YES mandatory includes you dammit

[Rosco the Iroc]

My son's Scout troop is at it's annual week long summer camp this week.
The Scoutmaster has done every training offered by the BSA but STILL could not lead starving wolves to meat. Every event he's run has been like monkeys fucking a football
(US or world version your pick) So a month ago I got fed up and started a coup. I just took charge. So soon either I will be scoutmaster or I'm leaving.
anywho..
My wife took charge of all the paperwork like permissions,med. I did the reservations at camp and merit badges.
We got several new boys in the last month who never been to summer camp for a week and parents who don't understand or care about how much time we put in to get this going.
So last Tuesday at the reg meeting, I put it was mandatory for ALL Scouts and parents going to summer camp to be there so we can make sure we have all forms, the boys who have gone can go over what to bring and expect with new kids and pick the in site dinner.

I was going to sit with the parents covering much the same, inc when and where to be for checking into the camp and picking them up, most of all we NEED to be together! Also single POC for any questions- my wife who will be up there all week.

So Sunday comes along, the no show parents talk to the SM who despite being there still gives bad info.

Other gets to the right place and is not dressed right. And has ton o questions, all about shit I covered Tuesday, now her son had something going but she was free Tuesday. I couldn't help after the 20th question just looking at her and saying that meeting was for both, he could not be there, fine but you could of and we could of left for camp 5min ago.
I did build WAYY more time in for this shit then what should be needed, but we did get there on time to meet our escort. So in a troop first for this year we were on time.


/rant

[csquared]

Back in my day...

If you missed that mandatory meeting, you did not go. And that $35.00 you paid? To bad. So sad. The rest of the scouts are eating good this week.

[raudf]

What makes me angry is the fact that the PARENTS are the problem. Even the most ADHD boy in the pack was better behaved than the best of the parents about listening! Sadly, being Cubs, we couldn't ban the parents.

[Rosco the Iroc]

So one of the kids only showed up with class A and 1 set of reg clothes for the week. 1st summer camp his mom got a call to bring more, good thing we are only 30mi away. Next year, he's on his own. We may go much farther.

Fucking A, I just tried to go to a committee meeting for the local council, waited 10 mins past start time and got pissed and left, my time is $$ also. The chair sent an agenda Sunday, I get a text later it was at the rifle range not the usual spot. Really couldn't say that? I said fuck it I was already home. I'm getting so over Scouts.

[bankworking]

We recently did a first time ever summer camp for our oldest. The camp we chose had an online registration which went over everything very clearly. There is a print out of forms, going over everything again. They then emailed a follow up going over everything again. They then had a conference call where everyone could call in to ask questions... where they ended up going over everything that was right there online and on the print outs and in the emails.

We go in to check in our daughter on the first day of camp, and there are obvious signs that some parents STILL somehow managed to miss the instructions.

We were new to this also. Being new is no excuse. Should not be hard to follow directions when they are spelled out for you.

[AkaiKitsune]

If you think it's bad when there's just the kids and their idiot parents to contend with try having those plus large muscled animals.

We do a week long sleep-over at the barn camp for the kids. Which of course requires all the usual forms for surrendering your kid over to someone else's care for the week. All the paperwork that says very specifically what you need to bring, what to wear, what we can supply if you can't afford everything... The meetings with parents the meetings with the kids, the waivers acknowledging that it is a risk to play with animals 10x your size.....

And yet...

Despite 4months of planning and weekly meetings either online or in person. Numerous times (read everytime there is any planning or interaction with either parents or kids beforehand) some idiot just any listen.

I've had people bring their kids wearing cute little dresses and no change of clothes (exactly what is it you expect to be doing at a horseback riding camp?). I've seen people get the start day wrong or even the freaking month wrong (what do you mean that happened last month?). I've seen parents who have hyperactive kids lie through their teeth about them being calm and easily corralled (we have a test that the parents can do and if the kid can't pass then it's probably a bad bad idea to sign them up for this kind of camp). I've had parents try to tell us their very clearly under the age limit kid is really 10yrs old and why should we have to see proof (uh legal reasons maybe?).

