Reaching Millennials: BSA's Answer Will Cost You...

[Krampus]

It appears BSA has come up with an answer as how to engage the Millennial Generation of parents in Scouting. However, rather than make it in to a module that you can take online, or build effective modules that can be taught locally, you'll have to pony up over $500 to get the answer at the PTC.

 

With the issue of parent recruitment and training so key to the recruitment and retention of members in general, one would think this would be something so important that BSA would seek to make it so readily available (and swiftly implemented back at the unit) that you wouldn't have to fork over $500 bills to get the answer. Man, if I'm going to Philmont and paying THAT much money, I'm on the trail....not in a conference room.

 

More info here: http://blog.scoutingmagazine.org/2016/03/21/engaging-millennials-parents-in-scouting/

Edited March 21, 2016 by Krampus

[DuctTape]

Agreed. Enough with the indoor classroom scouting. If this is how adults are trained at the council or district level, it is no wonder why the adults do the same at the troop level.

[desertrat77]

I agree Krampus.   If I'm going to Philmont, the trail/trek is priority 1.   Sitting in a conference room at Philmont seems cruel and unusual.

 

So...500 bucks to learn about Millennials?    Seems kind of steep.   It occurs to me that the scouters of this forum already work with Millennials.   And raise Millennial offspring.  And are Millennials themselves.  Perhaps we can pass along a few tips and save folks some money?

 

Here are a few of my own:

1.  Millennials tend to believe that if it can't be accessed on a smart phone, it doesn't exist.

2.  Email is old fashioned and to be shunned.

3.  Answering a phone call and talking to another human is old fashioned as well, and something to be avoided.

 

So I'm kidding around...kind of...but seriously, is this training even necessary?   Is the communication gap between the old timers and the new parents that large where a pricey training session is needed?

 

PS   I concur--make it free, put it on line, if it's truly that important.

PSS   The key is a) old timers learning to adapt to new ideas and practices (technology) and b) Millennials seeing the value of legacy ideas/systems (ie returning phone calls) and incorporating them into their business habits.

Edited March 21, 2016 by desertrat77

[Stosh]

BACK WHEN I WAS A KID.......

 

Okay, yes, I just picked up the phone and talked to the operator and told her who I wanted to talk to and BINGO they were on the line.

 

It was right about then my mother taught me a neat trick about phones.  Remember, this was before SmartPhones, before cell phones, before answering machines, Ya know, back when the only phone in the house hung on the kitchen wall.  Well people tried to contact you and you weren't home, or outside playing, or just wasn't anyone there to 'take the call".  So. it rang until it quit and,  now here's the secret people.... IF IT WAS IMPORTANT THEY WOULD CALL BACK LATER.  Then they came out with answering machines, and people would leave beepy messages.... BUT IF IT WAS IMPORTANT THEY WOULD CALL BACK LATER. 

 

So, here's how it works with Mr. Stosh. You call him and talk with him.  If he doesn't answer, and it's important you call back later.  If you leave a message and it's important CALL back later.  If you leave a text and if it's important you CALL back later.  You can leave an email or a electronic IM, but if it's important you dial the phone and CALL BACK LATER.  The secret behind this unique phenomena is actually talking to the person on the phone, Don't talk to their answering machine, not their cell phone, not their computer, but to actually talk to the person.... especially if it's important. 

 

If this is too complicated, or too much effort, let's both agree then that whatever you had to say couldn't have been all that important.    Welcome to the 1950's when people actually talked to each other,   Sometimes they even did it face-to-face.  It was actually quite enjoyable.

[MattR]

This is not the first time I've heard of differences between Philmont training and national training. My guess is there's something going on between Philmont and those that do training at national. As in, Philmont likes making training (and quite possibly the money that comes with it) and national could care less so they both go their own ways. I talked to someone a long time ago about better understanding how to get the patrol method going and how hard it was to find any useful training and they said Philmont has this great course. I said if it's so great, why is it limited to Philmont and why does it cost so much? No response.

[Eagledad]

I'm not sure exactly what answer everyone is looking for, but Philmont training is typically developed for the volunteers, and they used to encourage the whole family to go as a vacation. I had a friend who grew up going to Philmont every summer with her whole family while dad trained and instructed. Imagine a camp where the family camped in tents and played boy scout in the outdoors for a week or two. It's really a great family vacation. Plenty to do in the outdoors and I think she said they also have planned programs for the kids and spouses as well. I was asked to teach a course once, but I couldn't make it work in my schedule.

 

Barry

[Krampus]

@@Eagledad, I am sure that's what PTC is doing. But you are going to have a hard time selling this course to the average Scouter. The cost is high, the time commitment is high and the return would likely be low. Not only are you losing $530 bucks (not including transportation) but your vacation time as well.

 

There's no syllabus up yet which usually means the 6 days of PowerPoint are not done yet. Their audience is stated to be "Aimed at all adult leaders involved in Cub Scouting as well as commissioners." Good luck. It is hard enough to get CS leader to take the free, online training modules let alone spend their money and hard-earned vacation time to get trained.

