School Superintendent's Take on Scouting's Purpose

[LeCastor]

I attended a fundraiser on Saturday where the keynote speaker was the superintendent of the Beloit (Wisconsin) School District, Steve McNeal. He said that, while he was never a Scout, he has seen the obvious good that Scouting can do in his community. His main point was that with school-life as one component and Scouting-life as another, teachers and Scouters can ultimately help lead our youth to a better future. Schools can't do it all, he says, but with Scouting our kids have a chance to succeed.

 

McNeal closed with a pretty interesting statement. As a superintendent who works for the education of young people, he says he can never say no to children. So his advice to Scouters was to set up an appointment with him and make sure to bring some Scouts along to the meeting to tell him what Scouting has done for them. I think this is a pretty good idea. If you can secure that meeting and bring a few Scouts with you, the meeting has a higher chance of being successful and allowing future recruitment in the school system.

 

​Have any of you tried this approach when attempting to recruit within the school system?

 

​LeCastor

[JasonG172]

We have never had any issues with calling up the district (school) and letting them know when "buzz up" is so that we can come to the school. I would like to know the trend else where

[Horizon]

We have a great relationship with our local elementary schools. We run the Patriot Day events every Fall, clean up after school carnivals, etc. Huge support from the Principal.

[LeCastor]

Personally, I have approached the principal at our local middle school three times and have been given the cold shoulder at each meeting. My approach has always been casual--no uniform since I was there after work to cast my ballot at the polling place--and I've asked for a brief follow-up meeting. "I'm too busy" is the standard response I get. Perhaps if I brought some of his students to him in uniform and asked to meet he'd have a different response?

[JasonG172]

My conversation started with mine by asking why was the janitor putting up the flag and not my scouts.

[TAHAWK]

My former troop is in a suburb known for its political leanings, commonly called "liberal." Nevertheless, the SM was the president of the NEA local, and got us into schools for recruiting. We did get accosted on the street more than once when doing service projects in uniform by people accusing us of being fascists or, at least, paramilitary. It was a great learning experience for the Scouts about hostility towards diversity.

[Tampa Turtle]

My former troop is in a suburb known for its political leanings' date=' commonly called "liberal." Nevertheless, the SM was the president of the NEA local, and got us into schools for recruiting. We did get accosted on the street more than once when doing service projects in uniform by people accusing us of being fascists or, at least, paramilitary. It was a great learning experience for the Scouts about hostility towards diversity.[/quote']

 

Occasionally we have been accosted as well but the 'attaboys' probably outnumber the criticism about 5 to 1. My last Elementary principal balked but we did ask their policy regarding all the other groups at the school and they backed down. Since then the Pack has a heavy visibility at that (public) school. Lots of flag ceremonies, uniform days, and heavy beautification projects. A lot of parents were cops, firemen, and military.

 

That said a mile away we had a (female) principal who blocked us having a Pack there (though there were Girl Scouts and a Church group) because "Boys are a lot of extra trouble"! She eventually relented to allowing us to have a round-up once a year for the pack at the other school. That school had a heavy contingent of lawyers, just saying,