This weekend, Alex and I have been camping with his Arrow of Light den and members of Troop 20 from Griswold. After we moved, I gave Alex the choice of finishing with his old den, moving to the local Pack, or dropping out of scouts. He chose to move to the new Pack so he would know more boys at school and when he continued into the Troop. So, we are camping at the Camporee this weekend.
Of note, we have a basic grey chuck box with us. It doesn’t stand out compared to many that are around other sites, but this one has a panther painted on the lid. My father, Alex’s grandfather, built that chuck box when he was in the panther patrol almost 50 years ago. And so, the tradition continues. Thanks Dad.
Last night, Alex and I spent the night in the Higgins Armory Museum in Worcester, MA. There were about 60 scouts and parents from our Pack that went on the trip. The kids had a great time and the exhibits were very interesting. According to Alex, the best part was trying on armor.
This morning, Alex, Vicki, and Amanda went with me to the Submarine Force Museum (my office) with Alex’s cub scout pack. The kids had a great time checking out the boat and participating in the summer activity learning about damage control.
I have spent the week at Camp Tadma with 4 Webelos (including Alex). Growing up, I spent 2 summers working on summer camp staff, and attended camp every year except one. Therefore, the idea of what to expect at camp what not new to me. I have also previously attended Camp Tadma as a Day Camp leader. The program at camp has definitely improved over years past. Even so, I Iearned things about myself as a parent and the society we live in.
1. Fitness is no longer important to society as a whole. I would estimate that only about 25% of the leaders at camp were physically fit. While most of the staff was in decent condition, the overweight staff were obese, not just overweight.
2. The rules don’t apply to everyone. It is disappointing to see how many leaders are willing to allow their group to do things directly contrary to camp policies. For example, pocket knives are prohibited in camp for all scouts some groups not only allowed knives, they permitted knife usage in ways against BSA policies.
3. The foundation of scouting principles is lost on many parents. For example, the 9-10 year olds that came to camp with 12 sodas for the week. The parents that came to camp 3 times to visit their kids and refill the candy and snack supplies. The scouts that brought suitcases of toys.
4. A surprising number of problem scouts have involved parents. The behavior problems, such as tantrums, are overly tolerated by other leaders because the scout’s parent is present.
5. “Tough Love” builds more responsible kids. The scouts that are obviously held accountable at home are overall better behaved and more respectful. While this seems pretty obvious, it is reaffirmation of what I believe to be correct.
I know Alex enjoys scouting, and I know the things I teach him and other scouts I learned from my own scouting experience. However, I frequently find myself wondering if I am spending too much time parenting others instead of focusing on my own family.
The story of our lives with horses. And goats.