 

If it's anything like my district's training on how to recruit in the Asian community, it will be unproductive. The basic gist? "Recruit more Asians!"   Now why didn't we think of that?

[desertrat77]

Back in the olde fashioned days, I don't recall training for the WWII generation on "How to Deal with Boomers."   If I'm wrong, please correct me.    We boomers listened to the old timers, did it their way, and as time passed and experience grew, put our own spin on things.   Without disrespecting the old timers nor abandoning the essentials of their message/process/system/values.

 

The more I think about this, the more I'm convinced this training is a solution in search of a problem.   And as the father of Millennial children, I fondly assert that the training is further proof of Millennial "Special Snowflake Status." :)

[qwazse]

Well, at least with a thousand year title, there will be time enough for the material to trickle down to the rank and file.

[Krampus]

Back in the olde fashioned days, I don't recall training for the WWII generation on "How to Deal with Boomers."   If I'm wrong, please correct me.    We boomers listened to the old timers, did it their way, and as time passed and experience grew, put our own spin on things.   Without disrespecting the old timers nor abandoning the essentials of their message/process/system/values.

 

The more I think about this, the more I'm convinced this training is a solution in search of a problem.   And as the father of Millennial children, I fondly assert that the training is further proof of Millennial "Special Snowflake Status." :)

Nothing more to add...

 

[Stosh]

“The children now love luxury. They have bad manners, contempt for authority; they show disrespect for elders and love chatter in place of exercise.â€

― Socrates

 

This is all one needs to know about kids today.  One doesn't have to travel half way across the country or half way around the world to be taught what others have known all along.

[Krampus]

 

“The children now love luxury. They have bad manners, contempt for authority; they show disrespect for elders and love chatter in place of exercise.â€

― Socrates

 

This is all one needs to know about kids today.  One doesn't have to travel half way across the country or half way around the world to be taught what others have known all along.

 

 

ROFL....yeah, the "accommodation" of kids over the last 20 years is astounding.

 

My kid's teacher sent an email saying my daughter was several weeks late with an assignment and, if she didn't get it in soon, it would be a zero. I asked, "When was it due?" She said, "January 13th." I said, "Mark it a zero and she will learn to get it in on time next time."

 

The teacher's reply? "But I want to give her every chance possible!"

 

My reply? "She hasn't missed a day of school since the New Year. She's had 2.5 months. That's PLENTY of chances. Mark it a zero please."

 

Ya just have to shake your head some times.

Edited March 22, 2016 by Krampus

[qwazse]

This is not about the kids. (Who knows what clever name some sociologist will pen in an attempt to distinguish them from their 'rents?)

 

This is about parents born into a particular culture (use my term, "post-modern nomadic", free of charge )  the tools of which they have refined and mastered to the point that physical presence and constancy is a secondary experience? E.g., why help kids make friends of their neighbors when you can just as easily arrange out-of-the-box friendships online or a mere car ride away?

 

What will it take for you to convince them that their children, setting aside those tools for a weekend, will grow healthier in our care?

Edited March 22, 2016 by qwazse

[Krampus]

This is not about the kids. (Who knows what clever name some sociologist will pen in an attempt to distinguish them from their 'rents?)

 

This is about parents born into a particular culture (use my term, "post-modern nomadic", free of charge )  the tools of which they have refined and mastered to the point that physical presence and constancy is a secondary experience? E.g., why help kids make friends of their neighbors when you can just as easily arrange out-of-the-box friendships online or a mere car ride away?

 

What will it take for you to convince them that their children, setting aside those tools for a weekend, will grow healthier in our care?

 

Correct it is about parents. But @@desertrat77 point is well taken. Our parents did not adjust their styles to communicate with us. As we grew older WE joined society. Twenty plus years of PC-Gone-Wild has left us with a generation that wants to be catered to, and now their children want the same.

 

Thankfully I have hope for this next generation. I overheard a Scout this weekend reply to the question as to why his dad didn't come camping: "My dad's lazy. He works all week and then watches sports all weekend. He wouldn't last a minute out here."

 

Go figure.

[NJCubScouter]

 

“The children now love luxury. They have bad manners, contempt for authority; they show disrespect for elders and love chatter in place of exercise.â€

― Socrates

 

This is all one needs to know about kids today. 

 

 

Today?  I don't think Socrates was talking about today.  And I know you didn't mean he was, but it sort of highlights a point I make whenever we get into these generational discussions:  EVERY generation (probably since Socrates) has taken a dim view of the antics of the next generation.  "These kids today" - it's not a new saying.  My parents' "generation" said it about mine - and Stosh, you are in the same "generation" as me, if you put any stock in these generational labels, which I really don't.  So that's another point, I guess:  Millennial (which to me is still Gen Y), Gen X, and so on are just labels created by media and marketing gurus.  Nobody can even agree on what the dividing lines are.   And what does it all mean anyway?  After all, by most definitions, my children are an X and 2 Y's - but to me, they are all the same generation, that being the generation of my family after me.