Keeping Older Scouts and Training them.

[flyingember]

Now, although the most important part of membership is keeping the 1st years, I'd argue that the second is keeping new 18 year olds.

 

I'm 21 and have been active since I turned 18 (I'm more active at 18 than I was at 13). I was youth prot trained at 18 (I need to renew that here soon), am merit badge trained, and am leader trained. I served a full summer on camp staff at 18 and a partial summer at 19.

 

I am registered with two troops (one at college and one with my home troop, same council conveniently) and have attended camp with both the past two summers. (19 and 20)

 

I am unfortuantly in the minority and both troops I'm in make use of 18 yr old+ (we have 10+ registered for camp with my home troop).

 

What can be done to keep more 18 year olds active and make them feel useful? I feel that a troop that has leaders and scouts of all ages can provide a much better program, will have better publicity, and draw in more scouts than one with the under 14 heavy basis I've seen nationwide. its not the scoutmaster that keeps older scouts in, but young leaders close to them. how many 16 year olds that feel better around an 18 year old more so than a 14 year old do you know?

The scout who sees something for them once they turn 18 is more likely to stay and 16 and 17 in my opinion.(This message has been edited by flyingember)

[Bob White]

I guess I see it a little differently in that making sure you have a good scouting experience as a scout is my responsibility as a leader. Selecting and approving troop leaders is the responsibility of the Chartering Organization.

 

Not every 18 year old who leaves the program due to age is ready to be an adult leader. If an 18 year old would like to serve the community as an Assistant Scoutmaster then they need to be assessed the same as anyone that wants to be a scout leader. Certainly the outdoor skills and leadership skills he learned as a scout are important. But the role of the Assistant scoutmaster is more thatn just being a old boy scout.

 

Since you have attended leadership training you understand tha scouting from the adult leader perspective is much different than from the boy's perspective.

 

I really have never considered the age of the assistant to be a benefit or a hinderence. I am only interested in their ability to carry out the adult responsibilities and methods of scouting. So in my mind if an 18 year old is qualified to be an assistant then I would hope the troop would recruit him, but I would not assume that he is ready for that role simply because of his leaving the youth program.

 

Bob White

 

 

[Eagledad]

Hi All

One suggestion I give to leaders of new troops is; if the adults expect the scouts to grow in their program, then the adults must grow even more so they don't limit the scouts opportunities. I have found that to be the major cause of weak older scout programs.

 

I have had JASMs that were better leaders then some of the adults. When it comes to running a boy run troop, the only factor that gives the 55 year old the right to be the scoutmaster of the 17 year old scout is wisdom carved out by the hard experiences of life. Other than that, the 17 year old could be a scoutmaster.

 

To the day we die, we require responsibilities that challenge our maturity and experiences for continued growth. The 18 year old leader deserves those same expectations, no less, no more. Troops with successful older scout programs usually treat those scouts as adults. A troop should feel honored to have an 18 year old man apply for an adult position.

 

Barry