Would you let your ds join the Boy Scouts? - Page 3

[dynamohumm6]

Originally Posted by alegna

Oh no. Girl Scouts is VERY different from Boy Scouts. not connected in any way. Entirely different creature I know that much for sure.

thanks for any more info though!

-Angela

Really--well, that's good to know!! Thank you.

[alegna]

Glad to help! Now if girl scouts would just open a branch for boys... lol. Actually, boys are technically allowed in girl scouts... never knew any though.

-Angela

[veggie4ever]

Would you let your ds join boy scouts

Yes I would he wants to do it next year. I think they learn a lot of fun stuff.

[HelloKitty]

Originally Posted by dynamohumm6

I strongly oppose their view on gays. I will not pay dues to an organization that practices discrimination, or allow my kids to be part of it.

:

[AdoptChina]

no, but for other reasons than posted here (well those too)......Both my 10 & 8 yr olds wanted to sign up....I put it off for a while then said maybe. So I talked to the den leader and they said that for my younger son, DH would have to go to the meetings with him....and that for both boys DH would need to volunteer and go camping etc........DH has NO desire to get involved in BS in anyway, so it was a no go (I would take the boys but I have 2 smaller kids plus we have soccer 3 days a week)........

[Storm Bride]

hmm..this sounds like something my dh and I are going to have to look into. We've been very active in Scouts Canada...this is my son's 4th year (three as a Cub, and one as a Scout). I was the group treasurer and registrar and dh was a leader for three years. We're all agnostic, and nobody ever asked us.

DH was an Eagle Scout in the US, and has wonderful memories of BSA. We're planning on moving to Knoxville (was going to be this summer....now we're planning on next year). We'd planned for ds to continue in Scouting once we moved, but this doesn't sound very promising. When did they become soooo exclusionary?

[SugarAndSun]

Originally Posted by maya44

Wow. Here they do NOT allow cub scouts or boy scouts to be connected to the public schools because of their position on religion!

They don't even allow them to use town property here!

Thanks for all the input! I plan to check onto the other groups mentioned.

[Rhonwyn]

Originally Posted by Storm Bride

hmm..this sounds like something my dh and I are going to have to look into. We've been very active in Scouts Canada...this is my son's 4th year (three as a Cub, and one as a Scout). I was the group treasurer and registrar and dh was a leader for three years. We're all agnostic, and nobody ever asked us.

DH was an Eagle Scout in the US, and has wonderful memories of BSA. We're planning on moving to Knoxville (was going to be this summer....now we're planning on next year). We'd planned for ds to continue in Scouting once we moved, but this doesn't sound very promising. When did they become soooo exclusionary?

It has been in like the last 15 years or so that they have become so hardcore about believing in God or a religion. At the same time is when the whole anti-gay thing began. Some of it was out of concern about pedophiles and protecting the boys but it really went too far because as anyone with a brain knows from the research almost all pedophiles identify as heterosexual and are often married with kids. From there it became a religious thing with the rightwing religious groups. BSA is supported by many conservative religious groups and they have a lot of pull. They don't want the BSA to be secular and they want them follopw their beliefs on gays. They do allow the practice of many faiths but you have to have one.

This is less true in liberal areas where the dogma isn't enforced and often the national BSA is outright ignored. It is almost impossible to push back though, because the national BSA will yank your Pack's or Troop's charter if you do.

[CherryBomb]

The GS pledge does involve a reference to god, however. At least it did when I was a kid. I never remember anyone making a big deal if you didn't say it, though.

I did have crappy leaders. I wanted to go camping and do all the fun stuff, but they insisted we sit inside and learn to crochet. :/

[CarrieMF]

In Canada the Girl Guide pledge does have the word God in it, you can subsitute Faith for it. Each member can choose which to say based on their personal beliefs.

"The choice acknowledges our culturally complex nation and the need to search for spiritual fulfillment, as individuals or as one of our many faith communities. Girls and women take pride in choosing which term to use. The Word Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts states "spiritual development is achieved by being true to my deepest self, by learning to love myself, by developing my abilities.""

I know some people have a problem with the word Faith. IMO Faith can mean a religion other than Christianity, it can also be agnostic or aethiest.

[midstreammama]

If I had a son, they would not be joining boyscouts for all the reasons mentioned here.

Dd1 wants to join girlscouts, but there are no open troops around here. So, its pretty much start your own(which i'm not doing)..or wait. I hope she will be too big for them by then.

I was a brownie scout when I was younger and i didn't really see the big deal in it.

