The First Scout Meeting...
 

Nothing to take the wind out of your sails like a bunch of bad attitudes.

No one even wore a scout shirt. A couple of non-members were cussing away in Spanish. Six or so non-members were unruly, and told me point-blank they had no interest in scouting.

It's a tough situation because the YM's president is on a rescue operation. He seems these neighborhood kids as having potential, but they have not integrated at all with the 7 or 8 member kids, who don't like them.

I'm going to have to cut back my plans. I cannot go to my friends and ask for their support in terms of instruction and activities. Frankly this group is an embarrassment.

Potentially there are 1 or 2 college grads in the bunch.

I am now rethinking asking a friend to be asst. scoutmaster. Havent' asked him yet, but why should I ask for his help when I suspect it will not be appreciated or utilized?

However, as the trainmaster, I'm ordering more coal in the engine. The train is going to pick up speed, and not everyone is going to be on it. I have a lot of room to maneuver because 1) it's impossible for me to be fired--no good replacements and 2) I don't care if I'm fired.

I don't think Christ cleansed the temple the first time he saw the money-changers. Eventually, however, if any work is to be done, there will need to be a good thorough spring cleaning.

Hang in there, Mike. Rome wasn't built in a day.

the thought crossed my mind more than once, that our scouting should be rolled into another ward's program. That way you have a functioning sustainable program. You pool the stake's resources, and it is rock solid.

There is a plaque in our church with the title of our ward's "Eagle Scouts". It is completely empty. Not a single name. Right there in the hallway.

I don't care if they become eagles or not. that is there choice. I'm more concerned that they learn to be men. Some of them have no fathers. Some of them have fathers who seem kind of sketchy (i.e. seem to have personal issues, and struggle with supporting their families).

One of the kids won't go to Philmont unless his cousin can go, or another friend can go. He's so insecure it is truly scary (I think he is a senior in HS, actually homeschooled). And he is also the Senior Patrol Leader (by appointment--total bullsh*t to do it that way).

Rome was built. We never talk about the Romes that were never built.

Re: The First Scout Meeting...
 

So who are these non-member kids? If the member kids don't like them, then how did they get invited? Are they forced to be there as a part of some program?

these kids live in the neighborhood, and started showing up to play basketball in the gym.

They have been very aggressive with their efforts to play basketball in the gym. Coming when not invited, refusing to leave when asked, coming into the church when no one else is present, and unlocking windows in order to enter the church later.

So the YM president has tried to integrate them into young men's activities. Like the youth basketball tournament and Wed. night activities.

These kids have little to no parental support. No one is forcing them to come.

I should add that I had the kids do a project that I think was kind of neat.

Make a candle lantern from a coffee can, coat hangers, wooden dowel, a little copper wire, and a candle.

Worked great. In dark camping weather, will work great, no batteries, no annoying gas lamp hiss. Works like a flashlight.

http://www.motherearthnews.com/libra...Candle_Lantern

It's not a bad idea to try to get hooked up with another ward for the scouting program. Our stake has so few youth that there are only two troops - each consisting of YM from 3 and 4 wards each.

It sounds like you have a challenge with the mix of members and non-members; however, I believe that if you couldn't do it, you wouldn't have been called as Scoutmaster. The Lord does know what you're capable of doing.

It blows me away how different your ward must be than ours. We live just a short 15 minutes drive across the lake from you, yet suburbia vs. East Dallas sounds like a HUGE difference.

This illustrates one of the big disadvantgages of geographic ward/stake boundaries IMO.

There is a big difference in the sorts of families that choose to homeschool or send their kids to bad public schools, and the ones that move out to the suburbs.

That is self-evident.

That's the shame of the dysfunctional entities known as the Dallas ISD, Dallas City Council, and Dallas County Commission.

There are some very nice areas in East Dallas between here and my new workplace. Such as around White Rock Lake, etc. But unless you can afford to be in Highland Park ISD (which I can't, despite what some on the other board would have you believe), you're screwed when it comes to schools.

No way in hades would I move into Dallas while I still have kids.