There are already a lot of resources online for LDS scouters (BSA), so it is possible this blog is redundant, adding to the information clutter. However, I hope, at least for the first little while, to use this as a place to list and describe those other sources so that you don't have to do the search work yourself. You can see them all laid out in one place. Maybe I can even answer some questions people have about scouting in the LDS church.
So why do LDS scouters need their own special resources? Is scouting in the church really that different? The answer is yes and no. In terms of the technical aspects, there are only a few minor differences. The method of delivery is really not supposed to be any different. The difference comes in because of the way people become involved in scouting in the church. Parents and leaders of scouts are not usually people who were particularly interested in scouting. So what happens? I like the way America Jane puts it: "Too often in the LDS Scouting community, boys are short-changed because parents and/or leaders don’t really know what’s expected. I don’t fault individuals for this. After all, you don’t know what you don’t know."
Sometimes it takes a while to really "get" the scout program. Some people need to be involved a few times before they really understand the program and appreciate it. I know people who have been involved for decades before finally really gaining a testimony of the program and seeing it for what it really is.
There are even people who think the church shouldn't be using the scouting program. I'll address that in a later post, but it is an attitude that can end up being very harmful to the boys' experience if it is held by a parent or someone with a calling related to the program. I hope that spreading information can help prevent this in at least a few programs. I hope that all parents and leaders remember that this needs to be about providing the boys under your stewardship with a good program, not about your personal feelings.
