Compare Marching Band to Scouting

[Thomas54]

 

Band - Marches in formation

Scouts - sorta march in formation

 

Band - cool uniforms with feathers

Scouts - cool uniforms no feathers

 

Band - Twice weekly meetings

Scouts - once a week

 

Band - Co-ed

Scouts - Boys only

 

Band - lead chair

Scouts - Boy led

 

Band - costly equipment

scouts - costly equipment

 

Side by side they look close but many times band wins out. Why?

 

 

[OldGreyEagle]

Band members often receive academic grades for their participation

Scouts do not receive academic grades for participation

 

 

So,the trombonist struggling to get into college will not jeopardize his grade by blowwing off a Football game or Halloween Parade to go Camping as he needs the highest GPA he can get

 

Not that I like it, but it is reality

[Eagle92]

Yep at the HSs i'm familiar with, band is a class and counts towards GPA. Now the school I went, b/c band practice was before school, the time they normally would be in class was a free period to allow them to do HW, Only when they were not practicing did they actually attend class, which was very rarely.

[Stosh]

Bands are adult led, not boy led. If the band director says be there or your grade will take a hit, the boy follows along like a puppy on a leash.

 

A boy led program is viewed in today's society like a gang, which of course BP said it was, but with the negative connotation to the word gang, it's going to take a hit from parents, teachers, community leaders, (i.e. any adult led endeavor). If adults can't control the program, then it cannot not be a good thing. These immature gangsters would turn into hardened criminals without the directing hand of an adult to old the leash.

 

Why not compare a gang with Scouting. Today's adults would hit the ceiling, BP would say, "Yep, that's the goal!"

 

Once your pulse returns to normal you may resume your normal activities.

 

Stosh

[Beavah]

Yah, jblake!

 

So,the trombonist struggling to get into college will not jeopardize his grade

 

Da thing is, as I understand most university admissions offices compute "corrected" GPAs after they subtract out Band and Basketweaving and all da other non-academic classes (and sometimes apply corrections for AP classes and such). I know at least a few around here that do that.

 

Of course, just because the college thing is a fiction doesn't mean most parents won't still believe it.

 

Beavah

 

[Lisabob]

Because band is FUN. High School bands around here go places, do things, and offer a sense of belonging and identity to kids from a variety of backgrounds. This is especially appealing to kids who aren't ever going to make the A-string of the football team but still want to be part of something larger than themselves.

 

Aside from group identity, there is a huge sense of accomplishment in mastering the technical skills that good musicians develop. And anyone who has ever gotten lost in a piece of music should understand the joy that comes from that, too.

 

Scouting can, but unfortunately sometimes doesn't, offer similar rewards.

 

And yes, scouting can be quite different in terms of emphasis - but really good bands? I see some overlaps, too. Band section leaders take on responsibilities not so different from patrol leaders. And individual advancement in many bands is closely linked to character traits such as perseverance, commitment, and work ethic, just as is the case to a large degree in scouting. Talent probably plays a larger role in band than in scouting, but a lot of what passes for "talent" at the middle and high school level is actually better attributed to hard work and dedication. And that, I think, is pretty similar to scouting too.

[OldGreyEagle]

But before I drop off the deep edge, I have to add.

 

A few years back in one year two of the most High Schools in the area with the most highly regarded bands had their Drum Majors (Yeah, the guy in the big hat waving that sceptre thing while walking forwad with his chest parallel to the ground)earn Eagle

 

Last year the starting Fullback of the Liberty High School Hurricaines, Pennsylvania State CHampions earned Eagle

 

Somehow, Scouts do, at times, appeal to the bightest and best is it the Program of the way its delivereid?

[GKlose]

I have a question -- did any of you participate in your HS band? If so, was it a fairly high-level band (weekend competitions, state contests, that sort of thing)?

 

Guy

[artjrk]

Also consider that MB is just 3 months out of the year opposed to BSA being year round.

 

About 1/3 of the active boy in my troop is in MB this year including my two sons. During September and October, we schedule around the Band's schedule. Not a big deal.

 

I have am Eagle SMC scheduled next week with this years Drum Major. I would say half of the Eagles in our troop are also in MB.

 

[Eagle92]

GK,

No I did not as was on the USMC JROTC drill team, but I had several friends who were. My HS had several bands: Marching, USMC JROTC band ( yep that was separate and had their own practices), Concert, and 1 or 2 others if memory serves. I know the school bands were in various competitions, Mardi Gras parades, sports events, and special events. JROTC band didn't compete, but they also did Mardi Gras parades, one or two sporting events (ones the regular band were not going to), and special events. Closest the JROTC band came to competitions was at various JROTC meets where they provided entertainment during breaks in the meet. They would usually get some type of recognition as at the time we were the only JROTC unit that had a band. However that changed my SR year as another unit in TX got one.