[sistermama]

No boy scouts for us.
If you want another reason to dislike them, how about the allegation that they are ripping off United Ways (i.e. the american public) all over the country:
http://ap.lancasteronline.com/4/boy_..._investigation

[Raynbow]

My son is a boy scout, and he did all the years of cub scout as well (tiger, wolf, bear, Webelos I and II).
I do not agree with their stance on homosexuality - and when it became obvious that the organization's administration was very anti-gay, I was ready to pull him out - *but* when I told my (gay) mother this, she asked that I not take him out.
Her reasoning? Yes, the administration is anti-gay, but the people who actually run the individual troops/packs are not necessarily in agreement with the adminstration's stance. The idea of who a boy scout should try to be is a very good thing for today's kids - someone who is honest, loyal, helpful and hardworking. BSA provides opportunities for kids to get out and do things they normally don't necessarily do - camping, Klondike Derby, swimming, CPR/First Aid, etc - and to do community service with no expectation of payment. It also provides boys who have little or no male role models in their lives quite a bit of male interaction. It also reinforces spending time with family and being interested and involved with your world. And, last, but not least, having your Eagle Scout Badge is quite an honor - and means something when applying for jobs as an adult, applying for scholarships, etc.
So, really, you have to weigh the pros and cons - and get to know the leaders in your community, then make the decision.
I have had no problems with the leaders in my son's pack enspousing the administration's beliefs.

[Azreial]

Originally Posted by Raynbow

My son is a boy scout, and he did all the years of cub scout as well (tiger, wolf, bear, Webelos I and II).
I do not agree with their stance on homosexuality - and when it became obvious that the organization's administration was very anti-gay, I was ready to pull him out - *but* when I told my (gay) mother this, she asked that I not take him out.
Her reasoning? Yes, the administration is anti-gay, but the people who actually run the individual troops/packs are not necessarily in agreement with the adminstration's stance. The idea of who a boy scout should try to be is a very good thing for today's kids - someone who is honest, loyal, helpful and hardworking. BSA provides opportunities for kids to get out and do things they normally don't necessarily do - camping, Klondike Derby, swimming, CPR/First Aid, etc - and to do community service with no expectation of payment. It also provides boys who have little or no male role models in their lives quite a bit of male interaction. It also reinforces spending time with family and being interested and involved with your world. And, last, but not least, having your Eagle Scout Badge is quite an honor - and means something when applying for jobs as an adult, applying for scholarships, etc.
So, really, you have to weigh the pros and cons - and get to know the leaders in your community, then make the decision.
I have had no problems with the leaders in my son's pack enspousing the administration's beliefs.

I was totall against the bs becuase of the anti-gay thing, but now your post has got me thinking..........

[Got_Cloth]

My husband has been a scout leader thru our church for years. THe meeting are held at or church every wednesday night and even though it is at the church, there is NO religion talk. Scouts is scouts and church is church. I guess some would be offended by the fact they pray before a scout outing or camping trip, but i am one that prays before anything I do. I feel it gives the boys a sense of belonging during those akward years, GIves them something positive to do, teaches them goal making and how to reach them, teaches them sense of accomplishment, teaches providing service to those in need, and it gives the boy a (usually) positive male figure, other than dad they can grow close to and cofide in. My hubby first worked with 11 yo boys, then 12, then 14 , then 16 adnback to 11 and 12's The boys grew to know and trust my husband and there have been many times a boy has called my husband to talk becaseu they were goign thru something they were afraid to talk to their dad about. Most of the time it works out that the boys would go talk to their dad about whatever it is.
I think that scouting is a good thing, and while we have 3 girls, if we had a boy he would definately be apart of scouting if he chose to.

now ill go quietly back onto the corner.

[crunchywannabe]

My dh is an eagle scout, and my son is in scouts now...and my youngest son will be a scout next year.
It is not dad run here. through our church we have the scouting program, and the leaders are women. it is never chaotic. I love the things that conner is learning (ie science, nature, community awareness) and wish there were a similar program for girls. my girls will NOT be in girl scouts.

[HelloKitty]

Originally Posted by crunchywannabe

my girls will NOT be in girl scouts.

Why not?

[bri276]

No, because of the anti-gay & Christian crap.

[chfriend]

Crunchywannabe, I'm interested to know why your girls will not be allowed to join GS?

I have no sons, only daughters, so the question of BSA won't come up for my immediate family.

I have noticed that none of my many nephews are in BSA. I wonder if the discrimination is why?

It's because being an Eagle Scout is such a door-opener that the discrimination against atheists and gay folks is so insidious. If it didn't "buy" you anything, it would just be a group that didn't like atheists and gay folks... the discrimination wouldn't mean as much. As it is, their decision to exclude some children means that male, religious and non-gay youth have another "edge" as they enter adulthood just because they are male, religious and non-gay.

I'd love to see a non-BSA alternative to "Eagle Scout" take off so female, atheist and gay young people would have a great way to show their honor, service and perseverance.

[dynamohumm6]

Originally Posted by TiredX2

Of course, that is a circular arguement for me--- I don't support the United Way because *they* support the Boy Scouts. Another way I will not give my $ to bigots.

what she said

For me, it doesn't matter if the local troop is tolerant, the bigoted administration is still getting support from me if my kid belonged, and I can't hang with that.