I love the Boy Scouts of America. I am a proud Eagle Scout and always will be. As much as growing up Mormon sucked, scouts was one of the only good things I got out of it. I could go on forever about how great scouts has been for me. But to sum up my scouting experience in a few words, it helped me discover myself and taught me good morals and values.

I hate to see TSCC get all bent out of shape over the BSA's decision to include gay leaders. Especially when religious organizations can appoint who they want to as leaders. That is a very fair compromise. If TSCC continues with scouting, no gay people will be a scout leader in the Mormon church.

I feel that with the SCOTUS decision to legalize gay marriage, TSCC is just being a poor loser and feeling picked on. Now with the BSA decision to bravely accept all, TSCC is probably going to leave this respected organization, just to throw in the last punch to make them feel victorious.

For young men who are born in that cult, I hope for their sake, that the TSCC will stay with the BSA. Scouting builds young men. As a boy who came from a dysfunctional home with a father that didn't have much to do with me, scouts gave me role models and who helped me develop hobbies, interests, and skills.

Someone posted earlier that scouting is a worthless organization. You don't know what your talking about. You can now have an open mind now that your out of TSCC. Don't be so narrow minded like those in the morg, especially when talking about an organization such as the Boy Scouts of America.

Had to get this off my chest. I've been miserable all day. I'm happy with the Boy Scouts moving forward accepting all. But I'm extremely sad that the cult might leave...



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/28/2015 11:06PM by sonofperdition.

The BSA should join RFM since they're going to be shunned by their so-called friends—just like the rest of us have been.

It's one less fun thing for the boys to do.

brandywine Wrote:
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> It's one less fun thing for the boys to do.


I can see why girls feel that way. I always felt that the girls never had it as fair as the boys growing up in the morg. Scouts was way better than personal progress. The church is sexist.

But at the same time, why take it out on the boys?
Scouts wasn't always fun by the way. I've probably volunteered over 200 hours of service as a scout. There were some merit badges I really didn't want to do. There were a lot of things to memorize, and a lot of planning for events I could have cared less for. Scout camp outs were fun, but "fun" is not all scouts do.

I think you might have misunderstood me. I feel bad for the boys losing something that is fun. Now they're going to be replacing it with Duty to God. More drudgery and lies. I am so glad to have my kids out!

brandywine Wrote:
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> I think you might have misunderstood me. I feel
> bad for the boys losing something that is fun. Now
> they're going to be replacing it with Duty to God.
> More drudgery and lies. I am so glad to have my
> kids out!


I did misunderstand you then... Glad you and your kids are out!

I read the article in SLC tribune where someone in the Church said they were thinking of starting there own Scouting Program. It seemed to make more sense since many of the countries that LDS inc is in doesn't have BSA or an equivalent.

Now wait I thought. I know there's Scouting programs all over Europe. There's also other programs like 4H and FFA (or an equivalent). Besides, as was pointed out the Church decides who is going to be Boy Scout Leaders in the Wards/Stakes not the BSA.

So yeah, their reaction was, we're taking our ball and going home.

The only thing is that LDS inc. Loves, loves, loves shoving their Boy Scout Troops and # of Eagles, Order of the Arrow and the membership numbers in other religions' faces. So they may be crying right now, but they'll never get rid of it as long as they can have it as a feather in their hat of "How much better they are" than others.

For me, being born into the cult, Scouting was forced onto me.

I hated almost every second of it. I was the outcast of the troop and campouts werent fun adventures where I learned valuable skills, just more opportunities to be picked on and made fun of by my peers and leaders.

regardless I became an eagle scout. Thats what mormon boy scouts does, churns out Eagle after Eagle at 14 years old.

Yep and dilutes traditional (non-LDS Scouting).

I could never see the point.

Scouting is a good program for some kids.

The problem is people in scouting assume all young boys think and act the same way.

despite the plethora of merit badges, it simply is not a good environment for some kids. The church forces every young man into it and thats why the program is a joke in the church, from my vantage point.

nonsequiter Wrote:
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> Scouting is a good program for some kids.
>
> The problem is people in scouting assume all young
> boys think and act the same way.
>
> despite the plethora of merit badges, it simply is
> not a good environment for some kids. The church
> forces every young man into it and thats why the
> program is a joke in the church, from my vantage
> point.


I agree. I had a lot of friends forced into scouting by their parents. That is the parents fault though, not the kids. There needs to be more diverse programs for kids to choose from. Parents need to help kids find themselves and not force them.

My scout troop sucked, so no regrets.

