Cub scouts no longer really cubs.

I, too, have been running around with the Cubs in my area. Been a lot of fun. I taught them about all the tools in my toolbox over the course of a few weeks, and how to use different kinds of screwdrivers while they assembled some garden boxes.

Knives, too, have entered the place. Most of them carry one now. My own son lost his first one, and the replacement (Vic Recruit) is tied by a length of cord to whatever pants he wears, including the slacks on Sundays. He's not the only one.

Makes me giggle to see those little boys learning all this stuff my dad and others taught me so long ago.
 
smitty0331 said:
Too bad kids aren't into scouting anymore.
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I don't know, I have two nephews of middle-school age and, while neither of their dads were scouts, both of these kids are - and they're loving it. And, it's my pleasure to add, both dads (my brothers-in-law) play an active role. Also, thanks to a bad uncle, both kids now have knives to carry along. :-) My own boy is only 3, so he's a little young still.

I think if parents can simply push boys past the bogus "it's not cool" thing and into scouting, 9.9 out of 10 are going to love it. Especially if the troop has a jackknife all their own!

My own recipe to dads: Blow up yer TV, take your boys camping!
 
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I was a den leader a few years back. I really miss that time, seeing the boys getting excited about building something with their own hands. Or times when they would be "boys", and get to laughing about some immature subject, and watch their den leader get red in the face!

But I especially miss working with them on their whittling chip card, giving them their own "used but not abused" cub scout knives. I am proud that they learned the proper use and care of a knife, and not one boy cut himself.(that I know of)

I had more moms than dads at my meetings...

When I also took on the role of Asst. Cubmaster, it got alot more enjoyable. The Cubmaster and I would attend all the events and resident camps, and got to know some of the boys better, helping them through their challenges and celebrating their successes.

It truly was a challenge for me, but also a part of my life that I will not forget.

Sadly, once my son moved onto boy scouts, it wasn't the same for me. My son slowly lost interest, so we eventually left scouting.

Jackknife...thank you for your dedication to these boys. They are getting life lessons and skills that they probably would not otherwise be getting. Not a knock on the dads and the moms, the boys are just learning things that are slowly being weened out of our culture.

Just like we remember those great memories as boys, they will remember alot of these moments for the rest of their life. Keep up the good work, and keep us up to date, please.

Thanks,
Glenn
 
I was in scouts, but my troop sucked, we never did anything, had pretty mediocre leaders. Seriously, we sat around and did nothing. One day we practiced knots, and another watched a video on first aid. Otherwise, nothing.

So I left: I figured my Tuesday evenings were better spent studying. Pity, really.

I did do Outward Bound for two weeks last summer (voluntarily, not "hoods in the woods") I like scouting activities, and skills, and principles, and I had a great time in Cub Scouts. But...when it came to boy scouts, my troop (headquatered at my church) just didn't come through.

Now I wish I had joined a real troop, but at fifteen years old, it's too late. My neighbor is slightly older than me and just got Eagle.
 
I hope you stay involved with that troop. Good leaders and instructors keep scouts interested. When I was in elementary school, I quit boy scouts because we never did any of the cool outdoors stuff boyscouts were supposed to do. I grew bored of it quickely. I have a bit of respect now for the efforts and sacrifices the parent's who ran our troop made- I have to make that clear.
 
I was in Cubs and Scouts in London.
We were one of the two Jewish troops in London.
A bunch of middle class kids who knew very little of the outdoors.
But we were taught well.

After passing Knife and Axe, we all carried sheath knives with stag handles (I still have after 40 years).
Safety was an major part of the learning.
And then using the knife or axe well.
We had axe competions of splitting matches, and lighting non-safety matches.

At 18 I left London and I was a Camp Counsiler in a Scout camp in the Adarondacks (Upstate NY).
I was in charge of the range and taught Shotgun and Rifle.

I quickly saw that most of the scouts did not have good knife and axe skills.
So it came my job to teach this as well.
Most of the kids were not strong enough for full 4 pounders fellers (hold the axe stable, staight out at arms length), so I taught them to use a Hudson Bay.

It was a good summer!
 
jim preston said:
I was in scouts, but my troop sucked, we never did anything, had pretty mediocre leaders. Seriously, we sat around and did nothing. One day we practiced knots, and another watched a video on first aid. Otherwise, nothing.

So I left: I figured my Tuesday evenings were better spent studying. Pity, really.

I did do Outward Bound for two weeks last summer (voluntarily, not "hoods in the woods") I like scouting activities, and skills, and principles, and I had a great time in Cub Scouts. But...when it came to boy scouts, my troop (headquatered at my church) just didn't come through.

Now I wish I had joined a real troop, but at fifteen years old, it's too late. My neighbor is slightly older than me and just got Eagle.
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Sorry the troop you were in wasn't that much fun. But I really hope you reconsider thinking that you're too old for it. A guy who is motivated can get his Eagle in just about 2 years, start to finish. I've seen it done several times. You have until your 18th birthday to finish it, and the review of your Eagle project can be after your birthday. You just have to finish the requirements by then.

Try your neighbor's troop. Sounds like his leaders aren't sitting on their thumbs.
 
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My son is a Bear scout now and will be working on his whittling chip card this year.

He really enjoys it and has even gone the extra mile on several of his projects. He has completed the religious emblem recently and his pack had their first meeting of the school year last Monday night.

Having an active pack makes all the difference. We have gone overnight camping, fishing, nature hikes, pine wood derby racing, water rockets, etc. They are planning a geo caching event soon and other fun things.

He and I got out in the back yard the other day and started on the knife safety and skills. He has a lot to learn but did well on his safety. I let him cut a variety of things with one of my Uncle Henry knives. He has now laid claim to that stockman knife.

I am glad that he is in scouts and am thankful that other kids are involved in it as well. I think that there is only one other dad there that carries a knife or two everyday and knows how to sharpen/take care of them. I know that when we went camping, he and I had the only real knives in our little group.

Very few of the men that I work with carry a quality folder and out of about 300 plus employees, there are only two or three of us that know how to sharpen knives. I offer up free sharpening to my fellow employees and keep them in good repair.

Maybe scouting can keep some traditions going after we are all long gone.
 
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