With my young son, I have been thinking a lot about what boys need in today's toxic culture... Something strong and noble like the Boy Scouts, at least how they used to be, makes me wish for it existing again Let's bring back the Boy Scouts, the way they used to be, founded 100 years ago by that great Anglican, Lord Baden-Powell
Huh, I didn't know the Boy Scouts was started by an Anglican! I wasn't ever involved with it growing up, but I do think it serves an important role for the youth in our society.
When I was attending Assemblies of God, I was asked to help out with Royal Rangers boys' club. I became an outpost councilman and I taught regular (but brief) Bible lessons at the weekly meetings. Royal Rangers is just about what Boy Scouts used to be, I think. We taught upright moral behavior, loyalty, courage, and good Christian values along with camping, knot tying, Pinewood Derby car building and racing, canoeing, and other activities. I would recommend it without hesitation. Not all the boys were A/G at our outpost; other Christian parents saw the value in it, too. If a group of Anglicans wanted to start a new organization, I think it should definitely not be patterned in such a way that it can be divorced from the church and from Christian values the way Boy Scouts (or BSA at least, not sure about other countries) has been.
I love the boy scouts. I am an Eagle Scout myself. They just need to regroup and get their act together.
I was a scout for about 4 years. I enjoyed it and my dad, though never seeking a leadership position, was quite involved with the troop. When we moved into town I never really meshed with the new troop. It was a culture shift from a bunch of farm boys and blue collar families to a lot more well to do people that discouraged mingling with the working class. The new troop didn't do the same types of activities and I asked to drop out after a couple of months. Dad agreed and allowed me to leave the scouts. At one point, my former assistant scoutmaster was my assistant baseball coach. He was a good man and I'd be happy to see him again and have a cup of coffee with the guy. I was a terrible baseball player. My batting average was under .100. I have a colleague who got involved in a new crew that I think is called Trail Life. They started several years ago as an alternative to the Boy Scouts. His church hosts the local troop that his own boys participate in. I have no boys; I've got 2 girls. I signed the oldest one up for ballet yesterday.
Those who can't do, teach. And those who can't bat, preach. One of my granddaughters takes ballet lessons. It's good exercise.
I have heard of Trail Life. Don't thnk we have one where I live. We do have a Boy Scout troop affiliated with a conservative Methodist Church.
I was a Boy Scout. Enjoyed it immensely. Camping yearly in The New Forrest, rated up to a Second in the Curlew patrol in one of the First Troops formed at the start of Scouting, 1st Itchen - 1908. Became Trumpet Major in the band and could play a snare drum too. Shortly after I joined the RN I became a very rare oddity indeed, A Deep Sea Rover Scout. Only blue water ocean going RN and MN scouts could claim the heritage. We had a lot of fun, fairly harmlessly. .
Can you or others tell me more about TrailLife, concretely on the ground versus the official statements? The Boy Scouts still retain their old 'official statements' but in recent decades it's just become a glorified camping/crafts experience... I am anxious to recover the ethical training in manhood which the old Boy Scouts offered My concern with TrailLife, from what I've heard, is that it tries to replicate a church-centric version of the 'modern' Boy Scout experience ("Let's do glorified camping and crafts, as well as learn to pray"), hence its title... But I don't know their actual philosophy of manhood formation for boys "on the ground", in reality apart from surface impressions Ballet for my little princess as well.. She is going to be the most feminine lady in the world, to spite the butch-haired she-women Fascinating... What kind of Christian formation was imposed at these gatherings? I would not want my son to turn into an A/G EDIT: What's up with this broken website? https://www.royalrangers.com/
Try it without the www in the address: https://royalrangers.com/boys To be honest, my participation was about 30 years ago, so keep that in mind. But my memory of it is that the denomination wasn't pushed on the kids. Weekly meetings were on Wednesday nights and were held on church grounds, though. And I'm sure the boys whose parents didn't attend there would, in the process of socializing with their peers who did attend that church, have picked up some knowledge of and tolerance for the denomination. But the main thrust was more in the direction of teaching Christian morality, love, decency, respect for others, generosity, etc. If a parent were considering Royal Rangers, he shouldn't hesitate to have a conversation with the local troop's leadership and sound them out. I imagine one could ask to attend a meeting or two with one's youngster, as an observer, and that would give a better feel for it.
Given what we know now regarding organizations like the boy scouts, I think it's madness to send unaccompanied children anywhere near them. The year my son was a member I went to every meeting and event. Quite frankly I had odd feelings about a couple of the adults involved and when my schedule became such that I wouldn't be able to chaperone, I couldn't in good conscience allow him to keep going.