Any Former Scouts, Boy or Girl?

[Kellam]

One of the only good things about being a boy to the rest of the world is that I was alowed in the Boy Scouts. I have always been a tomboy and the opportunity to go hiking and camping regularly without my folks was great. Some of the paramilitary, anger centric man crap got to me but on the whole it was a good experience. I did not do well with the power structure, I prefer cooperation. And once I had gone on the biggest trip you could take in my troop I quit. I knew I didn't belong there and it was getting awkward. I made it all the way to First Class and the Order of the Arrow. I had the requirements to make Life but First was the only requirement for my trip to Philmont, the big trip.

Anybody else?

[Devlyn]

Cub Scouts, then Boy Scouts, then US Army. Be prepared.    Best memory?  Pinewood Derby! That, and live firing missiles at Crete.

Hugs, Devlyn

[Kellam]

I'm a pinewood derby champ! One of my favorite moments was a weekend orienteering meet between all the local scout troops, boy and girl. The girls destroyed us! All the guys were crushed and I was secretly proud.

[Megan Rose]

Eagle scout here.   Looking back at the propaganda that I accepted in the name of achievement, I'm not so happy about it.

But, my father was scoutmaster.  His experience of living on the land away from civilization was invaluable, scouting was one of the few times he took away from work.  That experience of going into the mountains where trails didn't exist was priceless, and I enjoy it to this day...

[CaptFido87]

I am a proud eagle scout myself. I went all the way through cub scouts and got my arrow of light. In pine wood derby I got first place 3 out of 5 years. I even went to compete in regionals. Than I went to boy scouts, like I said made it to eagle. Also I made vigil honor in the order of the arrow. I lived my life around scouting. I spent at least 14 years all together in scouting and even got some people to stay and work their way to eagle. What I am most proud of is my group in cub scouts all got eagle except 1 person who quit after cub scouts. There were 4 out 5 from my first group and when we merged with another group there were 8 of us all together. 7 of us got eagle. It was a realm cool moment for me.

I will be a little sad though when I transition and or basically becomes void. At least I'll still have the memories

[VisorDown]

Not a scout, but former member of Girl Guiding UK. I was a Guide, Girl Guide leader and I worked with the Brownies as an assistant leader before I left.

Didn't actually sign up by choice. I wanted to join the Air Cadets but my dad refused on the grounds of "you're a girl, they'll sexually assault you". I had no money or way to travel there on my own. Didn't enjoy it and I had several of my worst life experiences there, one of which was where I was forced to attend a party -- "dresses, no jeans". Went onto leading the Brownies because if I quit straight after Guides my dad would've moaned about it until the sun farts out of existence.

Tempted to join the Air Cadets as a leader.

[Eevee]

My dad made me go through cub scouts and boy scouts for years, but I really resented it. It was just another one of those "man things" my parents forced on me until I could find a way out. I actually like camping and the outdoors, but I didn't like being constantly pushed into social encounters with males who expected me to act like them. It was just like all the male sports teams I was forced into participate in while growing up. It's one of the contributing factors to my PTSD that several doctors keep telling me I have.

[gennee]

I was a boy scout. Made it to second class. What I enjoyed most was the hiking and the free time to do so. Am a nature buff. I can be at one with nature. I have Native American ancestry and it may be a reason I'm this way. The skills I learned I still use today.

[Joelene9]

  Boy scout, third class, Fox patrol. That lasted a couple of years then we moved to another area of town and I didn't join another troop. I remember that big hike to the camping area in a canyon in the mountains. I joined the Navy later. Be Prepared!

Joelene

[mac1]

One of the only good things about being a boy to the rest of the world is that I was alowed in the Boy Scouts. I have always been a tomboy and the opportunity to go hiking and camping regularly without my folks was great. Some of the paramilitary, anger centric man crap got to me but on the whole it was a good experience. I did not do well with the power structure, I prefer cooperation. And once I had gone on the biggest trip you could take in my troop I quit. I knew I didn't belong there and it was getting awkward. I made it all the way to First Class and the Order of the Arrow. I had the requirements to make Life but First was the only requirement for my trip to Philmont, the big trip.

Anybody else?

Started in Cub Scouts when 9 years old and progressed to Webelos. Joined Boy Scouts when 11 years old and spent the full number of years there before joining Explorer Scouts when I was old enough. Received Eagle when 17 years old during my senior year in high school and my final year in Explorer Scouts. Always wanted to go to Philmont but never had the opportunity. Went on several national hiking trails with my troop as a Boy Scout and helped to build one in the suburban Detroit area. Never joined "Order of the Arrow" when in Boy Scouts as the Scout Master favored his son and I was not part of the politics involved.  Was never one for close boy-boy relationships and was shy toward boy-girl relationships.

[Phoenix_2812]

Not a scout, but former member of Girl Guiding UK. I was a Guide, Girl Guide leader and I worked with the Brownies as an assistant leader before I left.

