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report this jerk to the local BSA Council. This is wrong on too many levels. The boys are in danger of being seriously hurt with a leader with this attitude. Don't let it slide. You might be saving a life.
Immediately remove your son from that troop. Report the troop leader to the BSA Council.
Possibly even make a police report if you truly believe that dangerous situations are happening.
Think of it this way, would you allow a babysitter or neighbor to give your child (electric) shocks to see how far they can go before your son can't stand the pain? Of course, not. Your troop leader will need to justify his actions.
Seriously, still harping on about the boy scouts troop. What your 3rd thread on the topic.
As was suggested in the other threads have you; 1) Spoken to the Scout Master? 2) Spoken to the regional leadership? 3) Looked for another troop? 4) Looked for alternative activities that don't create parental kanipshins?
What does it matter to you if I post about scouts again? No one is forcing you to read posts on this forum. But, to play your little game here, Yes I have spoken to the 3 scout leaders for the den about it (their attitudes were the typical "stop babying your boy"), Yes I have moved up the ladder about the behavior towards the boys (their response was just stick it out because he has less than a year left), The other pack in town just lost their charter--that means they don't have a pack anymore (troops are for Boy Scouts). I will not even respond to your last statement.
Over the past 4 months the attitude of the leaders has driven the moms away from attending the meetings---which is still recommended at this level.
I'm not justifying the leader's behavior. I just wonder if it's his ham-handed way of deflecting overbearing moms.
Yah I wonder. IF the goal really is to seek pain for pain's sake, that is nuts. But there are plenty of parents, primarily Moms, who are over protective. Experience and engaging despite possible risk DOES make a stronger person out of one.
What does it matter to you if I post about scouts again? No one is forcing you to read posts on this forum. But, to play your little game here, Yes I have spoken to the 3 scout leaders for the den about it (their attitudes were the typical "stop babying your boy"), Yes I have moved up the ladder about the behavior towards the boys (their response was just stick it out because he has less than a year left), The other pack in town just lost their charter--that means they don't have a pack anymore (troops are for Boy Scouts). I will not even respond to your last statement.
Over the past 4 months the attitude of the leaders has driven the moms away from attending the meetings---which is still recommended at this level.
Just a question...please don't feel defensive - is your son's dad able to speak with the scout leader?
As someone who was in scouts for years, it all sounds like good fun to me. Knowledge of power tools if properly supervised is a skill that will pay dividends. Snowwy campouts, some of the best times of my childhood. The shock thing is weird though.
Just a question...please don't feel defensive - is your son's dad able to speak with the scout leader?
It's just him and I. I don't get defensive about people asking. His father decided during my pregnancy that he didn't want to be a dad and has never been involved. His loss actually.
What does it matter to you if I post about scouts again? No one is forcing you to read posts on this forum. But, to play your little game here, Yes I have spoken to the 3 scout leaders for the den about it (their attitudes were the typical "stop babying your boy"), Yes I have moved up the ladder about the behavior towards the boys (their response was just stick it out because he has less than a year left), The other pack in town just lost their charter--that means they don't have a pack anymore (troops are for Boy Scouts). I will not even respond to your last statement.
Over the past 4 months the attitude of the leaders has driven the moms away from attending the meetings---which is still recommended at this level.
Why are you acting so helpless? Just take your son out of Scouts. Problem solved.
There are plenty of other activities out there for kids.
As someone who was in scouts for years, it all sounds like good fun to me. Knowledge of power tools if properly supervised is a skill that will pay dividends. Snowwy campouts, some of the best times of my childhood. The shock thing is weird though.
I camped out as much as possible when I was growing up (from last snowfall to after the first snowfall every summer for years). He's not like me at all. He loves the outdoors as long as he is warm and sleeps in his own bed at night. He is 9 though and will change (or not) as he gets older. He wants to stay in scouts and earn his Eagle (if he learns how to swim).
It's just him and I. I don't get defensive about people asking. His father decided during my pregnancy that he didn't want to be a dad and has never been involved. His loss actually.
Okay. And I do certainly agree it is bio dad's loss
However, try to remember, it is also your son's loss.
What I mean is, if you haven't already done so, please be sure to enlist the help of a positive male role model for you son. Which is probably what you were hoping to accomplish with the boy scouts, right?
Because here's the hard truth, even the best mom can't overcome the loss of a good man in a kids life. And mom's and dad's each contribute in different ways to helping a young boy grow into a good man.
Now, I'm not trying to minimize your bad scouting experience. I'm just trying to say that it sounds as though you are in protective mom mode, which could be inhibiting your ability to see the bigger picture.
If anything the scouts are doing is truly dangerous or unsafe, then by all means, remove your son and find another pack.
But talk to other people involved in the situation first. Get a better gauge on whether or not other parents are as concerned as you are. If they are, go as group to the district with your concerns. If they aren't, then be willing to step back and ask yourself if this is all just about your fears okay?
We moms can be super protective, sometimes to the detriment of the very child we seek to protect. Just try to be more aware of that, for your son's sake as well as your own
Oh, and cold weather camping is some of the best camping you can do! As long as you are dressed appropriately and fully prepared, it can be an awesome experience, just FYI.
As someone who was in scouts for years, it all sounds like good fun to me. Knowledge of power tools if properly supervised is a skill that will pay dividends. Snowwy campouts, some of the best times of my childhood. The shock thing is weird though.
This female Scouter has camped in below zero temps many times. The best trip of my life involved a wet caving trip to Kentucky in January. You haven't lived until your pants freeze solid while you're wearing them! Seriously, it's been nearly twenty years, and my husband and I still laugh about that trip. Crazy!
If you're not comfortable with the leadership in your son's unit, by all means find another troop, but in my experience we moms (and some dads, too) often underestimate the value of discomfort in helping our children develop fortitude, an important emotional attribute for young people of both genders. Let them struggle and fail, and then encourage them to pick themselves back up and forge ahead. That being said, some of the details in your posts lead me to believe that your Scout leader is operating outside BSA guidelines and should be reported to council.
Edit: Just noticed that your son is a Cub Scout, so I'm not certain why sub-zero camping would be an issue. Other than summer camp, camping trips at this level are family events and typically happen just a couple of times a year, once in the fall and once in the spring.
Last edited by randomparent; 01-27-2014 at 09:38 AM..
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