Does Every Child Have To Be A Scout?

[SSScout]

In my perusal of several ongoing threads, I am struck by the suggestion that every boy/girl HAS to be a Scout, because the program is so good, so uplifting, skills promoting, etc. etc. 

It sounds sometimes as if we are first surprised that someone would WANT to be a Scout (but not abide by the stated requirements), then we turn around and are aghast that anyone would NOT want to be a Scout.

 

Well, which is it?   There are many other places and times in history when the youth of a nation had no choice but to be an XYZ, and follow that "program" , whatever it officially was.  Die Hitler Junge comes to mind.  But here, we are touting the choice of joining Scouts.  

There are lots of good youth programs out there, outside of the "regular" school.  Some parents (we were some) see the regular school as not the optimum learning opportunity for our kids, and home school or private school. There's a choice. Some folks see other programs as a better choice. Just today, I had a long discussion with a mother of now adult children about just that choice.  Four H became their choice, and they went all out there, with good result.  Scouting , in their area, was not a "good choice". I could write paragraphs about her experience with those Packs and Troops, another time.

If we do not provide a good reason for the kid to join (and abide by the rules, even if they are changed),  why are we arguing about the dearth of joinees?   It is, thankfully , a choice.  If the kid does not become a Scout, does not earn Eagle, does not go to Philmont, does not earn 87 Merit Badges, that is , I hope, his (and his parents? ) choice. 

If the QRS Church chooses not to sponsor a Scout unit, so be it.  We go on doing the bestus we can with the volunteers we have, with the boys that choose  to be a Scout. 

 

And with recruiting season (I wish there was a better term. It almost sounds like we get a commission for each new Scout......  Choice season?) upon us, what reasons are we giving those boys to "Be A Scout"?

[qwazse]

Well put.

As I tell my venturers, I offer unique opportunities for you to learn to be comfortable in your own skin.

If they take a pass on the program, I tell them I'm fine with whatever they choose as long as it's not robbing liquor stors to buy drugs.

[SpEdScouter]

Do they "have" to be in Scouting? No. But I feel scouting offers a unique program to learn many skills and make friends. I dont know of any others that emphasizes outdoor activities and camping.

 

When one looks at a particular program whether it be Scouts, sports, various youth clubs and such, there are many out there and each have their good and bad points. And each one is a crapshoot on the quality of the people running them. Boy Scouts are run by volunteers and they are what they are. One town could have an awesome Scout program and a crappy 4H and the other vice versa. I know one town in Missouri where the best program for youth is run thru Parents as Teachers. In other towns I've seen excellent YMCA's. In the next it's the Scouts.

 

You mentioned 4H. Yes 4H can be good for what it is and 4H has many activities that crossover with the scouts like woodworking, health, and animal science.

 

Pleasemdo not let a couple of poor experiences with Scout troops be your guage for the whole program.

[DuctTape]

Agreed. That is the main reason I dont care about market share, or the number of scouts nationally. I do care about shifts in the program away from the outdoors which makes scouts unique. What is called Scoutcraft; boys learning to do things for themselves. That WAS the mission.

[Stosh]

As a scout leader, I create opportunities for young boys to figure out what it means to be a young man.  The outdoor stuff is just the frosting on the cake.  As a youth I had a fairly poor experience in scouting which I maintain was the poor quality of adult leadership.  If it wasn't for the outdoor part of scouting back then I wouldn't have stayed as long as I did.

 

No not everyone needs to be a scout. There are still adults out there that do very well in the maturity development of their children.  However, not everyone falls into that category and could use supplementary help.  And then there are those parents ... well, we won't go into that.

 

As one who has been camping, boating, hiking, hunting, fishing and enjoying nature for over 60 years, I find it difficult to think that today's culture in America is missing a tremendous opportunity along the way.  Adults work hard at keeping nature at bay.  We have furnaces and A/C, screen doors and windows, and waterproof homes to protect us from the Great Outdoors.  An insect, mouse or snake inside that protective barrier is cause for great concern in the extreme.  Exterminators are called in to poison and remove them.  No such thing as LNT here.  There's no leeway here.  Nature, except for maybe some decorative household plant needs to be kept away from one's personal domain.

 

If it wasn't for the many years as a scouter, I have no idea how I would have survived my office cubicle years.  Had I known back then what I know now, things would have been even better.  So, the next generation should have at least some opportunity to know that.

 

It's kinda like the Head Start program for small children, giving them a "head's up" when it comes to education in school.  I think that the outdoors part of scouting and the independence it offers gives young boys a "head's up" when it comes to the physical, emotional, and spiritual life in general.

 

But everyone has a choice.and those choices make the path for each individual to follow through life. Some of the opportunities along the way make things harder for that growth and some things make it easier.  Scouting is one of those things that can make it easier if done correctly.

[resqman]

Scouting is a good program.  Each scout gets a slightly different application of the program based on his troop.  Is it the best program for all lads?  Not sure.

 

I have two sons.  One an athlete and one a scout.  Sports served the one son well.  He needed the constant physical outlet and the challenge of competing against others, both on his team and other teams. The numerous practices and games took up much of his time and gave him a sense of purpose.  Sports did teach him some basic respect to others.  Sports goal is different from scouting.  It is not to develop citizenship or personal leadership.   After playing sports for almost a decade at a high level including travel teams with paid coaches, he decided to try scouting at age 15.  He continued to play sports and somehow weave scouting into a rather full schedule.  Through scouts he had to learn about how to fold a flag, basic first aid skills, and introduced to a number of citizenship ideas.  Scouting gave him a wider base of knowledge about the world but could not give him everything he needed in an afterschool hobby.  Scouting helped refine him but it was not the best activity for him. 

