Boy Scouts

[Ravendog]

This may not be the place for this post, so my apologies if any of the rules are broken

However, I notice that quite a few folks on here are or were into scouting. As a Life scout who is still kicking himself in the rear (I'm 45) for not finishing out the Eagle rank, I'm going to try to make amends. My son will turn 11 in August which is the age that you can begin boyscouts. My question for any of you who are into scouting is how to pick out a troop?

My (and my son shares some of them) interests are anything on the water (fishing, surfing, kayaking, etc.) and backpacking/camping/outdoors. I really don't want to get hooked up with a bunch of non-outdoors types, so I'm leary about joining just any troop. Any ideas or any thoughts on starting a troop would be most appreciated. Almost all of my interests including surfing came from Boy Scouts, but a lot of this had to do with my best friends dad being an ex Army Ranger who showed us everything. Another buddy of mine who is an Army Ranger was somewhat blown away that I could tie a simple square knot and a bowline. Most people don't know how.

Thanks for the input.

[Shiraz-mataz]

When my son was a Cub Scout one of the requirements for earning "Arrow of Light" was to visit several local Boy Scout Troops. It was a nice way to sample the flavor of each troop and make an informed decision about which one to join after cross-over. Even though your son is not a Cub Scout I encourage you to do the same thing. Find out when all the local troops meet, contact each scoutmaster and schedule a visit. Depending on how many troops are in your area this may be a month-long process but you will end up in a troop that best suits your son's desires. Good luck!

[Bearpaw]

Picking a scout troop is sort of like picking a church or even buying a car. What meets your needs and makes will happy will differ from others.

But a couple of quick ideas might help. Ask folks at your council or district office. They'll give you ideas about which troops are more active with outdoor activities. Visit several troops and ask about their long-term trip plans. A troop that has no plan often wings it and boys tend to lose out.

Find out if the troop has a Venture crew or is involved with a Venturing Program, which will mean high adventure activities for older boys, a real hook which may help keep your son involved in his teen years and improve his chances at becoming an eagle. It will also imply at least a degree of corporate knowledge in outdoor skills for younger scouts.

Look, experience, form impressions, and ask your son which troop appeals to him most.

Oh, and try not to push Eagle on your son too much. I know I will have to work on this with any sons myself, but if he has fun with scouts and learns from it, he is ahead of the game. I wouldn't nugde him for rank until he is at least star or life. Otherwise, he may resent it. That said, I cut my Eagle too close for comfort myself, and just barely made it.

[bigboots]

Oh, and try not to push Eagle on your son too much.

I agree, with everyone above. Talk to scoutmasters and visit the troops during their meetings. See what activities are in the works and what they have done in the past (see how good they were). Talk to others who have boys in the troops already. One big thing is to see what the older scouts (8th grade and up) are like. They are the leaders for the younger scouts! If they seem to be good kids and are good leaders then the troop will be good.
Also a little pushing for advancement is good but don't press to hard, it has to be something that HE WANTS, NOT YOU! I've seen to many scouts quit because fathers had unresolved issues with not making it themselves. I personally know many successful men who did NOT make eagle but the skills they learned in scouting have served them just as well as those who did make it.
Good Luck

Bigboots

[JimM]

A friend of mine from scouting (now mid-50's) is still active with the old troop, and a major part of their program is devoted to outdoor activities. We both attended a business meeting several weeks ago, and spent some time reminiscing. They were getting ready for a weekend overnight hike.

I attended the Eagle Court of Honor for one of my son's friends recently, and saw many people I knew (but I didn't realize they were still active in scouting).

My point is that there may be people you know who are involved in scouting, and who would welcome someone with similar interests. Take the time to visit troops in your area...you may find some familiar faces.

[SteveJ]

I agree with all of the above, with some additional thoughts:

As you are visiting the troops, ask what role you can play. Generally, new adults can get involved in the troop as an Assistant Scoutmaster, assisting the Scoutmaster in one of several ways (Patrol Advisor, etc.), or on the Troop Committee (outdoor planning, finance, fundraising, etc.). Troops are generally thrilled to have dads join up in a leadership role who are Eagle Scouts. Ask if parents are welcome to come along on outings. If so, remember that your role on an outing is not to be dad, but to assist the Scoutmaster as he leads / counsels the boys. At the same time, you can be sure your son is getting all that he can out of the program. If the troop doesn't seem interested / willing to have you involved, be wary. If you get involved, plan on attending Boy Scout Leader training, so you'll understand how a troop should be run, and can be supportive in appropriate ways.

