brianbuf

Eagledad... Wow, your insights are awesome! I think we agree that the BSA headquarters should be doing focus groups with the kids. We CAN keep the values and update the program to make scouting relevant to the kids today. At a national level, interviewing kids is the best way to make changes that keep them interested, while keeping the values. Scouting should not be about what we like as adult leaders. The kids should always come first. I am not getting much push back from kids, just adults! and Emboy21... whats up? who said anything about Spongebob? How would you change scouting to reverse the alarming drop in enrolment? What are your ideas you would be willing to share, perhaps create a website for all to take cheap shots at? Spongebob, real funny.

You are right on the line in the Gilwell song.. after the first hour I became a little board with it and just sang it by memory as it came out. Went to Woodbadge in the intermountain west about 1 month ago. I was told that "every boy deserves a trained leader" and if I was going to be any good as a leader I had to go. I was asked by the sponsoring organization (a church) to work with the Venture part of the troop but to be the leader as well over all the other adult leaders. So woodbadge was basically required. I feel there was 4 hours of world class training over the 6 days. I had tons of corporate training so there was very little new. Funny thing, not to knock anything, but a staff lady ate dinner with us on night 4 and was talking about some "vangaurd" training or something. I said, oh, how interesting. What is it and how does it differ from Woodbadge. She said it was a bout the same. The danger, of course, is to not forget that scouting is first about the boys, second about what we like. Training is to first help the boys, second for a place for adults to hang out and take the same courses under different names. Just my opinion. (How is that for a fire starter).

Thanks for the (long) replies. Too long to reply to the points. If I did I would miss work it would take too long. Bottom line is what we are doing nationwide is NOT working. One in 20 troops closed up in a single year. "Working the program" is "killing the program." Scouts can be made "cooler" and STILL keep the values! For it to survive, it has to "change". (A woodbadge topic!)

Thanks for visiting my site at www.savescouting.org And thanks for your replies. One father told me he had kids in his troop (one city away) that quite frankly could not afford the uniform and the patches and things. (they could not afford the sports gear either...) He suggested a polo shirt for 10 bucks.. maybe a colored collar to replace the neckerchief, and a sash (which I posted this idea on the website)... the sash could have 50 cent or $1 pins or patches... total cost of a complete uniform with tons of awards would be cheaper than just the $35 the local scout office charges for just the shirt. I ended up buying one on line last time around for half. Anyway, discussion is good.

Wow, what a well thought out reply. I appreciate you taking the time to both read www.savescouting.org and reply. We obviously disagree on a few items, but I think everyone agrees there are steps to attract more kids that can be taken. I do want to comment on just a few of your items Uh, yes, many boys when they reach the age of 15 or so are lost to other interestes: job, cars, girls, etc. This is why the BSA has worked for decades on programs that will appeal to that age bracket, the latest of which is Venturing. As I said, most kids are already gone, mentally at least, by 13 or so. Venturing is great, but why the loss? Most drop out in the mind years before. But if not this, why a 10.9% drop in a single year? We have more trained leaders using the patrol method! Why the drop ... they have always had girls and car distractions... why the drop? "Standing around singing squirrel" Sorry, what do you mean by this? really don't know this one? When you lose something you have to sing this silly song to get your stuff back... heard it in many troops. Take a look at Venturing. "Sitting around a campfire singing nursery rhymes" Sorry, but I don't recall learning ANY of the campfire songs in nursery school. Boy, we must being going to different camps and Woodbadges. That "2nd story window" song.. haven't you hear it... full of nursery ryhme stories... look in the Woodbadge song book. "the window, the window, the 2nd story window..." Personally, I'm not big on sings, but I recall some fun I had AS AN ADULT, singing some of those old songs. Ding ding ding ding... we have a winner! My point is exactly! Except BSA is about the boys, not about us leaders. When we want to keep BSA the same and out of date because WE LEADERS like the program, we will continue to lose boys year after year. My opinion. Then its up to the adults to introduce these characters so the Cub Scouts can understand them. Tossing them out is not the solution. And updating them to recent 'flash in the pan' characters who are do not match up is silly. There are no characters in Ice Age that matches to Akela. Superman has been around and "cool" for 50 plus years. That is not my idea to use him, but just an example. " Uh, that's not how the Gilwell song goes. And you mispelled Gilwell. "Wood badge we spent over 2 hours singing about working our tickets as we can. Again, a reference to 1910 British army transfers." And your point is? This is relavent how? My point is that it is NOT relavent! 2 hours of my time. And sorry about the miss-spelling.. if that is my worse mistake then "trhow me out the window, the window, the 2nd story window"... I was in London a few years ago.. I will make better notes of Gilwell park on my next visit. Neckerchiefs are a traditional scouting item world wide. I don't think so. I spoke to someone who attended the last worldwide Jamboree and some class A's were tie dye t-shirts! And look at the link on my website to the ad about scouting.. showing it "cool" and appealing! Not one single neckerchief that I could see! You can wear mine for me.. and my "turks head" woggle. (I am conservative, anti-9-11, but turks head, come on!) But 'cool merit badges' aren't going to attract & retain kids. My advise is that you really need to rethink your ideas By biggest advise is learn more about scouting, its history, and its traditionals. You seem to have NO respect for any kind of tradition, which is sad. I am huge on tradition, just moved to be within a mile or so of where my 4th great grandfather is buried, one of the first people in this area of the state to settle and be buried here. My roots are deep, and we celebrate pioneer day each year. And I have been in scouting many years, off and on admitedly. Although your response is what I would expect from many, not all, folks on a scouting board. While I do appreciate your comments, take your ideas into consideration, and constantly update my website, I did fail to see one thing in your post. It is this : What would YOU suggest be done differently to grow scouting, not lose 10.9% of venturing in a single year. The same things are not working when 1 out of 20 units completely close down in a single year. What things would YOU post on a website as things that would revitalize scouting? As the new president said, to "make scouting relevant in the lives of boys today" (or something like that). You are long on critism, short on ideas to change and improve scouting. I am all ears, my friend!

when the kids, the 12-15 year old kids, will actually happily wear it to regular things like school. I should say your average 12-15 year old kids. The BSA, before they consider any changes and updates, should do some focus groups with boys so that they can get a uniform that still holds the values yet doesn't make the average kid feel like a geek. See my opinions at www.savescouting.org Brian

I was stunned when I learned that scouting is shrinking. In 2005, 1 year alone, venturing shrunk about 10.9%. This same year the total number of active units shrunk by 5%. One out of 20 closed up. Ouch! One of my woodbadge tickets was to promote growth in scouting via a webpage with my ideas and with some other promotions. Please visit www.savescouting.org thanks. Brian