I totally agree with you about that excellent program for boys, it won't survive for long now.
I too was a scout leader when my boys were in scouting. Many fine memories. The program really did grow boys into responsible leaders. And Eagle Scout was an award that really meant something. It saddens me to see this happen. We'll need to replace scouting, maybe as you suggest, the churches will start something. It was nice of you to serve for so many years in that troop. Pete
Jim's Response: Thank you Pete, and it was nice of you to help inspire more than just your sons.
I always believed that scouting gave boys a chance to experience themselves safely and if they tried some of their pranks in a neighborhood the cops would be called.
It was also a chance for them to try new things and if they failed they did not shame or upset their parents. To say that another way, if they dropped their burger on the ground, instead of it being a bad thing, it was a good thing. They learned to laugh about it, learned to not repeat it, and learned to clean up their own mess and continue on.
They could freely make mistakes without being scolded. This was new to some of them. They are now becoming responsible for themselves.