Scout Widow

[RoseparkStar]

Originally Posted by Leggs

Not necessarily. Girl Scouts may not have the church's resources, but I'm sure they have other resources, don't they?

They do, to a point. The state councils get money from the federal council. If they are church sponsored they get some money.

Problem with most girl scouts is they dont stick with it until their high school years. Everyone seems to want their little girl to be a Brownie and/or Junior, but not many sort of push/suggest it beyond that. If you knew what it takes to get a bronze/silver/gold award it is more than the Eagle Scouts have to do. And even if a girl gets say her Bronze award....time and project wise when she goes for her silver she starts over time/anything else, same for Silver to Gold award. So if you know a GS who got all THREE they committed alot of time to each one. DS knows a girl going for her Gold award doing reading to younger/under privledge kids. Her project is not pnly read to them but provide them with books. Younger kids who can read Dr Seuss can get books, but slightly older to high school kids that offer isn't always there to OWN their own books and she was looking for slightly used books.

Also with cookie booths everyone is ready to buy from the cute brownie GS but the senior GS? Has to work their rumpus off to get sales at the booths. My cousin's DD sold 350 boxes BEFORE booth, my own DD 100. her DD is a junior, my DD is a senior.

As for what are they doing with the cookie money, my DD's troop (all 5 of them plus 2 adults) had hoped to go to DC, but the plane tickets were $3500 alone, never mind if they wanted to eat or sleep anywhere. So they are now looking at places like San Francisco where they can learn things, but also have some fun and they could cover their own costs. My DD? Celebrates her 10 years in GS, and do the math.....she's 16 1/2 going on 17 in November. I started her in first grade, she earned ALOT of Brownie badges (try its was their name) to the point she had a vest AND sash), juniors she earned....a dozen or so badges, as a cadet she worked towards her silver award but didnt quite make it, but is now looking to her gold award. That is how I found out she has to do not quite but nearly 2 times her cousins, the Eagle Scouts, had to do. The GS plan on it taking 3 to 4 years to complete. its that intense.

Our troop leader did it in Florida, she does it here in Utah. Started for her girls, but she loves DD like she was one of the family. But they refuse to say quit and despite some obstacles....keep fighting to get GS the recognition they deserve

[michelleh]

Originally Posted by tack

Actually, the camping merit badge states, "Show experience in camping by doing the following:

a. Camp a total of at least 20 days and 20 nights. Sleep each night under the sky or in a tent you have pitched. The 20 days and 20 nights must be at a designated Scouting activity or event. You may use a week of long-term camp toward this requirement.


Some leaders read . . . You may use a week long and other leaders read . . . You may use A (meaning only one) weeklong. I think that if the meaning was only one weeklong may be counted that it would be written using those specific words. It is interpreted differently usually because of tradition, rather than familiarity with the requirement.

Thank you for that information! So the BSA does allow more than one weeklong campout? It really would have been more clear if it were worded differently. Who would have the final say on the approval of this (ie - using 2 scout camps as opposed to 1)?

[tack]

Originally Posted by michelleh

Thank you for that information! So the BSA does allow more than one weeklong campout? It really would have been more clear if it were worded differently. Who would have the final say on the approval of this (ie - using 2 scout camps as opposed to 1)?

The BSA has left it with this wording in the camping merit badge requirements. Some leaders will count two (or more) summer camps towards the camping merit badge and some won't. It is helpful to know a leaders opinion on this before a boy approaches him to have his camping merit badge signed off. The final say will be the leader that your scout approaches to sign him off. It is also helpful if a boy has the information printed off so the leader can read the exact requirement.

[michelleh]

I was just on scouting.org (I believe it's the BSA site) and it states this under the camping merit badge:

Camp a total of at least 20 nights at designated Scouting activities or events. One long-term camping experience of up to six consecutive nights may be applied toward this requirement. Sleep each night under the sky or in a tent you have pitched. If the camp provides a tent that has already been pitched, you need not pitch your own tent.

So we can only count one scout camp experience for the merit badge. Ugh!

[slkemommy]

After 7 years, my husband was just released as the Scoutmaster and YM 2nd councelor. He wept. He was replaced by 2 men (one for each calling), but the norm in our area has been just the one so OP you are not alone. My husband had a campout every month (even in December and January) and alternated between formal summer camps and 50 milers each summer. Yes, it's hard and there have been groups with good father support and some not so great. Blessings upon you OP.

My husband is now in the Elders Quorum Presidency and is even busier than he was before... (how is that possible when he taught Sunday lessons, met weekly and camped out monthly?? - Of course he was doing double duty for 5 weeks so maybe it will slow down?) Now there is something/someone to help at least every other day and every weekend and he gets to teach on Sundays too) I'm not complaining. I'm having some trouble, but we'll work through it. We always do don't we?

[Maryluvs2scrap]

I have been following this thread for the last couple of days. I have such a strong testimony of the scouting program that many of these posts really do make me sad. I wish each of you could have the opportunity to be part of a scout troop that was functioning as it was designed to, that you could join your boys for a night of summer camp sitting around a dying fire as they sing "Scout Vespers" and share thank-you and regrets of the day and then finish with a meaningful scoutmaster minute before they retire to their tents for the evening.
The scouting program often struggles because of a lack of good trained leaders. I owe so much to the scoutmasters that have worked with my boys and sacrificed time from their families and vacation times. There is no doubt it is a huge sacrifice. I guess the question is are these future leaders of our country, church and their own families worth it? My youngest will enter the MTC next week at this time to serve a mission for the next two years. Scouting has taught him leadership skills, service, how to live away from home, independence and so much more. Yes, and even the wearing of a uniform, I believe, has helped to train him for what he will do for the next two years. He will now retire that worn green uniform and wear the uniform that says he represents his church.

