Boy Scouts of America files for bankruptcy

I, too, ended up at Life because my troop disintegrated around me; it was a rather small one, and my SM was a Tennessee State Trooper who finally got transferred. He made arrangements for me to join another troop in order to finish with my Eagle, but by then I was 16 almost 17 and everyone else was 14-15...they may as well have been 10 year olds. Our district took the Eagle project very seriously, and I saw the handwriting on the wall.

One of my regrets, for sure.

 

I was in Cub Scouts, then Webelos. It was made very clear that moving up to Boy Scouts involved much more serious stuff, time investment, merit badge requirements, pseudo-military regimentation. I was starting to get involved in sports and even girls once in a while. Also this was 1969-70 or so and my hair was getting longer and they didn't like that either.

I finshed out of the money in my only Pinewood Derby. The winning cars were all made by dads who were housing contractors and had access to million dollar workshops.

I did win a Cub Scout/Webelos kite flying contest. My dad had to keep running to the hardware store to buy string as it played out higher and higher, while I stayed and flew the kite. At the end we had more than a half mile of string.

Never saw or heard any abusive activities, except some low level bullshit hazing.

 

You damn, dirty hippie. Cut that hair, weirdo.

(Says the guy who had a bitchin’ mullet in 1985.)

 

Life Scout here (and Order of the Arrow), with FOUR close friends who made Eagle. Their parents were the kinds of people who thrived on that kind of competition for attention. That wasn't me. I enjoyed the camaraderie, the camping and making 11-year-olds hunt snipes and find left-handed pot cleaners. Getting merit badges was like going to night school.

Like many other pursuits, Boy Scouts just aren't that interesting now to today's generation. I see where there are 44 percent fewer Cub Scouts now than in 1999, and something like 60-70 percent below the high-water mark of the mid '70s. And the LDS Church, which basically used Boy Scouts as their youth ministry, have pulled way back since the gay leader ruling.

 

Your Scouting summary about sums mine up. I was always annoyed about my friends who made Eagle easily as I mentioned earlier (one was LDS and I am pretty sure all he did was stay with their program until he was old enough) and that in a way stopped me from being motivated. I actually did my Eagle project, more of my parents pressure than anything, and most are shocked I didn't finish Eagle given that. But man, I was so far short on merit badges it wasn't even funny. Hard ones too. I don't recall any leaders trying to help me get going on those either. As an adult leader now, I see that failure even more. I did love the freaking camping and high adventure activities, though, and I stayed in it until I was 18. Still some of the best memories.

LDS finally couldn't take it any more when girls were admitted. I think that's OK. I'm interested to see where BSA goes from here.

 

I should add it was one of the bigger events in Southern California. And this was before our society disintegrated, so imagine what the fuck it's like now.

It was a shitshow, not a good use of time and resulted in hurt feelings for a lot of kids. But it did prep me to the reality that somebody's dad would always be there to ease the way.

The whole point is for the kid to build the thing (with light supervision).

 

I too picked sports over Scouts. However, I've seen the good that comes from scouting at the local level. My boys tried it for a little bit but didn't go for it so we stopped.

What's sad is the scandal that undoes the good that happens on the micro level; the abuse, the homophobia.

Like the Catholic Church, I've seen the wonders that the religion has done for many but the scandal is so ugly. As a non-believer, I don't revel in the bad but I don't feel sorry either for their plight.

 

I carved my Pinewood car myself with a kitchen knife. Looked like an early Offenhauser racer. My friend's dad carved his to look like a fucking Star Trek starship. He kept it in a plastic bag "to keep dust off the axle bearings."

 

I made it to Life rank in traditional Boy Scouts, but jumped to the coed version, Explorers, when I was 15. Our Explorers post specialized in sailing, admittedly a little odd for a southwestern Kansas group.

I was also on the staff of a Boy Scouts summer camp in south central Colorado for six years, most of that time as a backpack ranger. One of my closest friends grew up near the camp and eventually became the only year-round camp staffer. He did maintenance, was certified to manage the water system and open the camp for winter groups. There always seemed to be a conflict between the principles of scouting and some of the actions of the Boy Scouts of America council office. For example, proceeds from the camp provided much of the operating budget for the council, but various fundraisers were billed as being for camp needs. Those resources were sometimes channeled to the council, rather than the camp. The council professionals also encouraged some practices to pass inspections that were not sustained throughout the duration of camp sessions, that would not meet safety or honesty standards.

BSA eventually hatched a scheme to lay my friend off as an employee and hire him back as a contractor, so they could avoid providing insurance or retirement benefits. He quit after a couple of years when they continued to shortchange him.

The unadulterated original concepts behind scouting are valuable and rewarding. Through experience in the program and folks met through it, my appreciation and knowledge of outdoor adventure was greatly enhanced. But there always seemed to be a conflict with BSA and scouting ideals.

I never saw signs of sexual abuse, but as with almost any group of mainly boys, especially when directed my more militaristic leaders and adults, bullying was often the norm.

 

Doing service projects alongside girls is more interesting at 14 years old than doing them with dudes who look like the sidekick from the opening scene in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.

 

I wasn't planning on joining the local troop affiliated with my elementary school - it was really strict and competititve. Then my dad met a guy with another troop and it was more my speed. It was a good troop but everyone wasn't required to have top end gear, no uniform inspections etc. Led a patrol to a blue ribbon at a Jamboree, did OA (it rained my Ordeal weekend) and finished my Eagle project on my 18th birthday. I've had a problem with the organization's stances against gay people and athiests (most athiests I know have a better understanding of faith, than many who go to work regularly) - but I'm also quite aware that the outdoors aren't going anywhere, and it wouldn't take much to replace what the org. provides.

 

I won the Pinewood Derby two years straight and also won Best Car because my car was more lead than balsawood both years and we did red metalflake boat paint on the exterior. I was seriously pimpin'.