Don't worry, Karen. The BSA is not in any way commenting upon or recommending that S9 not participate. It is just that I am at every meeting and am thus constantly observing S9 and his behaviors and interactions with his fellows -- and I have been growing increasingly concerned that my S has not been exhibiting the growth in character that a scout needs to develop. Just tonight, for example, he got so fixated on the fact many of his peers have been sporting these fad items called "Silly Bandz" -- so much so that he couldn't focus on the real deal, the ceremony to receive his Bear badge. He threw a tantrum that was beneath even a Tiger scout (first graders, the lowest rank), which took me a while to reel him back in. If this were an isolated incident, then I wouldn't worry, but this is getting to be a regular occurrence.
Believe me, I put S9 in the scouts because I believe they help build character, and S9 has benefitted tremendously from it. But I get the sense that S9 is starting to plateau, so to speak, and is no longer growing -- certainly not like his den mates have.
But like I said, I will continue to monitor S9 and try to evauluate in the coming months whether he can succeed or not -- especially without impeding the other scouts.
