Wait, you've just singled out 99% of kids out here. The problem isn't the kids. I'm sure you had "bad" kids in 1910 or 1920. Kids are kids. Some have loving parents. Some are bad, some are loners.Way back in the 90's, I worked at Camp Buck Tom's when I was a teenager and we used to have this joke that 99% of scouts fell into 1 of 3 categories, and we would always hold up a finger count as sign language to talk about kids right in front of them. I believe it was:
1) the kid has no hobbies and has few/no friends, so his parents just threw him into scouts (this was probably 60% of scouts)
2) the kid is a trouble-maker and scouts is supposed to save him
3) the kid is normal and is only in scouts because his troop is associated with his church group (or maybe parents felt strongly about scouts)
Scouting stopped being cool before I got involved. With all the ways to entertain kids these days, it's no wonder they have recently become financially desperate.
Way back in the 90's, I worked at Camp Buck Tom's when I was a teenager and we used to have this joke that 99% of scouts fell into 1 of 3 categories, and we would always hold up a finger count as sign language to talk about kids right in front of them. I believe it was:
1) the kid has no hobbies and has few/no friends, so his parents just threw him into scouts (this was probably 60% of scouts)
2) the kid is a trouble-maker and scouts is supposed to save him
3) the kid is normal and is only in scouts because his troop is associated with his church group (or maybe parents felt strongly about scouts)
Scouting stopped being cool before I got involved. With all the ways to entertain kids these days, it's no wonder they have recently become financially desperate.
Interesting that you use the word 'entertain'.Way back in the 90's, I worked at Camp Buck Tom's when I was a teenager and we used to have this joke that 99% of scouts fell into 1 of 3 categories, and we would always hold up a finger count as sign language to talk about kids right in front of them. I believe it was:
1) the kid has no hobbies and has few/no friends, so his parents just threw him into scouts (this was probably 60% of scouts)
2) the kid is a trouble-maker and scouts is supposed to save him
3) the kid is normal and is only in scouts because his troop is associated with his church group (or maybe parents felt strongly about scouts)
Scouting stopped being cool before I got involved. With all the ways to entertain kids these days, it's no wonder they have recently become financially desperate.
Scouting was awesome. We camped, learned to actually survive in the wilderness (not by building political alliances like on TV). I shot my first 22 rifle at camp. Archery, swimming, canoeing cooking over a fire.... Summer was great fun and we learned stuff despite our best efforts not to.I didn't think it was cool 60 years ago.
Scouting was awesome. We camped, learned to actually survive in the wilderness (not by building political alliances like on TV). I shot my first 22 rifle at camp. Archery, swimming, canoeing cooking over a fire.... Summer was great fun and we learned stuff despite our best efforts not to.
I didn't say that it wasn't worthwhile to some. I did a lot of what you noted before I started 1st grade. I just don't remember thinking that the scout kids were the cool kids. Not knocking them, just my personal feelings while growing up.Scouting was awesome. We camped, learned to actually survive in the wilderness (not by building political alliances like on TV). I shot my first 22 rifle at camp. Archery, swimming, canoeing cooking over a fire.... Summer was great fun and we learned stuff despite our best efforts not to.
And you didn't have to invite Aubrey Huff, or whatever his name is.I scouted for two years and it was basically Sunday school: the PM edition.
I did most of my camping, hiking, fishing, and hunting outside of scouts because, unlike your troop, you get to choose the friends with whom you do that stuff.