Do you have quarterly Scout parent meetings? I’ll answer an email question about parent’s meetings in this podcast. On our quarterly Scout parent meetings that include a court of honor. Everyone arrives at about 7PM, the Scouts go outside to play a game and the committee chair and whomever needs to (depending on what is going on, […]
Scout Parents
Special Needs Scouting Resources
Tony Mei, chairman of the National Disabilities Awareness Committee, got in touch to share a variety of resources for special needs Scouts. Every unit leader ought to take the time to read The Guide to Working With Scouts With Special Needs and Disabilities Reach the committee task force for answers to questions about special needs Scouting at disabilities.awareness@scouting.org. Here’s […]
Bedwetting and Scouts
Every so often I hear from a Scouter or parent about a Scout who has a problem with bedwetting. It goes without saying that I am not a medical expert, but I did a little research and several sources agree an estimated 3.75 -5.25 million boys (and a smaller number of girls) in the United States have a medical […]
Little League and Scouting
Contributor Dave Klein lives in Southern California with his wife and two Boy Scout sons. He has been involved in numerous adult leader positions within both Cub and Boy Scouts for 11 years. Dave is Woodbadge trained and has served as Assistant Scoutmaster for eight years. He is also the Troop Activities Chair and Webmaster. […]
Three Things Scout Parents Can Do
This infographic explains three things Scout parents can do to help Scouts with their gear (and save a Scoutmaster’s sanity). Put your Scout’s Name and Troop number on everything. If they are attending an event with dozens or hundreds of other Scouts and misplace a piece of clothing or gear there’s a much better chance it […]
The Overprotected Kid
In her Atlantic Monthly article, The Overprotected Kid, Hanna Rosin writes: It’s hard to absorb how much childhood norms have shifted in just one generation. Actions that would have been considered paranoid in the ’70s—walking third-graders to school, forbidding your kid to play ball in the street, going down the slide with your child in your lap—are […]
Happy (Scout) Mother’s Day!
Before the ceremony a couple of weeks ago I asked the Eagle candidates and their parents to step into a side room for a minute. I hand each family a velvet covered box. “We’ll have mom practice pinning the Eagle medal on their son’s left pocket flap first” I announce. Three moms pick up an Eagle medal […]
Working With Homesick Scouts
If you are headed off to camp this summer it’s likely you will be working with one or more homesick Scouts. Understanding, preventing and treating homesickness ought to be approached like administering first aid for any other illness or injury. Homesickness is not imaginary, it’s not an indication of weakness or lack of character, it’s […]
What I Wish Every Scout Parent Understood
I received this email from a Scout parent: I am new to the Boy Scout Program and I am not getting answers to questions . For instance my son is to bring a blue card to a merit badge event for the counselor to sign. I got a blue card from the Scoutmaster. Another parent […]
Scouting With Your Son
Scouting with your son, being the parent of a Scout and a Scouter at the same time, can be one of the most enriching and memorable times you’ll spend together. Naturally there will be some difficult times but we can avoid letting them derail the experiences for ourselves and our sons if we prepare for them. […]
The Twain Effect
Young sons generally revere their fathers. At some point, though, they begin to suspect that the old man is out of his mind and can’t stand to have him around.
Working with Scout Parents on Bobwhite Blather
Frank Maynard is a blogging troop committee chairman, he recently published this excellent article outlining how to work with Scout parents; Parents who aren’t as involved in Scouting as you are sometimes don’t understand the program as well, and can see a unit working normally as being dysfunctional. Friction can also develop among parents, or even between […]
Scout Parent Problems
Most Scout parents are supportive, encouraging and make a positive contribution to their son’s experience in Scouting. If you volunteer long enough you will eventually run into Scout parent problems. Some are minor irritations, some are very upsetting. Questions and challenges from parents usually come from honest misunderstandings. When parents raise concerns it can feel like a […]
Scouting and the Spoiled Kid
There’s a danger in going too far with the whole ‘kids these days’ thing. Each successive generation is pretty sure the next one is headed to hell in a hand basket. Your great-great grandparents were convinced that your great grandparents were running full tilt off the cliff of immorality and dissipation – so let’s have some perspective. There are […]
Scout Summer Camp Benefits
Your son returns from Scout summer camp more capable and mature than the boy you knew one short week ago. Outside the normal support structure of his family, away from the solitary distractions of modernity, a Scout must take care of himself and cooperate with his peers. He does all this in a supportive environment that permits failure […]
Scoutmaster Podcast 125 – Free Range Kids
IN THIS PODCAST Interview with author of Free Range Kids and ‘World’s Worst Mom’ Lenore Skenazy. Lenore has a great story to tell about her sons, and how valuable the Scouting experience have been for them. LINKS IN THIS PODCAST Shout Out! Lenore’s Blog Buy Free Range Kids on Amazon My review of Free Range Kids KEEP […]
Free Range Kids
In recent years parents seem increasingly reluctant to allow their children to do things for themselves – to be ‘free range kids’. It makes me wonder if some parents have written activities like Scouting off as too dangerous, too unsupervised or less valuable than more controlled, conducted and packaged experiences for their children. We are barraged by irrational fears and […]
Preparing Scout Parents for Summer Camp
Scout parents are usually less prepared for summer camp than their Scouts. Parents of Scouts headed to camp (especially for the first time) are going to be anxious; they may find the experience more difficult than their Scouts will. It’s fair to expect Scout parents may feel uncomfortable turning over full-time care of their child, especially to Scouters they may have […]
Reluctant Scouts
A question from a Facebook fan: My son just bridged over into Boy Scouts from Webelos. I feel he is losing interest, he keeps saying he doesn’t want to go to the meetings or camp. My son and I have been active in cub scouts since he was a tiger. How should I help get […]
Scout Parent Struggles With Letting Go
Every Scout parent struggles with letting go as their child grows up. From the Swedish Scouting is awesome! blog. Thoughts on how Scouting helps parents understand letting go so children can become adults: One of the aims of scouting is to make young people independent and self sufficiant. We do a great job for the most […]
Far Side of the Moon
When Apollo spacecraft passed to the far side of the moon there were some tense moments in mission control. During this part of the orbit radio communication with the earth was impossible. There was no way to know if everything was alright until the spacecraft reappeared. Imagine yourself sitting in mission control without being able […]
Should I Make My Son Stay in Scouts?
Many Scouts will, at some point, resist going any further in Scouting. When does a parent intervene and make him stay in Scouts? Just about every boy will reach some impasse along the way that will make them reluctant or downright adamant about participating. If you are a Scouting parent it’s more than likely that this is […]
When is it time to find a new Troop?
Before you waste anymore time trying to fix what is wrong with a Scout Troop look around and see if you can’t find one that is a better fit. Put aside the question of dedication, misplaced loyalty and grim determination and look at what the problems are doing to your son. People of good will […]
The Role of Scouting Parents
Scouting works in concert with the parents of our Scouts to achieve the main aim, and we rely on parents who become Scouters to support the Scout’s program. How do we define this role so the scouts are able to do what they need to accomplish with this much-needed support yet without undue interference? The […]
