| My son started with the troop becaase his best friend from Elem school went to that church and joined that troop. Two other guys their age from their school also joined there. For about the first year and a half I was in a fog with respect to advancement. He didn't get any blue cards; I didn't ask and the troop didn't encourage. I finally woke up and educated myself.
The troop's position has been that you get your merit badges at Merit Badge College and summer camp. They play dodgeball at troop meetings.
Why didn't we leave? Since my son has Asperger's, he has difficulty making friends. We didn't want him to leave a place where he had buddies he had known since kindergarten. The one guy who went to that church quit after a year or two, but his other kindergarten buddies are still in the troop and they helped with his Eagle Project! It was touching.
The new guard of parents is horrified that there are 17 year old scouts in the troop whe have never missed a campout or troop meeting, yet only have a first class rank. I predict that next year there will be a BIG shift in power (for the better) in the troop. |