Sunday, March 25, 2012

Boy Scout Campouts and Ninny Babies

I try really hard to stay on top of things around here. I have a huge wall calendar that I have to look at every day. I have a huge planner that I try to keep important things in. I have a nice file cabinet for all the house and kid and homeschooling and writing stuff I need. Sometimes I miss stuff. I hate when I do that. I berate myself in my head and then try to physically kick my own butt.

So when the Scout leader (we're in the big leagues now, you know ... BOY Scouts instead of CUB Scouts) called to say there was a weekend campout coming up in a few days, I scrambled to check out the stack of Scout paperwork it was taking me forever to go through. I saw a little note about the campout, but apparently I need phone call reminders, and email reminders and a mailed, engraved, calligraphied invitation or I just don't get it through my head!

I told the guy probably not since Aron has been out of town and is catching up on all sorts of house things and Aron would want to go with Joel. He said the other 2 new boys don't have a parent going with THEM. I said WE are more comfortable sending his dad along with him. I felt like an overprotective shrew, so I checked in with Aron and Joel, and I was right. Joel doesn't really want to go with people he doesn't know very well for an entire weekend, and his dad can't go right now. Here are some of my reasons for doing what I did:

  1. He's only 10. Aron says the point of Scouts is to get the boys off the ninny (boob), but I want to know what the freaking rush is? He has years to get to that coveted Eagle Scout award, and can I please just GRADUALLY let him head into manhood?
  2. He doesn't go to school with these kids so he doesn't know them well. He has YEARS to get to know them. I'm sure by this time next year he'll be just fine going alone if he has to.
  3. I homeschool, so I'm overprotective by nature. I don't drop him off daily somewhere alone, so why would I send him away for a weekend alone with someone he doesn't know?
  4. I know THIS is controversial, but we don't really do sleepovers anymore unless it's with a grandparent. Isn't this akin to a sleepover, only AGAIN, with people we know even less well than the parents of a sleepover kid?
  5. He just recently got over his falling asleep issues.
  6. I understand that the adults are trained. I myself was a Cub Scout leader and did all the training, including the Catholic Church's VIRTUS training. Call me cynical, but that doesn't necessarily mean anything.
  7. This probably doesn't apply to his very first campout, but I've heard from an older Eagle Scout about quasi-hazing that goes on during camp. Other people tell me that's no accurate, but I trust this person very much. He acts like it's just something boys have to go through. I think it's bullshit.
  8. I know too many people who were messed with as kids or whose kids were messed with.
What would you do?

2 comments:

  1. Kerrie, as the scoutmaster I understand and back your concerns. As to hazing myself and other adults do our best to prevent it. We look forward to father and son camping with us when they can. When you, Aron and Joel are ready for him to go it alone we will be extra watchful. Hoping to see Joel tonight.

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  2. Mike, thanks so much for writing! I really appreciate it ... I just need a chance to be around people for a bit so I can get to know them, and we're new to the Boy Scouts part of it. I think most people are afraid of the unknown, and when it's your kids, it's REALLY scary because you certainly don't want to mess up the most important job you'll ever have (what's that Jackie Kennedy quote about bungling child-raising?!). He'll totally be there tonight!

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