A Whimper

Remember in Revenge of the Sith, there was a line about democracy dying to thunderous applause? I wish. 

Scouting is dying in my stake with a whimper. No final push. No big send off. None of that. This is not common knowledge yet, but the word will soon go out from the Stake Young Men's Presidency that if you have boys who don't want to do scouting, you don't need to. Instead you can do skill development, like camping or cooking, but don't call it scouts. Or you can just do fun stuff. Whatever it takes to keep the young men coming to church stuff. Scout type activities will not be held on our normal mutual night. If something we plan accidentally meets some requirements of scouting that is fine, but don't advertise it. 

I get it. Keeping them involved and coming is more important. But how is it that scouts isn't considered fun? Shooting, camping, campfires, Archery, hiking, swimming, knots, knives, axes, none of that is considered fun by our youth. What do they think is fun? Video Games and basketball. That is it. That is the sum total of what they want to do. They aren't even focused on cars and girls, I can understand that. 

So, those boys that need merit badges will have to find a way to get them done outside of scouts. Campouts? Maybe we will have to piggyback on other troops, because the rest of our boys won't want to do that. 

They will be sending out a second email asking whether anyone wants any help meeting rank advancement requirements. But since hardly anyone responded last time, it probably won't get much response this time. 

Maybe there will be some interest in cobbling together a stake troop that will have activities on the occasional Saturday or Thursday night. I'd love to be part of it. But I can't. I have Community troop Tuesdays, ward youth night Wednesday, District or Council scouting activities on Thursdays, and I will not drag my son to yet another lame scout-ish activity. He barely has time to do homework as it is. 

Have you ever had a moment where a switch was flipped in your head ant it was over, flat out done, fell out of love with a former passion? For me that was on a phone call about an our ago. 

-Caligratis