I had a crazy idea this morning while walking in preparation for Philmont. We under utilize the women of the Church especially when it comes to Scouting. Most women in the Church that I have talked to don't really want anything to do with Scouts and tell me it is a "guy thing". I definitely don't agree! Mom's drive our boys to Eagle and help confirm what I say as a Scout leader. Women of the Church are definitely more powerful then they think they are!
One of the thing that drives me nuts is the fact that we don't "allow" women to come on campouts. For some reason the LDS Church believes that if women come on campouts, some how inappropriate things will happen. If women and men/young men and young women can go on Trek, they can go camping together. Now granted they need to separate at night but there should not be such a taboo on an unwritten rule.
So to overcome this unwritten rule, I thought about encouraging my boys to invite their Mom's on a campout and then allowing the boys to do everything for them. Set up their tent, cook for them, etc. This might be an opportunity to show their mothers what they have learned. It might also encourage a different feeling in camp that normally isn't there.
Ideas? Anyone done this before?
7 comments:
Interesting idea. It may even encourage the Scouts to want to cook something well, so as to impress not just Mom, but Billy and Johnny's moms, too.
Maybe a Mothers' Day camp out.
I think this is a great idea. My biggest concern would be getting it past the bishop and (potentially) stake president. But otherwise, it sounds awesome. I have considering having the scouts sponsor a family camp, but haven't got the support for it yet from the boys. Keep us updated on this if you go on with it.
Why does the Stake President have anything to do with this campout? Bishop is the only one you have to pass this by. Agency is a great thing - easier to ask for forgiveness than permission.
We have had a very successful family campout following a hike for the boys. We hiked a 3 day weekend and ended Friday night at a camp ground where the families were waiting for us.
I remember one year as a boy that our leaders decided they couldn't take time off to take us to summer camp. Our mothers stepped up and took us themselves. It was a great experience.
That said, there is something written about women camping with Scouts, at least in the 11-year old section (6.2) of the LDS Scouting handbook:
"The bishopric adviser to the Primary or another qualified male adult should be invited to supervise the overnight camping experience when the leader of the eleven-year-old Scouts is a woman. Women leaders do not participate in overnight camping with these boys."
Of course, that is specifically about 11-year-old Scouts. I haven't found anything specific about the others.
Handbook 2, section 13.6.12 is about overnight activities. It also doesn't specifically forbid what you are thinking about but my reading of it makes me think that the only time we would have women camping with the young men is when we also have young women along (which is supposed to be a rare occurrence).
Then again, your bishop might consider it as more of a family camp-out, which I think is generally okay. (Whatever happened to ward camp-outs, anyway?)
If it were me, however, I'd have to go with this statement from section 13.6.25:
"If a bishop has a question about whether an activity is appropriate, he directs it to the stake president."
I think it's a really cool idea.
I have also noticed that once boys hit Boy Scout age, a lot of moms back off and think, "Now it's Dad's turn," but I really think moms are still needed, probably in more of a background role, but not altogether out of the picture (I started a post on this a while back but never finished it.) So I really like this idea.
Tory - I am not a Bishop and so this is a very uneducated statement but my philosophy probably would be regarding this situation in getting parents (Moms specifically) involved - It is easier to ask for forgiveness than permission. I hate the control that a Stake seems to loom over Bishops when the Bishop is the actually "judge". Hence the reason I am not a Bishop and you are!! Again, this is an uneducated statement.
My only response to the idea that "it is easier to ask forgiveness than permission" is this:
A Scout is obedient.
That said, getting parents (and especially mothers) involved is something we all need to do better.
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