 

The other son started as a cub scout and stayed in the program until he aged out.  It was a really great program for him. It met his needs intellectually and physically.  It gave him a purpose and something to excel at.  He attended all three national high adventure bases, held leader positions in his troop, and is a superior outdoorsman.  Around age 15, some of his school buddies talked him into working out with them at the school weight room.  Turns out they all were on the high school football team. He made the school team and played a season.  Being a member of a sports team gave him a wider base of knowledge about the world but could not give him everything he needed in an afterschool hobby. Sports helped refine him but it was not the best activity for him.

 

I have seen first hand where scouting is a good program for some boys and a great program for others.  I have seen where they thrived in one troop and struggled in another.  I have seen boys who left the program because it could not offer then what they needed.  Does every child have to be a scout?  No.  But I do think that all children would gain something from being in the program even for a short while. 

[NealOnWheels]

As a Scoutmaster I have actually twice talk to parents about their son's who clearly did not want to be Scouts.  They were miserable.  It was just not for them.  In one instance the parents allowed their son to quit.  The other parents made their son stay.  So no, not every child should be a Scout.

[skeptic]

Can we say "Captain Obvious"?

[packsaddle]

Interesting topic and timely. I've been interacting with my grandchildren, the first just coming into the Cub Scout age. They have looked around their area and considered the CS program. The father is an Eagle Scout. But the programs seem to be something they are just not interested in and the local community has a strong youth program itself, not affiliated with any organization, church,...anything. They have decided to go what what they know and like.

I asked about the kinds of things scouting is advertised as promoting: character, good citizenship, etc. Their response was something on the order of: "That's what we are already. This family doesn't need some external program to do that."

 

I can't find a flaw in their logic. So, this probably means I'll be helping with that program and withdrawing from the unit I'm with. Interesting...how these things turn out. The ultimate in local option. Guess this is goodbye.

[mattman578]

No scouting is not for every boy and girl there are other opportunities out there for them to learn the same skills.  My son on the other hand needs to be in scouts he is High Functioning Autistic and it really helps him to meet other kids and play with other kids.  The scouting promise and values help the leadership of the pack to reinforce why they should not make fun of him or tease him and try to include him.  Scouts are the only ones who invite him to birthday parties or say him to him when they see him in public. It has really helped him in so many ways that I can not count.  That was the inspiration for me to become a leader to insure there was a good quality program for my son.  And to make sure my son does not become a burden on the pack I am leadership so I am always there !!!   

[SeattlePioneer]

<<Does Every Child Have To Be A Scout?>>

 

 

 

No.

 

 

As a District Membership Chair for eight years I considered what my job was.

 

 

I decided that my goal should be to see to it that every boy of suitable age was offered the opportunity to become a Scout.

 

Whether they accepted that invitation was up to the boy,  his parents and family.

 

Of course,  in practice I was never able to invite all those boys to become Scouts,  but in Cub Scouts we "Do Our Best."

[gumbymaster]

I encouraged my son to do Scouting because I knew that it would

1. Provide him with opportunities and access to explore interests that we would not do as a family.

2. If would encourage the family to turn off the TV and get out of the house as we helped run and/or participated in the activities (cub Scouts).

3. When I was asked to be Cubmaster, I had a sit down with my Son... up until that time, Scouting had been entirely his choice.

I let him know, that If I agreed to be Cub Master, each year that I did so, he did not have the choice to outright quit at least until the end of the year when the next leadership turnover happened.  Did he still want me to take on the job ... yes.

 

While there were some close calls at times, he earned his AOL.

 

As a Webelos, he visited with several troops.  As it came time for a decision, I reminded him of how much our whole family had changed as a result of his being in Cub Scouts.  I reminded him that his selection of a Troop would likely have a similar effect on the whole family going forward; but that it was his choice to make (which one, if any).

 

Honestly, I would not have chosen the one he did - my Scouting experience was different - but it is the Scouting experience that does seem to best fit his needs.

 

Scouting will not be the best fit for every child; even looking at different Troops, that child may not find a fit to their needs; but Scouting is an underutilized resource to expose Boys (and Girls) to activities and interests they may have otherwise missed.  Even if Scouting only lasted until those other interests were discovered, I would consider it a success.

[David CO]

No.  Many families can't afford it.

[Stosh]

No.  Many families can't afford it.

 

@@David CO  to a certain extent you are correct, but one must realize that there are some troops out there that do nice trips, work extra hard on fundraisers, keep finances under control, exist in a depressed area of town and still offer a good program for some financially less fortunate kids.  Yes, we are in hand-me-down uniforms, but they are in full uniform and make the best of it.  So far fundraising has been successful enough that any boy wanting to go to summer camp pays $50 for the week.  Doesn't sound like much, but for a couple of our families that's a stretch.  I have participated in more affluent troops and while the trips were better, equipment was better, the program wasn't.

[blw2]

I think in theory that it's a great program that almost every boy would get something good out of.  Some more than others of course, but I think almost all would get something good.

 

In practice though, I think there's far to much hit and miss between units, and even within units.  In some cases the misses serve to make the program a negative or neutral, instead of the "hit" that it wants to be.

It just not clearly defined enough that with the differing interest and effort levels of scouters, some programs suffer so it certainly isn't for everyone.  If a boy doesn't have a good unit in his areas, then how can it be?

 

Beyond that, the outdoor method is also something that a few boys just will not enjoy, no matter how well its done.

 

I'm not so sure about the girl side.... my daughter is relatively new with the GSUSA program, and since I'm not a girl have not been all that involved.