Two Kids w problems

[DoubleD22]

While I have been scouting for a long time I never have had kids with problems like a couple I have now. The troop is less than a year old and we have only 4 scouts out of 35 with any prior scouting experience. We have scouts from Arrow of Light 10-1/2 year olds to one 16 year old who is a 1st Class. Just did a TJLT this August but still have a way to go to get to a boy led troop. Hopefully will have 3-4 in CJLT this fall.

 

The first is a 15 year old who was taken out of public school by his parents in the 5th grade and now has a tutor. They took him out because the school couldn't deal with his social skill problem. He transfered in from another troop. I met with the parents for several hours and didn't really get much help in how to deal with him. He gets very excited about scouting since this is the only thing he gets to do with other kids. It takes him about 24 hours to get calmed down where the other kids will tolerate him. He thinks he is the authority on everything but it has taken him almost a year to be able to put up and take down and pack a troop tent. Most of his scout outdoor skills are very poor. He interupts everyone, uses bad language when he is not around adults, talks about inappropriate subjects even when parents are around (female anatomy), talks very loud and wants to control every conversation. He has been involved in some manner in every issue that has come up in the past year. I have moved him into a patrol with only older scouts who basically just ignore his tirades but he continues to hang around the younger scouts and constantly gets them worried about something that he has dreamed up. all inappropriate behavior is confronted with him immediately and followed up with his parents.

 

 

The 2nd scout is 11, in counseling for social skills, has an unusual home situation and needs the male influence of scouting. He is a loner, doesn't want to do his assigned duty roster duties, doesn't eat meat and is very vocal about even being around anyone eating meat (shakes and shivers as well). He is small but still picks on others like shinning a flashlight in their eyes repeatedly, moving their things, etc. None of the scouts his age want anything to do with him. He is very smart and learns easily although is afraid of the water, spiders and bugs (we have lots of spiders around here - averaged 20-30 in a tent during summer camp). He talks to himself quite frequently and sometimes just sits and rocks. No one want to tent with him. I have had many talks with his mother but have few ideas how to help him fit in better other than working on his reactions to others and trying not to be pest. Basically have run out of scouts who are willing to tent with him. I have had a couple of scouts who are thinking about dropping out of the troop because of having to be around him.

 

Open to suggestions.

[NWScouter]

You said one was in counseling and I would like to believe the other is also getting professional help. I would talk with the parents and see if there is anyway that some of these problems could be discussed with the professionals treating the boys. The goal is to develop plans to deal with the behaviors and to suggest strategies to change those behavior in the troop setting. I imagine that the young men are having problems with these behaviors elsewhere also and they have plans in effect to handle them.

[Tamegonit Arrowman]

Normally, in a situation such as this, I would recommend simply letting things take their course. Either the troubled individual will fit in, or the troop will fit in with him. However, this sounds like a rather extreme case, even compared to our troop (which has it's own share of troubled kids, let me tell you, some no worse than what you described!). I'm going to have to agree with the above poster on this one.

 

TA