Boy Scouts

[Siegmund]

I wasn't a member, because in the area I grew up (eastern Idaho) it was a 100% Mormon youth group operation, meeting in stake centers, run by the local congregation leaders, etc, and I wasn't Mormon.

Had it been run without the heavy overdose of religion, I would have loved to take part in the outdoor activities and the learning. I understand in other parts of the country it is run more palatably.

 

[CurtSibling]

I heard a report that several thousand scout masters have prosecuted for abuse in the last few decades.

And that's the ones who have been caught.

 

[warmonger]

Yes- I was a member and I hated every minute of it. I was quite small as a 12 - 13 year old and I was beaten black and blue at every meeting. Camps were a nightmare. I even went AWOL from the worst camp. I had trekked more than 12 miles through bush and minor roads before they captured me again - so much for their tracking ability - one search party went past me three times without finding me. That episode finally convinced my parents that scouting wasn't for me.


So I would have vote Yes - and it is a bad organisation but you didn't give me that option.

edit for spelling and clarity

 

[CurtSibling]

The Scouts are a good idea on paper, but dated.
The organisation, however, is ran by twsited people, IMHO.

 

[Stapel]

Originally posted by tonberry



how about: No. I didn't want to but I don't think it's a bad organization.

Missing that option too!

I once went there with a friend. Didn't like it.

The whole uniform thing is a bit weird I think.

 

[superslug]

I seem to be the lone Eagle Scout here.

 

[thestonesfan]

Kids need some exposure to nature. To a lot of them, life doesn't go much beyond video games.

Of course, you can't force them to appreciate it. They'll just hate it more.

 

[SirJethro]

You should have added a choice: "No, I'm gay."

On a side note, did anyone see the story of how the Philly division of the Boy Scouts came out and said they disagreed with the policy against gays, and they would add sexual orientation to their non-discrimination policy. Then a scout came out and publically said he was gay...and they kicked him out for it!! They said, "our don't ask don't tell policy is very clear here". However, their policy never included a don't-ask-don't-clause, and such a policy was never mentioned until after they kicked this boy out.

I'm sorry folks, gotta give the thumbs down to the boy scouts.

By the way...I was a cub scout, but thought it was boring so I quit.

edit: here are the two articles:

5/29/2003: Philadelphia Boy Scouts won't exclude gays

6/12/2003: Despite promise, gay Boy Scout ousted

 

[Perfection]

And of course there was the athiest that was kicked out.

 

[SirJethro]

Originally posted by Perfection
And of course there was the athiest that was kicked out.

True...so lets see, we know they discriminate on sex (BOY scouts), sexual orientation, and religion. That would leave only race and handicap in their non-discrimination policy, wouldn't it? Anybody want to dig up some examples of these? Maybe we can discredit the BSA completely.

 

[CurtSibling]

I agree,
Let's discredit them utterly!

What has this organisation actually achieved anyway?

 

[SirJethro]

Originally posted by CurtSibling
I agree,
Let's discredit them utterly!

What has this organisation actually achieved anyway?

It makes boys "prepared".

But not for encouters with girls, gays or pagans.

 

[Simon Darkshade]

Yes indeed. Goodness knows that the comments of a few CFCers will have them reaching right for the ceremonial disemboweling cutlasses.
'Tis their policy that ye have to believe, and generally not be a shirtlifter. Used to be that they kept out the women as well. That is quite fine, and their perogative. End of stucking fory.

 

[napoleon526]

Originally posted by Simon Darkshade
Yes indeed. Goodness knows that the comments of a few CFCers will have them reaching right for the ceremonial disemboweling cutlasses.
'Tis their policy that ye have to believe, and generally not be a shirtlifter. Used to be that they kept out the women as well. That is quite fine, and their perogative. End of stucking fory.

As much as it scares me, I agree with you SD. The Boy Scouts are a private orginization, and have the right to exclude whomever the wish. However, stating their policy against gays earned only condemnation, and it would have been wiser to just continue with the 'don't ask, don't tell' policy.

 

[Gainy]

Me and my friends were kicked out after a while, for comitting mishiefous acts . They were only stupid things though like pulling pegs out of other groups tents, and spraying fart gas in them. The leaders had no sense of humor --- i was in it for around 1¾ years, maybe 2. I dont know what rank i was, but i was some kind of a very mini leader (ie for 6 people or something).

 

[superunknown]

When I was in Washington DC there was some kind of Boy Scout gathering. The city was swarming with boy scouts of every ilk and description. They were everywhere! All of the time.
If I ever see another boy scout.. :shotgun:

 

[Benderino]

So many choices, however, me liking pie beats em all!

I was never in it, nor did I want to be, but I think its a good thing. I have friends who are in it and they enjoy it, so that is great.

