Anyone Have Experience with Boyscouts?

First off your son has to be in First Grade to join. I didn't understand it but that is the way they work I guess but a lot of the meetings my son has are right after school and it doesn't take up a lot of time. He'll love all the new friends he will make. Good luck

I really wish I could answer this one but we signed our son up for cub scouts in october and haven't heard a word since. So, you don't want his activities to be constant but it would be nice to be in a group that actually did something!

depending on the age of your child, that will decide how many times your son has a meeting etc... usually younger kids only meet everyother week for 1 hour, older ones each week for 1 hour then taper to everyother week after winter. Boyscouts
(older kids) is more involved with weekend trips etc... in the beginning it is what you basically want to get out of it, having your son earn badges etc... it non the less is a wonderful organization whom my son has enjoyed.. both because of the activities, boys and leaders... good luck...

Hi J.,
I not involved with Boyscouts but am a Girlscout Leader. I have an assistant that helps at the meetings but for the most part I do all the planning for the meetings. I love it! I this was my second year and plan on doing it every year my daughter wants to. I don't feel that it takes that much of my time. I usually spend half an hour a week planing the meeting and then another half hour running to the store if need be. I don't know if you were planning on leading or just finding a troop. If your just looking for a troop then its even easier. Most troops meet one a week, some are every other week. Some leaders do ask for parent assistants but depending on the size of the troop you could be asked to help out one or twice during the year. If your son is interested I suggest you call your local Boyscouts council. They will find you a troop and you can go to a meeting and see what is involved. Althougth most troops are ending for the summer. Most troops meet during the school year. Hope this was helpfull.

You really should ask the leader in the troop that your son would be joining, what they will be doing. Also, ask other parents, that have had kids in the troop. If it's the same leader ask questions about the leader to the other parents. Maybe you could ask the leader for reference.
From my experience, it's not worth it. It was kind of like a recess. Both times there were den mothers, because they didn't have any fathers volunteering. When we moved, the den mother was aweful, she gave the kids bad information, she didn't work on things in the book with them. They never went anywhere but the school gym. He had to sell expensive popcorn and pizza, that no one wanted to buy, so he couldn't go to camp, unless we spent a fortune. The kids were not watched half of the time, and they used to fight and get into all sorts of trouble. It was a real disappointment. Of course, if you want, you can stay and observe a few times, but chances are, they will behave differently while your there. I used to stay most of the time, I was too worried because they weren't being watched, and there was only one person watching all those boys anyway.