Do you think the boy scouts have gone too far?

I see your point but if you can’t beat them,join them !
Kids are going to play games,no matter what at least they are trying to persuade them to make better choices and limit game playing time !!

It sounds like the boy scouts are trying to teach responsible gaming. I’m ok with that.

Yes. I guess the reasoning is, since they are spending more time indoors then out. Might as well make some use of it.

A couple of years ago I was a den leader.

It always blew my mind when the kids would sit around the table, so we could get started on activities. And, a couple of them would have a video game in their hands.

I would have to go to the parent and give them the what were you thinking speech. (in a nice way)

Scouting should always be about new discoveries. And exploring (learning) things you normally would not.

Also, their requirements given to get the badge is the parents responsibility. Not the scouts.

Exactly what @Captain_Fantasy said.

I wouldn’t say what the idea of the video game badge is a bad idea. It’s not like they’re canceling all outdoor activity. As the good @Captain_Fantasy points out, they’re just encouraging responsible behavior. Isn’t that, at its core, what the Boy Scouts are all about? Responsible behavior no matter the activity?

I have way less of a problem with this than I have with the Boy Scouts’ anti-gay and anti-secularist ideology.

I thought boy scouts was about being outdoors. Apparently, not. They’re going to play video games anyway? This isn’t a good reason to encourage it. I think we need to be at least trying to take the focus away from video games and TV. This is rewarding apathy and I just don’t agree with it. There are so many other things the boy scouts could encourage.

@silverfly You can play video games while being outdoors. ~

“You can play video games while being outdoors.”

I have seen kids do that while on Scouting camping trips. It is so sad.

Tells volumes about the parents (you can just see it), and explains why they are such “brats”.

@ChazMaz @erichw1504 We actually joked about this the last time we went camping… “Did we forget anything?”... “Yeah, our projector, PS3, and power generator”.

@silverfly – YIKES!

You would love Fort Wilderness at Disney here in Florida.

When my daughter has a Girl Scout activity beyond a regular meeting, the troop leaders enforce a “no electronics” rule. For example, a few weeks ago they went on an overnight trip to Boston. They left straight from school, and before leaving, the troop leaders collected cell phones from the girls who have them. They were returned just before bedtime for one phone call to Mom and Dad, then turned in again. No video games, cameras, or iPods were allowed. I love that the troop leaders have this rule and stick to it. I don’t see why a Boy Scout den leader couldn’t have the same rule.

As for the badge, it if encourages responsibility and gets the parents to think responsibly about video games, then it’s OK. It wouldn’t be my first choice of a badge to work toward.

this is for Cub Scouts, not Boy Scouts. Although part of the same general organization, the cubs are more focused on activities done at home with parents. The Boy Scouts have a pretty strict “no electronics” policy on any excursion. My son is going to the National Jamboree, a 20 day trip, with no iPod, no cell phone, and absolutely no game deck of any sort.

Instead of teaching “responsible gaming” I would much rather see them get a pin for going outside and playing when they really would prefer to be gaming.

Yes, I think it has gone too far.

It sounds like a good concept though, because it seems to be about teaching adults about games, and having them interacting in the activity with their children. Sure it’s not all outdoorsy, but face it, video games are everywhere and played by everyone these days.

And what I find to be the most interesting is getting aquainted with the ESRB (Video game rating system.) and getting the parents to study and know it.

God knows a lot of parents need to know what their kids are playing instead of blaming eternal violence on fucking Pokemon.

You people talk a lot of smak about an organization you do not even know. I am an Eagle Scout and I can tell you it is not all about being outdoors, it is also about citizenship, morals, and pride.

As zenvelo says this is for cub schouts and not boy schouts, and even if it was, it could easaly be a knok off. The site that this is on is not even a official Boy Scouts of America site, so it is not a very good source of informashion. People make fake or additional badges/pins for schouting all the time. My frends and I have sean “gimp badge” or “gummy worm eating award” I know it sounds rediculas, but its fun and keeps the younger schouts entertaned with humor.

