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Girl/Boy Scout questions  

post #1 of 43
9/19/07 at 2:34pm
Thread Starter 
Do you have your kids in boy/girl scouts?

Has it been a good experience? Do they support/encourage good morals and values as a whole or does it really vary from group to group? Can there be multiple groups in a given location so you can see whcih group fits best with your kid?

What exactly do you DO?

Do they have any religious affliation - do they teach Christian values or steer clear of religion of any sort?

The minimum age is 5 right?

I guess I'll go on the org websites and get soem info - I really want to hear your experiences though. As my kids get a little older I'm trying to think of things they might enjoy trying.
post #2 of 43
9/19/07 at 2:39pm
Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts are very different groups.

My daughters will have the option to do Girl Scouts. I think they're a great organization.

Our family does not support Boy Scouts and it will not be an option. I do not support their prejudiced views.

-Angela
post #3 of 43
9/19/07 at 2:52pm
I think Brownies have to be 6 yrs old, but I'm not sure. Then, Girl Scouts at 9??
post #4 of 43
9/19/07 at 2:58pm
Daisies are the youngest girl scouts now and they start at 5.

(then- brownies, juniors, cadettes and seniors)

-Angela
post #5 of 43
9/19/07 at 3:00pm
My son loves scouts. Cub scouts need to be in 1st Grade.
post #6 of 43
9/19/07 at 5:20pm
My 9 yo is now in Junior Girl Scouts. What they do depends on the leader. Last year, she didn't do much of anything. But in a good group, they would work on various activities for badges. These can range from outdoorsy, nature things to cultural things (like attending or putting on a play) to building self-esteem things. And of course they sell cookies!! Most of the girls I know LOVE selling cookies, it's another story for most of the moms though.

But if your child decides to do it, try to go to a couple meetings and see what the leader is doing. Because the experience can range from fun and meaningful to basically coloring pictures and eating Little Debbie cakes, which is about all my DD did last year.

Daisies are Kindergarten, Brownies are 1st to 3rd, Juniors are 4th to 6th, and then it seems to just be called Girl Scouts 11 - 17.

Girl Scouts do have the word God in the promise but kids can substitute another word if they don't believe in God.
post #7 of 43
9/19/07 at 5:32pm
dd1 is in girl scouts with girls from her school and the other elementary school in town. they get together for a project and snack. she really enjoys it. I like it because she is meeting other kids. They do discuss being good citizens and encourag them to be healthy physically and mentally.
post #8 of 43
9/19/07 at 6:21pm
My sons will have the option to pursue Scouting if they desire. Cubs must be at least 6 years old, or in first grade, to enroll. As a former professional Scouter, I do suggest you wait until 2nd or 3rd grade to start Cubs, simply b/c the Tiger program is quite dull (imo) and doesn't really get the boys excited. IN addition, Tigers do NOT GO CAMPING, which is why most boys sign up in the first place.

Scouts does not have an expressly Christian affiliation, but the Scout code references a belief in a higher being/god of some sort, regardless of what that might be.
post #9 of 43
9/19/07 at 6:37pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by StormySar View Post
Do you have your kids in boy/girl scouts?

Has it been a good experience? Do they support/encourage good morals and values as a whole or does it really vary from group to group? Can there be multiple groups in a given location so you can see whcih group fits best with your kid?
Where I live the Girl Scouts have trouble getting leaders because it's a volunteer job, and so many women work now for pay. It's hard to get into a troop, so you wouldn't have your choice of several troops.
post #10 of 43
9/19/07 at 7:59pm
My DD was in Girl Scouts last year. I talked to the leader about our non-Christian belief and it wasn't a problem. They said "grace" before snacks, but that was the limit of any religion. The leader even offered to skip the grace part if I was uncomfortable with it.
post #11 of 43
9/19/07 at 9:05pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by StormySar View Post
Do you have your kids in boy/girl scouts?

Has it been a good experience? Do they support/encourage good morals and values as a whole or does it really vary from group to group? Can there be multiple groups in a given location so you can see whcih group fits best with your kid?

What exactly do you DO?

Do they have any religious affliation - do they teach Christian values or steer clear of religion of any sort?