[rdclements]

Not all band programs are alike. Some students do not get academic credit for marching band. As a high school and college band member, I had more leadership opportunities than I had in scouting or other youth programs.

 

The comparison between scouting and band is not correct. If a scout misses an event, that's one scout missing. If a band member misses an event, it has a serious impact on the ensemble.

 

Back in the day, my high school band was into travel and competition - way over the top. The band at my son's high school today is much much worse. They probably average 10+ hours of practice each week, football on Friday, practice and competitions on weekends. They learn and perform only one show in a season.

 

My college band practiced 3 hours a week and learned a new show for each home game.

 

I encourage my young musician friends to stay with their music in college, but most drop band after high school. So why do they put up with all that just to drop out? College band is the reward for all the pain of high school band.

 

When I've done Eagle BORs, I have rarely met a candidate who is only into scouting. These guys have multiple talents and academic interests. Most are leaders on their sports teams and other groups, like church youth programs. Forcing them to choose between these interests and scouting is just an adult ego trip. I support my scouts/venturers multiple interests and encourage them to try new things.

[Eagle92]

"If a scout misses an event, that's one scout missing. If a band member misses an event, it has a serious impact on the ensemble."

 

I must respectfully disagree as 1 person of a patrol can make a serious difference, especially in district/council patrol competitions.

 

I know of a case where b/c one patrol member skipped out of a backpacking trip, the expedition was delayed several hours, and we had to redistriubte gear. It was the old BA 22 course, and we were already at the place, gear loaded up and ready to go. The scout deliberately didn't wear socks one day at the camp to get blisters so he wouldn't have to go backpacking. When he only got one, he deliberately infected it so that it got so bad he couldn't do the backpacking portion of the training. needless to say we were all ticked off as we had to wait for the doctor's verdict if he could do it or not ( he couldn't) and once we found out he wasn't goign to make it, we had to redistribute the gear, with a good portion of it on my shoulders. that delayed us further. Good news is that he did such a good job infecting it it became the size of a softball (I didn't realize blisters could get that big), and he ended up in the base camp doing KP for the leaders. Needless to say he wasn't a happy camper.

 

Also as a scout doing a district camporee, we had 2 scouts in my patrol miss out b/c of illness. Can't blame them as they were actually sick and upset not to compete ( we wanted to kick some Hawk and Eagle Patrol buttocks) , but we couldn't do several of the patrol events as we did not have the minimum number of patrol members to do them.

 

So yes a scout missing an event does have an impact on the group.

[Eagle92]

Art,

Length of MB does depend upon the school. While the active season is usually FB season in the fall, others are year round. Summer was band practices and camp, Fall practices, FB games, Winter was basketball games and practices, spring was Mardi Gras parades and competitions. Grant you Fall was the very busy time, and we had a guy who wouldn't serve in a POR in that period due to band, but it was year round, he was able to make most of the spring/summer activities.

[Stosh]

I was in HS marching, concert, jazz and pep bands. Marching/concert band was for grade. In college I reduced that to marching, jazz and concert only, all of which was for grade. Of course it did not reflect solo and ensemble competitions either. But I was in Scouts, in photography club, Foreign Student club, drama club, rifle club, Latin Club, French Club, CAP, and a ton of other clubs and organizations, i.e. church youth group. I was involved in every drama production the school put on during my 4 years (Made National Thespians). According to my mom, I spent too much time in front of the TV. I didn't make Eagle, but I camped more back then than I do now (camped last weekend). Now I'm too busy...

 

Stosh

[Brian85]

I was never in the band, but I did do competitive chorus, madrigals, plays and musicals. Very complex stuff. I was also number two in my class(wood shop killed my GPA), Class President(x3), Student Body President, State Student Council Treasurer, a National Merit Scholar, All-State in two sports (FB(3 years) and Wrestling), Academic All-American in Football (Division I recruited and played), National Merit Scholar, and I had a job. I earned twenty-two varsity letters in high school(FB-4, Wrestling-4, Baseball-4, Track and Field-4, Academic Team-3, and chorus-3)Did I mention that I earned my Eagle at 14.5 and continued to earn Palms until I aged out. I proudly wear the three Silver Palms on my NESA Life Member square knot. My parents were neither coaches or scout leaders, in fact it was my responsibility to get myself to meetings and camps for sports and Scouts. I drove myself to my Eagle BoR. I missed a holiday wrestling tournament to go to my EBoR.

What does that have to do with playing in the band. Nothing. But it does go along way in saying what kids have time to do.