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.