It's just a tie slide for goodness sake!

[KiminChicago]

Since I'm the Popcorn Kernel for DS's Boy Scout troop, I went to the meeting last night to get the last of the information from the boys in the troop. While I was there I had an interesting conversation with the father of one of the other boys in the troop.

The troop had a camping trip three weeks ago -- both DH and DS went. The first night there DS lost his tie slide. Apparently this other Scout also lost a tie slide that weekend. While packing up the tents, one of the older Scouts found a tie slide on the ground. According to what my son told me, the tie slide was found near where our car was parked, so the older Scout gave it to DS.

At any rate, last night this other dad tells me that the tie slide was found under the tent that his son had been sleeping in, and that when the older Scout tried to give it to his son, my son took it. At that point I was trying to be civil, so I explained that I had heard a different version of the story. Then he gets all snarky and says "yeah, I figured you probably heard a different version of the story that's why I needed to talk to you." So now, not only is he implying that my son took a tie slide that wasn't his, he's also implying that my son is a liar! Then he goes on to tell me how his son had cried all evening over this lost tie slide.

Since my DH was also at the troop meeting and had also been on the camping trip, I asked him about it. According to what he told me, the tent in question had been set up next to where our car was parked and the older Scout did in fact give the tie slide to our son. There was no way of knowing whose tie slide it was. By this time I'm so disgusted by the fuss over a $4.00 tie slide that was lost 3 weeks ago that I just told my DS to take off the tie slide and give it to the other Scout. Then the dad told me that he was going to take it home and have his son use an engraving tool to put his initials on it so it wouldn't get lost again.

Honestly, is it just me or is this dad a little off his rocker? I've lost count of how many tie slides DS has lost on camping trips over the years; they slip off so easily and just disappear in the grass. And we certainly don't spend any time crying over them. To make matters worse, I was chatting with the Assistant Scoutmaster and mentioned that my son was hoping to get a laptop computer this year and the same dad said he'd never get his son a laptop since he had just managed to lose a $200 Ipod. And he's obsessing over a $4.00 tie slide? Really?

 

[Becky2005]

]
Honestly, is it just me or is this dad a little off his rocker? I've lost count of how many tie slides DS has lost on camping trips over the years; they slip off so easily and just disappear in the grass. And we certainly don't spend any time crying over them. To make matters worse, I was chatting with the Assistant Scoutmaster and mentioned that my son was hoping to get a laptop computer this year and the same dad said he'd never get his son a laptop since he had just managed to lose a $200 Ipod. And he's obsessing over a $4.00 tie slide? Really?

I despise those tie slides -- my son doesn't even camp & we lose those things *constantly* You would think by now someone would come up with a better way since even when you pinch them closed, they still manage to come undone (OK...maybe it's just me?)

Honestly, there is absolutely no way to know whose tie slide it was & frankly, if my son had lost his and then an older scout came up to him and handed him the tie slide, my son would have taken it assuming it was his.

Let the dad have at it for engraving his son's initials in it, that would solve any future issues for when his son loses the tie slide again.

 

[CajunDixie]

There's one in every group. Just be glad he's only a parent and not a leader!!

As for the slide we never made our scouts where theirs on camping trips unless it was Resident camp in that case they only wore Class A to dinner. If you require them to wear the full uniform then tie a knot under the slide or crimp it really tight. Our boys just wore camp t-shirts when doing weekend camping.

 

[chloelovesdisney]

He's a kook and a half. I wouldn't waste my time worrying about a $4 item.

 

[littleteapot]

Then he goes on to tell me how his son had cried all evening over this lost tie slide.

Oh my, I sure hope you are talking about a Cub Scout Pack, not a Boy Scout Troop. This man has real problems on his hands if he has an 11+ crying over a neckerchief slide!

The dad is a nut, sorry you had to deal with him.

When our oldest moved from Cubs to Boy Scouts his newly formed troop voted for no neckerchiefs at all, Hurray!

To help keep your slides in the future, loop (put it through and wrap it through again) one side of the neckerchief through the slide and then after you put the neckerchief around his neck you just need to pull the end of the neckerchief through the slide and it will hold. We haven't lost another one since we started doing it this way, and it is faster than trying to tie the exact right knot.

YIS,
littleteapot

 

[donac]

As a mother whose family was very involved with scouts I have one question:

Who wears a neckerchief and a slide on a camping trip?

 

[disneygals]

That dad is tightly wound!

And I love the "popcorn kernel" title. I only have girls, so only lived through Girl Scout torture.

 

[MichelleinMaine]

He's nuts. Those get lost all the time- the BSA ones especially so! A couple years ago, DS's scoutmaster showed them all how to make a Turks head woggle out of a shoelace. DS put it on, I pinned one end TO his neckkerchief. The other end can still slide in/out. It can go through the laundry like that, does not get lost!

For those questioning Class A's on a campout- our scout camps and district/council jamborees require them for retreat.

