Family Camping focus - Jan/Feb Scouting Magazine

[Jameson76]

Wow - I guess the new focus is officially FAMILY CAMPING if you look at Scouting Magazine

• The cover is all about Family Camping
• Note from the CSE is Family Camping at Philmont (gotta pay the new mortgage I guess)
• Commissioners Corner is Family Camping
• Some article about Madcap Family (not sure if it's Scouting related)
• MB article on (you guessed it) Family Life (Hey...we should all go camping!!)
• Main FAMILY TIME article (6 pages)

So I guess that's where we're heading....

Edited December 20, 2019 by Jameson76

[Eagle94-A1]

To paraphrase the late Princess Leia Organa Solo,

The more National focuses on family camping, the more Scouts will slip through their fingers

 

Edited December 20, 2019 by Eagle94-A1

[TMSM]

What happened to the focus on outdoors and individual accomplishments? I see family camping more as a Cub Scouts thing.

[Eagledad]

9 minutes ago, TMSM said:

What happened to the focus on outdoors and individual accomplishments? I see family camping more as a Cub Scouts thing.

More money in family camping. 

[ParkMan]

I've not seen this month's issue yet - so I'm hesitant to comment too much.

I do not mind a reminder that there is a role for families in Scouting.  But I fear that either:

• national continues to misunderstand the cause/effect relationship here. 
• national understands it, but is confusing the volunteers with the terminology

Some slick messaging around families will not get families to participate.  Great programming will get families to participate.

[desertrat77]

I'm sure there is calculated risk management afoot on National's part.  Less legal risk for the BSA if mom/dad/guardian are/is present somewhere in the vicinity and Johnny/Suzy Scout gets hurt. 

Plus, for decades, the BSA has downplayed outdoor adventure and the patrol method.  This is the unfortunate result of consistently recruiting pros and vols that have zero interest in such things.  The ISP promoters of '72 are finally realizing their "dream."

It's all part of National's big push to turn the BSA into One Big Tiger Cub Den.  

Edited December 20, 2019 by desertrat77

[Jameson76]

2 hours ago, Eagle94-A1 said:

To paraphrase the late Princess Leia Organa Solo,

The more National focuses on family camping, the more Scouts will slip through their fingers

 

Oh yeah - National sees this as the great untapped masses, sadly that is NOT what draws youth to Scouting

2 hours ago, TMSM said:

What happened to the focus on outdoors and individual accomplishments? I see family camping more as a Cub Scouts thing.

I would agree.  Most Scouts and teenagers will tell you that one of the great things about Scouts BSA is they get away from Mom and Dad

2 hours ago, Eagledad said:

More money in family camping. 

That which can be monetized will be prioritized

2 hours ago, ParkMan said:

Some slick messaging around families will not get families to participate.  Great programming will get families to participate.

That is so true, a family can definitely go camping without the BSA, that will be a lesson learned no doubt

36 minutes ago, desertrat77 said:

It's all part of National's big push to turn the BSA into One Big Tiger Cub Den.  

Sadly we are seeing that in many Webelos and their families crossing over.  We talk patrols, boy led, individual pace; and they want advancement outing, focus on keeping all at the same pace, and making sure all Scouts are monitored at all times.  Basically how can they win / finish at Scouts and then go to the next thing. 

[scoutldr]

The End is near.

[SSScout]

 

[skeptic]

I frankly am confused by the response by so many on here.  I was at PTC in June and actually spoke with the National Commissioner and her husband, and their grandkids.  Granted, it was the NC, but the kids were seriously excited and looked forward to returning.  I spoke with another family with younger kids, and they too were excited about going beyond the family level.  Yes, you can do "family" camping on your own, but far too many do not.  Give them a bit of an entry with a few easy introductions, and suddenly we may have more enthusiasm and interest.  They are looking to put the outing back into scouting, and when they do, they open a door to a more adventurous level.  Surely, some will never get beyond the training wheels, but others will do that family hike and see options

far more challenging, both kids and parents.  

What is it about the constant naysayers, especially when they have not even had any real involvement with the new option?  For years we have struggled to keep kids in the program while combatting family overlap.  Now, they are offering a more structured window to this, and it is a window, and many are knocking it.  Get over your attitudes and find ways to extend the program with a little nudge after this easier intro.  

 

Edited December 21, 2019 by skeptic

[ParkMan]

@skeptic, as you know well, Scouting is a youth development activity.  Because it's a youth development activity, Scouting is designed to put youth into new and challenging situations in a safe environment.  Because these situations are challenging, Scouts often try them, struggle, fail, and then try them again.  Along the way, youth oftern have to assume more responsibility then they are accustomed to.

This kind of challenging environment is often difficult for parents to watch.  A great many parents cannot resist the temptation to intervene.  That intervention can eliminate the benefit of the struggle.  Further, because of normal pardnt/child dynamics, many Scouts are less comfortable extending themselves in front of parents.

If the BSA continues to push this family camping angle, it looks to make it much harder to pursue that core goal.  People are very hesitant about losing such. An important aspect of Scouting.

[Oldscout448]

" Get over your attitudes" ?    Exactly when did you got promoted to forum parent?   I must have missed the memo/ meeting.   

 

Regarding the magazine,  

it came

I read

I trashed.

[Oldscout448]

@ParkMan  you have more of the Christmas spirit than I this day.  Thanks,   thats more or less what I was thinking.  My primary task on troop/ patrol campouts for the last year has been to try and keep the adults in their lane.      This is going to make it all but impossible

Edited December 21, 2019 by Oldscout448

[Oldscout448]

@skeptic now that I've had a few moments to think,  I apologize if I came off as kind of snarky. I realize and you are trying to do what you think is best for scouting, it's just that what you seem to see as scouting and what I see as scouting are two entirely different animals called by the same name. 

And I must admit that I have an emotional response when I'm told to " check your privilege,  get over yourself,  stop speaking as a member of your class, etc. Mostly by the twentyish crowd when they cannot find a way to counter my points during a discussion. 

Again my apologies, Oldscout

Edited December 21, 2019 by Oldscout448

[Jameson76]

7 minutes ago, Oldscout448 said:

 it's just that what you seem to see as scouting and what I see as scouting are two entirely different animals called by the same name. 

 

And therein lies the issue.  Many people see Scouting in many different ways.

Scouting, as @ParkMan noted is a "a youth development activity, Scouting is designed to put youth into new and challenging situations in a safe environment.  Because these situations are challenging, Scouts often try them, struggle, fail, and then try them again.  Along the way, youth often have to assume more responsibility then they are accustomed to"  We cannot and should not try to be so many things to so many different constituencies.

Concentrate on what we as an organization do well, focus on that.  How many companies have all of us seen that start out doing one thing, then see the next new shiny thing and head in that direction, only to have the whole enterprise collapse.

Rather than focusing on winning youth with the core program, BSA seems to be constantly trying to vary the program, to chase the next shiny thing.  Whether that be STEM (STEAM??), now Family Scouting, and who knows what's next.