Ask Lemmy

Context: Historically there were two separate types of scouts: Mormons and everyone else. The two programs were only tengentally related. Mormons made up around 50% of the numbers. For Mormons 100% of the teen boys were enrolled in the program (whether they wanted to or not). The scout leaders were voluntold to run the program usually with zero experience. Parents did fun things like make rules they had to have their eagle scout before they could drive. etc... So let's just say, it was a complete and absolute clusterfuck.

I was forced to be in the Mormon version. I had zero interest in it. I thought the whole merit badges and stuff was bullshit so I never completed any of them.

One of my fondest memories was the jamboree I got to go home early from because I was kicked out. Apparently a snipe hunt, unauthorized bonfire, a hatchet throwing contest against the main lodge, and flipping off the camp leader and walking away was a no no. Before I got the boot, I did win all sorts of contests like knot tying, fire building, and first aide (had a bit of practical experience for some reason). That was the last one I had to go to for some odd reason.

like a log of orgs like this I feel the parent orgs take to much from the locals when fund raising. the basic idea is good but its hard to do stuff like this without abuse. The real question is how they handle it when they find out.

I was in scouts very briefly. Our troop/chapter/whatever it was lasted less than a year because the scout leaders were caught embezzling funds and everything got shut down.

From my limited experience in scouts, I found it boring.

I'd like to send my kid to Scouts/Cubs but I'd have to be chaperoning. Too many horror stories from evil kids and evil adults.

My kids have been on scouts in Canada for 2 years now. They love it. I'm an active adult helper and I really like it as well. I'm working on doing the training to become a part time scouter.

Military recruitment program.

Great experience. Mother was a den mother. Did a bunch of crafts. Then boy scouts and I never progressed any badges. Was fun! There were two troops that behaved very differently in our town. One was all about rules and mine was all about relaxing and letting us kids do whatever we want most of the time. I understand the greater Scouting org was and is… problematic. Personal experience, it was good.

Scouts Canada is different I'd guess for history/reputation, not that I've looked into it. Wasn't any religious stuff at least in my experience.

I was a Cub and a Scout, didn't continue further. It was rather useful here since we learned winter survival and often did winter camping trips in Alberta. We'd hike out into a forest and set up camp, build tables/kitchen out of snow and stuff like that.

Then there were summer and winter Jamborees where troops from across the prairies competed in various activities. My favourite was capture the flag in chest deep snow in a field after dark, that was so much fun. They'd also bring out staff from Space & Science centers with telescopes or radio guys with portable radio stations. Besides the fun there was more in depth survival training at jamborees too like how to stay warm or warm up somebody else who is freezing, competions on starting fires without matches/lighters. On and on.

Of course there's the badge earning and indoor regular meetups too but my memory is foggy there, too long ago. Sometimes involved carpentry. I still have a wooden chest I made in a school gym with a wolf head crudely drawn into the top with a soldering iron containing a bunch of old model rocketry stuff from when I was that age.

Also did the wooden model car races. At first it was cars and then later we built semi-trucks including the trailers. I've kept all of them my dad and I made.

Bottle drives and selling caramel popcorn and shit for funding too.

Only positive for me, my leaders weren't pedos or overtly religious thankfully. I don't really remember much about them except one guy going on a passionate rant about how only the first "The Matrix" film was good. I think Reloaded had just come out. Other kids were mostly fine. Didn't really befriend them but also no bad blood. Edit: Oh I forgot to mention our troop was unisex, we had girls join too. Given what I remember Alberta being like in the 90's - early 2000's that seems progressive of them.

I was a Brownie when I was a kid (80s), I thought we were going to go like camping and stuff like the boy scouts, but all we did was needlepoint inside all summer so I never went back.

I think it's great!