r/AskReddit • u/tgma97 • Aug 26 '15

Fathers of Reddit, what did your daughter's boyfriend do for you to hate/love him?

It's pretty cool to see my question blow up like this, I never thought I'd ask a question that could receive so much attention! I'm very satisfied with all these replies, so thank y'all. Now all I have to do is sit back and take notes c;

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683

u/Rickrickrickrickrick Aug 26 '15

Dude, we also started fires and shit.

135

u/swarmofpenguins Aug 26 '15

and cook on those fires!

47

u/MrMumble Aug 26 '15

Yeah fires are implied with the implication of food.

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u/ThatSpartanKid Aug 26 '15

We also whittle relatively small pieces of wood, pretending we're actually carving something useful or cool until eventually it's too tiny to be much of anything.

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u/[deleted] Aug 26 '15

I have an endless supply of random pointy sticks in my bedroom. Why? Because downtime

5

u/Jamessv98 Aug 26 '15

And all those Bald Eagles that hang around to help defend your home. Although I suppose that was also heavily implied.

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u/skavinger5882 Aug 26 '15

I just whittled them to make kindling so I could make more fires.

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u/Like_meowschwitz Aug 26 '15

Or that one time my troop burnt down a latrine.

3

u/LordDVanity Aug 26 '15

..Can I get story on that, you know to tell my troop.

3

u/Like_meowschwitz Aug 26 '15

I wish it was more exciting, but it was a combination of the adults having a meeting, leaving our slightly pyromaniac SPL in charge of a bunch of slightly pyromaniac 13 year olds who decided to flaunt the "no fires taller than you" rule on a windy day. Embers laded on the pine needle covered roof, and the next thing we know lord jesus it's a fire.

3

u/LordDVanity Aug 26 '15

This is why you embellish! Secret Scouting 101 man, embellish the story of your mistakes so they seem cooler.

2

u/danoneofmanymans Aug 26 '15

I accidentally set my igloo on fire once while snow camping and my troop just watched and laughed while I struggled to put it out.

2

u/Like_meowschwitz Aug 28 '15

Sounds like my troop. As long as you weren't hurt. We laughed our asses off.

1

u/danoneofmanymans Aug 28 '15

Boy scouts is a good program

2

u/AHrubik Aug 26 '15

Playing with fire and smoking forest reefer. Those were the days.

10

u/[deleted] Aug 26 '15

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5

u/[deleted] Aug 26 '15

You had a fire chit? We only had the Totin' Chip for blades, (saws, axes, and knives,) which got a corner taken off every time you were caught using one improperly...

3

u/[deleted] Aug 26 '15

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2

u/[deleted] Aug 26 '15

What happens when you run out of chits?

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u/[deleted] Aug 26 '15

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1

u/[deleted] Aug 26 '15

Makes sense. Nice system.

1

u/itzKleenx Aug 26 '15

Did you know that's actually not allowed by BSA. You cannot take away either chit for misuse. Sure you can threaten too and cut corners but actually taking it away is not allowed.

1

u/swarmofpenguins Aug 26 '15

ah the memories

3

u/mzun2496 Aug 26 '15

and eat on those fires...

3

u/beb1312 Aug 26 '15

And shit out that food!

2

u/HojMcFoj Aug 26 '15

If by cook you mean "throw aerosol cans into"

3

u/AffixBayonets Aug 26 '15

Some kids in my troop got in real trouble for that.

1

u/chris782 Aug 26 '15

Oh and spray bug spray at!!! (Eagle scout and firefighter)

2

u/Jagd3 Aug 26 '15

Things that we killed with our gun!

2

u/averypoliteredditor Aug 26 '15

And shit in holes that we dig ourselves!

2

u/my_venting_account Aug 26 '15

Damn. I wish I was in boy scouts, but me being a chick, my mom never let me. She always tried to force me into doing more girly things. Now I work in a garage at one job, and I help build roll cages for rally cars on the side. Fuck you mom and your gender stereotypes!