The minimum age is 5 right?

I guess I'll go on the org websites and get soem info - I really want to hear your experiences though. As my kids get a little older I'm trying to think of things they might enjoy trying.
I don't know about girl scouts but no way no how would I let any son of mine join boy scouts. There not vocal about it but it does have a Christian undertone and they teach bigotry and I want no part of that crap being taught to my child.
post #12 of 43
9/19/07 at 10:12pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Satori View Post
I don't know about girl scouts but no way no how would I let any son of mine join boy scouts. There not vocal about it but it does have a Christian undertone and they teach bigotry and I want no part of that crap being taught to my child.
Please elaborate, as I do not know anything about neither the boy scouts nor the girl scouts! Why does boy scouts teach "bigotry" and girl scouts does not? Or to put it another way, what is the "bigotry" that boy scouts teach?
post #13 of 43
9/19/07 at 10:23pm
Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn''t the national council of Boy Scouts not allow homosexuals to join their group or lead their troops/dens/whatevers?

Now - is that the case in all troops/groups or is it just overall policy and they have a "don't ask don't tell" policy, or even local groups that just don't care? I don't know. But that's what I think of with boy scouts.

I would hope that if I were to have my son join that 1) his leader and co-scouts wouldn't even GO there, and 2) if they do that he would have the confidence to at least KNOW they were wrong (and it would be awesome if he would TELL them so too, but that's asking a lot of a young child).
post #14 of 43
9/19/07 at 11:16pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by tm2840 View Post
Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn''t the national council of Boy Scouts not allow homosexuals to join their group or lead their troops/dens/whatevers?

Now - is that the case in all troops/groups or is it just overall policy and they have a "don't ask don't tell" policy, or even local groups that just don't care? I don't know. But that's what I think of with boy scouts.

I would hope that if I were to have my son join that 1) his leader and co-scouts wouldn't even GO there, and 2) if they do that he would have the confidence to at least KNOW they were wrong (and it would be awesome if he would TELL them so too, but that's asking a lot of a young child).
They flat out don't allow gays and if they find out your gay they kick you out even if you've been a distinguished member. They also exclude atheists and agnostics as leaders.
post #15 of 43
9/19/07 at 11:25pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Satori View Post
They flat out don't allow gays and if they find out your gay they kick you out even if you've been a distinguished member. They also exclude atheists and agnostics as leaders.
:

And exclude atheists as members as well.

-Angela
post #16 of 43
9/19/07 at 11:29pm
we do spiral scouts. it's a very loving and nurturing environment intended for minority faiths. check it out.
http://www.spiralscouts.org/metadot/index.pl
post #17 of 43
9/19/07 at 11:57pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by alegna View Post
Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts are very different groups.

My daughters will have the option to do Girl Scouts. I think they're a great organization.

Our family does not support Boy Scouts and it will not be an option. I do not support their prejudiced views.

-Angela
Ditto.

If DS wants to do something like scouting, he's got two options: 4H (run by university extension here) or the local Primitive Education center, where he can learn to make fire, find wild edibles, and build shelters in a cooperative, non-religious-oriented group.
post #18 of 43
9/20/07 at 12:02am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Maggieinnh View Post
Why does boy scouts teach "bigotry" and girl scouts does not?
To address this, in case it wasn't clear- Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts are totally different organizations. No link whatsoever.

-Angela
post #19 of 43
9/20/07 at 12:41am
My son was a Boy Scout until this past spring. He got a lot out of it in many different areas and thoroughly enjoyed his time as a Scout. Yes, there are different dens/packs/troops so that you can choose one that you're comfortable with. Frankly, sexuality and religion never came up in either his Cub/Webelos den or his Scout troop.
post #20 of 43
9/20/07 at 12:43am
Quote:
Originally Posted by alegna View Post
To address this, in case it wasn't clear- Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts are totally different organizations. No link whatsoever.

-Angela
Here in Canada they're linked.

Both orginizations were formed by Lord Baden Powel.

http://www.scouts.ca/inside.asp?cmPageID=79

History here. Girl Guides and Cub Scouts are affiliated here.
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