Ask if the troop is planning to go to summer camp this summer, and what the deadlines are for getting payment in and getting your son signed up for classes. Our council sign-up is coming up in Feb., and the good merit badge classes (rifle, archery, etc.) that the boys especially enjoy doing fill up quickly. If the troop is not planning to go to summer camp, look elsewhere. Boys that don't go to summer camp generally don't stay involved with scouting very long.

Get a feel for how the troop is run. As an Eagle Scout, I'm sure you know that a Boy Scout troop should be Scout-run, with appropriate adult support / counseling. If the troop meeting is extremely organized, well-planned, and has adults at the front all the time, the boys are probably not being allowed to plan and run the meetings, missing the opportunity to develop leadership skills.

Ideally, your son will find a troop where he has friends involved already. Get him involved early - we encourage our Cub Scout Webelos cross-overs to come as early as they can so the boy can feel that he's part of the group and knows everyone before going away to summer camp for a week.

Exciting times! Have fun!

Steve

[SouthMark]

I agree with all of the above, with some additional thoughts:

As you are visiting the troops, ask what role you can play. Generally, new adults can get involved in the troop as an Assistant Scoutmaster, assisting the Scoutmaster in one of several ways (Patrol Advisor, etc.), or on the Troop Committee (outdoor planning, finance, fundraising, etc.). Troops are generally thrilled to have dads join up in a leadership role who are Eagle Scouts. Ask if parents are welcome to come along on outings. If so, remember that your role on an outing is not to be dad, but to assist the Scoutmaster as he leads / counsels the boys. At the same time, you can be sure your son is getting all that he can out of the program. If the troop doesn't seem interested / willing to have you involved, be wary. If you get involved, plan on attending Boy Scout Leader training, so you'll understand how a troop should be run, and can be supportive in appropriate ways.

Ask if the troop is planning to go to summer camp this summer, and what the deadlines are for getting payment in and getting your son signed up for classes. Our council sign-up is coming up in Feb., and the good merit badge classes (rifle, archery, etc.) that the boys especially enjoy doing fill up quickly. If the troop is not planning to go to summer camp, look elsewhere. Boys that don't go to summer camp generally don't stay involved with scouting very long.

Get a feel for how the troop is run. As an Eagle Scout, I'm sure you know that a Boy Scout troop should be Scout-run, with appropriate adult support / counseling. If the troop meeting is extremely organized, well-planned, and has adults at the front all the time, the boys are probably not being allowed to plan and run the meetings, missing the opportunity to develop leadership skills.

Ideally, your son will find a troop where he has friends involved already. Get him involved early - we encourage our Cub Scout Webelos cross-overs to come as early as they can so the boy can feel that he's part of the group and knows everyone before going away to summer camp for a week.

Exciting times! Have fun!

Steve

Yes and find out which troops have adult leadership that has gone through at least Scoutmasters Basic Training and any that have Woodbage trained leadership.

[rockrat]

Find the troop whose Eagle Scouts completed their requirements within a month of their 18th birthdays. This will be the troop that puts more emphasis on outings than on advancing and therefor is the better troop.

[rockrat]

And also make sure they're not too strict about the uniforms, those are the troops that get made fun of at camporees. The ideal uniform is a Class A standard Boy Scout shirt during the fall, winter, and spring, and the option to wear a Class B, or scout oriented t-shirt, during the summer. People who emphasize those goofy socks and short shorts are going to be more advancement oriented.

[bigboots]

Find the troop whose Eagle Scouts completed their requirements within a month of their 18th birthdays. This will be the troop that puts more emphasis on outings than on advancing and therefor is the better troop.

Great Point.
To many troops that just hand out merit badges, make sure the program will make your son an eagle scout not just a scout who has received the eagle award.