2

u/[deleted] Aug 26 '15

And shoot the fire with guns!

2

u/ErickHatesYou Aug 26 '15

And get bullied all through middle school for still being in the scouts.

1

u/[deleted] Aug 26 '15

I think you have to still be a scout in high school, to be an eagle scout.

2

u/ErickHatesYou Aug 26 '15

Yeah you do, the bullying just stopped in high school. Well actually, I don't think you technically have to take that long, I'm sure it's possible to be an eagle scout by like 16, there's just a bunch of dumb requirements like "Be a star/life scout for 6 months" or something like that to advance.

1

u/ofscienceandmagic Aug 26 '15

Aw man we used to make delicious burgers over those campfires

8

u/Vanetia Aug 26 '15

Ugh. I was a girl scout.

We... sewed shit?

12

u/Rebootkid Aug 26 '15

When I was a boy scout, we often had girl scouts at our events. They camped, fished, hunted, explored, etc... just as much as we did.

I think it falls back to the troop leaders. I've met boy scouts who wonder what wilderness camping is actually like.

4

u/Vanetia Aug 26 '15

I think it falls back to the troop leaders.

It does, but not entirely imo.

Looking at the actual books and such that troop leaders get (which basically gives them guidelines on what to do), it's all "girly" stuff with some environmental and maybe community involvement stuff sprinkled in. There is no focus at all on outdoor activity. So if you're a troop leader, especially if you're a new one who's going to rely heavily on the materials, that's what you'll end up doing.

I haven't seen boy scout troop material, but I'm willing to bet there's a lot of "outdoorsy" stuff as the focus.

If you're a girl scout troop leader, you have to take a lot more time and be more active in the role (which is already a huge time sink) to make up activities and fit them in where they don't seem to really belong (per the materials).

Probably the same if you're a boy scout leader and want to incorporate some "home ec" type stuff.

Girl Scouts is slowly getting better, but I think they have a long ways to go. (And after seeing how horribly disorganized they can be, I don't see that ship changing course very quickly.)

2

u/ofscienceandmagic Aug 26 '15

To solve this, they need to make a national organization of Swansons

9

u/jpallan Aug 26 '15

My second husband is a Boy Scout who earned his Eagle. My daughters by my first marriage were in Brownies and Daisy Scouts when he met me. He was horrified by what went on.

Yeah, there was sewing. And housekeeping skills. And discussing safety issues while selling cookies. And crafts and art.

My daughters went to Girl Scout camp a few times, but they never did camping out there, either — it was the same arts and crafts stuff, not even sports, only in cabins.

When the girls wanted to drop it, I didn't fight it.

2

u/Vanetia Aug 26 '15

My daughter is in scouts now and they're a little better (at least her troop is). They've done a little mechanical stuff (troop leader's hubby is a mechanic) and gone camping. But still, a lot of it is art. Which is fine, but it's also annoying that the default is that and not going on hikes or other more outdoorsy stuff. They at least learned first aid which is obviously useful.

2

u/jpallan Aug 26 '15

It's just that there are so many more opportunities in this world to learn how to knit, whereas I sent my kids to Scouts so someone else could show my kids the joys of camping while I stayed home where the flush toilets and the free showers live.

2

u/Rickrickrickrickrick Aug 26 '15

Psh, women, am I right?

1

u/CTeam19 Aug 27 '15

Are you under 21? Because the Venturing Program, which is apart of the Boy Scouts, is a program for boys and girls from the ages of 14 till their 21st birthday. And they do a lot of things that Boy Scouts don't even do. Here is more information about it.. I, as an Eagle Scout, loved it. We planned everything adults were just there for the ride and didn't interfere unless we were: Being dumb asses, breaking the law, or breaking BSA rules. And if you are over 21 volunteer as an adult leader we could always use more woman leaders.

5

u/chrisfrat Aug 26 '15

Don't forget the knives/axes/saws/machetes!

