Kids, sticks,and the outdoors

[afscout]

We just had our first overnight camping trip of the new school year and while it was a success, I had the worst time getting the boys (wolves)to stop playing with sticks. At first it wasn't bad, a few of them were using them like walking staffs, but that progressed to swinging at and prodding others. This caused them to lose the stick privledges, but everytime I turned my back, the sticks were back in hand; rinse and repeat over and over again. The only good part, was I had plenty of fuel for our campfire after confiscating all the sticks, branches, and other stuff the boys were playing with.

Anyone else have this issue? How do you deal with it?

[ScoutLass]

What were the boys' parents doing while all this was going on? We usually go over the rules once everyone has arrived--with both cubs, siblings and parents. We let the parents know that they need to help maintain the rules with their kids or the family may be asked to leave. We stress that this is for safety! Stick fights may get started a couple of times, but a parent or leader gets it stomped out quickly. Usually one parent has enough, puts their kid in a timeout, and the issue doesn't resurface because the rest of the boys are afraid of being shamed in front of their friends by getting in trouble now.

 

[Stosh]

Wait until they get older, then they quit poking each other and start poking in the fire with the sticks. Then the real fun starts!

 

Stosh

[Scoutfish]

Yeah, what ScoutLass and Jblake said! Boys are drawn to sticks like flies to poop. It's just a natural boy thing.

 

One thing we do as adults and as leaders is tell them it's okay to have a stick as long as they are carefull, do not swing them, or hit/poke/touch each other with them. If we see a scout pushing it, te leaders give a LOUD STERN warning that the scout is about to lose his stick

This works for about 5 minutes...just long enough for him to forget he lost his stick, and also time for the next scout to take a turn at losing his.

 

By now though, we have a fire going and we tell them that to have a better fire, they should toss their sticks in.

 

That solves two problems:

1) no more swinging/poking sticks.

2) Every kid is either looking for more sticks for the fire instead of fighting with them AND they start creating a pile of fire wood.

 

They start out with the tiniest twings and somehow it develops into a competition of who can drag the biggest tree to the fire.

 

 

Now comes the second problem: They al want to have a stick that is on fire at the end.

 

We tell them it's okay as long as the end of the stick stays within the bounderies of the fire pit. If it comes out, you lose the stick!

 

Of course, you always have one or two scouts who are so mesmerized by the stick on fire...they end up being oblivious to the rest of the world.

 

This is where we get the parents to step in. We tell mom and dad that we can take sticks away if somebody gets burnt, but we can't take away the burn.

 

So far, that has worked out well so that leaders can concentrate on whatever they were talking about/teaching without having to spend more time being safety watch than teaching.

 

 

But you will always have at least one scout you have to get on. That's just normal.

 

 

[thriftyscout]

I like the wood gathering idea, but a game or some other distraction would also work well. I usually find it more effective to find something appropriate (yet enjoyable) to distract them away from the undesired behavior. In the long run I find it more effective to encourage/reward good behavior than to try and eliminate/punish the bad.(This message has been edited by thriftyscout)

[83Eagle]

We really don't do much with the stick thing other than stress that they're not allowed to whack people with them. Other than that you get into the "rinse, repeat" cycle mentioned above which just conveys to the boys that it's one of those rules that you can't practically reenforce for any period of time. It's not like taking a pocket knife away for a safety violation. (Hmmmm...maybe a "Stick chip" course that contains a stick safety pledge....nah.)

 

Now regarding the fire, that's another issue. Our rule has been that boys are not allowed to put things in the fire without checking with the "fire marshall." It's a control issue particularly with a larger group. Maybe there's an official rule on that somewhere in which case I'm sure I will be corrected here firmly and in short order....

[Gary_Miller]

You can sure tell the difference from a women post and a mans post on this thread.

 

The women want to stop the sticks altogether and the men say let it go its going to happen just set some safety rules.

 

Boys have been playing with sticks and throwing rocks since the beginning of time. Its a rite of boyhood that can not and should not be taken away. Just need to set some controls so others don't get hurt.

[ScoutLass]

I agree with you Gary, but I never stated to take sticks away all together. Boys (and girls) should be allowed to play with sticks. It is whacking each other that isn't allowed. That is what the control is set on, not sticks in general. I just don't think it is up to the cubmaster or den leaders to be handling all the controls when it comes to safety on a campout. It's during the down time that the boys get bored and stick fighting commences. Parents need to now what is expected of them to so they know that a campout isn't just an outdoor pack meeting.