I have absolutely nothing against scouting and would side with the argument that it does ever so much more good than harm.

But a troop is only as good as its leaders. I probably had five scoutmasters in the five years between 12 and 17. Only one of them cared. He was the only one who made us want to pay attention to 'scouting'. Too bad he was the last scoutmaster...

I believe, now, that the 'do whatever you want' attitude of the prior scoutmasters was reflective of the fact that they hadn't chosen scouting, rather, the bishop had dragged the bottom of the barrel, trying to get someone, anyone, to accept the calling.

You know how at scout camp, each troop has a flag pole, and after morning inspection, you get to fly your flag at the height that reflects the outcome of that day's inspection? We were all ever so gleeful about being told we had to dig a hole around our flag pole in order to properly reflect just how poorly we'd done; we had to fly our troop flag below ground level.

We were right out of Lord of the Flies, sorta...

BSA may be financially poorer without TSCC backing but it will be better off. I detested the church forcing boys into the program when BSA by design was never intended to be forced on anyone.

Better TSCC have their own program. I imagine it will grow to resemble Hitler's youth program complete with goose stepping. And Hitler made the youth program for girls all about becoming homemakers and breeding mothers. Sounds like a perfect match for TSCC.

I was a great swimmer, but so skinny that I had no natural buoyancy and could not pass the flotation tests scout camp required in order for you to swim outside of the roped area. (I had even earned a badge for swimming a mile.)

The next day I went to the testing area early and stacked up some big rocks in the lake so that they were just 6 inches or so below the lake water level. When the chance to retake the flotation test arrived, I just laid back on the rocks and passed with flying colors. (Then I pushed over my underwater rock tower.)

That pretty much sums up the highlight reel of my scouting experience.

you are wrong.
They are not accepting all.

Dave the Atheist Wrote:
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> you are wrong.
> They are not accepting all.

how so?

No, they aren't. They won't allow atheists. The program was written for religious groups. I think if they can allow all religions surely they can make exceptions for people who don't follow religion or have a deity.

brandywine Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> No, they aren't. They won't allow atheists. The
> program was written for religious groups. I think
> if they can allow all religions surely they can
> make exceptions for people who don't follow
> religion or have a deity.

I see... I should have said more accepting. It sounds like the
BSA still has a little bit more to go. Atheists should enjoy the benefits of scouting. Hopefully the BSA will come along

Scouts can be a great program for boys. However, the Mormon church forces their boys into it by enrolling all of by default and forces leaders into it by "calling" them into the program. Not a good formula for scouting success.

I went to Scout camp just one year and ended up getting only one merit badge: basket weaving (that's right, BASKET WEAVING). I wasn't interested enough in getting merit badges to follow through with the counselors at the camp, and our ward's Scouting leaders who attended the camp with us took no interest in mentoring us.

What a waste.

My husband was the scout leader when our two boys were that age.
It worked out good for us. We never had to worry about sending our boys off on overnighters with men we didn't know.

Neither one of our boys aspired to Eagle. We didn't care. They had fun in scouts, and that was the whole point.

Surprise surprise! They didn't get their Eagles, and they're both very successful and happy adult men now. Both of them were only a couple of merit badges away from the coveted Eagle. They didn't care, and neither did we. None of us were into faking merit badges in order to go to the dinner. Now that they're both in their 30's I don't think they ever think about the whole Eagle thing.

We went camping with the youngest one last week. He knows how to build a fire, roast a marshmallow, tie down the 4wheeler on a trailer. What more does he need to know? When all was said and done he took his wife and small kids to their nice condo to sleep in a comfy bed, and take a hot shower. His wife approved. I don't think she would have been impressed with sleeping on the ground in a tent.

As for hubby and I, we slept in the RV, that's complete with microwave, hot shower, and a great comfy bed. However, we've decided our RV days are over. The travel trailer is going up for sale soon. It was fun while it lasted.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/28/2015 11:58PM by madalice.

The odds are that the morg will either start heavily promoting it's "Duty to God" program over the BSAs. After all with it's "Duty to God" award they can still indoctrinate the Young Men for missions and temple marriage...With this recent BSA decision, it's just a matter of time before this happens...

I hope the morg leaves BSA. It will be the best thing that ever happened to BSA. Mormon troops are a blight on the program. In close to 40 years working in Scouting I have never seen a mormon troop worth its charter. Most Mormon Eagle Scouts aren't true Eagle Scouts since they really don't earn the badges, they are usually passed in merit badge camps with minimal work done. Eagle Scout projects are either done by the parents or are so cookie cutter there is little to any leadership shown (the whole purpose of the Eagle Project is to show leadership - the service aspect is a side benefit).

