I once read that chaos is merely unperceived order.
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Subject: Re: BSA
Author: "ken follett" <[log in to unmask]> at internet
Date: 9/4/98 8:55 AM
In a message dated 9/4/98 12:00:37 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:
> For me there's a certain dread...the fear of
> being out in the woods with a bunch of guys I'd rather not be out in the
> woods with...not the boys, the adults.
John,
My son and his fellow scouts volunteered me in as an assistant scout master in
his first troop. I had no problem dealing with the kids. We had some fairly
interesting and active things going on, and for the most part I laid in a
hammock and read a book while they ran around. My main problem was with the
other adults. I believe that adults who are not very leadership oriented in
their real lives tend to get into scouting so that they can act important. As
to camping, I love camping, and felt bad that if I did not volunteer to take my
weekends in the woods that the scouts would not be able to go. One campout the
other adult, it being his first time, while I was struggling to find the
instant coffee, asked me what was next, like, "Where are the showers?" After
one campout I made a fuss about the older scouts making out with some girls
from a nearby campsite in the cab of my truck. I got all kinds of shit from the
adults, the ones who did not volunteer their weekends, for saying anything
about it. My wife and I organized a car wash and made the scoutmasters wife mad
at us (she had previously run up a $2,000 bill on the psychic hotline) for
making more money than with any other car wash they had ever done. The other
problem I had was dealing with illiterates, you have to be really careful about
what words you use. You go on a campout and the other adults talk about fixing
their cars, life as a security guard, and how the other guy they are tenting
with either snores or farts too much. The food, I think, stinks on purpose.
Regardless, I think all the crap is good for the kids and helps to build
character. I believe that the best education comes from forcing order out of
chaos. My son later moved onto a much more active troop with a higher caliber
of adult leaders, went to Philmont, and recently passed is Eagle board of
review.
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