Dealing with scouts personalities

[Buffalo Skipper]

A side note update. At our court of honor last night, our treasurer was talking to this scouts's father about summer camp. We are attending 2 camps this year, one the local camp June 27-July 3 and the second out of council the last week of July. The father mentioned off handedly that his son cannot attend the second summer camp because he is going to the NJ.

 

I certainly have no problem with that, but it is December, and isn't this a little late to tell the troop he is going? I was shocked, and still don't quite know how to react to this. I haven't spoken to the scout about it, as I was told after the event. I am not quite sure what to say when I do see him next.

[Lisabob]

I'm confused. Why is December too late to tell the troop about an event in late July?

 

Regarding Jambo, around here the council is still desperately recruiting boys to fill our council contingents. We probably will have boys joining the jambo troops right up to about April, the way things are looking now. In fact, I heard recently that nearly half of the people on the jambo rosters have paid less than $100 so far, which puts them at a high likelihood of not going. Maybe things are different in other parts of the country, but with the economy in the tank (17% unemployment in my state, thanks) I don't think the jambo rolls are filling up as quickly as has been the case in past years. Maybe this kid just signed up recently.

 

 

[Buffalo Skipper]

I have no objection to his attending NJ, in fact, I truly hope it will be a good experience for him. And December is not too late to be told about it. But we weren't told about it. We found out by accident, only because we were passing information on an unconnected activity. I am disappointed that neither this scout nor his father though it important enough to inform us, when they have been registered and making payments for nearly a year for this.

 

In a way it reinforces my concerns that this scout is not a real team player. Back in October when the PLC was chosing a summer camp to attend, this scout made a real stink about NOT going to Camp Daniel Boone (the last week of July, our second camp this summer), he insisted that it didn't sound interesting to him, and he wanted to go to a different camp. He fought it tooth and nail--much stronger than your typical 12 year old. Our other scout who is attending the NJ made announced he was abstaining from the discussion and vote because the week we were going to this camp was when the contingent would be at NJ. However our "problem" scout, knowing that he would not be able to attend still campaigned against the trip. I just find his behavior puzzling.

[Lisabob]

He's 12. He may not have been thinking about summer camp with his alternate calendar in mind. My son (who is 15) is attending Jambo and I know that his perception of how his summer will be laid out - when he's home, when he's not, what else he can commit to - is unclear as well. July isn't so far away for those of us who do long-term planning, but it is eons away for a kid.

 

Have you done a sign up for summer camp 2010 yet? If so and the boy signed up and his parents didn't remind him that he'll be away, then you have a legit gripe. If not, then I don't think you do.

 

 

[ScoutNut]

I'm with Lisa on this.

 

Attending Jambo is not a Troop activity, it is an individual activity. He does not need approval from the Troop in order to attend.

 

Why, exactly, are you upset that he did not tell you? What difference would it make to you, or the Troop, if you had known earlier, later, or at all, that he was going to Jambo?

 

Payment does not have to be made in total, up front. Perhaps there was some question within his family if he was going to be able to go or not.

 

Perhaps, when the discussion was held about where to go for July's Summer Camp, this Scout did not know he was going to be able to go to Jambo.

 

Perhaps the final decision was made very recently by his family.

 

Lots of possible reasons why he did not tell you. Not to many reasons why you should be this upset about it.