The Way of The Scout.

**Beo** · 03-17-2008, 08:47 AM

Here's my only problem with Boy Scouts, when my son was old he got into it and supported it whole heartedly. I taught the first aid portion and a little woodworking, then it came time to make those stupid boats and have that dumbazz race and weeks on end went into this, then it as time to make those little cars or dragesters and weeks of preperations went into this, then one meeting was having the boys drive nails into 2x4s (not sheee-it and I thought that was really stupid) then they went to Disney Something or other on Ice (stupid) and then we did the stars (only the mom teaching it didn't wanna go outside and did it on the ceiling with some goofy thing she made) then it was paintball to teach about guns (now that made me mad), then any money we raised didn't stay for our boys went somewhere else, and the list went on until my son asked about going camping and learning about animals, they blew him off and he said "Daddy, I wanna learn about the outdoors. So we quit and I taught him for several years, then he went his way for a while, and now he's back wanting to learn all he can.
Boy Scouts did nothing for survival, outdoors skills, or nature here and that is sad. They have gone down hill, maybe not in your area but at least here they have.

**trax** · 03-17-2008, 12:43 PM

When my kids were still kids and when it comes to teaching kids....There was this buddy of mine who happened to be a minister of a certain church. I wasn't a member but we were pretty good friends. He tells me one year that they have these "day camps" for kids. I think ages 8 to 12 or something like that. My boys were 8 and 9 at the time. He tells me all about the great activities and they'll get to go on day hikes out in the bush etc etc, so I asked them and they said "sure!" so I signed them up.

After their one day hiking in the bush, the leaders came to visit the parents. Oldest son's group leader got the group lost and my boy had to show them the way home. Youngest son's group leader couldn't get a campfire started so my kid got the fire going.

The group leaders said to me "you must spend a lot of time with your boys in the outdoors for them to know these things"

I said, "heck no, that stuff just comes natural to Indians." I did it with a straight face too. When they came back with their day camps the next summer, the boys didn't want to join.

**marberry** · 03-17-2008, 02:23 PM

i learned to shoot in the boy scouts , we have a different kind of system in canada i think.. im pretty sure i was a wolverine scout; anyone herd of that or am i misremembering?

**Beo** · 03-17-2008, 02:28 PM

Naw he's an X-Men

**Catfish** · 03-17-2008, 02:39 PM

Originally Posted by Sarge47

What is a Boy Scout?

He avoids poisons of alcohol or tobacco

I was a Scout from when I was 11 to when I was 16, (Britain dropped the word 'boy' from the name quite a bit before my time), but obviously whoever wrote this handbook never saw our troop.

**canid** · 03-17-2008, 02:44 PM

you can take the man out of the south but you can't take the south out of the man. sometimes not even out of the whole family tree.

**Beo** · 03-17-2008, 02:49 PM

Scout sounds better than Boy Scout, to me any way.

**awfoxden** · 03-18-2008, 12:44 AM

Originally Posted by Beowulf65

Here's my only problem with Boy Scouts, when my son was old he got into it and supported it whole heartedly. I taught the first aid portion and a little woodworking, then it came time to make those stupid boats and have that dumbazz race and weeks on end went into this, then it as time to make those little cars or dragesters and weeks of preperations went into this, then one meeting was having the boys drive nails into 2x4s (not sheee-it and I thought that was really stupid) then they went to Disney Something or other on Ice (stupid) and then we did the stars (only the mom teaching it didn't wanna go outside and did it on the ceiling with some goofy thing she made) then it was paintball to teach about guns (now that made me mad), then any money we raised didn't stay for our boys went somewhere else, and the list went on until my son asked about going camping and learning about animals, they blew him off and he said "Daddy, I wanna learn about the outdoors. So we quit and I taught him for several years, then he went his way for a while, and now he's back wanting to learn all he can.
Boy Scouts did nothing for survival, outdoors skills, or nature here and that is sad. They have gone down hill, maybe not in your area but at least here they have.

Beowulf,

it sounds like the cub scouts. they do alot of what your discribing. if it was a boy scout troop i would urge you to send you concerns to your local council or national level since this is not as it should be. i'm sorry for your experience. i've seen stories like this time and again since ive been involved with them. all i can say is if i don't try to make a difference who will?

cub scouts generally go from ages 8-11years old. are very family focused and do very little outdoor experience.

boy scouts are 11-18 years of age and a healthy unit should have the outdoor experience as their main focus as well as exposing the young men to many different fields i.e. merit badges, which they may want to pursue once in college.

varsity scouts - 14-18 more team based activities - some outdoors stuff. i've not spent alot of time with this program.

venturing scouts 14-21years old. high adventure. if the scouts can think it they are encouraged to try - mountaineering, whitewater rafting, rock climbing ect. may also have a large emphasis on community service depending on unit. used to be known as the rangers i think. it is also a coed program.

**Rick** · 03-18-2008, 07:22 AM

Explorer Scouts were the 14-21 year olds (officially Explorers is I remember right). I was in that. We had a branch that did outdoor stuff as you describe and a branch with Civil Air Patrol. We even had a group with Civil Defense.