 

 

[shortridge]

Stick privileges?

 

Don't forget your fresh air-breathing, trail-hiking, animal-watching and mud puddle-stomping privileges, too.

 

Two solutions that work hand-in-hand: Parents should watch and control their kids. The pack and den leadership should offer good program that keeps the kids from getting bored. Adding those two together gets you minimal stick-whacking. Simple.

[Lisabob]

At the start of our kids' bear year, the den leaders (married couple) decided that all the boys should have hiking staffs. Not 10 minutes later, they were "jousting" with them, playing "Robin Hood and Little John." Soon, the den leader and her husband were both bellowing at the kids and taking things away from them.

 

I had to laugh. What did she and her husband THINK was going to happen? It was that predictable. (note, I'm a mom) This is not simply a gender issue.

 

Sticks are fascinating for whatever reason. Parents are your first line of defense (in cub scouts) against really unsafe behavior and no, the kids should not be whacking each other in the face. But you (DL) aren't ever going to succeed in stopping all the kids from picking up sticks, in the first place.

 

This is not to say you should abandon all standards, but just that you might need to consider whether your expectations are in line with what's reasonable. Everybody has different standards, and often, we don't realize this until we're in a group setting.

 

Since you are the DL: In future, once you decide what you can/can't accept, it might help for you to let parents know at the start of your "adventure" what are the limits of acceptable behavior at that event. Also, how you want behavior monitored (is it each parent for their own kid, DL watches everyone, parents intervene with other people's kids, etc). This will also provide guidelines for those who tend to be overly cautious so that they're not always breathing down other people's necks.

 

 

PS: It is GREAT that you got the boys/families out camping! Too many packs don't do much or any camping at all. Kudos to you.

(This message has been edited by lisabob)

[Scoutfish]

Shortridge, no offense, but "Don't forget your fresh air-breathing, trail-hiking, animal-watching and mud puddle-stomping privileges, too. "

 

 

 

In my area, most sticks are found in the fresh air breathing ( outdoors) , trail hiking ( outdoors through trees), mud puddle stomping ( parts of trails in the trees that are wet) area.

 

The thing we do is tell the kids right up front that they have to be carefull and no swinging, jousting, stabbing, swordfighting,etc with the sticks or they get taken away.

 

But keep in mind, the kids are not playing with sticks INSTEAD of hiking, trails or being outdoors...they are getting the sticks WHEN they go hiking, on trails and outdoors.

 

And when it is time for a campfire, well..that's just a handy place to put all the confiscated sticks as well as keep the boys busy by having them hunt for more sticks for the fire.

 

 

[Stosh]

We reduced the stick problem in our boy scout troop by requiring (as part of their uniform, their decision) to have a 6' walking staff with hook. I made them up and they cost about $7 to make. The boys can mark them up anyway they wish to make them personal. Now... with that big of a stick to drag around, they don't go looking for anymore unless they are gathering firewood and then they tend to find the smallest branch in the woods for that purpose.

 

Yes, the ends of the staffs tend to have a few char marks where they ended up stirring in the fire. But if they can't pass inspection, they can get another one for $7 and start the personalization process all over again.

 

If they start misusing the staff, it gets taken away and they have to buy it back at $7/each. Once or twice and that's the end of the whacking for that boy. They need the staff to participate in uniformed activities.

 

Other than getting lost a few times, it has reduced our "stick" problem almost completely.

 

Stosh

 

[AlamanceScouter]

I just have to laugh because I deal with this too....my son being the biggest culprit.

 

Last year my wife made a great "talking stick" for me to use as a new den leader....you guessed it....the boy's saw it as a cool new weapon to torment their imagined enemies.

 

Yesterday we have a great geocaching event......kids start swinging sticks before we get started and as we marched through the woods even more sticks were found.

 

I don't remember being into sticks when I was 8.....LOL.

[SSScout]

Anybody have a link to the Johnny Carson routine selling the "new and improved toy, Dickie the Stick"?

Needs no batteries!

[83Eagle]

But keep in mind, the kids are not playing with sticks INSTEAD of hiking, trails or being outdoors...they are getting the sticks WHEN they go hiking, on trails and outdoors.

 

Absolutely agreed. Boys are attracted to sticks like flies to... And 100% of the time they become "swords," "guns," and other weapons. I couldn't care less about it unless they actually physically whack someone.

 

There's enough sissification of boys in the Cub Scouts today as it is, and in society in general, to worry all too much about this!