Context: I was a Boy Scout for a number of years, making Eagle in 2020 right as COVID was really kicking off.
It was right afterwards, however, that the CSA scandal started popping up everywhere (which thankfully I was never exposed to or involved in during my time), and lately it seems like the organization & movement as a whole has fallen by the sociocultural wayside.
I would say that my time as a Scout did me objective good; I learned a decent amount about first-aid & survival-craft, participated in a number of volunteer & civic projects, and it generally made me a more well-rounded person. However, there’s no denying the impact that something “bigger than the Catholic Church scandal”, as I’ve heard it described, has on an institution such as this.
I’d like to get the community’s opinion, however; were any of you Scouts? How was your experience? What is your opinion of the institution today?
I’d like to send my kid to Scouts/Cubs but I’d have to be chaperoning. Too many horror stories from evil kids and evil adults.
Even with great kids and great adults, scouting is not a drop-off activity. Units really need parent involvement to operate well and give the kids a good experience.
Cub Scouts require parents to participate. And most Scout troops I think wish more of their parents would take a more active role in the troop, so usually you would be more than welcome, both at meetings and on treks.
Exactly this. My troop had 50 boys and 100 adults and was all the better for it. The adults let us choose what we wanted to do and then helped to ensure it was done safely and with discipline. Parents should deffo get involved.