paracaidista508

Our troop has all the required admin positions staffed and operational----well at least there is a living, breathing person in each position. This has been going on for about a year now. It isn't time sensitive yet, but will be eventually. The entire chain (SM, COR, Adv Chair, et al) is aware of this and has been since this time last year...some of them less (like last spring). The issue is not whether the scout earned it or we are lacking documentation. Everything is done, just no one is actioning it despite being reassured time and again that they are. I am a former advance chair so I know how easy this is to do---difficult if you are lazy. Chronic problem here. Don't really want to go to the stake because they have other troops in similar situation, but it isn't important enough to fix apparently. I will tell you though, our scouts can play a mean game of basketball.

My scout troop cannot dig deep enough to find the time or put out the effort to submit an award for one of our scouts. Let me say that this is a significant award and there is no dispute it has been earned- just lazy leadership all around. Anyway- cant seem to get anyone to do anything about it. Was going to just go to our stake level for remedy, but they are also impossible to deal with. I would like to just go direct to council and let them make the bombing runs and fix this entrenched apathy and indifference towards the boys. Many other kids are disenfranchised here as their leaders are not dedicated to providing max opportunity to excell. Anyone see going to the council as a good idea? ...or should I just go to the stake and let them fix this, bury it and ignore the rest of the problems? This whole situation just makes me sick.

I dont like going either. Primarily I am in constant pain (permanent) from my injuries and am sick most of the time so the three hours I have to sit and behave like I am into it is the longest three hours of my week. Pretty much miserable all the time and the talks dont do a thing for me. If it wasnt for wife and kids, I would have stopped going a long time ago. Probably not going to the celestial kingdom because of the attitude, but hey I go at least 2x per month so I should be worthy in the eyes of the former bish to go to the temple. So long as I at least act the part- I suppose I am good to go. I guess I can change my attitude, but the distraction of the pain and accompanying nausea will never go away.

My kid got his last year. We picked it up an we organized the court of honor. Troop stayed out of it. You should get a packed along with an Eagle Card (lookes like a credit card). Take that to the scout office and you can buy the eagle badge and the associated stuff.

Scouts (11 y/o) are in primary and meet seperately from the rest of the scouts. Deacons (12-13) are what is considered the main scout troop. Their scoutmaster is the SCOUTMASTER over the entire troop. All the rest of the leaders in the ward are assistant scoutmasters. Teachers (14-15) Varsity Scouts Priests (16-17) Venturers All are organixed under the troop with one main troop number such as 333 with a prefix number to designate a venture or varsity patrol. The church scouting handbook does have the age breakdown in it last I looked. If your ward / stake leadership cant tell you this stuff.... quit now because they dont even care enough to make sure your ward's troop was squared away in the first place. just an indicator of planned failure......I mean failing to plan.

First he needs to get punched in the face......welll prob shouldnt do it, but he does deserve it if that is in fact what he is doing. Anyway- I have been involved in scouting (all LDS troops) quite a bit over the years and almost without exception, it was a lousy experience. I never saw anything that bad, but the general indifference to the scouting program and the lack of effort to make a good program has taken its toll on me. I dont want a part of it anymore. Most LDS scout leaders do not want to work in scouts in the first place so they just do their time and do what their scout leader did- have the kids play basketball. I came from a halfway decent troop into the one I am in now and I got them to let me go (release me)since it was such a joke. Of course now I'm that guy who handed them their calling back. Just waiting to get called in to be counseled on being a team-player. No corruption as described in the original post, but no one here cares so go figure what the results will be. On a positive note, we dont have any eagles as of late so at least none are fakes from what I can tell. I think in general many members look at the BSA as a marginalized program now with the gay thing and all. I'm dying to see what the friends of scouting take is from the church members this year. I know many who have stopped giving. I used to give several Cs a year and now I'm spending it on something less politically correct. Just my 2 cents.

While I was in Iraq my wife just did the yardwork herself. Occasionally a ward member helped out. We did have kids at home at the time, but yery young.

I was in your son's shoes long ago. I had been visiting with an Army recruiter as I had zero interest in serving a mission. After I turned 18 I decided to join and left one morning early with the recruiter and signed up. Problem was I had to wait several months to actually leave for Basic Training. The wait was interminable and frankly I wish I had left right then, but I was still in my senior year of high school. I joined on a saturday and went to church on sunday facing a barrage of various ward members making their opinion known of the horrible choice I had made. Bishop, Priest Quorum leader, et al were all involved in a concentrated effort to talk me out of my mistake. Anyway- this went on for several months and by the time I had left I was very angry and I pretty much bailed on the church because of the non-stop badgering. Granted, I was not up to speed morally to even go as I partied pretty hard and smoked some...of course back then all you had to do was confess and all that and you were in. I spent a long time on active duty angry at how I was treated and attended church three times in my first four years. Twice in basic training and once at FT Bragg. Eventually I settled down, married in temple, got my degree, had kids and all that happy stuff. Fast fwd to the present. From time to time I see a kid who doesnt want to go and see them get some pressure- it makes me physically ill as I relive my experience of being harassed. Not good as this means I have probably not let it go yet and frankly I dont think I ever will. So- tell them to leave your kid alone. A mission is a good thing for those who want to serve, but if one is cornered into it probably not the best idea. Besides, there are plenty of guys out there who didnt serve a mission who turned out pretty good.

New member here...LDS all my life, married, kids, mostly active, retired US Army. Originally in this I omitted the fact I am a retired LEO also. Reason being is oftentimes one becomes a target for cop hate or source of free legal advice which is worth what is paid for it. Frankly I do not like cop talk because people just do not get the reality of it since they and/or their families rarely have members who are police officers or are officers for that matter.. Over time I have seen that isn't necessarily the case here. Anyway served 20 yrs as a police officer in a major agency. Served concurrently in The US Army Active and reserve components Total time for both was 24 yrs. Mostly street crime enforcement (gangs, hookers, dope and general riff raff). Several years on dept tactical team (SWAT, Special Assignments etc every agency has a cute name for it). Army-wise, Airborne Infantry active duty and misc other gigs in the reserves. Multiple combat deployments.