chrissy
03-15-2006, 05:44 PM
Not sure about where to put this, but I need help and I know a few of you know about boyscouts.
Mikey has been working on his pinecar for the derby (this Saturday is the event) for a couple weeks. He loves this and has looked forward to it all year (if you count starting his Den 3 months after the other Den in the pack has been meeting). Last week on Tuesday, we got a copy of an email at his meeting (wow! information for the parents FINALLY!) and it stated that the car had to be weighed at Outdoor rec on base. They have a scale they use for UPS and said the scouts can use it between 10AM and 4:30PM on Thursday and Friday between 10 and 2PM. After it is weighed, it is to be boxed up and left there.
At this point I have flags going up. MOST of these kids don't get home until 4. So the parents are supposed to go and weigh the cars, do any final adjustments WITHOUT the boy present?? And what about the parents who have jobs and cannot get to the place to get the darn thing wieghed? I just don't like this.
So I called his Den leader on Wed because it was bugging me and he rambles on about how it has to be done this way because that's the way the person set it up. That there is no other way to do this. That it's the only scale available to use on base. :umm: Fine. Donnie has an installation on the flight line that he is supervising and most likely won't be able to get the car weighed during these times (and I am sure other parents are going to be running into the same issues).
Fast forward to Monday. We get a call from Den leader saying that the Outdoor rec scale will not work for the cars and now we have to go to the post office on base after 1 PM to get the cars weighed and they HAVE to print a reciept. Then we are to take it to some guys house to run it down a piece of track and turn it in to him in a box sealed with name rank and number written on it (okay, maybe den number and names). So, now with a smaller window of times to weight and adjust the car, we are to be happy that they made the addition of having track to have a practice run.
So, Tuesday, I ask the Den leader if I go out and get a scale, not just for us to use, but the WHOLE PACK to use and have at that guys house, so it's one stop and in the evening when the boys can participate (my BIGGEST gripe about the whole thing) would that be okay. He says to contact the guy in charge of the event.
This is the reply we got from him.
Don,
We want the cars weighed at a Post Office because we know their scales are calibrated. We want everything to be equal for each car. If one is weighed at the Post office, another is weigh on your scale, or another is weighed on yet a different scale, then how do we then know which scale is correct? By having every car weighed at a Post Office we know the cars are all being weighed the same. We are doing this to be fair to every boy participating.
If you are unable to get to the post office yourself then maybe your den leader will be able to take it for you. If all else fails bring it to me at work (507 CTS) or home and I will have it weighed for you. If neither of these work for you, your son can still race, but will be disqualified from receiving any award.
John
I honstly think he missed the point of everyone using the scale. I understand he is trying to help by offering to weight it for us. BUT THEY ARE MISSING THE POINT OF THE BOY'S PARTICIPATION IN THIS PART OF THE EVENT! How are the boys to learn about the adjustments and process and etc when the parents are doing it? How many times can the post office weigh a car without getting pissed at the parent trying to adjust the car? Are we supposed to melt the lead in the parking lot to add weight? It's bad all around. To the post office and the employees there, to the parents and their places of work and last but not least the boys.
I have placed a call to the council. They haven't called me back.
I don't understand the boy scout ways of doing things. Am I out of line being upset? I plan events for GS 3-4 times a year for over 100 girls (and their parents) at each one and I know how hard it can be to make everyone happy, but I wouldn't leave the girls out like this. I don't expect them to run the same, but I do expect them to run with the best interests of the kids.
Mikey has been working on his pinecar for the derby (this Saturday is the event) for a couple weeks. He loves this and has looked forward to it all year (if you count starting his Den 3 months after the other Den in the pack has been meeting). Last week on Tuesday, we got a copy of an email at his meeting (wow! information for the parents FINALLY!) and it stated that the car had to be weighed at Outdoor rec on base. They have a scale they use for UPS and said the scouts can use it between 10AM and 4:30PM on Thursday and Friday between 10 and 2PM. After it is weighed, it is to be boxed up and left there.
At this point I have flags going up. MOST of these kids don't get home until 4. So the parents are supposed to go and weigh the cars, do any final adjustments WITHOUT the boy present?? And what about the parents who have jobs and cannot get to the place to get the darn thing wieghed? I just don't like this.
So I called his Den leader on Wed because it was bugging me and he rambles on about how it has to be done this way because that's the way the person set it up. That there is no other way to do this. That it's the only scale available to use on base. :umm: Fine. Donnie has an installation on the flight line that he is supervising and most likely won't be able to get the car weighed during these times (and I am sure other parents are going to be running into the same issues).
Fast forward to Monday. We get a call from Den leader saying that the Outdoor rec scale will not work for the cars and now we have to go to the post office on base after 1 PM to get the cars weighed and they HAVE to print a reciept. Then we are to take it to some guys house to run it down a piece of track and turn it in to him in a box sealed with name rank and number written on it (okay, maybe den number and names). So, now with a smaller window of times to weight and adjust the car, we are to be happy that they made the addition of having track to have a practice run.
So, Tuesday, I ask the Den leader if I go out and get a scale, not just for us to use, but the WHOLE PACK to use and have at that guys house, so it's one stop and in the evening when the boys can participate (my BIGGEST gripe about the whole thing) would that be okay. He says to contact the guy in charge of the event.
This is the reply we got from him.
Don,
We want the cars weighed at a Post Office because we know their scales are calibrated. We want everything to be equal for each car. If one is weighed at the Post office, another is weigh on your scale, or another is weighed on yet a different scale, then how do we then know which scale is correct? By having every car weighed at a Post Office we know the cars are all being weighed the same. We are doing this to be fair to every boy participating.
If you are unable to get to the post office yourself then maybe your den leader will be able to take it for you. If all else fails bring it to me at work (507 CTS) or home and I will have it weighed for you. If neither of these work for you, your son can still race, but will be disqualified from receiving any award.
John
I honstly think he missed the point of everyone using the scale. I understand he is trying to help by offering to weight it for us. BUT THEY ARE MISSING THE POINT OF THE BOY'S PARTICIPATION IN THIS PART OF THE EVENT! How are the boys to learn about the adjustments and process and etc when the parents are doing it? How many times can the post office weigh a car without getting pissed at the parent trying to adjust the car? Are we supposed to melt the lead in the parking lot to add weight? It's bad all around. To the post office and the employees there, to the parents and their places of work and last but not least the boys.
I have placed a call to the council. They haven't called me back.
I don't understand the boy scout ways of doing things. Am I out of line being upset? I plan events for GS 3-4 times a year for over 100 girls (and their parents) at each one and I know how hard it can be to make everyone happy, but I wouldn't leave the girls out like this. I don't expect them to run the same, but I do expect them to run with the best interests of the kids.