Made it through Tiger!

First, it was a great school day!  Of course, it helps that Ed was home and could help Rebecca with her math.  That seems to take her the longest time.  And I've got to report the good days because I don't want to be a complainaer and there are so many ups and downs, but really more ups then downs.  The highlight of today was studying black holes. 

Second, Jon earned his Tiger badge and became a Wolf Cub Scout tonight!  We went to the end of the year awards ceremony.  He's been working really hard the last couple of weeks to get it.  He was so proud.  And would make comments, like, he didn't yell in the car (like Savannah was doing), because he was a Cub Scout.  Amazing how being in uniform changes a person!  I guess that's true to all walks of life. 

I've been really impressed with the Boy and Girl Scouts in our homeschool group and I realized tonight why....  The parents are so involved and we have great leaders!  Here we go to a Cub Scout activity and almost all of the dads were there with their boys!  And, in fact, the dads are usually the ones taking them to scouts in the first place!  It is a different experience for me from what I've experienced in our church scouting packs and troops, especially in the 12-18 category where there's only a few supportive dads and it's so hard to get dads to commit to much with their boys.  In a church pack or troop people are asked to be the leaders, and not necessarily because they have a child involved, it's just their calling at church.  In a community troop or pack you get leaders who want to be there and have a vested interest because their children are involved, and loads of fun activities to do!  It is just a different level of commitment, and as a result runs much smoother and there are lots more voluteers for helpers.  And activities done in a community pack that are often like pulling teeth to get done in a church pack, and a lot because moms and dads aren't as committed.  I can appreciate what the church is trying to do in adopting the scouting program for their boys and young men because I think it's a great program, and I know it's hard to find good leaders or volunteers.  Maybe that will change sometime.  It leaves me wondering, though, how we will go from here.  Now Jon is a Wolf and can't be in the church pack until he is 8,
when they start the boys as wolves, but at which point he will be a Bear, so he will be ahead of other boys his age, but yet only allowed to go in the group with the boys who are his age, who will be Wolves.  Whereas, in a community pack he could advance.  Yet, I want to support the church pack too, and think it's good for him to be with the boys at church activities too. 

I'll be pondering this for the next year.  Do both?  I guess we could, but he can only be registered in one pack and so would only get awards at one pack mtg.  Something to think about.  But I'm proud of my little Cub Scout.