Seriously upset after a cub gangshow

[MrsGracey]

This week we went along to support my 10 year old in his cub gangshow.

To say my husband and I were horrified would be an understatement.

The show opened with a racist restaurant scene where a white child doing a dodgy asian accent was subjected to queries from young girls where they were asked is they wanted a drink and replied they did not smoke weed! And ended in the restaurant owner poisoning 2 customers and blowing up the others with a bomb!

The a Scout leader dressed as a woman openly fondled his breasts in a psychic scene...even my 10 year old found this inappropriate.

I thought, foolishly that in a multi cultural Leicester that there would be adults showing my son how we live harmoniously and not exposing him to overt sexual acts. Was I wrong??

I have raised my son to be tolerant and compassionate towards others, and I'm beginning to wonder if I'm in a minority.

Do I complain? Who to? My son will not be going back, as I feel as if I entrusted my son to like minded adults and they betrayed my trust.

I think I just need to know I am not being overly sensitive.

Now you may think I'm wrong but...I live in Leicester and many of my DS's friends are asian etc and they all take the mickey out of each other ..

This is appalling. It's the 21st century and I'm horrifed that there are still leaders of children's organisations who think that this sort of thing is funny. Cubs/ scouts is a worldwide organisation that is supposed to encourage tolerance and understanding. I hope you make a bloody massive scene and make sure that there are some red faces.

My son has only been in the group for a few months, and this was our first exposure to their group activities. If he had been there for a while I would have been more aware of what was happening.

I would never go to the press, I believe it was just a very ill thought out activity. However I have raised it with the area leader and the Scout Association Head Office.

Tongue in cheek is fine as long as everyone is aware that things need to be taken with a huge pinch of salt, I feel that in this case they misjudged their audience, and perhaps should have provided more guidance to the youngsters performing.

I agree all kids take the mickey out of each other and that is fine between friends and equals, however as family entertainment it is not appropriate.

MrsGracey, I hesitate to say this, but nasty as it may have been, your son needs to be exposed to this sort of thing in order to realise how wrong it is.
I am not making myself clear, but if you HS presumably he goes to other groups apart from cubs?

Gang shows have a history of morally dubious sketches. I was in a few as a young teenager and remember having to sing a solo in front of 1000+ people about 'two lovers being twice the fun', and one year one of the scout masters kind of sellotaped his eyes to look more 'Oriental'.

I'd have hoped it had moved on since the late 1980s though - it makes you wonder if the scout association give their members any guidance about the appropriateness of the content of gang shows.

My son has plenty of other social groups he participates in. So he isn't losing out by us removing him.

Just to update you, my complaints are being seriously looked into by local and head Scout Associations. They are keen for my son and us not to be put off Scouts by his experience and have offered access to another troupe, however my son is not keen. He has a diverse mix of friends and this show made him very, very uncomfortable. I'm considering suggesting he tried it but I will be there and actively involved in what goes on.

Is it possible the children came up with this themselves? And weren't guided appropriately?

"I don't get the Asian-weed thing"

My dad used to say, if he saw a young Asian guy driving a nice car, that he must have got it via drug dealing as 'they all bring it back from Pakistan'. Must be a more widespread stereotype. If a kid's parents are saying the same thing, it's easy to see why they thought that might be a funny thing to put in a show - though I would have thought in Leicester kids would meet enough Asian kids to know that it isn't appropriate to say the least.

Come on then, which actual gang show was it?

Were there any Asian families there? What did they think of it?

Bloody Hell,

Did David Walliams and Matt Lucas also appear?

As a Girl Guide leader I can say that:

1. The leaders work very hard out of the goodness of their hearts, and when parents complain, it is very very demoralising.

1. Remember that these activities are supposed to be led by the children, so it was probably their idea (although they should have been vetted).

1. These organisations are run by VOLUNTEERS, with some training. The nature of volunteer organsations means that people's hearts are in the right place, but that their heads don't always follow.

1. That said, it sounds completely unacceptable.

I would find out who the division/county commissioner is and tell them while you think the pack, leaders and organisation are wonderful, that you were troubled by the show and that it wasnt very appropriate for an organisation based on international friendship and cooperation.

Ask what training is in place, and suggest that at the next county day (training thing) that there is a workshop that addresses these issues. Although the meetings are run by volunteers there are paid staff whose jobs include training on such issues. The higher up the chain you go, the higher your chance of a result. I would start with division/city.