Supersize Me

[ripulan]

A group of concerned adults have started originizing Cub Scout , Boy Scout and Adventure units in an inner city neighborhood with over 80 youth in each group. Need your comments on operating units this size. Both positive and negative.

[Eamonn]

Hi and Welcome back,

New units are always welcome. The more youth we can get into our programs the better.

I have served as a Scoutmaster for a troop of over eighty Scouts. Even with seven active ASM's I found that it was just too much for me to manage and it was becoming almost a full time job.

Not knowing the SM or how much help he has I don't want to say that a troop of eighty is wrong or unmanageable. Just that I wasn't up for the job.

Cub Packs of over eighty are common and with enough Den Leaders ought not cause too many headaches.

I think when you say "Adventure Units" You mean Venture Crews. The only Crews that I know of that are that big are Crews that were started in schools. I question if the program that is offered is a Venturing program?

I am also unsure why a group of concerned adults would take on starting new units?

Very often when this happens the units are not really Scouting units, more youth groups that meet and at times do Scout like activities.

Eamonn.