Boy Scouts going downhill?

Joeypals!!

Joeypals!!

Do you loooooves me? <3
Member
Okay, I dropped from this group about a year and a half ago. This was only because I could not swim, something required to move up. I found this extremely ridiculous. The only way I kept in contact with the group was with my friend, Stevie. However, things are starting to disturb me. The group is about trying to earn as much as you can in Merit Badges and work your way through the ranks, true? Now, things have taken a turn for the worst. My old group is doing nothing except playing around, not working on anything. With the dues in play, they are paying for nothing. I have no plans to return and my friend is ready to leave. However, I want Pokebeach's opinion. Based on your own personal experiences and this information, have groups like Boy Scouts gone downhill?
 
Well Boy Scouts depends on the Troop. I for one have taken a two year break from it and now am trying to get Eagle, but it all depends on your troop.
 
That is what I am thinking, I quit scouts just a few weeks ago, They have not been working on anything at the meetings. Though that was not the reason I quit.
 
fortegoddx said:
Well Boy Scouts depends on the Troop. I for one have taken a two year break from it and now am trying to get Eagle, but it all depends on your troop.
Click to expand...
This is so incredibly true. I've already gotten Eagle, and the experience you get in Boy Scouts really just depends on your troop you go to. If you don't find you're getting anything out of the troop you're in now, go look for another one that does more of the activities you like.
 
Why is it ridiculous that learning to swim is a requirement? That's a very valuable and important life skill. I learned to swim with my Boy Scouts troop, and I'm really glad I did.
 
Im part of the Air training Corps, I dont know if thats similar to boy scouts but we do loads of activities and it seems like a pretty good experience. Also swimming is vital, you need it in so many activities.
 
I am a boy scout and I do not think that it is going down but rather going up i mean this year is the 100th year it had been around!!!! I myself am going to the big thing in Virginea. I think that the reason that you think that it is going down is because it is the leaders that make it not the kids if the leaders suck then of course it is going to suck

BTW if you can't swim never come to Florida. I do not think that swiming is that bad I mean you have to learn how to do it I can't tell you how long it took me to learn but I still did it.

I am a life scout and am working on Eagle which has come to a compleate Halt because of one Merit badge personal fittness XD.
Is anyone else going this year to the 100 th thing?



T
 
they've been going downhill since i started playing pokemon, so what like 14-15 years back idk, lol. cya

P.S. i quit scout's when i became an eagle, good time's good time's.
 
MylesPrower said:
Why is it ridiculous that learning to swim is a requirement? That's a very valuable and important life skill. I learned to swim with my Boy Scouts troop, and I'm really glad I did.
Click to expand...

I agree. Boy Scouts' motto is indeed, "Be prepared." Boy Scouts trains you to be ready for anything that may happen ahead of you. Maintaining good health is one, making good decisions is another, and I guess swimming helps as well. Survival skills are important. Life is an adventure, and you can run into anything. You're not gonna sit home all day, right?

I quit Boy Scouts, but this was due to time constraints with other activities. It all depends on the troop. Whoever mentioned this is correct, because the vigor and the desire of your group will, in the long run, decide how far you go into climbing the ranks. Find a different troop. The Boy Scouts should teach independence, and this is a time you need to stand up for yourself.
 
I suppose it is less than it was when it was first created, but from I am aware of it still follows the basic chivalry that it did years ago. Girlscouts on the other hand I have my doubts about. My sister tried it for a year, and basically all it was is trying to get the parents to donate money to this company (Which was ironically owned by the sister of the leader). Every single time my sister went to the meet, they were hoarding us for money. They also had this thing where the girls who donated a lot of money got special privileges. I think that's just wrong. The girls had nothing to do with how much they donated, it was just the wealth of their parents. I never joined boy scouts, but I hope it isn't as corrupted as my sister's old troop.
 
Girl Scouts is not in any way affiliated with Boy Scouts, and what you saw is really only typical of Girl Scouts, so you need not worry too much.
 