 

[Simon Darkshade]

Originally posted by superunknown
When I was in Washington DC there was some kind of Boy Scout gathering. The city was swarming with boy scouts of every ilk and description. They were everywhere! All of the time.

Reeaally?...

 

[Double Barrel]

BSA teaches common sense to urban youth that would otherwise have no idea. They teach survival skills, leadership and group cooperation dynamics, environmental conservation, respect, honesty & integrity, responsibility, civic duty and understanding of the various levels of government, among a large list of other well-used goal-oriented education subjects. They also do a massive amount of volunteer work for many underpriviledged people, including the elderly and handicapped.

A short list of famous Eagle Scouts:

Bill Alexander - U.S. Representative from Arkansas
Gary L. Ackerman - U.S. Representative from NY
Neil Armstrong - astronaut, first man on moon, from Wapakoneta, OH
Henry Aaron - Baseball player, home run king - the Mobile Press Register quoted Henry as saying that the greatest positive influence in his life was his involvement in scouting
Charles E. Bennett - U.S. Representative from Florida
William Bennett - Former Secretary of Education
Michael Bloomberg - Mayor of New York City, founder of Bloomberg News
Bill Bradley - Pro basketball star and U.S. Senator from NJ
James Brady - Former Press Secretary to President Reagan
Milton A. Caniff - Comic strip artist "Steve Canyon"
Barber B. Conable - President, World Bank
John W. Creighton, Jr. - President & CEO of Weyerhaeuser Company
William E. Dannemeyer - U.S. Representative from Cal.
William Devries - M.D., transplanted first artificial heart
Michael Dukakis - Former governor of Massachusetts
Arthur Eldred - First Eagle Scout
David Farabee - Texas State Representative
Gerald Ford - U.S. President (1st Eagle to be President
Steven Fossett - Tried several times to fly solo around the world in a hot air balloon and finally did it in 2002, won the Chicago to Mackinaw boat races, competed in the Iditarod dog race, and competed in several iron man triathelons, and among other things lives the Scouting mottos both Cub and Boy Scout by doing his best and being prepared
Steven W. Lindsey - Astronaut - He was the pilot for STS-95 when John Glen returned to space as a Senator. He made eagle in troop 161 in Temple City, California.
Gary Locke, Governor of the State of Washington, the first Chinese-American Governor in the contiguous United States, and selected as a Distinguished Eagle Scout by NESA
James Lovell - Navy pilot and astronaut, President of National Eagle Scout Association. Flew on Gemini 7, 12 & Apollo 8, 13 At one time had seen more sunrises than any other human being
Richard Lugar - Senator from Indiana (presidential canidate 1996)
J. Willard Marriott, Jr. - President, Marriott Corp.
CDR William McCool, USN - Astronaut, Pilot of U.S. Space Shuttle Columbia. BSA Press Release | NASA Bio
Sam Nunn - U.S. Senator from Georgia
Ellison Onizuka - Astronaut aboard the U.S. Space Shuttle Challenger
H. Ross Perot - Self-made billionaire and presidential candidate
Rick Perry - Governor, State of Texas
J. J. Pickle - U.S. Representative from Texas, proudly displays his Eagle plaque inside his office
Samuel R. Pierce - Former Sec. Housing & Urban Development
Donald Rumsfeld - Secretary of Defense
Harrison Salisbury - Pulitzer Prize winning author
Jeff Sessions - Junior Senator from Alabama is an Eagle Scout from the troop in Camden, AL.
William Sessions - Former FBI director
Sam Skinner - Secretary of Energy during the Bush administration and now CEO of Commonwealth Edison
Steven Spielberg - Movie producer, from Scottsdale, AZ, made a movie of his troop while getting Photography MB. Helped to design requirements for the cinematography MB.
Wallace Stegner - Writer and college professor, won Pulitzer Prize in 1972 for "Angle of Repose"
Percy Sutton - Attorney, Chairman of the Board of City Broadcasting Corp.
Sam Walton - Founder, Wal-Mart

The list goes on and on.

But, by all means, discredit the entire organization because they do not subscribe to your politically correct worldview.

Hitler Youth Corps? What a bunch of b.s. spoken in true ignorance.

So they don't let a few gays or atheists in their ranks. So what. With groups like NAMBLA roaming around (which is 100% homosexual, by the way), I would prefer keeping young boys away from perverted old men that would prey on them while away on camping trips. But I suppose I'm just "old-fashioned" and cannot seem to brainwash myself into the anything-goes ethos supported by so many "open-minded" folks like yourselves.

 

[superunknown]

Originally posted by Simon Darkshade


Reeaally?...

why am I not surprised? I knew Mr Darkshade was involved somehow..

boy scouts make me wanna go