So after I conceded on the Boy Scouts issue, I sat down to look up the information and little kid began talking about all of the things pictured on the flyer that he was looking forward to doing.
"That's stock photography. You won't be doing all of that," I informed him.
"What's stock photography?"
"Just generic pictures they use to show something. You won't be ziplining through forests because we don't have any. Same with trampolines in the middle of lakes. Also, paintball--highly unlikely you'll be doing paintball."
"Really?"
"Yep. There will be things like camping, archery, making fires and learning to tie knots, volunteering in the community, building wooden cars to race--lots of fun stuff, but not all that stuff."
"Will there be fishing?"
"I'm sure."
"How much fishing?"
"A little? They fit a lot of things in to the program, so it won't be weekly fishing or anything."
"I really just wanted to fish."
"Really?"
"Are there fishing classes I could take?"
I googled for a moment and found a free program where park rangers take kids fishing twice a month.
"That's fine. I'll do that."
"But what about Boy Scouts?"
"Eh. I just want to fish."
"But what about camping? Pinewood derby cars?"
"You take me camping. Will you take me camping in the Keys?"
"Yes! Yes, I will! But look--do you still want to be a Boy Scout? If you want to be a Boy Scout, I support you in that. You would like it. I can sign you up, the information is right here..."
"I really just want to fish."
(I think I heard the angels singing from the heavens at this point.)
I later found a state park program where the kids can do self-led activities and earn badges. He was delighted by that idea, as long as it wouldn't interfere with fishing. I have another friend in the same not-wanting-to-be-a-Boy-Scout-until-they-get-their-act-together boat and we've vowed to take each other's kids on outdoor adventures.
So I'm the proud mom of an unofficial boy scout.
That was easy.
10 comments:
Kids are so quirky. I'm thrilled for you. Seriously. If nothing else, this sounds far less tiring to this fellow mom.
That's hilarious. Lucky, lucky you. I even got suckered into being a brownie LEADER. even after being a Girl Scout for ten years, that was no fun at all!
Sweet! It is always great to get to the bottom line of what they REALLY want out of a group or activity.
Oh that is so funny! And lucky for you. I had a terrible girl scout camp experience and have been anti-scouts of every variety for 25 years.
KK
Oh, I wish my cub scout wanted to just fish. I'm starting to hate boy scouts and we're only a month into it. Good thing we only paid through December.
I'm glad you managed to get out of that one! I wish the Boy Scouts would get their act together too.
Crisis DEFINITELY averted! My girlfriend's kids started Boy Scouts and she hated it. Said it was SUPER WEIRD!
My son did the same thing when he saw the Boy Scout flier, except without the wanting to fish part. He saw the kayaking and mountain biking and ziplining and thought it looked like the best thing ever. We told him he wasn't allowed to join the Boy Scouts, for the same reasons you had doubts about it, and he accepted that. He was even more accepting when we told him they didn't actually do that stuff in Boy Scouts. My brother was a scout and all I remember are boring meetings and a campout once a year.
Nice! You dodged a bullet there.
My daughter is taking home ec. She was really upset that they were doing things besides cooking. "They are just teaching us about hygiene." She was pretty pissed about that.
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