Bigboots

[Ravendog]

Thanks for the ideas. As I said, I did not reach Eagle scout. It's a long story that involves surfing, girls, overbearing adults and a rift in the troop. I do not want to get involved in a troop that is just about how many merit badges one can achieve. I would prefer a troop that goes the bare minimum on merit badges, but focuses on the real outdoor skills. Camping was where it was at for our troop when we were having fun, and the adults didn't go nutso.

[Monkeyboy]

Thanks for the ideas. As I said, I did not reach Eagle scout. It's a long story that involves surfing, girls, overbearing adults and a rift in the troop. I do not want to get involved in a troop that is just about how many merit badges one can achieve. I would prefer a troop that goes the bare minimum on merit badges, but focuses on the real outdoor skills. Camping was where it was at for our troop when we were having fun, and the adults didn't go nutso.

Thing is, if the troop does it correctly, it would acheive both in one motion.....camping and merit badges.

[Ravendog]

True, our troop probably did both equally well. It all came down to the adult leadership. Thanks, all.

[OregonHiker]

Picking a scout troop is sort of like picking a church or even buying a car. What meets your needs and makes will happy will differ from others.

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Certainly the level of activity is important. However, IMO how much the troop is "Boy led" is just as important. There is a nearby troop that does lots of stuff, but is more of a "parent led" troop.

[bigboots]

The troop I am with is very well set up, IMHO. The boys lead, and the adults are there for safety and reference. Also, the fathers help out at the weekly meetings but we try to avoid having the fathers of the boys who are at camp. To do this we use former scouts (mainly former eagles who range in age greatly) to attend camps as the adults. This avoids the problem of a father and son problem. And the benefit of having former eagles/high ranking scouts is great for advancement and example for younger scouts. For our backpacking trips (2x/yr) we put fathers in separate crews from their sons.
Seems to work well for us...09 is 50 yr anniversary of troop!

Bigboots

[OregonHiker]

The troop I am with is very well set up, IMHO. The boys lead, and the adults are there for safety and reference. Also, the fathers help out at the weekly meetings but we try to avoid having the fathers of the boys who are at camp. To do this we use former scouts (mainly former eagles who range in age greatly) to attend camps as the adults. This avoids the problem of a father and son problem. And the benefit of having former eagles/high ranking scouts is great for advancement and example for younger scouts. For our backpacking trips (2x/yr) we put fathers in separate crews from their sons.
Seems to work well for us...09 is 50 yr anniversary of troop!

Bigboots

This is as it should be. Well done

[Ravendog]

That is a great idea, having the kids lead. However, scouting is not real big in my area, so finding older kids may be a challenge. Thanks for the ideas.

[bigboots]

That is a great idea, having the kids lead. However, scouting is not real big in my area, so finding older kids may be a challenge. Thanks for the ideas.

Not a problem, let the SPL do his job, to be a leader! (Thats why the adults are there; for situations that are more that he can handle)
Enjoy the hike!

Bigboots

[OregonHiker]

That is a great idea, having the kids lead. However, scouting is not real big in my area, so finding older kids may be a challenge. Thanks for the ideas.

It's not a great idea, it is THE idea. You would be surprised how well a 2nd year scout can lead. You just have to be creful to not judge success from the vanatge point of an adult.

[littlelaurel59]

In my experience, there are 2 primary things that keep boys involved in scouting: trips and friends. If a troop has a variety of interesting trips and your son enjoys going on them, he will do well. If he has friends in the troop with whom to share the activities, he will do well. The reality is that your son will want to spend more time with his friends than he does with you in the very near future. My son, now 14 and a Life Scout, rarely sees me on troop outings. We do father-son trips on our own when we want togetherness.

There are 2 primary things that distract older guys from scouts- petroleum and perfume. I agree with those who say that the primary focus should not be on rank advancement, but it should be encouraged early in the scouting experience. Most boys who become Eagle do so by advancing quickly early on, then taking their time (due to all the distractions of high school and adolescence) finishing up. Those who are still Tenderfoot at 16 will never stay with it. If a boy is active (attends meetings, goes on monthly outings, and attends summer camp) advancement will usually take care of itself.