Hello from Columbus

[scoutmaster759]

I am a newly minted Scoutmaster working on building a troop in an urban area predominantly split between a low income neighborhood and a high income neighborhood and working through Scouts to make a neighborhood a community.

[RememberSchiff]

@scoutmaster759 welcome to scouter.com 

[qwazse]

@scoutmaster759, welcome to the forums and thanks in advance all you'll do for the youth.

[Sentinel947]

@scoutmaster759 Welcome to good luck to you!

[scoutmaster759]

Thanks all - I am looking for insights anyone might be able to share working with urban poor youth.  My unit is located in a regentrifying neighborhood - if you are north on one side of a street - $650k home if you are south of that same street $100k homes (if that much).  There is a big discrepancy there and the urban affluent are just having kids and the urban poor have younger and older kids.  Any insights on how to approach an 11 year old boy about joining Scouts?  It's a tough putt... I often see this kids without their parents, had one boy join Scouts and his mom signed him right up.  I said I look forward to meeting your family. A campout came out and the mom had no idea she signed him up for Boy Scouts (despite the application saying Boy Scouts of America, that sometimes gives it away).  He has not been back.  I troll a neighborhood community center and the boys seem to have interest but their parents are never around to understand what the boys might be getting into.  I have met some really great kids who were enthused about adventuring, camping, hiking, canoeing, but worried that when it comes to Merit Badges the enthusiasm drops.

Any thoughts you have would be greatly appreciated and thanks for the warm welcome!

[David CO]

2 hours ago, scoutmaster759 said:

I have met some really great kids who were enthused about adventuring, camping, hiking, canoeing, but worried that when it comes to Merit Badges the enthusiasm drops.

 

There is a very simple answer for that. They don't have do merit badges if they don't want to. The advancement program is completely voluntary. 

[MattR]

Wow, that's a big challenge. Good for you.

1 hour ago, scoutmaster759 said:

Any insights on how to approach an 11 year old boy about joining Scouts?

Words to an 11 year old aren't nearly as powerful as actions. Don't spend too much time talking. Rather, have an activity. Set up something in a park. Bring gear to look at. Have a slide show of trips you've been on.

 

5 hours ago, scoutmaster759 said:

 I have met some really great kids who were enthused about adventuring, camping, hiking, canoeing, but worried that when it comes to Merit Badges the enthusiasm drops.

If they're enthused about adventure and camping then you have something much more important than merit badges. If they're having fun then they'll stick around and learn what we want to teach them. That's the goal. With that said, you can make the merit badges part of the fun and adventure. Do a bunch of fun stuff and then tell them what they've completed and what's left to do to get the MB. A few will take you up on the offer. Then, at the court of honor, award the merit badge to the scout in front of the entire troop and tell him he did a great job. That can be more motivational than you talking about how important a MB is.

With regard to the wealthier families and the poorer families, it's important to treat all the scouts the same. In this case some scouts need to earn the money. So make all the scouts earn the money that's spent. It would be a great lesson for all.

Best of luck and keep us informed.

[scoutmaster759]

10 hours ago, MattR said:

Wow, that's a big challenge. Good for you.

Words to an 11 year old aren't nearly as powerful as actions. Don't spend too much time talking. Rather, have an activity. Set up something in a park. Bring gear to look at. Have a slide show of trips you've been on.

 

If they're enthused about adventure and camping then you have something much more important than merit badges. If they're having fun then they'll stick around and learn what we want to teach them. That's the goal. With that said, you can make the merit badges part of the fun and adventure. Do a bunch of fun stuff and then tell them what they've completed and what's left to do to get the MB. A few will take you up on the offer. Then, at the court of honor, award the merit badge to the scout in front of the entire troop and tell him he did a great job. That can be more motivational than you talking about how important a MB is.

With regard to the wealthier families and the poorer families, it's important to treat all the scouts the same. In this case some scouts need to earn the money. So make all the scouts earn the money that's spent. It would be a great lesson for all.

Best of luck and keep us informed.

We were preparing for a campout and I had a couple of Scouts load up a backpack with all of the gear we were taking with us.  We went to the community center where we based the unit and as we walked in with the backpack a small crowd of kids followed us in wondering what we were doing.  We sat down and showed them how to pack clothing, rolling it up, a first aid kit, water and the importance of water when hiking and camping.  They stayed through the entire meeting.  We are going to build a slide show and we will have a lot more chances to get their attention this summer.  We based our unit at a community recreation center on purpose, because we knew the kids we wanted to reach out to were there.  Now it's just getting them to convert.  I was talking with my DE about inviting kids along on a campout without them being enrolled and were working through the issues of insurance, etc.  They kind of frowned on it but the BSA has not been very successful in working in poor urban communities and doesn't alway get outside the box.

