AIBU to not put my occupation down on the Beavers application form?

[MyCarHasBrokenDownAgain]

Hi All!

Really not sure if I am or not! DS has wanted to go to Beavers for over a year. He finally starts this week and we're both really chuffed about it.

Anyway, the pack of forms has arrived, and I've filled in everything quite happily, until I came to the parent's occupation bit. Why do they need this information (it's on his personal details card, which also contains medical information etc, so would assume it's held confidentially somewhere). It's not as though they ask where I work and contact details; just for my occupation. Just makes me slightly uncomfortable as to why they want to know this, and what it's got to do with him joining Beavers. FWIW I have a very boring admin job in HR, so not anything to hide or be proud of .

If anyone can shed any light on why they need to know this or just thinks I'm being really petty and should get over myself I am happy to back down and add it.

Thank you!

I love the Scouts. They gave my very sad (at the time) son a lot of confidence.

'Arms Dealer' Hmmm, I wonder what comparethemarket or the like would make of that if you popped it in when getting a car insurance quote

we like to know the schools our guides go to so we know when the terms and holidays are and also we're not befuddled when they all suddenly don't turn up one week (school play, p7 camp or whatever).

we don't ask what our parents do, but it does help us sometimes to know which kids have armed forces parents (we are near a barracks) and which parents do shift work or which might be able to offer occassional advice to us to help the unit. If you really don't want to ever be asked to help in any way (or even just for advice) then just leave it blank.

believe it or not, we're not really comfortable just being told 'this is john' and nothing more about a child we're going to be responsible for for an hour and a half every week and sometimes overnight and weekends.

holyfishnets....scouts does not get funding for poorer kids, it is a voluntary organisation so has to fund raise itself or apply for grants hence huge amounts of time spent in fields stirring soup to sell to punters on bonfire night :)

Steam trains, lifts and escalators. Also socialising. Yup, we're pretty random

When in doubt, be facetious. I'd put Secret Agent.

If you put secret agent you will be the ideal parent to get in to help! Much better to stick to something totally boring.

my DH would put mortuary attendent though normally he refuses to answer all that type of question.

its like shop assistants wanting your postcode.. I never give it ever, there are just too many people asking too many questions that they really do not need to know without giving reasons why, or how info is stored and used

too much info entrers public domain because of carelessness with passwords leaving laptops on trains, not encrypted etc

Occupation - so you can volunteer on one evening if you have a relevant career. E.g we've had one Dad who was a ambulance driver, one Dad who was an ex-leader and added this to his form do has been very useful, one Dad who was training at college to do childcare so has come and helped lots to get relevant experience. Don't give a monkeys what you do if it isn't relevant.

School - helps settle kids,understand when 6 are missing because of school disco, also may help if district is trying to work out what groups need leaders as there are always patterns in attendance at groups.

GP- always necessary. Kids always at A&E and leaders are too.

Have to say YABVU to moan about nothing. Leaders at volunteers and I would say for every hour of Beavers I do about 2-3 hours minimum other work to run
Everything. Rude parents have got me almost chucking in the towel about twice a year.

Their lovely kids make up for it though.

Ps. Hobbies are because there is a hoboes badge for anything relevant. There are also swimming, IT, animal friend, etc, etc. this helps leaders help your kids get badges.

You do wonder why you bother doing it when parents get so uptight about simple questions - you feel like saying 'well you do it your way' but the moaners are the ones who never do anything. Not that I am saying the OP was moaning- she asked the question and now she knows the reason.

People are very sensitive about giving personal information these days, due to identity fraud. There may be a different way of asking if there is some way a parent could volunteer some help.

I had to put it on DD's Brownie forms..my handwriting is AWFUL...really bad...like a little child's. So when I scrawled"Copywriter" on the form I imagine Brown Owl looked a bit about it!

I usually put 'Jedi Knight'

I have questions about jobs, special talents and schools on our application form for my Guide unit.

Jobs is useful as like some others have mentioned if someone has an interesting job they might be willing to do a talk, or it could be somewhere we could go on a trip to. To a certain extent, it can give you some idea of the demographic of the group - for example whether parents may or may not be able to afford trips etc. Obviously it isn't the most reliable way of knowing as you never know someone's financial circumstances but it can give an idea.

Schools is useful as when planning camps and trips I know which schools I need to check term dates with - we have sometimes been able to get cheaper camps due to our feeder schools having a couple of inset days a couple of days before the official end of term.

Talents is also useful as people might be able to come in and teach new crafts etc.

I also ask if parents would be willing to help and how often. It is in no way judgemental but if my regular helpers can't make a meeting at least I have a list of a couple of people I can phone if I need help.

You obviouly don't know the parents if you think there is another way of asking for parents to volunteer some help Jux!

I hate being asked occupation. I'm a SAHM, but that doesn't tell you anything about who or what I'm really like or can do.

Pseudonym can you put a link up to prove that about the data protection act please?

Startail - that's why our form also asks for parents talents because we understand that.