Hair-Brained Idea du Jour...

[mrkstvns]

I heard that Rainbow Council is thinking about rolling out a program that combines soccer with scouting in the same unit. Instead of scout uniforms, kids wear soccer uniforms. Instead of learning first aid, they learn to roll around on the ground moaning like prima donas.  Here's the story:
https://patch.com/illinois/homerglen-lockport/new-boy-scout-program-will-combine-soccer-scouting

Since Rainbow Council is clearly on the cutting edge of combinatorial youth activities, here are some more ideas for them:

• Combine karate classes with scouting: kids don't need to chop wood to build fires, they can karate chop those logs!  And if woods tools really ARE called for, they can always use a samurai sword in place of a hatchet (but only if the scout has a Totn Chip).
   
• Combine scouting with marching bands.  A bugler playing taps is sooooo "OK Boomer"....let's have 50 kids play reveille with booming bass drums and a few slide trombones!
   
• Modern parents like to make up sorry excuses for not going outdoors, pretending that it's the kids who want to stay inside. So let's combine scouting with therapy sessions!  Yeah!  We'll sit around in a circle, holding hands, spouting all kinds of PC BS about feelings and our own personal self worth while doing absolutely nothing of any value to anybody in society.  Then we'll have a big group hug instead of a flag ceremony.  What fun!

[qwazse]

Something has to fill the vacuum since Risk Management removed dodgeball from the program!

By the way, the next time someone tosses out "OK, Boomer", just reply "That'll be Civil Rights Generation to you, post-modern nomad."

[SSScout]

Not so far fetched.  It all depends (as does so much in Scouting and/or kid's life) on the adults.  

As a Cub,  way back in paleo scout times, our local Scout District (I guess) sponsored a Cub Scout softball league. Packs fielded teams, we got together on local park and school fields, and PLAYED BALL . I was a right fielder and first baseman.  Learned to swing a bat. Earned a arrow point or two thereby, as I remember.  My dad, and the other dads and moms, played coach and umpire and had a real reason to get out in the back yard and "interact" with their kid (me) tossing a ball back and forth, thereby developing hand-eye co-ordination and verbal language skills. Not all of which are repeatable in polite company....

This did not continue into Boy Scouting, but it was fun. 

[Jackdaws]

51 minutes ago, mrkstvns said:

I heard that Rainbow Council is thinking about rolling out a program that combines soccer with scouting in the same unit. Instead of scout uniforms, kids wear soccer uniforms. Instead of learning first aid, they learn to roll around on the ground moaning like prima donas.  Here's the story:
https://patch.com/illinois/homerglen-lockport/new-boy-scout-program-will-combine-soccer-scouting

Since Rainbow Council is clearly on the cutting edge of combinatorial youth activities, here are some more ideas for them:

• Combine karate classes with scouting: kids don't need to chop wood to build fires, they can karate chop those logs!  And if woods tools really ARE called for, they can always use a samurai sword in place of a hatchet (but only if the scout has a Totn Chip).
   
• Combine scouting with marching bands.  A bugler playing taps is sooooo "OK Boomer"....let's have 50 kids play reveille with booming bass drums and a few slide trombones!
   
• Modern parents like to make up sorry excuses for not going outdoors, pretending that it's the kids who want to stay inside. So let's combine scouting with therapy sessions!  Yeah!  We'll sit around in a circle, holding hands, spouting all kinds of PC BS about feelings and our own personal self worth while doing absolutely nothing of any value to anybody in society.  Then we'll have a big group hug instead of a flag ceremony.  What fun!

Oh my this made me laugh out loud at my desk.  

Checked my calendar. Nope not April 1st.  Talk about BSA/council "jumping the shark" if this is true. 

So when are you supposed to go camping for the weekend if you have games on Saturday?  Or a Football game on Friday nights for the marching  band?  Sadly this is where some people have to make hard choices especially as they get older and more involved. Its a shame as sometimes you lose a really good scout.   Just keep everything separate.  

[DuctTape]

In the not so distant past, some councils had community youth soccer/bball groups registered as "scouts". They did no scouting at all, it was just an after school youth sports program. As long as dues were coming in, no one cared. I suppose the number of registered scouts made someone look good too.  It was about 10-20 years ago when it was finally cleaned up.