Didn't actually sign up by choice. I wanted to join the Air Cadets but my dad refused on the grounds of "you're a girl, they'll sexually assault you". I had no money or way to travel there on my own. Didn't enjoy it and I had several of my worst life experiences there, one of which was where I was forced to attend a party -- "dresses, no jeans". Went onto leading the Brownies because if I quit straight after Guides my dad would've moaned about it until the sun farts out of existence.

Tempted to join the Air Cadets as a leader.

Back in the early 90's I was a cub scout, but only for a few months if I recall.

Chris

[ImagineKate]

Former sea scout here.  We used to row rowboats into the bay. It was fun for a while.

I dropped out because my life turned to crap a couple years into secondary school.

[marsh monster]

cub scout and boy scout. I even went to a big state jamboree thing. Earned a few merit badges, but the main things I learned to do was drink and start fires with gas. We had an interesting group...

[cindianna_jones]

I got Eagle with two additional clusters. I was really into the merit badge thing. I thought they were fun. Additionally (as a teen), I served on the staff at a boy scout camp. I taught pioneering, botany, nature, conservation, astronomy, and a bunch of other stuff. I loved it. I suppose it was because I liked helping the other kids accomplish something. That made me feel really good. In later years, I sort of felt like it was a prep school for the military. But, while I was there, I ate it up.

[LoriLorenz]

I was in Brownies and Girl Guides here in Canada. I declined to move up after based on not wanting to camp in the snow! Here on the VERY Wet Cost, snow is cold, sloppy and often slushy and/or icy, so I was NOT keen on it, particularly after being part of a troupe that normally campped in the rain. The one time we had a sunny weekend was the time the leaders gave up and booked cabins. Lots of good memories and I still love camping in the rain and drizzle. (Now I just sleep in my car if it gets too wet!)

[StrykerXIII]

Dropped out shortly after making it to Eagle. Monthly dues were just getting too high. Damn shame, too. I had a lot of fun.

[Dee Marshall]

I dropped out when they tried to elect me senior patrol leader for the third time.

[Jill F]

I dropped out at about 16.   It was fun for a bit while we just went hiking and camping all the time and didn't take the whole uniform/meeting/official scouting thing very seriously, but when we had a leadership shift, the uniforms, badges, ranks and official scout BS came back with a vengeance.  The new leaders made President Reagan look like a pinko commie and were explicitly racist, sexist, and homophobic.   I got tired of their religious hypocrisies and far-right political stuff pretty fast, but when the backpacking and camping trips got cut back from one a month to two a year, I was so out of there.

And yes, the one guy who actually took it seriously and did the whole Eagle Scout thing later came out as gay.     

[cindianna_jones]

My scoutmaster later was discovered to be a child molester. He never did anyone in the troop. It ate out my guts because I had so much respect for him. Most of my fellow "scouts" made fun of him but I had my own problem to deal with and couldn't help but sympathize with him. In the Mormon faith where I grew up, being transsexual was a lot worse than being a child molester, so I really spent a lot of time on my knees praying for my problem to go away. It turns out my prayers were answered. Once someone discovered my problem and it became public knowledge, there was nothing that could keep the driving force of my desires from achieving my goal. I still feel bad for my scoutmaster. I know he ruined young lives. I get that. But I still have great compassion for him. I wish I could understand that.

Cindi

[Kellam]

My scoutmasters were Vietnam vets (a couple of traumatized tunnel rats and big jerk of an artillery expert) they just sat in their chairs chainsmoking and drinking. I only had one close friend, in cub scouts, who quit before boy scouts. He came out as gay when we were in our 20's. I handled it badly though, he told me by saying he had a crush on me. He was the first male friend I lost because he only wanted sex from me, I was used to losing female friends for that reason. I don't like anyone being atracted to the man they see in me. I never hung out with anyone from my troop outside of the troop, same with school after 7th grade. I got very isolated.

Anyway, the best part of my Philmont trip was two days at the Grand Canyon. We hiked down to the bottom as the sun set and back out as the sun rose. Effing gorgeous! I wouldn't trade that for the world. At camp I signed up for the minimum requirements merit badge wise. I would never file my paperwork so I could keep taking the same classes each year. Rifelry, archery, small boat sailing and environmental science. I spent most of my time in my hammock.

My best week at camp was a punishment. I had accidentally thrown my hatchet through the canvass tent I was given to sleep in the week before. I ment for the hatchet to slide down the fabric and land on the palette next to my cot. It was sheathed. They didn't let me take any classes for a whole week. Instead I was put next to a gravel pile with a shovel. I loaded a pickup with the gravel. Then a scoutmaster would come and get me and he'd drive around looking for potholes for me to fill. All I remember is the blessed silence. No social anxiety. No one to relate to, just work to loose myself in.

I did mentor a den of cubscouts for a while too. I recall teaching them all how to tie a tie.