At a glance, I respecfully disagree with your comments about LDS Scouts. Way too general in context just to name one disagreement.
The units I’ve dealt with have all had some peculiar requests, much like Jewish Troops do, but I don’t think that makes them guilty of disregarding basic Scouting principles. To give one example; They don’t like to travel on Sundays which makes summer camp interesting on Mondays when they arrive and are trying to check in when the program is getting started, likewise Camporees when they bug out on Sat. night.
I have yet to see the UW give money directly to any Scout unit. Most often it goes to the Council who then divies up what paltry few dollars are given by them.
As for the lost Scouts, do you have facts to back up your overgeneralization? That is not just an LDS problem, there are many other instances of Scouts going off and getting lost, I don’t see how that makes it a strictly LDS problem.
As for the isolationist comment, I will disagree with that as well. It may be peculiar to certain areas or Troops, but I don’t honestly believe it to be systemic as you profess to claim. I’ve seen quite a bit differently out here.
The problems I do have with LDS units are the high turnover rate in leaders and the lack of training these leaders get. Another is the fact that their ward leadership doesn’t seem to make it important either. To me, that is the crux of the problem. Many are just plain ignorant of the rules. How do I know? I’m the District Training Chair for my District as well as a Scoutmaster.
Maybe your experiences with LDS Scouts are different than mine.
FRegards,
SZ
Thank you for your reply. My husband was also a District Chairman and my three Eagle sons worked at our local camp as counselors. Your experience with LDS troops was different. Other than Special Needs Scouting, we did not have specific needs troops like kosher troops, etc. The LDS troops (and I think that there were only two, at most) were problematic. They were good people and totally committed to their children. However, the worldwide scouting program has been honed and perfected over decades and works. Their alterations might have worked for them but created distractions from other people doing their jobs in a larger camp environment. These people didn’t even like to have non-troop personnel sitting near them when they discussed their activities. In a word, they were segregationist and demanding, not team players.
One other LDS Scouting practice that I’ve heard of (but have not confirmed) that would be at variance with standard Scouting practices is that they appoint their junior leaders (the Senior Patrol Leader especially) instead of having the Scouts elect him.