[Rosco the Iroc]

If you think it's bad when there's just the kids and their idiot parents to contend with try having those plus large muscled animals.

Fuck that noise, man I would be grayer then the old gray mare to mix these people and horses. At least even when I'm running a gun range with them, the kid runs up and suddenly puts their hand on the stock of the rifle, it's not going to do anything because it got surprised. No ammo till I think you can have it. Thankfully, my range my call.

I was on the phone with the wife, about the boys and how we covered this and that and yet...what more can we do?
NOTHING
Scouts like Mythbusters failure is always an option. It's going from lows in the 50's highs low 70's to high 90's. humid with lots of rain on the change. I know I said plan on rain and all temps at least 20 times. Sometimes you got to just sit back and watch the car wreck. Oh your wet and sucking? Did I tell you to bring rain gear? Do you know what rain gear is? Yes the yes. H WELL! I'm dry. Maybe some learning was achieved.

[csquared]

So much for the Scouts' Motto.

[notalwaysright]

Did I tell you to bring rain gear? Do you know what rain gear is? Yes the yes. H WELL! I'm dry. Maybe some learning was achieved.

My mom helped me achieve this when I was in elementary school. If I forgot a book report at home, my mom would not be able to drive to school to drop it off. She was working! Yeah I was little, but learning to remember stuff is part of growing up. All the way though high school my classmates would "forget" about projects until the last minute then demand their parents help them out. My mom nipped that right in the bud because I knew she would say tough luck. Of course, if I made an effort when there was time she'd be more than happy to help.

It's so obnoxious when parents can't manage to get the requirements for their kids activities, but expect everyone to make exceptions for them. Just teaching their kids the same habits.

[Argabarga]

That reminds me, the scout camp I went to growing up had ponchos for sale at the camp trading post.

In a dastardly clever feature, they were neon-orange (unmissable in a crowd) and emblazoned across the back with

I FORGOT MY RAIN GEAR

[Rosco the Iroc]

That reminds me, the scout camp I went to growing up had ponchos for sale at the camp trading post.

In a dastardly clever feature, they were neon-orange (unmissable in a crowd) and emblazoned across the back with

I FORGOT MY RAIN GEAR

I love it! But in the touchy-feely world today I bet it's not allowed now.
(BTW it's poring here, I told them to bring some)

[Jay 2K Winger]

I was in the Boy Scouts once upon. I once learned the lesson of "Be Prepared" very hard. We had a campout weekend coming up one December in rural Maryland somewhere. My parents were out of town that week-- I think they were looking at houses in the Dallas area, since we knew we'd be moving there at some point in the next year-- so my grandparents were looking after me and Sis, and thus they helped me pack.

I realized when we got to the campsite that I'd forgotten my jacket, my gloves, and even my hat. It was winter cold all weekend. My Scoutmaster lent me a spare hat, a fellow Scout lent me a pair of gloves (which were too small, so I couldn't flex my fingers), and I wore pretty much every stitch of clothing I had to keep warm.

It helped that I was on KP that weekend on Saturday, so I was at least by the warmth of that.

You bet your ass since then, I was always a lot more careful.

[Rosco the Iroc]

I remind parents Scouts is like Mythbusters-
"failure is always an option"

That will learn them.

[TheSHAD0W]

So much for the Scouts' Motto.

Be prepared! That's the Boy Scouts marching song!

Be prepared! As through life we march along!

Don't be nervous, don't be flustered, don't be scared, be prepared!

[notalwaysright]

When I glanced at this title again I was struck with the thought... If they can't deal with the term mandatory, what do they do if there's an evacuation? "Oops, I thought that was for the other people, please come save me my house is flooding!"