Good points bpj, too many Scouts these days come from broken homes. When DS and I moved on to the Troop, the Pack we left behind folded because all that was left were 4 Scouts, 3 of them from broken homes and had Grandparents taking care of them and bringing them to meetings. The Grandparents couldn't step up to run things. The last remaining Scout had Parents who worked all the time just trying to make a living and didn't have the time to take over. It was a sad time, but there really wasn't anything else we could do to keep it going.

At the Troop, I also find many parents of scouts who seem surprised they have to provide ANYTHING for their sons. As a new troop, we have virtually no troop equipment, so we NEED the boys to provide a great deal of their own personal equipment, at least for now. It surprises me that a lot of the boys don't have a lot of the equipment already, and that their parents are not really willing to get it for their sons. I guess I see it differently than they do. I recognize that the gear I buy for myself and my son will be useful for much more than just scouting. I wish they would too, and have as much fun getting new equipment as my son and I do together.