We just had our first mulch sale and it covered the full costs of the boys going to summer camp so that's a hit.  We talk to the kids and tell them that we can manage costs with fundraising and that they get to meet people in the community which is fun too.  I will keep plying away at this one.  I had one family ask me if I would be around for their son through the entire journey and I told them that I cannot guarantee anything but had no plans for leaving.  Have lived in this community for 20 years and hoping to bring pride to community with the presence of Scouting and kids achieving and moving forward and taking on the adventures.

Thanks for the ideas and support!

 

[scoutmaster759]

13 hours ago, David CO said:

There is a very simple answer for that. They don't have do merit badges if they don't want to. The advancement program is completely voluntary. 

You know what.. that's a very good point.  I know kids who have been in Scouts because they like to camp and have fun.  I think if they get into Scouts and camp with us and have fun I can convince them that the badges are being completed just by having fun and that a bigger goal can do a lot of good for them in their lives.

[qwazse]

1 hour ago, scoutmaster759 said:

...  I had one family ask me if I would be around for their son through the entire journey and I told them that I cannot guarantee anything but had no plans for leaving.  Have lived in this community for 20 years and hoping to bring pride to community with the presence of Scouting and kids achieving and moving forward and taking on the adventures. ...

This is the kind of family you want to come back to when your scouts start wanting to earn merit badges. Does the father or mother have a job or hobby that would allow them to serve as a MB counselor, or maybe they can comprise your committee? Your pitch would be "You asked me if I would be around for your boy. Now I'm asking, will you be around for our scouts?"

[prof]

Welcome to the campfire!!!!!

[scoutmaster759]

2 hours ago, qwazse said:

This is the kind of family you want to come back to when your scouts start wanting to earn merit badges. Does the father or mother have a job or hobby that would allow them to serve as a MB counselor, or maybe they can comprise your committee? Your pitch would be "You asked me if I would be around for your boy. Now I'm asking, will you be around for our scouts?"

That is well said - "Will you be around for our Scouts"  My two sons are in the Boy Scout troop but the oldest will age out next year and the youngest struggles at times but the unit is being built for the community, not just for us.  I keep telling parents that they should "own it" and they will get more from it.  Lack of parent involvement is an issue in the urban setting with single family parent and 3 kids or more.

[scoutmaster759]

2 hours ago, prof said:

Welcome to the campfire!!!!!

Ha - I took the Scouts to Mohican State Park this weekend and as seems to be par for the course with every campout in the last 7 years - it rained, hard.  So the Scout skills changed from planning for a hike with a significant rise to starting a fire in the rain.  All sorts of fire starters - none of them worked.  So the old man (me) said, "Boys, you're not building this thee right way.  You need a tepee shape and the right starter"  So of course in my backpack I have three small sticks of "pipestone" wood.  I put my twigs together, kindling and the pipestone and then arrange all of the wood for easy access and staying dry under a tarp.  Three strikes on flint with steel and a pocket of lint and the fire took off.  You would think I was Harry Potter....  campfire.  I think the boys now know two things: "pipestone" is common around us - use it and the tepee is the fastest way to go.

[mashmaster]

Welcome from Austin, Texas

[SSScout]

On 4/22/2019 at 1:40 PM, scoutmaster759 said:

Ha - I took the Scouts to Mohican State Park this weekend and as seems to be par for the course with every campout in the last 7 years - it rained, hard.  So the Scout skills changed from planning for a hike with a significant rise to starting a fire in the rain.  All sorts of fire starters - none of them worked.  So the old man (me) said, "Boys, you're not building this thee right way.  You need a tepee shape and the right starter"  So of course in my backpack I have three small sticks of "pipestone" wood.  I put my twigs together, kindling and the pipestone and then arrange all of the wood for easy access and staying dry under a tarp.  Three strikes on flint with steel and a pocket of lint and the fire took off.  You would think I was Harry Potter....  campfire.  I think the boys now know two things: "pipestone" is common around us - use it and the tepee is the fastest way to go.

That is exactly what's needed.  Forget the advanced "Advancement" of Merit Badges. They can come later.  Work with the parents you have, do not make it all on yourself, but with your obvious enthusiasm and experience, it will work.

Get the kids out and about. Train the older, most enthusiastic  ones, make them your SPL and PLs and instructors.  One Scout invites another...   Give them the opportunities. As they get on, and read the Scout Manual, the advanced advancements will come.    Try and view the videos (available online and in DVD)

" Troop 491, the Muddy Lions,"   https://www.troop491-movie.com/    and "  759 the Boy Scouts of Harlem "    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/759:_Boy_Scouts_of_Harlem   for ideas and inspiration.  

Good Scouting to you, see you on the trail....