The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #2534   Message #10383
Posted By: hartley
14-Aug-97 - 08:54 AM
Thread Name: Songs for Scouts
Subject: RE: Songs for Scouts
I was in scout for many years and perhaps too many years old to remember well. And my daughter was in girl scouts for a couple of years and worked with her group. In neither case was group singing emphasized, so that aspect of group activity may vary. However, I do remember that was singing we did do were songs like Row, Row, Row Your Boat and Down in the Valley. A lot the songs were made up songs to popular folk tunes, song that hyped the value of being a scout or a good scout. So, I probably got a lot of tunes in my head now but not the right lyrics. Scouts weren't suppose to sing about themes such as in Bank of the Ohio, etc. My daughter had even less singing in her troup even at camp outs. I guess the advent of taped music killed the incentive to be live. Also, there were canned lyrics about scouting to old folk tunes. A think scout lyrics are not memorable and the sophistication level of the kids today have outstripped the aims of the leaders. I tried to play and get sing-a-longs going and it was tough. Also, I would suggest that parents of scouts, in their 20's and 30's for the most part, don't do a lot of singing. So may be kids are reflecting what they find a home. My personal experience, however, has been that singing or playing music can be a real group cementing expereince and equalizer (most of the time). I think that group singing/playing should be more pushed in schools; one of the real team building expereinces around.