"Is there anything virtuous, lovely or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things." This article embraces scouting. The Lord inspired the program and He inspired his prophet to adopt it. It supplements the the things we are trying to do. It enriches our program, it helps us to do better the things we have always wanted to do for our boys. It is intended to get the boy to do his best to God, to his Country, to others. The Boy Scout organization expects the sponsoring institution to give emphasis to the spiritual aspects of the program and encourages them to inject into the program as much of the spiritual as desired. Scouting is not primarily for knot tieing, hiking, camping, etc. but to build character. Boys learn very differently than girls do in general. The more you know the scouting program the more you see how a young man is growing, learning and developing in all aspects of his life while he thinks he is "having fun".
President Gordon B. Hinckley has said, "There is no more significant work in this world than the preparation of boys to become men... who are qualified to live productive and meaningful lives." And President Monson underscores this thought when he says, "It is far better to build boys than to mend men."

I believe that our Father in Heaven inspired Baden Powell with the scouting program for many reasons. Just think if Baden Powell had been a member of the LDS church how many fewer boys would have likely benefited from the scouting program. IMO Baden Powell was inspired and our prophet was inspired to have our boys follow it. Attending National Scout Jamboree, working with and praying with boys of many faiths was an amazing experience for my son.

To the original poster and many others, I don't believe you necessarily need to be sold on the importance of scouting. Your concern was the time away from family. So, to all of those who have boys, I challenge you to step it up and become involved in someway. There is something that everyone of us can do to be supportive to those scoutmasters who give of their time and service to help our boys become the men we want them to be. I say thank you from the bottom of my heart to the wives of my son's scoutmasters. They have truly mad a difference in the their lives!

I would like to encourage any of you who have concerns, doubts, negative feelings to read the book "Trails to Testimony" (Bringing Young Men to Christ Through Scouting) by Bradley D. Harris. He served as a member of the Young Men General Board from February 2006 until April 2009. It teaches how scouting and FIG go so hand in hand.

One last thought, and I know I have said much already...
There are several aspects of scouting that the whole family can be involved in. The entire family can work to earn the Heart of Scouting award together, there are family camps like Family Odyssey where the whole family goes for the week while dad gets Woodbadge training. There is something for every age and sex there and it is an amazing fun week. Teen girls can join a coed Crew.

Thank-you again to those who support your husbands as they serve our boys. I promise they are building lasting friendships and building men of character! You will be blessed.

[crazyfun]

Yeah, put me in the category of "not friend of scouting". If it works for you and your boys, great. My younger son likes it and thanks to some amazing leaders will probably get his eagle. My older son plays sports and doesn't have time for it. It is incredible the amount of crap he gets at church for that. Is that right? That a good boy, who shows up to church, should get crap for not coming to scouts? Something's messed up.

If he can ever make it to a YM's activity, it's all around scouting, so he feels out of place. My daughter, who will be playing college sports next year, always feels welcome to YW's whenever she can go. That's the way it should be with our youth, IMO.

[budgetmom]

Originally Posted by crazyfun

Yeah, put me in the category of "not friend of scouting". If it works for you and your boys, great. My younger son likes it and thanks to some amazing leaders will probably get his eagle. My older son plays sports and doesn't have time for it. It is incredible the amount of crap he gets at church for that. Is that right? That a good boy, who shows up to church, should get crap for not coming to scouts? Something's messed up.

That is one (only one, as there are many!) of my issues with scouts. Is that some people hold getting an eagle up to the same standard of righteousness as the priesthood. It.Is.Not. Nowhere even close.

[katiekat]

Originally Posted by michelleh

I was just on scouting.org (I believe it's the BSA site) and it states this under the camping merit badge:

Camp a total of at least 20 nights at designated Scouting activities or events. One long-term camping experience of up to six consecutive nights may be applied toward this requirement. Sleep each night under the sky or in a tent you have pitched. If the camp provides a tent that has already been pitched, you need not pitch your own tent.

So we can only count one scout camp experience for the merit badge. Ugh!

This is current. The requirement has changed recently (last year or 2) so that may explain some of the confusion.

[katiekat]

Originally Posted by crazyfun

Yeah, put me in the category of "not friend of scouting". If it works for you and your boys, great. My younger son likes it and thanks to some amazing leaders will probably get his eagle. My older son plays sports and doesn't have time for it. It is incredible the amount of crap he gets at church for that. Is that right? That a good boy, who shows up to church, should get crap for not coming to scouts? Something's messed up.

If he can ever make it to a YM's activity, it's all around scouting, so he feels out of place. My daughter, who will be playing college sports next year, always feels welcome to YW's whenever she can go. That's the way it should be with our youth, IMO.

They are two different things, and while they do do scouting things sometimes at YM, there should be no reason why your son doesn't participate in those activities even if he's not working on earning badges. In our ward- weekday activities are planned by the presidencies of the quorums. If the activities aren't meeting your son's needs, he can suggest alternatives to his presidency and hopefully they will listen. Is he getting hassled for not coming to "scouts" or not coming to his weekday activities? Mutual is sometimes referred to as "scouts" for the boys, but that's not accurate. If he's not attending his weekday activities, then yes, his leaders should notice and should be concerned and may be "hassling" him to come. The less he comes, the harder it's going to be TO come- no matter what hey are doing. As a recently released YW leader, we had many issue with kids so heavily involved in sports (or dance or gymnastics, etc) that they rarely attended Tuesday nights. They really were missing out on positive, spiritual experiences. Sometimes I didn't think their parents really understood what their kids were missing and we didn't seem to be able to convey it to them. It's not as easily observable to see growth in your kid through church attendance as it is through physical activities, so I don't think they realized it was happening and how valuable it was.