**Beo** · 03-18-2008, 08:17 AM

Scouts shmouts, I can teach my boy and his friends more than he'll ever learn in the Scouts and have done so for years, from wilderness survival to firearms. No mansy pansy boat races or wooden car races here that teaches nothing to them, IMHO.

**Rick** · 03-18-2008, 09:54 AM

To each his own. I enjoyed the Explorers and we never did boats or cars. We did do first aid, weather (even tornado spotting), camping, and survival. The county Civil Defense had an underground bunker that we "maintained" (cleaned, made sure stocks were rotated, everything was functional). We even took care of their REO truck (again, cleaning and that sort of thing). I look back on that with some fond memories and walked away not only with a lot of knowledge but a healthy respect for people and things.

**trax** · 03-18-2008, 11:07 AM

Originally Posted by Beowulf65

Scouts shmouts, I can teach my boy and his friends more than he'll ever learn in the Scouts and have done so for years, from wilderness survival to firearms. No mansy pansy boat races or wooden car races here that teaches nothing to them, IMHO.

Beo, I taught my kids too, and I'm teaching my grandkid, the thing is there are a lot of kids out there that don't have a guy like you or me around, anything is better than nothing. When I was a kid, after my Dad died, there was a group of guys at our local Legion hall who put on Christmas parties and a big summer picnic for the kids of dead veterans. My Mom used to drag me out to them, I wasn't much interested and would have rather been out in the bush doing my thing. It took me some time to realize that those guys didn't have to do what they did, they volunteered and did what they could, so in retrospect I have nothing but gratitude and respect for them.

We've had plenty of laughs over my experience with the scouts, but I have to say, like I mentioned in that other thread, those guys could be out swilling beer at the local bowling alley or pool hall, or working on cars in the backyard, instead they're trying to do some good shtuff with some kids. Those kids could join the scouts or they could join whatever your local name for the posse is, but if those scouts aren't there, they just lost an option, didn't they.

**Sarge47** · 03-18-2008, 10:14 PM

Originally Posted by trax

Beo, I taught my kids too, and I'm teaching my grandkid, the thing is there are a lot of kids out there that don't have a guy like you or me around, anything is better than nothing. When I was a kid, after my Dad died, there was a group of guys at our local Legion hall who put on Christmas parties and a big summer picnic for the kids of dead veterans. My Mom used to drag me out to them, I wasn't much interested and would have rather been out in the bush doing my thing. It took me some time to realize that those guys didn't have to do what they did, they volunteered and did what they could, so in retrospect I have nothing but gratitude and respect for them.

We've had plenty of laughs over my experience with the scouts, but I have to say, like I mentioned in that other thread, those guys could be out swilling beer at the local bowling alley or pool hall, or working on cars in the backyard, instead they're trying to do some good shtuff with some kids. Those kids could join the scouts or they could join whatever your local name for the posse is, but if those scouts aren't there, they just lost an option, didn't they.

Man, you are now one of my hero's!! I'm really getting choked up about this and I'm not kidding around! My dad never paid much attention to us kids, the family dog got more attention than us,and that's not saying very much. His goal was to be like Al Capone since he grew up in Chicago. The only time he went hunting was with a brand new .22 rifle he'd just bought. He shot a song bird, then cried because he killed it. That was it, no more outdoors. When I was 8 I wanted to join the scouts, Cub Scouts 1st & later Boy Scouts, it was all the same to me; but my folks said no. Nieghborhood politics and finances stood in the way, and I had no positive role models like you guys would have been, so I raised cain in my late teens and early 20's, just missing jail time by blind, stupid, luck! The 60's introduced me to grass, booze, and speed. I wish I had a dad like you guys are to your kids, my hats off to you all! Trax, you're right, man. There are kids out there who don't have the adult leadership they need; I'm glad you're there for them!

**trax** · 03-20-2008, 05:55 PM

Thanks Sarge, actually I do it because those kids know where to score the really good sh*t, know what I mean? Kidding people I like working with kids.

**Sarge47** · 03-15-2010, 12:45 AM

Since another thread was started along the same lines, I thought I'd revive this old one of mine! I've also included part of it as a blog.

**Alaskan Survivalist** · 03-15-2010, 11:01 AM

My father taught me the things you never learn in Boy Scouts, Church or school. He came out of WW II and Korea with a bad attitude and like so many of that era came to Alaska because he was fed up with the United States and most of humanity. Boy Scouts helped to bring balance to the rest of life. Boy Scouts in 1960's Alaska was an experience few can imagine. We did community service too and as part of that there was a 112 year old woman in my neighnorhood that I would help. She had a natural garden and I would walk her out to a bench where sat and told me what to do around the garden and while I worked told me stories of the Gold Rush days in Alaska. It was a bit strange to look at this frail old woman and imagine her as the young wild woman she was as she told me stories about Soapy Smith and Wyatt Earp. I started working young in life so did not make it to higher levels of the Scouts but if I had anything that resembled a childhood it was in the Boy Scouts!