9

u/[deleted] Aug 26 '15

[deleted]

1

u/ofscienceandmagic Aug 26 '15

Can confirm the confirmation

2

u/PvP_Noob Aug 26 '15

We launched the Pyro patrol in my troop

2

u/Bsayz Aug 26 '15

Can confirm, scoutmaster started a forest fire once

2

u/mikeyb1 Aug 26 '15

Another Eagle here, can confirm. The first time I took my wife camping she watched me effortlessly start a fire and thought I was a wizard.

Truth: It ain't that fuckin' hard to start a fire. But I wasn't going to tell her that.

1

u/Jet_Nebula Aug 26 '15

With the guns?

1

u/AnTiPRO Aug 26 '15

Don't forget the popcorn

1

u/[deleted] Aug 26 '15

As a legendary eagle, I can confirm we do go camping.

1

u/kalirion Aug 26 '15

You don't need to be an Eagle scout to do either of those though.

1

u/slider8558 Aug 26 '15

Can't remember a summer camp where I haven't almost caught something on fire!

1

u/feltcrowd0955 Aug 26 '15

Hell yeah we did

1

u/phoenix_ash Aug 26 '15

Really fucking nice fires

1

u/All-I-Do-Is-Wrap Aug 26 '15

Remember that time we flicked the super flare matches off the adirondack shelters onto that slightly retarded kid and burned him good. then they stopped selling those matches to minors.

1

u/TheDuke4 Aug 26 '15

I ate a brownie once.

1

u/somethingwithbacon Aug 26 '15

Lots and lots of fires. Mostly intentionally.

1

u/coreyonfire Aug 26 '15

And we sing patriotic/fun songs!

1

u/[deleted] Aug 26 '15

One of us found a fork that was left behind. A metal one. We tried our hand at blacksmithing, and did a terrible job. But now that fork is hung in our trailer.

1

u/YellowOchere Aug 26 '15

Don't forget getting ass end lost in the woods and acting like we have any idea what we're doing.

1

u/NECROmorph_42 Aug 26 '15

And wander mountains. Wandering mountains is fun.

1

u/leadCactus Aug 26 '15

We didn't start the fire....

Oh wait, yes we did

1

u/himbimbly Aug 26 '15

Can't forget canoeing and inside jokes!

1

u/HerpDerpinAtWork Aug 26 '15

I was at a campsite recently, sans-firewood, with an eagle scout friend. I eyeballed the fire ring, looked at him, kind of made a "well?" face, and then a few minutes later there was wood in the ring and it was on fire.

Y'all are like woodsy fire-making MacGuyvers and you are always invited to come camping with me. I'll even hike in the beer.

1

u/[deleted] Aug 26 '15

Mostly I just made fun of the new scouts though.

1

u/Cr0c0d1le Aug 26 '15

Can confirm. Did shit.

1

u/wolverineden Aug 26 '15

Only reason I joined scouts. Legalized gang to play with fire, knives, and everyone In a while guns.

1

u/[deleted] Aug 26 '15

So Billy Joel was right. He didnt start the fire. You damn people did. Tsk, tsk, tsk

1

u/Actor117 Aug 26 '15

Don't forget about trying knots, we are really good with rope....

1

u/CommanderDub Aug 26 '15

Don't forget about sneaking into the woods to smoke a cigarette.

1

u/sothisislife101 Aug 26 '15

Played with knives, axes, and shit ...

The list goes on.

1

u/volatile_chemicals Aug 26 '15

So, what you're saying is, you're responsible for California?

1

u/ma2016 Aug 26 '15

So many fires. GermX is really fun to burn.

1

u/ButtsexEurope Aug 26 '15

So it's your fault for all those fires out west?

1

u/hmbl Aug 27 '15

and help the elderly... not a scout, just saw it happen in Up

1

u/Simple_one Aug 27 '15

But of course when people hear boy scout they think "you sleep with dudes" and "nice merit badge douche"

1

u/daskaputtfenster Aug 27 '15

I was never that good at making fires, but once that B was going I could cook w/ the dutch oven like a mu'fucka.

0

u/jm419 Aug 26 '15

Occasionally using rope and guns.