Girl Scouts was a lot more fun.


But they threw me out.

My dad was an eagle, I did the cub scout thing for a few years, but sports took over so I dropped scouting. No regrets

You should've sold more cookies :)

Same here except it was boy scouts for me. It was great, but then most of my buddies and I moved on to other interests (sports) as we became teenagers. No regrets either...do it!

I'm a Scoutmaster and was a cub leader prior to moving up. The best advise I can add to the others is make sure the Pack or Troop's core leaders are trained. They should all have "trained" strips on their uniforms.
The Cub/Boy scout programs are fantastic when properly run. The founder of Scouting called it "a game with a purpose." The game is the fun and the purpose is character development. You'll notice the Eagles an former Scouts above talk about the camp outs and activities. We use these activities to teach leadership skills and mold character. I am continually amazed by the leadership development of our boys.
Give it a try...

I was not a cub but a boy scout... also thought it was corny at the time... but things I learned, first aid, camping/survival skills, knot trying... have served me well over time.

I was in scouts but dropped it after 1st Class, mainly because no one seemed to care if I did it or not, including parents. I pushed my son and he got his Eagle, but with pushing. Also great leaders. One close friend of mine is a leader and has been since Cub Scouts with his three sons who are now all Eagles. With boys who make it to 1st Class, he has an incredible Eagle success ratio, something like 90%.

I made first class too Hugh...and then we moved to Florida where the local troop really sucked so I dropped out.

Back in Virginia it was insanely fun and I learned a lot.

Highly recommend Fred if the local troop is well supported by the parents and you have a decent scoutmaster.

Those camping trips were what it's all about!

When I went in the USMC in 1971 I remember writing home to my Mom, saying other than the P.T. and the verbal abuse of the DI's it was sort of like the Scouts. I think a lot of recruits were totally, absolutely unprepared for that kind of life. I at least had some sense of it. Not that the Scouts are like USMC boot camp.

When my Son was 16/17 he would go to pick up a girl for a date. As you'd expect, the Dad would ask him the first time he met, what he did, etc., etc. My Son would say "Going to school, working part time, and working on getting my Eagle Scout". That impressed every Dad. They'd let him take his daughter out, whom he promptly would defile.

I also told him and he now realizes that when applying for a job putting on his resume that "Chris R is an Eagle Scout" wouldn't necessarily get him a job but it upped his chances of getting an interview. I was right.

I'm an Eagle Scout too, in Scouting for 10 years, Order of the Arrow, Explorers, senior patrol leader, etc. My parents were involved. My son was also in scouting, we went backpacking together, great memories. But it is highly troop specific, and even when boy-led, needs lots of active parent involvement to be successful.

Cub scouts is a great starter and is more mom involved. Stakes are low, and it is a good alternative for kids not completely in to sports.

I think that's a big difference today: the prevelance, intensity and variety of sports as competition to Scouting. Unfortunately (and I don't mean to parf this up), I disagree with the position the national leadership has taken with gays, so it would be hard for this proud eagle scout to be involved today.

I did scouts for a couple years. Dropped it due to lack of interest - perhaps my troop leaders sucked? Who knows...that was a long time ago. My son has been far too busy in sports to entertain BSOA but now in HS he is in JROTC...and team sports. My life is one long day in the car. LOL.

Dropped out in wolf. Regret it to this day.

I have 4 sons. 2 are biological and 2 by marriage. one set of sons left for every summer to live with their mom in Ohio. The other spent every otherr weekend with their "dad" till he gave up on them.

I regret that I didn't get them into scouting but how would I have been able to keep the 4 of them at a normal level.

When I'm a Grandfather I will not fail to have any and all of my Grandsons that I can take to scouting.

I gotta say I disagree - it absolutely CAN be the differentiator that gets him the job. It has for me.

I agree - but I believe in the program and when the time came for me to decide where I stood on the issue and where the national council stood on the issue made little difference. In the end, I'm the one who is teaching him and not them.

Thanks for the info ,and replies guys. I am surprised to hear that so many of your were/are involved. I see this as being a good fit for my son, and I am going to look deeper into it.
It just so happens that I helped a local guy purchase a 911 at Hershey this past spring, and he and his two sons are very active in our local troop. I contacted him the other day, and he is going to get me the information . He said that our local troop is super active, and a good group of people, he says that I already know most of them. If we join, I plan on being involved. I want to do all that I can to try to keep this kid on the right path.

That's the key Fred....your local troop is very active. This is a very good thing as others have pointed out...there is no downside.

Best wishes for you and you son...

We've been involved for about 10 years (geez) with our Pack and Troop. Fortunately, there are lots of options here. Finding a good fit is important, preferably with school buddies. Try to make it the antithesis of class work. Quick read (if any) then go do something fun.

Lots of positives, not just for your kids but for your whole family. Most of the folks we've met through Scouting have been top notch. Get involved and you'll have 10-15 years of fun ahead of you. Many more if you choose to stick with it.

There can be ego issues but remember to put the kids first and the rest will work out. Teaching the boys to stay positive and work together is critical. Setting the example can be tough, but it's a necessity.

Standing on Mt. Baldy with your boys is an experience like no other. Wouldn't trade it for the world.

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g1...-00-40_679.jpg

I went to Hungarian Cubs then Scouts for 5 years.
It was very militaristic. The leaders were the ones who immigrated from Hungary after 1956 during the 'Revolution". Also Main 'leader' was an old Hungarian priest and there was another somewhat plebe priest.
It was abusive with knuckles on the head if you weren't listening, to breaking yard-sticks on you.
Also at camp if you did anything that was not in the norm, you'd be stuck outside from the 'cabins' and be lookout all night. I don't know what the hell I was ever looking out for throughout the whole evening but I was scared to schite being in 10 years old and outside in the winter all night.

We'd all walk around the church basement (guys and girls) and it'd be called out in Hungarian-'be prepared' - ''Attention'! The leaders would walk around check our feet angles and our posture with our chest out.
We'd all have to get in our parallel lines which we were already taught to be in. We'd then have to space ourselves at arms length. God help any Kid if you started to laugh. You'd get the good old knuckles to the head.
I hated it and had no choice but to go.
Didn't learn much, but there were some funny moments.

Hitlers -Youth Army. That's what I always thought it was.

Anyway. It's not like that today, and I'd love my Son to get into it. He's active and outdoorsy.
But no HUNGARIAN SCOUTS!-ever!