Did you ever belong to the Girl Scouts or Boy Scouts? If so do you think you learned anything from it???

Question

Aside from the cookie crush in the Girls case......(Lord i hated that!!!!) BUT I did have two years of survival training and THAT DID come in very handy.......years later when I lived off the land...."Truth"

Look I hated Scouts too.....your poits are well taken. it became very tyranical!!!!

Answer 1

I was a Scout (Eagle 1975) and a Scout Leader for many years.

Sure, there is a lot of BS in it. Show me a big program of any kind- non-profit or corporation, church or sporting event, and it will be a mix of good and stupid stuff.

As a youth, I learned a lot of skills I use to this day- knots, first-aid, cooking, sewing. I think getting the Reading Merit Badge helped set me up for a lifetime of reading. I also learned some valuable leadership skills in a great troop that let boys lead with the adults there to provide a safety net, but otherwise did things hands-off.

Stupid stuff? Sure, we messed around a lot, and the uniforms were hokey, the vague militarism was alternately really cool and very lame. 'youth on youth' sexuality? No that I ever saw, and I was in it for many years.

As a leader, I saw much more of the foolishness of a big organization than I ever wanted to see. I saw a lot of troops being run very, very badly- and a few running very, very well. I think there is a lot of worthwhile stuff in the Scouts- but they really need to drop a lot of fat and deadweight.

I also had a lot of opportunities to work with the Girl Scouts- both as my daughters went through it, and as I worked with staffers on various things.

I think the Girl Scouts have a lot more problems than the Boy Scouts do- but also more challenges. I am hoping the new leadership can help!

Answer 2

Cub Scouts. Webelos. Boy Scouts. Eagle Scout. Order of the Arrow. - - - - Adult Boy Scout leader. Woodbadge. Leave No Trace trainer. Venture Crew trained. Powderhorn. Many, Many, Many memories

Answer 3

Yes I was a Brownie in 1st grade then became a Junior then Cadette then Senior, I actually stayed until 12th grade and then quit right before becoming a Leader. I regret quitting after all those years. I learned about helping the enviroment and others and the promise was: On my honor I will try to serve God my country and mankind and to live by the Girl Scout law.

Answer 4

I was in cub scouts for 2-3 years as a kid. I dropped out because we did mostly dull, boring arts and crafts stuff. When my son wanted to join, I became a leader, and tried to make sure that we did more camping and fun stuff. I took kids skiing, scuba diving in the florida keys, backpacking, hiking, and more.

The national leadership is paranoid about accidents, and they stress safety over all else. In my opinion, they have a cranio-rectal inversion over homosexuality and atheists, but it's their ball and bat, so they get to make the rules. I think once they replace some of the Old Guard leaders at that level, that attitude will change.

Answer 5

Boy Scouts. I learned a lot about teenage homosexuality,not meaning gay teenagers,just the way older boys - sexually frustrated - hit on you all the time. I managed to resist their importunings but a masculine experience Scouting was not. I'm talking about camping trips,etc. The weekly meetings were fun,although learning to tie various knots is actually quite meaningless.

Answer 6

I was a girl scout. I learned a few useful things. I learned that they don't have to take you to the hospital when you fall on a hike, and break your hip, and they can keep you at the campsite by yourself!! The one beautiful thing I learned while in the girl scouts.... that I like chicks......Daisy through Cadet....

Answer 7

Well, I was a Bluebird and a Girl Scout, but I skipped Brownies. I barely remember that stuff. I think I built a popsicle stick birdhouse or something.

Answer 8

I was in it as a girl for many years, really cool leader, did lots of things and learned a lot, so I became a cool leader for one of my daughters and did it for 12 years. Our biggest achivement we went to the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta and the girls funded it all, took two years of work and planning but I think they learned a lot from the experience

Answer 9

I was in Girl Scouts. I learned to tie a knot

Answer 10

Yes and my daughter is a brownie! I elp out with the troop and brownies has def changed since i was little!!!!! I learned bunches when i was young about making friends and camping but now it sems like the kids are spoiled and dont want to do anything!