Beth Mouser

My soon to be 13-YO says he misses some aspects of Boy Scouts, since he
quit last year. He loved the camp-outs, but didn't like dressing up in
the uniform each week. He has Asperger's and things like getting the
uniform just right stresses him out. He also didn't like having to be
there each Monday and said it was too often. Further, he said trying
to earn the badges stressed him as well.

I am thinking that a once-a-month hiking club would work good for
him...some sort of outdoor club. Does anybody have any ideas? He does
want to go hunting very badly and his dad and I do not hunt. I was
hoping there was some sort of club for that as well.

Thanks for any help,
Beth

[email protected]

Hi Beth,

Have you looked into 4-H. When we were active, each member participated as much or as little as they felt comfortable with. The uniform was used only for those who choose to compete in our 1 time a year Spring Show and simply was whites, white jeans, white shirt a green bandana and hat, or club colors, a green T-shirt. 4-H offers a wide variety of activities and our region, Yolo County, offers hunting to 10 and up. Also, the clubs will take any willing adult to lead most any project, so you could become a leader for hiking and arrange hiking trips 1 time a month with and for your son. The leadership through 4-H is fantastic and writing this post makes me realize how much I miss my involvement with the group. The kids run the program with adult support.

Each club has its own uniqueness too, so if you have many clubs in your area, go to all of them before selecting. In our town, there are 4 local clubs, plus horse only club if you're totally into horses and most clubs offer different county wide programs, like the hunting, archery, sheep, rabbit, and quilting. These are open to kids from any club and generally meet 1 time a month for a few hours. Our club had over 30 projects for the kids to join.

Mary

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Manisha Kher

--- Beth Mouser <mouser4@...> wrote:
>
> I am thinking that a once-a-month hiking club would
> work good for
> him...some sort of outdoor club. Does anybody have
> any ideas?
>
I don't know anything about groups. Can you go camping
with him? Perhaps with a few other friends? We go
camping a couple times in the summer with some
friends. Our kids love that. We go on short hikes
while there.

I bet if you sent a message on your local
homeschooling list, you could gather some folks to go
camping with.

Manisha




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Melissa

You might also look into a different troop, because each one is run differently. My son's
troop meets once a month, and even then you don't have to wear class A uniforms, but
can wear a class B tshirt. Or if you aren't in the flag ceremony, even that is optional. He
does have weekly patrol meetings, but that too depends on the individual patrol. Our
patrol is half homeschoolers, with even another unschooler. It's very laid back. Their goal
is companionship and helping each other out, not having the most badges or looking the
best or even outperforming other patrols. Some boys can't make it to every meeting, not a
big deal either. You can make up attendence with other things like collecting cans for food
benefits, or showing up at eagle scout ceremonies, camping etc. Those are options that
should be available in every troop, but some troops definitely push certain aspects over
others.

The merit badge numbers are only important if he's looking to be an eagle scout at the
end. If that's not important, then tell him not to worry about the badges. Tell the patrol
leader it's not important to your family, eagle scout isn't the end-all be-all. :-) Josh gets all
of his badges through 1) a summer camp (Camp Hale) that he can earn four badges at...all
the activities are meant to help walk boys through that, and 2) through merit badge fairs,
in which the focus of the day is getting one or two under your belts. Without worrying day
to day about doing all the activities, Josh has a better time with doing it all in one day or
week (if he's at the camp)

I would really suggest looking for another troop. I have a friend who's son is in AWANIS. i
have no idea what that is, but they basically do it because it is more laid back. We're in 4H,
but just the younger kids, so I don't know what the expectations are for the older. It looks
like the older kids in our group meet once a month, don't wear any kind of uniform, but
then they don't camp or anything either.

For josh, camping is the best part of scouts. We definitely camp as a family, but not nearly
as often. In October they went every weekend! Finally it was enough even for him.

I hope you guys can find something he likes. I love our patrol.
Melissa
--- In [email protected], "Beth Mouser" <mouser4@...> wrote:
>
> My soon to be 13-YO says he misses some aspects of Boy Scouts, since he
> quit last year. He loved the camp-outs, but didn't like dressing up in
> the uniform each week. He has Asperger's and things like getting the
> uniform just right stresses him out. He also didn't like having to be
> there each Monday and said it was too often. Further, he said trying
> to earn the badges stressed him as well.
>
> I am thinking that a once-a-month hiking club would work good for
> him...some sort of outdoor club. Does anybody have any ideas? He does
> want to go hunting very badly and his dad and I do not hunt. I was
> hoping there was some sort of club for that as well.
>
> Thanks for any help,
> Beth
>

[email protected]

Venture Scouts is a GREAT organization. They allow both boys and girls.
Also if he really wants to go hunting looking into joining a NRA club is
probably a good thing as well.

In a message dated 2/9/2007 12:25:47 A.M. Central Standard Time,
mouser4@... writes:




My soon to be 13-YO says he misses some aspects of Boy Scouts, since he
quit last year. He loved the camp-outs, but didn't like dressing up in
the uniform each week. He has Asperger's and things like getting the
uniform just right stresses him out. He also didn't like having to be
there each Monday and said it was too often. Further, he said trying
to earn the badges stressed him as well.

I am thinking that a once-a-month hiking club would work good for
him...some sort of outdoor club. Does anybody have any ideas? He does
want to go hunting very badly and his dad and I do not hunt. I was
hoping there was some sort of club for that as well.