 

[AprilShowers]

Dad is a kook.
I'll bet you I know exactly what happened. Kook's kid knew he'd get in trouble for losing his tie slide AGAIN, so he told Kook that your DS took his from the older kid and wouldn't let KK have it back.

So now, your DS looks like a lying brat and bully and KK looks like the victim.

I am around teens alot and I've seen this happen more times than I care to count. The kids don't expect us (parents) to confront each other about this stuff, so they lie and twist to make the other kids out to be awful kids.

 

[dawson5]

yep Dad is seriously crazy. Imagine what that boy is going to be like when he gets older.

We always did the knot and pinched it.

As for wearing those, all my boys have gone on to Scouts and it's required when they go camping to wear full uniform (yep pants too.) to a campout. I usually don't let them take their slides with them. I do believe they can make one as a project in Cubs and use that instead. We've made them with a compass and a clothes pin, can't remeber what the oldest did but they were secured with a pipe cleaner. We still have all of those, except for the oldest, I bet he has it stashed somewhere.

 

[james'mommy]

Tell him to buy the leather slide next time. It's 7 bucks and very stay put.

 

[MulanUSAF]

My brother used to lose his neckerchief slide all the time as well, until he switched to this kind upon the recommendation of his scoutmaster. He hasn't lost it since because the leather and the design makes it practically impossible to have it come off unless you work the neckerchief out. They sell them at scout shops.


PS The other dad is nutty... but you get a few of those in every troop/pack.

 

[shrubber]

a simple reminder
#1 on the Boy Scout Law

A Scout is trustworthy.........

 

[NotUrsula]

What I did to keep the slide in place was to tightly wrap a rubber band around one of the prongs before closing it, then spread it over the entire back; it stays put quite well against the rubber band. However, just to be sure, I normally buy neck slides in multiples.

 

[donac]

My guys have never had to have full class A's for a campout. That's why I asked the question.

 

[KiminChicago]

The boys in our troop are required to wear their class A uniform while going to or coming home from any campout. I'm not sure if it is like that everywhere, but it is our council's rule -- I went to many training sessions as a den leader and that was what we were always told.

And for the PP who asked, yes unfortunately this is a troop not a pack. I don't know why an 11 year old would cry over losing a tie slide, but given the way the father reacted, maybe it had something to do with the father's reaction.

According to my DH, who is a committee member, both the dad and the son are real jerks. What I found so amusing is that after all of this, the dad wanted to know if the $200 worth of popcorn his son sold was enough to pay for summer camp next year. When I explained that only 30% of the sale goes into the Scout's account, the dad then asked if I had any extra unsold popcorn that his son could sell. Um, yeah, I'm going to help you out after you implied that my son was a liar and a thief!

 

[LuvOrlando]

Poor you, some parents are just off their hinges. I would probably make it a point to VERY publicly at the next big meeting hand the guy $4 to embarrass him into shutting up about the whole thing telling him, "Here is $4 to buy your kid a new pin since it has obviously upset you so very much. I didn't realize it was so important to you." Then I'd giggle all the way home.

Years ago when my DD was in brownies she accidentally took home this other girls friend's vest. No biggie, DD had a similar one and once I noticed it I returned it, she was 5. The about a month later I get a snotty phone call from the same kids mother asking if my DD had her 'REAL' vest because her daughters vest was missing and had taken home a lesser version instead. I wasn't sure at first but since I was annoyed I pointed out to her that I took the time to actually sew every patch on with my machine, since she didn't do the same she had no leverage and had to go away. This MOM was no apologetic at all for the unwarranted phone call and as she hung up she was mumbling about how "SOME people want things that do not belong to them and her daughter went to many events other people didn't go to so they have better patches." When I got off the phone 2 things were confirmed for me, #1, this woman was a loony and #2, I would despise her forever for daring to accuse my kid of something so horrible. 6 years later I was right on both counts.

 

[zachnsamsmommy]

I'm sorry you are having to deal with this jerk of a parent. We don't have to do Class A for camping trips, but mine is just a Bear Scout right now.

We have, however, had to deal with issues with the Pinewood Derby. My son's car finished the fastest in all his heats, and then only had one car beat him in the finals. Yet the den leader's son *somehow* got the 3rd place trophy, and my son finished 4th . I looked at the scores at the end, and both his son's and mine had the numbers obviously erased and re-written. It is sad to have to cheat to get your child the trophy, especially since he has 4 and has finished 3rd or better every year. Good thing my son is too young to know about all of this. And I guarantee that this year, no matter how fast my son's car is, he won't get a trophy .

 

[KiminChicago]

Pinewood Derby used to be a problem for our old pack too. So many of the dads would get so caught up in it, and looking at the cars, you could always tell which ones the Scouts themselves worked on and which ones the dads "helped" with. Our 5th grade Webelos fed into two different troops the year my son moved up and I was so glad when most of the other boys went into the other troop. Our troop is small but almost everyone gets along really well.....