Cub Scouts

He wants to go, let him go imo.
Some of your reservations are valid, but they’re not necessarily relevant to his experience. For him, it’s likely to be some fun, bonding and maybe some nature activities with some structure. I’d expect it to be an overall positive time for him let him go have some fun. If he doesn’t like it, or you find something immediately objectionable, he can stop going.
No real harm in letting him try it. Might be some if you prevent him from doing something he’s asked to do though, since I don’t think you’d be able to explain your objections in terms someone of that age is going to find understandable.
My daughter did girl scouts and enjoyed it. Where we are I’d say its not very religious, more just volunteers organising fun for kids. they build go-carts and have races.

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I’ve been involved with Scouts (off and on) for the past 35 years. Keep in mind that protection against abuse is only as good as local leadership and involved adults in the program.

Note that today’s Cub Scouts program is geared to be a family program, not a kid-only program. And only the Webelos program (and specifically, the Arrow of Light process) is really a “feeder program” to the Scouts BSA program. Cub Scouts is not really focused on “outdoor skills” that is part of the Scouts BSA program.

And as far as the Scouts BSA part, it’s not your job to “motivate” the kid to “like” the outdoor program. And a kid can become Eagle Scout without “liking” the outdoor program. The only real requirement for Eagle Scout that is outdoor focused is the camping merit badge. Rank advancement has some of the camping requirements, but they can also work toward satisfying the camping merit badge.

But you might find it surprising just how much your kid might benefit from the expectation to “take care of yourselves” as a group on those campouts. By and large, successful adult leadership is one that watching things enough to ensure that kids are remaining safe, but will learn from their own mistakes.

Current training for registered adult leaders is to take a Youth Protection Training once every 2 years. The main focus of this training is drilling in the importance of two-deep adult leadership. This two-deep only requires one registered leader, the other can be a parent of one of the kids. (If the adult doesn’t have a child and is not a registered leader, they should not be considered as “two-deep”.)

And the only way that there might be a strong “religious” overtone to a particular Pack or Troop is if its sponsoring organization is using the program as its main youth development program. Growing up, I was involved with a Pack and Troop that was sponsored by the local LDS church. I stayed because it was one of the more active programs–the Troop had a campout planned for most months–including during the winter (spent many Dec, Jan, and Feb doing cold-weather camping in temps that often stayed below freezing).

There are only two expectations regarding the aspect of “A Scout is Reverent” . . . having a belief that there is a “higher power” that establishes “proper behavior” (i.e., morality); and to respect the beliefs of others (whatever they might be).

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This. End of story.
Also, it’s interesting that the graph is simply a raised middle finger.

I have girls so no direct involvement. I see scouts as a positive for 2 of my nephews, who became Eagle Scouts, and 2 of my younger nephews who are on their way. It is what you make it.

I didn’t do Girl Scouts with my girls bc it was incredibly disorganized and I didn’t want to commit the time to volunteer and help it become less so. We did 4-H with my younger for a couple years.

And just to be clear, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints no longer sponsors cub scouts or Scouts BSA.

Thanks for that clarification. I knew it had transpired; I was just sharing my experience with a religion not my own and found they did support the ideals I posted about Scout expectations for “Reverent”.

More recently, I’m working with a Troop whose sponsor is Presbyterian . . . and they’ve had Scouts who were Hindu actively involved in the Troop.

Eagle scout here, then for a while a Scoutmaster (all through the LDS church). The one thing I miss about the BSA being associated with the church is the leader training. I really liked the training and resources they had for the leaders.

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