Entry tags:

scouts boy scouts america bsa experience

got boy(s) in America? Do not be afraid of the Boy Scouts.
Friends are having kids.  Including boys (eew gross?  eew cool?  you decide. :).  They're now reaching the age where the pressure to sign them up for Boy Scouts of America or not is a big peer pressure question.  There are questions about what the BSA represents, what their policies are towards the current popular crop of discrimination in this country (left as an exercise for the reader).  I have an opinion.  Surprise!  In short: I say sign 'em up on up, scouting is a good thing.  If you disagree or wonder why, read on...

As a former scout myself from Troop 377 in Colorado (198x-1993) I'm all in favor of young boys joining despite criticisms people have been making of the BSA as an organization.  The scouting experiences were very important for me.  Both for great fun outdoors, teamwork and leadership experience.  I never even made it to the illustrious Eagle Scout rank; computers caught my eye and distracted me from that goal with a Star plus most of the work to earn Life completed.  The overall policies of the BSA as an organization may be unfortunate but are not what you are supporting.  The cub scout and boy scout troops culture your own boys will be in comes directly from all of the local parents involved as den mothers and scout masters.

That said, here are some tips based on what I observed having been involved in scouting throughout my youth:

1. Pick a troop that has a large population of older scouts such as juniors and seniors in high school still actively involved and in leadership positions within the troop (ours had a senior patrol we called Staphf that veteran members all graduated into).  Troops lacking this may be run oppressively by the adults or in a way that just isn't interesting beyond a certian age.  Scouting is all about leadership combined with fun activities for the kids.  If the adults are calling all the shots then a troop has failed. Most kids in that situation given any choice will quit by the time they're 13.  We observed this time and time again at regular scouting events such as shows and jamborees: The troops with a good age spread had adults there to support them as needed, the troops where boys quit early had adults running around micromanaging, yelling, directing and in general sucking up the fun rather than any senior scouts as leaders (and what a bad example of leadership those adults were).
   
2. Several of the adults involved as scout masters in the troop should have been boy scouts themselves as children.  Our best scout masters during my tenure were former scouts themselves.
3. I'm personally wary of troops with a religious any sort of affiliation because there were always stories of troops where the adults tried to drive a religious agenda. Those troops are likely to be among the ones where boys quit by the time they are 13. They also are not up to BSA standards. Regardless, churches provide easily available meeting spaces. Our troop met in an elementary school cafeteria and later the gymnasium but it appears they've had to move and now meet in a local church gymnasium. I dislike the thought of that but I can't offer a good argument why the roof over ones meeting space matters one way or the other.  Its all in the people.
4. In scouts already?  nice!  Aim to earn your Eagle Scout as soon as possible.  Experience in my troop showed that by the time anyone enters high school so many other distractions come along that if you haven't finished it by the 9th grade you may never make the time for it even though you stay active in scouting activities.
   

In all my years in scouts I believe I only ever missed one of our monthly activities and it wasn't by choice.  I was stuck at home sick with a fever or strep throat or something of the sort.

P.S.  Thanks Mom & Dad for enrolling and supporting me in scouts those many years ago.  (I expect their decision was easy given that my dad and grandfather were both Eagle Scouts themselves.)