[Jackdaws]

So bringing back Varsity Scouts then? 

[Jackdaws]

I do think some games between troops maybe fun.   But coordinating that maybe a mess as I pretty much have something going on each weekend as do most of our scouts.  I guess for Cub Scouts it would be a good way to try and earn the summertime pack award.  

[Eagle94-A1]

5 minutes ago, DuctTape said:

In the not so distant past, some councils had community youth soccer/bball groups registered as "scouts". They did no scouting at all, it was just an after school youth sports program. As long as dues were coming in, no one cared. I suppose the number of registered scouts made someone look good too.  It was about 10-20 years ago when it was finally cleaned up.

It was a complete flop. Can't believe someone is going to try it again. 

[walk in the woods]

Boy Scout Drum and Bugle Corps used to be a thing as well, see Madison Scouts.

[dkurtenbach]

BSA's Soccer and Scouting initiative has been around for a while.  The idea was to use soccer to introduce Scouting into the Hispanic community.   A few references:   https://www.mccscouting.org/soccer-scouting ;  https://voiceofscouting.org/developing-confidence-through-the-soccer-and-scouting-program ;  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scoutreach ;  https://scoutingwire.org/creating-opportunities-for-all-children/

[walk in the woods]

1 hour ago, mrkstvns said:

Combine karate classes with scouting: kids don't need to chop wood to build fires, they can karate chop those logs!  And if woods tools really ARE called for, they can always use a samurai sword in place of a hatchet (but only if the scout has a Totn Chip).

Interesting you mention karate.  Some of my parents recently took their Girl Scout Troop to an Martial Arts gym for an outing.  They loved it.  Exercise, good lessons in bullying, when to fightback, etc.  When the parents suggested it to the Cub Pack we had to decline because it was on the no-no-way-too-dangerous-we-don't-want-our-scouts-to-learn-fighting-skills-o-m-g-what-are-you-thinking-list!

 

[MattR]

If marching band is ever combined with scouting I will quietly exit. Sports, at a rec level could actually work. A patrol of soccer players could go look for other patrols in other troops for a pick up game. Or ultimate Frisbee. Or robotics. For those that enjoyed the activity but don't want to go full type A competitive, it could me more fun than a normal meeting. Lots of opportunities to learn useful side skills. How to have fun at a skill you suck at would be great.

[dkurtenbach]

The problem with the Soccer and Scouting idea, in my view, is the notion that you can make Scouting more appealing by watering it down and making it look like something it isn't.  I'd put STEM Scouting in that same category.  Soccer is great, and maybe BSA should get into the soccer business, but don't call it Scouting.  STEM is great, and BSA has gotten into the STEM business, but don't call it Scouting.  

[qwazse]

Injury liability aside ...

I think a soccer clubhouse would be a great meeting place, and I have no problem whatsoever with a bunch of patrols arriving at the pitch, putting on their activity uniform, conditioning, then playing a few quarters, cleaning up, throwing their activity uniform in the wash (under the QM's guidance), donning their field uniform, having their meeting, then getting their game clothes from the dryer and checking them back into their patrol lockers. A meal will have to fit in there somewhere ... but I've ate some of my best dinners at soccer booster concessions (their coffee definitely an improvement over the football/band booster's swill)!

Saturday games? A lot of our fields are near some fine camping locations.

[mrkstvns]

10 minutes ago, dkurtenbach said:

The problem with the Soccer and Scouting idea, in my view, is the notion that you can make Scouting more appealing by watering it down and making it look like something it isn't.  I'd put STEM Scouting in that same category.  Soccer is great, and maybe BSA should get into the soccer business, but don't call it Scouting.  STEM is great, and BSA has gotten into the STEM business, but don't call it Scouting.  

Some STEM is okay....but it needs to avoid conflicts with the core outdoor program. Nothing wrong with a kid being interested in science and going for a Chemistry merit badge and a NOVA award...

Things go wonky when you take it too far. Like BSA did with the stupid "STEM Scout" program.   (Or like *MANY* organizations do by watering down their STEM focus by stacking art on top of it and making it "STEAM" --- talk about a sure-fire way to guarantee that your program will be a failure!)