Well. I've never been into Boy Scouts. (as I am a girl)

BUT.
I've been a girl scout. That was awful. I only stayed for the cookies. D:
You go, paint a picture, eat a snack, go home.
Jeez.
 
Well, as far as what I've seen with my brothers, as soon as the whole abuse-issues and such finally came to light on the news (lately, I mean), I've seen a lot of people chatting about safety for the scouts. Just an opinion.

I was in Girl Scouts for a year. Hated it. All we did was eat stuff and talk about volunteering (which we never got to).
 
I was in the scout program from 2nd grade to my senior year, finished Eagle, and I now help out with my old troop as an adult leader. Now, I haven't really noticed scouts going "downhill", but it seems every scout I ever knew, myself included, doesn't really take any of the principles seriously. Some people really get into it, and others don't. If you don't like your patrol and their shenanigans you can probably arrange to move into another one.

As for your "swimming requirement", I don't know where your leaders are getting that idea from. I dug through my closet and found my old scout manual, and then I went online and found the same page. You can view it here: http://www.usscouts.org/advance/boyscout/bsrank7.asp
What's interesting is that in order to get your Eaglescout, you need swimming-OR-cycling-OR-hiking. Swimming isn't required at all, so unless your troop is has some weird swimming policy, you don't need to do any swimming!
 
stEElyDaN909 said:
I was in the scout program from 2nd grade to my senior year, finished Eagle, and I now help out with my old troop as an adult leader. Now, I haven't really noticed scouts going "downhill", but it seems every scout I ever knew, myself included, doesn't really take any of the principles seriously. Some people really get into it, and others don't. If you don't like your patrol and their shenanigans you can probably arrange to move into another one.

As for your "swimming requirement", I don't know where your leaders are getting that idea from. I dug through my closet and found my old scout manual, and then I went online and found the same page. You can view it here: http://www.usscouts.org/advance/boyscout/bsrank7.asp
What's interesting is that in order to get your Eaglescout, you need swimming-OR-cycling-OR-hiking. Swimming isn't required at all, so unless your troop is has some weird swimming policy, you don't need to do any swimming!
Click to expand...

If you would take a look at your tenderfoot 2nd Class and 1rst Class you have to be able to float pass the BSA swim test and a few other things


T
 
It takes a good leader and help from the others to make a group sucesful. My experiance was enjoyable mainly because everyone was so active, and the encentives to join were so great. At least 15 people showed up to ever event. I rose to the rank of Star by my 3rd year comming in to the group without knowing how to swim, fish or tie anything but my shoes. The only reason I quit is because I have since moved from my group and the troop at my current location didn't do anything.

That being said, if they are going to continue making badges for things like "Video Games" (actual badge now), then yes I doubt it will last another 100 years.
 
Setzer (Harry) said:
It takes a good leader and help from the others to make a group sucesful. My experiance was enjoyable mainly because everyone was so active, and the encentives to join were so great. At least 15 people showed up to ever event. I rose to the rank of Star by my 3rd year comming in to the group without knowing how to swim, fish or tie anything but my shoes. The only reason I quit is because I have since moved from my group and the troop at my current location didn't do anything.

That being said, if they are going to continue making badges for things like "Video Games" (actual badge now), then yes I doubt it will last another 100 years.
Click to expand...

That is not a real badge is it I have never seen it or else every person in my troop/ in the world would have it and if you didn't ethier(you have no lifeXD) or you did not know about it.



T
 
That being said, if they are going to continue making badges for things like "Video Games" (actual badge now)
Click to expand...
Lies and I know it. There's very little that I don't know concerning the current affairs of Boy Scouts right now.
Unless you consider 'Pathfinding' to be like a video game (I don't).

Like Tristan said, you need to know swimming to an extent, and the last required bit is the BSA Swimmer Test (which is swimming 100 yards, 75 breaststroke and 25 backstroke), which, if you set your mind to it, is not all that difficult. Swimming merit badge is optional (I got Cycling myself, but all three in that group are very hard), but, if you like to swim, go for it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top