Hello all. I haven't posted here in a while, but I wanted some honest feedback from traditional Catholics. My son is currently involved in Cub Scouts, the preparatory club for boys too young for Boy Scouts. Now, our local pack is fairly conservative, attached to our NO parish. The program is a bit vapid, actually, but it seems harmless enough.
I have a few concerns about the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). For one, they seem to have become so commercialized that the original aims of the organization have disappeared. Secondly, I know the BSA has ties to Fɾҽҽmαsσɳɾყ, which concerns me. While they speak about being reverent and don't shy from taking some "conservative" stances, I don't like the fact that they're a nondenominational group doing these things. I'd rather not hear about religion at all or that it be only Catholic, if you know what I mean. Finally, the activities planned for the boys are really dumbed down. I knew how to tie knots, go fishing, fire a rifle, whittle, etc. just by being with my dad while I was a child. Now they talk about making food pyramid charts or other little activities which really teach no useful skills. Of course, I do things (outdoors, woodworking, even cooking) with my son, but it's nice to have a program where he can associate with other boys his age as well.
So, do any of you have ideas for alternatives? I am looking for either a totally secular (but not liberal) group that can involve boys in hands-on activities, or a traditional Catholic group similar to the Scouting program. If my son is going to really get involved and stay in something like this for years, I'd like it to be a program that I can be proud of. Otherwise, it's just a waste of time.
What say you?