ONLY for the boys?

[Eagle92]

A few comments.

 

1) I will readily admit I am a selfish prig of a leader at the moment as my #1 concern is making sure my oldest is having fun and learning things in Cub Scouts. #2 concern is for the rest of the Cubs in his den that I am den leader for. #3 is the Cubs in my pack. And on down the line to district and council. I admit when my pack was having some challenges last year, I was thinking of transferrring to another pack, b/c my son was not havng as much fun as he wished, plus some of the headaches we were having. Luckily a new CM and CC turned things around, but again my #1 concern is my son.

 

2) that will change a bit next year. Middle son will be a TC, and I will be his TCDL. And while I will have some concerns about oldest, Middle son will be #1 priority, followed by oldest at #2 and middle son's den at #3 on down the line. Personally I think oldest is ready to do his own thing, heck he already has to a degree at CSDC since I'm not following him around, and my only concern is finding a replacement for me as DL. My ADL has been asked to be ACM for 2012, and CM for 2013. Very good choice in my opinion.

 

3) Scouting needs to be fun for everyone, adults included. Are there challenges, yep. Are there situations that may stress you out, yep. Are there times you want to rip your hair out, yep. But those moments should be few and far between, or something that can readily be laughed at once they are done. IF YOU ARE NOT HAVING FUN,THEN YOU NEED TO RECONSIDER YOUR INVOLVEMENT AS A LEADER. (caps for emphasis)

 

4)If your involvement at the council/district level s interefering with how you work with your scouts, i.e. taking you away to much, stressing you out, etc. remove the source of the stress and focus on what is important: your scouts. Can it be hard, yes. Will folks still look to you for info and to be incharge, yes. But you need to get rid of the stress and focus on your scouts.

 

5)If your unit responsibilities are taking you away from your child, and it is a problem, you need to step away from that responibility and focus on your child. Best example I can give is a lifelong scouter, even when he had no kids in the program, who was a DL, and CM with a pack while oldest was a CS, and is now again an ASM. His younger son has some special needs, and when he joins Cub Scouts in June, dad will NOT be in any leader position with the pack in order to give 110% of his time to his son.

 

 

[Eagledad]

I guess I see the subject as simplistic. Of course adults are in it to have fun. If they werent most wouldnt do it. I think the tougher question is how much are we in it for the boys?

 

Ive never been one to suggest that Boy Scouts is for the boys. I believe BSA is an adult organization intended to develop boys into men of character. Is that selfish or what.

 

I learned the hard way that if the parents are having fun, they will happily bring their sons. That is especially true with Cubs and I wish I could get Cub leaders to take that to heart. But it has its application in the troop as well, even the best run troop will not succeed if the parents are uncomfortable dropping off their sons.

 

If the adults are having fun, everyone is having fun.

 

Barry

[Tampa Turtle]

Ah yes it is great for the adults to have fun but there is still a-lot of work that needs to be done. The payoff is the benefit of trying to do the job for the boys, I have little patience for some Dad's who treat the Troop as a campout travel agency...wow for our annual beach/surf campout the Dads you rarely see come out of the woodwork.

 

I was in one Troop where the focus was really on the Dad's --drinking, smoking, poker-playing Dad's weekend out...

[Basementdweller]

It stopped being fun a long time a go.

[SR540Beaver]

Then it's time to quit. Life is far too short to spend your free time doing something you don't enjoy.(This message has been edited by sr540beaver)

[resqman]

I didn't play sports as a lad. I was involved in scouting. I have experience and a skill set born out of scouting and improved upon through similar adult advocations.

 

When my sons were too young for scouting, I joined a fire department and later a rescue squad. We wore uniforms with patches indicating our achievements. We took training and recieved patches for our accomplishments. We provided community service. We had joint equipment that had to be maintained and periodically replaced. We had regular meetings, planning sessions, and weekend events. We had enough members that we split up into smaller groups with individual leaders. As part of a Search & Rescue team I underwent training in outdoor survival skills. I took training in map & compass, wilderness first aid, communications, outdoor clothing, and leadership. It was as close to adult boy scouts as it could have possibly be.

 

After more than a decade, I quit to become a scout leader for my son. I wanted to introduce him to all the fun I had as a lad. In order to do that effectively within the scout program, I am provided the opportunity to share that passion with other boys of similar ages. As a leader, I usually have less time for one on one with my son. But he gets time with other adults with similar goals and passion.

 

As a parent, part of my job is to model positive traits and encourage my offspring to make good choices. I am initally in for my sons but I get something out it. It gives me an opportunity to work with adults who make my life better.

 

I do not tolerate the ignorant and unmotivated well. Personal flaw. Adult scouters I deal with tend to be educated or will openly declare that they are less knowledgeable in certain areas and either actively search out help or training.

 

Scouting has provided my sons and I with a common activity we can share. I am in scouting for my sons, other peoples sons and myself. If I did not get something out of it, I would find something else that would be a postive influence in my life.

[Tampa Turtle]

Basement, maybe you need a new job doing a part you like. Yeah it can be a lot of work and yeah it can be VERY discouraging at times. But it SHOULD have its fun moments...

 

resqman, well now the name makes sense! I got a Wilderness Medicine book for Christmas...man real serious stuff.

 

All guys are expert at something; if nothing else an extra adult hand you has a good rapport with boys can be useful. I know as a guy who is having a lot of on the job training you need to have the humility to admit you do not know and ask for help. (and of course get training)It is humbling to ask an older boy how to something you don't know but a nice side effect is you get greater credibility.