Even if this is real I do not find it a bad thing, Like some people listed above it is a good chance for scouts and there parents to learn. Video gameing activitys does sound a little outragious for a group that has a large focious on the out doors, but times are changeing. Back in the day when scouting first started they used to tell you how to kill animals with youre bare hands, or during the war effort how to “sneak up on someone”, but there is no way that they would let that slide today. ;)

P.S. Sorry for typos, I cant spell to save my life.

@zenvelo Thanks for the clarification! That actually makes me feel better. :) @Plone3000 video games has nothing to do with citizenship, morals, or pride.

People seem to see “Boy Scouts” and “Video Game Badge” and get all worked up like there are going to be rewards for leveling up in WoW or something. However, reading the actual text, one sees that it’s fairly reasonable and not at all like one first thinks.

@laureth I’ve read the text and while @zenvelo has pointed out that this is actually cub scouts and not boy scouts, it’s still debatable whether this is okay or not. I realize that it’s teaching responsibility in choosing video games and it’s not totally encouraging video game play, but it’s still recognizing and awarding kids for engaging in an activity that I think shouldn’t be promoted in scouts.

If they could stop discriminating against gays and atheists, and stop molesting the children, for all I care they could give a badge for scratching your ass.

FWIW, I actually have a son in Cub Scouts. I objected to the idea, but I have some other liberal, atheist friends who have their kids in this troop, and they said, you get what you get out of it. I don’t have to let my kid go on camping trips, I don’t have to do the religious themed activities….he can learn some skills, hang out with kids his age and have fun where we can keep an eye on him to make sure he’s neither molested nor indoctrinated.

The whole thing about the video game badge, and it’s a real badge, only about 2% of Cub Scouts stay in scouts through Eagle Scouts, and seriously, I was a scout when I was my son’s age (8), and none of my badges ever got me anything in the real world. I learned things that were useful to me and things that weren’t, it was more about having fun and hanging out with friends, getting involved in activities, etc. Really, what they give badges for is irrelevant to the real world, it seems to me that when they told the kids about this badge, the kids got very excited, because this was what they were into. I see no harm, the kids are going to play games anyway, it’s not as if anyone is encouraging scouts who don’t already play games to start, it’s just kind of one of those elective things that a kid could try to submit his experience for some recognition. A lot less harmful than other things that could befall a scout!

@silverfly Video games may not have anything to do with citizenship, morals, or pride, but lets be honest at least there not in a gang or smokeing pot.

@silverfly I never said that gameing was a value of scouting, I was just trying get the point acrost that scouting is not always about being out doors.

Oh and I guess it is real, sorry about that, but its still not that big of a deal

@Plone3000 Yeah, I’m glad they’re not in a gang or smoking pot. And I do realize that it’s not always about being outdoors. I’m just not supportive of apathetic activities when there are better activities to promote… Not trying to bash the scouts. :)

@Symbeline Heh, fucking Pokemon! I’m a pervert.

It’s kinda creepy that all Pokemon (even the ones that look like mammals) lay eggs!

Thank you @silverfly, you are rite. Really they should not be focusing on things like this, I agree with you. I just got a little carried away, and of topic :P

A) Video games probably are more relevant than many of the badges I earned when i was a scout
B) There’s badges for art, music, and reading, this is just another in a line.
C) There are far more disturbing things happening in scouts than this.

“You people talk a lot of smack about an organization you do not even know.”

@Plone3000 – First, congrats on being an Eagle Scout! That takes hard work. :-)
Which President signed your certificate?
Second. Scouting has been a part of my life. When I was in Scouts the whole neighborhood was in it. Went on to be a Boy Scout and did my part as a leader.

It is not an issue of being a “bad” thing. It is that Scouting is turning into babysitting and daycare for the parents.

There are things that home is for not the Scouts. This “controversy” only shows me that Scouting is starting to take on the responsibilities of the parent. They are not designed to do that and it is a sad statement for the parents.