To put dd's names down for Scouts - DH thinks they are a "psuedo militaristic organisation that pledges allegiance to the monarchy and reinforces class divisions."

[morningpaper]

Well I thought that the Brownies and Scouts were okay but DH has objected that I have put their names down because they are "psuedo militaristic organisations that pledges allegiance to the monarchy and reinforces class divisions."

I told him they are probably full of working class Muslim eco-warrier children but he says no.

AIBU?

My ds went a few times and hated it because it was so boring. They did nothing but colouring or running around madly and all the guy in charge did was shout! I was a bit with the flag/queen bit too.

I think our local Brownies is a secret Army training camp though! Some of the Mum's have got really involved with sending boxes to soldiers abroad (a nice thing) but the have been send dvd's showing battle and t shirts with blood on from the soldiers and they have shown these to the kids !! I was shocked to hear one Mum tell me how her soldier was "killing all the baddies in Iraq" this was in front of the children and they went "yeah!"

Maybe it's just me but I found that a bit much.

You should complain about that, Onajourney - completley inappropriate.

However, I always take with a pinch of salt any time a child says something is "boring". In my experience, this usually means "there is no screen involved". It often takes a while for kids to realize that Scouts is fun.

Disclaimer: - there are crap Scout troops like any other organization - try another one.

You are right seeker, maybe this was just a crap group, we are going to try another one in September and see how he gets on there.

A group is only as good as it's leaders. The real problem is getting enough leaders-not helped by the idiots who think anyone wanting to help the youth of today is a pervert.

Riven soz- I didn't express that very well

I didn't mean that they were being brainwashed in scouts/guides/what have you-was just responding to someone being about Woodies upthread

-can't remember who or what tho

...can't look either. Tooo distressing

[brainwashed thro repeated and tuneless singing of Woodcraft Friendship Song ]

Springy - It think we feel equally passionate ... For me, it's deffo because his school is quite "right on", and yet with an undercurrent of competitiveness which doesn't suit him. He has found real friendship and gentle challenges at Cubs

< misty eyed >

I think it's great you love qwoodies springy; i;ve heard of them on here but never encountered them in RL.

hopwever as an ex Guider I would point out that I am in no way anything other than leftie liberal PMSL- riv knows me anyway in RL a little bit, but those who know me as Peachy will probably agree that me and right wiong army brainwashing doesn't exactly marrry (I know that was someone else- amde me both and though- why don't we have a [weep] emoticon?)

OTOH the lady I took over from. Well. I think she's ;politically left win but conservative with a small c doesn't even begin to sum it up! Lots and lots of full on Christianity focus, IYKWIM. 100% focussed on teh faith origins of teh movement rather than the diversity we have now.

To be honest, getting a bit of peace usually beats any unease about this sort of thing for me