""The only thing wrong with kids is, anybody can have them." think about it." Even a blind lesbian. (Fact).
the bottom line is this - by the time you kids are getting exposed to drugs and sex, you want to equip them to make the right choices. Whatever you think right means, I think we can all agree health is a minimal goal. If your kid is not familiar with losing and overcoming, if he or she has not developed confidence in himself his skills and his ability to overcome by making goals and working towards them, if your kid has not gotten passionate about something - you have probably failed as a parent. Scouts, sports, art, scholastics, politics, whatever it is - you must foster a passion. Is it easy -- maybe not.
And that's why some kids excel at martial arts, and some at poetry. Let them be what they want to be, and foster a "no fear " environment. Read, and let them see you read. Love your wife, and let them see you love your wife (not that way, nutmeg), let them see you as strong, and vulnerable. Let them see you make it better for someone else at your own expense, and then you'll have given that child the opportunity to be a valued member of society, even if he wants to be a boy scout.
very interesting post. 1. i do not see any polarity like creativity vs quantstuff. you can do uncreative painting and highly creative model development. 2. i do not think that every liberal is creative and each conservative is a bureaucrat. yet the term "conservative" is strong indication that people lean more to what they have established and not towards new territory. yes, i do think that the average conservative icon is less creative than the average liberal one. 3. i still think that, given the history of scouting, badges and uniform have military roots and every other explanation is second at best.
it takes a lot of sensitivity and intelligence to master the thin line of political incorrectness and still being funny. you fail in both. ah ... and one little thing. see, if someone writes a single word post, and fails in doing so correctly, and moreover fails at the word "retarded" ...
I was in scouting for quite a while (ages 12-16), the "uniforms, ranks, flags, and other military detail" were a small, insignificant part of some of the better times I had as an adolescent, Though I appreciate your parental concern, your kid is/ will be missing out, please don't impose your hatred and preconceived notions on him.