I don't have a testimony of scouting.
Pepper and Adam are preparing to go to scout camp in a couple of weeks, so today we headed to the local Scout Store to purchase the uniforms they are REQUIRED to have in order to participate and do little things like EAT MEALS.
Now, my boys are complete scouting novices. One of the perks of living in Germany was the absence of Boy Scouts of America, so we haven't done anything scouting-related in almost four years. But here, as in all American Mormon wards, the young men are closely affiliated with BSA, so we are back in the arena (and when I say arena, I mean to conjure up images of the barbaric gladiator tournaments of ancient Rome, because that is how aggressive scouting make me feel). And, because I want my boys to spend time with the young men in our ward and the truly amazing men who work with them, I have to put aside my personal feelings toward BSA and just suck it up.
So, like I said, we went to the Scout Store today and bought the barest of the required materials: scout shirts for both, the epaulets for the shoulders, the council badges, the troop numbers, scout handbooks, kerchiefs, and slides. It all fit neatly into one bag.
AND IT COST ME $209.51 !!!
Will somebody please tell me why we have to do all this BSA stuff? And, don't give me answers about building boys' character and meeting goals and providing ways for young men to spend time with quality mentors doing cool activities and camp-outs . Because, all that stuff happens for the Young Women without any ties whatsoever with Girl Scouts. And, they don't have to purchase ridiculous uniforms with a million patches that their moms have to sew on. Or fill out a thousand forms--including a doctor's sheet that requires them to miss school for their appointment--just to go camping. Or sell bucket-loads of popcorn to unsuspecting friends and neighbors. . .
Wait.
I almost forgot about the popcorn. Specifically, the chocolate-covered popcorn.
Okay. I DO have a testimony of that.
3 comments:
Oh, I so agree. We spent some quality time in the scout store today too, as Jeff was just called as the cubmaster. I don't see the big deal about it either. I thought I was just missing something.
The short answer is we do it because Scouting is the activity arm of the Young Men's program here in the US of A. Will it always be? That's a topic for another day.
As the mother of one Eagle Scout and one soon-to-be-Eagle Scout, I definitely see the value of the Scouting program. Do I see the value in $209 worth of Scout uniforms? In some ways, yes, but in other ways, no.
Scout camps (and, for my boys, the National Jamboree) form some of my boys' most cherished memories of their teenage years. There are things that can only be learned sitting around a campfire with your YM leaders and peers, and surprisingly, many of those things are Gospel lessons that slip in to the conversation.
My boys have been exposed to a variety of skills and topics that they never would have been exposed to otherwise through the merit badges they have earned.
They have learned a lot about dedication, organization, follow-through, and leadership.
They have a common bond with young men the world over, not just in the Church. That bond can build bridges of understanding. Boy Scouts gives our YM opportunities to invite their nonmember friends to join their troops, and by so doing, introduce them to the Church.
I could go on, and on, and on. Could we accomplish this without the $209 uniforms and endless hours of sewing badges and patches. Certainly. But, I for one, am glad that we do it this way. When they get back from Scout camp, have them strip out of their clothes in the garage and don't let any of their dirty laundry any further into your house than the laundry room. :-)
I was going to go on a long rant about how great the program is but I will just say ditto to MarieC. I will also add that the Eagle Rank is an amazing thing for a young man to have on their resume. Scouts has helped build my confident son. He is someone other boys look up to even though he is younger than them. I have never paid full price for a uniform shirt (Hello, Salvation Army). Once you sew on the badges you are done with that.
Why do you sell popcorn? Our troop did that twice and it never helped us out. It is way cheaper to just pay the camp fee and not buy the popcorn. The troop only gets pennies on the dollar for those. I wished you were still here and I could help you with this. You can do it!
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