, it's been pretty much the norm...sometimes maybe two or three weeks for something more involved.

 

[nolesrule]

They don't have an annual calendar and associated planning meeting?

[zippyboro]

I can't believe some of the comments here.

His schoolwork is priority one... he is a student first, a scout second. Scouting is extra curricular. If he had committed to providing the food for his patrol, then he still needs to fulfill that commitment, but nothing more. As Lisabob said, what would bother me the most is that he was dishonest about the situation and subsequently neglected his work. Trying to discern whether he really needed the whole weekend to work on the assignment is immaterial. He should have been upfront about his situation and gone from there. Beavah, it's great that you have a job situation that would allow you to stand up to a client and just say you have prior commitments, but not everyone would be able to do that and it is certainly unrealistic to expect a student to say to their teacher that he can't do an assignment because he's going camping.

[sailingpj]

"My personal opinion as a father with two sons taken/taking advanced high school classes: expected hours to be put into homework outside of school has gotten excessive. Some teachers of these classes give out many of these 'surprise' assignments which adversely impact extra-curricular activities."

 

That is exactly the problem in High Schools today. That is one of the reasons that I started taking collage classes early. I had a teacher who would assign 2-3 hours of homework every night. That was just one class, and it wasn't even my honors class. Very often in my freshman year I would come home with 7 hours of homework to do.

 

The only break that you don't get homework for is summer break. Spring and winter you generally get 6-8 hours of homework from each class. Sometimes more. There were times where I woke up at 7 am on saturday morning, grabbed a bowl of cereal then sat down and started my homework and only got up for quick bathroom breaks and short meals until 9pm. Then did the same on sunday.

 

In reply to engineer, I would have done just the same as your son did, though I would have stayed up as late as needed on sunday and monday nights to make sure it was done. I have done that a couple times, got home from a regatta took a nap for an hour or so, then worked until 2, 3 in the morning to get my work done, then for the next couple days you doze off whenever you get the chance and by wednesday or thursday everything is back to normal, just in time for the next cruise.(This message has been edited by sailingpj)

[shortridge]

Sounds like he got the assignment done, and in time. I don't see a problem here.

 

Scouting is just as educational as school - more so, in a lot of respects.

[ScoutNut]

>>"it was a big hit on his grade for the quarter...one letter grade...I am more concerned about the precedent that it sets, however. Only 4 weeks to try to make up the damage."

[skeptic]

Scoutnut: Where are you getting your info'? Did I miss something? Went back and reviewed, and there is no mention of grade, ADHD, or additional details in that regard. So, your comments do not make any sense to me. If I missed something, please point it out. Otherwise, you are completely off track here.

[ScoutNut]

Engineer has spoken of his son in other posts.

 

 

[zippyboro]

Scoutnut, regardless of the source, this seems inappropriate to bring up on your own in this thread... better stated in a DM.

[Beavah]

Yah, I'm with ScoutNut, eh? This is Middle School and an ADHD lad? I reckon that's relevant. And is it just me, but does it seem odd that being one day late on a last-minute assignment would cost a kid a whole letter grade? In middle school?

 

So I'm solidly with da group that wants to talk Engineer61 back from da edge of the cliff, eh? [and perhaps with da group that would have a few gentle words with the teacher and her supervisor on the side ]. This is an ordinary kid thing and learning opportunity, and perhaps more a time management issue than a priorities/choice issue.

 

For da rest of it, I reckon I'll stand by my original thoughts. Maybe I'm just an out-of-date old fashioned fellow, but I still believe a man's word is his bond. When yeh make a commitment to other people, yeh honor it. The boy made a commitment as a leader to his patrol for the weekend, and I think he was right to honor it.

 

Now I know in da modern world folks don't take commitments that seriously anymore, especially when honoring a commitment means they might lose something. It's all about what yeh can get as an individual. Get grades, get Eagle, get recognition, get awards, get money.

 

Sad what we're teaching the lads these days. Sometimes we parents and scouters even give our young fellows the wrong impression. To my mind, education is only a priority because it helps yeh do a better job giving, not getting. Service and honor are da real priorities. There's no exception in the Scout Oath and Law for "unless I have homework."

 

Beavah

(This message has been edited by Beavah)

[evmori]

I agree school before Scouting but I don't see the problem here. Assignment was given Friday with a due date of Tuesday. Was the assignment yours or the Scouts? Did the Scout understand the consequences of not completing the assignment on time?

[OldGreyEagle]

Was this the same campout that the young lad chose to go to while having an assignment due on Tuesday?

[zippyboro]

Beavah... there is honor in a students commitment to do their best in school as well. You can't just take the moral high ground here and say it's only a component of scouting. Your implication that by putting schoolwork ahead of scouting is in some way encouraging him to go down a path of greed and ambition is a bit far fetched. You feel that he was right to keep his commitment, but was he also right to hide the reality of his work situation to his dad? Dishonesty is not a part of the scout oath.

[Gary_Miller]

skeptic, "Yep; God, family, school all come first if a conflict happens and can not be solved."

 

LOL, my son would say God, Duck Hunting, Scouting Unit, Order of Arrow, family, then school if he has to.