BSA will be fine without the morg. With this decision they can begin to get their corporate sponsors back. Without the morg, I see Boy Scouts becoming USA Scouting within 5 to 10 years with allowing girls to join and not just Ventures. I think this will make up for any membership loses from the morg. Most of the rest of the world scouting organizations are co-ed.

I hope that the morg leave!!!

Steve
(Eagle Scout, OA Vigil Honor, Silver Beaver)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/29/2015 12:39AM by magic823.

By the time I came of age my parents did not encourage me to join scouting. My older brothers had differing scouting experiences, one good the other bad, so when it came my turn they allowed me to decide for myself. And I did: I'm not interested.

If there was any protest from church leadership my parents told them it would be my decision and to drop the matter. They must have done so because it was never brought up and after scouting I waived off the so called Venturers business.

This must have made attending MIA a bit awkward for them, as there wasn't much for me to do except sit around and smile.

Decades later I look back on this and see that being my own person was what it was all about. It's now a happy memory.

BcE

They'll find something to force onto their boys and pretend like it's the only way to learn how to be successful.

And it will be a giant lie like everything else.

BSA is right for some but not right for others. I hated it, and learned skills a different way - and am just fine without any BSA titles.

BSA is just like any other sport or hobby - good for some - not for others. But authoritarian structures can't handle that people are different and want different things.

So no matter what they do, it will be forced onto everyone.

I think they'll force their "Duty to God" program. They give out the award often enough...

Which really equals duty to the Morg.

+10000000

RJ, a few years ago as I was entering a grocery store an elderly woman was trying to dislodge a grocery cart from the lineup. I approached with a cart I brought in from outside and said, "Here ma'am, please have mine," and offered it to her. She said, "You must have been a Boy Scout." I replied that I wasn't and smiled. And moved on. The End.

BcE

Except I was helping an old woman buy fetal parts from planned parenthood.

As I took her sack full of dripping limbs to the back of her demonic suburu, she said, "Why thank you kind sir, you must have been an Eagle Scout!"

I replied, "Nope. Only made it to Life - and then I quit which caused tantrums in my family."

She then said, "Why you sir are worse than Hitler!" And spat at me as she drove away.

And that's why I get my children livers from Whole Foods now.

If you shop at Whole Foods or Trader Joe's, you ought to change your name from Raptor Jesus to Hipster Jesus.

You should try Costco. You can get them by the case.

Other Susan

Why do we need programs anyway?

Instead of regimented scouting, how about going on camping trips and just doing projects and learning while you do? Why does there always have to be a badge or rank or awards?

I grew up on a farm and learned a lot more than I did from scouting. Why not give kids productive work? Many kids getting odd merit badges and they can't dig with a shovel.

Seems that doing everything for show is exactly what Jesus preached against.

Everything now is fake. Just checking the square. Just like fake pioneer treks. Imagine the real pioneers reaction if they knew we went out pushing handcarts for no good reason. They would think we were morons. Apparently nothing useful to do.

+1,000! I like this! ^^^

Can't say I would be sorry to see them go. I guess Roundtables will be held elsewhere(not at the Ward church buildings). Woodbadges would be a bit less attended. The LDS troops leave camp on Saturday nights because they can't camp Sundays.No more races to Eagle or boasting that they have the highest turnout. I don't see why they would leave though. They are supposedly trying to mend relationship with the gays. They should be more concerned with the molestation that goes on in their church, rather than freaking out that gays would have access to their boys(besides the fact that they can still choose their own leaders).

I was Cub Scout Den mother for 10 years. The most fun job in the Mormon church!

When my children and I left the cult, they joined an excellent neighborhood Boy Scout troop, run by the Methodist, Lutheran, and some non-denominational churches. Since it was a neighborhood troop, my kids went to the same schools, up to the university level, and are still good friends today! The parents were great role models for my boys, who's father had abandoned them. They all got their Eagle Scout. I never forced them to go--they just wanted to, like they wanted to play football and baseball. They liked to join in. Their troop had fabulous trips, that the ward troops did not have--Yosemite, Catalina Island, Yellowstone, San Juan Islands.

Good grief. The Mormon cult doesn't OWN Boy Scouts of America! Lol, they will probably come up with the boy's equivalent of "personal progress." I hated that. They boys had 100 times more fun than the girls. Now, nobody will have any fun.

They already have a program for the young men's personal progress. It's called "Duty to God".