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?

'Black Beaver'

Try woodcraft website. Ours is run as a collective - if thre isn't one near you you can always start one!

Fennel the only nudity in ours was supplied by my dd (4 and so not yet a member)

Looking forward to our first camp in a few weeks. I do rather love the consensual dithering - as a total control freak it's very very good for me

That's like lots of things Lemonaid. Non Anglican children attend Anglican schools. Atheists teach in them but you would expect the headmaster to be a practising Anglican.

Anyway the OP wasn't looking for a career in the Scouts, just wondering if it might suit her kid.

Actually one day I growled at the kids and told them my real name was 'Evil Beaver' which they thought was so funny they called me that from then on!

Isn't there a character in The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe called She Beaver?

I've just read the social misfits comment. I was a Scout Leader for about 4 years and was never called a social misfit. Nor did I feel the need to boss around small boys. I did however quit when one of the buggers (he was 14 and about 6 inches taller than me) threatened me. I felt at that point it was time to leave. The kids in the troup I was in were from a really bad area.

I refused to join the guides, on account of God and the Queen.

I got chucked out of the Brownies for telling Brown Owl to fuck off

I think the Bevers in TLTWATW were rather formal and were Mr and Mrs beaver.

Although Aslan may have called them he and she beavers.

But that is because it is Christian in tone and thus not sound idiologicaly speaking. For goodness sake drop the subject before this thread becomes nasty

I was a Queens' guide.

Why? What on earth did I think that was going to achieve in life? I mean really, what a waste of teenage energy.

Especially the (bluegh) "little house emblem".

It kept you off the streets though Fennel

I know I got a badge for hospitality. Always was a party girl.

More's the pity.

NKF -- I gave as my reason for signing DS up for Woodcraft Folk that Scouts and Guides wouldn't let atheists be leaders, WK007 said that they did, I quoted chapter and verse [ha! no pun intended] of official Scout policy. I don't want my son going to a club that thinks I'm not a fit and proper person to be a leader when there's an equally good (or potentially better) club that doesn't have a problem with me. I won't send him to an Anglican school either unless there wasn't an alternative (and in any event the Anglican schools here don't take anyone who hasn't been an active member of the congregation for years).

It does bug me, though, that the Scouts claim to be a "non-religious" organisation, but you have to be religious to join. That seems to stretch the definition of "non-religious" to near-Orwellian levels.

PMSL, I just bet dh the word "Orwellian" would occur on this thread within the next 20 posts

It was the pig's head in old Mrs Vaughn's dh's window that did it

gscrym - I made the comment, but hopefully you will see from my post that I certainly didn't mean that it applies to all leaders. It was just an observation that I made over the many occasions that I helped at camps myself - it's unfortunate that a fair proportion (maybe a quarter or a third?) of the leaders fall into that category.

lemonaid - You don't have to be religious to join - any more than you have to be religious to attend a church wedding. I think they are just paying lip service to something that the organisation was founded upon.

I know Lemonaid. Sorry. I realise on reading the thread properly that many posters feel strongly about the Scouts and I've been rather flippant.

And Orwell hated the Scouts, that in itself is a good reason to join Woodcraft.

referring to lemonaid, rather than random comment to self.

I have recently done all the forms for being a Rainbow leader and there isn't a section on your religion.(am agnostic if it matters)Its more the Queen I object to.

Quite horrified about the Kimis DH1s camp though

I have only ever heard of Woodcraft folk on MN

I worked with a lovely gentle Geordie guy once who'd been in teh Woodcraft Folk.

Woodcraft is good.