~Alyssa in IL
_http://squishymommy.blogspot.com_ (http://squishymommy.blogspot.com/)

" Work like you don't need the money, love like you've never been hurt, and
dance like you do when nobody's watching."

"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good people do
nothing."

" Knowledge is power but how you use that power defines wether you are good
or evil."





[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[email protected]

:*********

My soon to be 13-YO says he misses some aspects of Boy Scouts, since he
quit last year. He loved the camp-outs, but didn't like dressing up in
the uniform each week. He has Asperger's and things like getting the
uniform just right stresses him out. He also didn't like having to be
there each Monday and said it was too often. Further, he said trying
to earn the badges stressed him as well.

I am thinking that a once-a-month hiking club would work good for
him...some sort of outdoor club. Does anybody have any ideas? He does
want to go hunting very badly and his dad and I do not hunt. I was
hoping there was some sort of club for that as well.



***************

Are there any Spiral Scouts in your area? We aren't personally involved but
I know several kids here that participate in Spiral Scouts. I think it was
originally designed as an alternative scouting program. These families all
seem to be either relaxed homeschoolers or unschoolers. It seems to be very
family oriented with entire families going camping rather than just the kids.
Might be worth checking out to see if there are any in your area.

Gail


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Mik McEwen

Hi,

I don't post often, but met a few of you at the Unschooling Conference in MA
this past year.

One suggestion I have is investigating whether there is a Spiral Scouts
group near you and if not, starting one yourself. You can Google spiral
scouts to find out more.

ALSO, for a number of years, our family has participated in a group we
started a while back called AP Homeschool Camping group. We were and are a
group of families who homeschool and practice attachment parenting (although
we have older children now, we still believe in the ap lifestyle when it
comes to respecting our children and treating them with dignity). We have
done between 2 and 5 camping weekends per season.

Perhaps you can start your own unschooling or homeschooling camping group
(we have a yahoogroup for organizing) and include monthly hikes as well as
camping trips. You can start the yahoogroup and advertise with your local
or statewide homeschooling organization or just start inviting families you
know. Now is the perfect time of year (at least here in New England) to book
group sites at local state parks for camping.

HTH
Mik in CT




Join us!
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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Beth Mouser

Thanks to everyone for the suggestions for Boy Scouts. I have been
on vacation and I came back with a horrible cold. I am also going to
look into 4-H when I feel better. Not sure about the spiral and
venture scouts, but I will check it out!

You guys are great~

Beth

--- In [email protected], "Melissa" <autismhelp@...>
wrote:
>
> You might also look into a different troop, because each one is run
differently. My son's
> troop meets once a month, and even then you don't have to wear
class A uniforms, but
> can wear a class B tshirt. Or if you aren't in the flag ceremony,
even that is optional. He
> does have weekly patrol meetings, but that too depends on the
individual patrol. Our
> patrol is half homeschoolers, with even another unschooler. It's
very laid back. Their goal
> is companionship and helping each other out, not having the most
badges or looking the
> best or even outperforming other patrols. Some boys can't make it
to every meeting, not a
> big deal either. You can make up attendence with other things like
collecting cans for food
> benefits, or showing up at eagle scout ceremonies, camping etc.
Those are options that
> should be available in every troop, but some troops definitely push
certain aspects over
> others.
>
> The merit badge numbers are only important if he's looking to be an
eagle scout at the
> end. If that's not important, then tell him not to worry about the
badges. Tell the patrol
> leader it's not important to your family, eagle scout isn't the end-
all be-all. :-) Josh gets all
> of his badges through 1) a summer camp (Camp Hale) that he can earn
four badges at...all
> the activities are meant to help walk boys through that, and 2)
through merit badge fairs,
> in which the focus of the day is getting one or two under your
belts. Without worrying day
> to day about doing all the activities, Josh has a better time with
doing it all in one day or
> week (if he's at the camp)
>
> I would really suggest looking for another troop. I have a friend
who's son is in AWANIS. i
> have no idea what that is, but they basically do it because it is
more laid back. We're in 4H,
> but just the younger kids, so I don't know what the expectations
are for the older. It looks
> like the older kids in our group meet once a month, don't wear any
kind of uniform, but
> then they don't camp or anything either.
>
> For josh, camping is the best part of scouts. We definitely camp as
a family, but not nearly
> as often. In October they went every weekend! Finally it was enough
even for him.
>
> I hope you guys can find something he likes. I love our patrol.
> Melissa
> --- In [email protected], "Beth Mouser" <mouser4@>
wrote:
> >
> > My soon to be 13-YO says he misses some aspects of Boy Scouts,
since he
> > quit last year. He loved the camp-outs, but didn't like dressing
up in
> > the uniform each week. He has Asperger's and things like getting
the
> > uniform just right stresses him out. He also didn't like having
to be
> > there each Monday and said it was too often. Further, he said
trying
> > to earn the badges stressed him as well.
> >
> > I am thinking that a once-a-month hiking club would work good for
> > him...some sort of outdoor club. Does anybody have any ideas?
He does
> > want to go hunting very badly and his dad and I do not hunt. I
was
> > hoping there was some sort of club for that as well.
> >
> > Thanks for any help,
> > Beth
> >
>