Closed our Ship Warm Season Program by Rafting in PA

[Cburkhardt]

Had a splendid raft trip with 28 of our 40 Sea Scouts this weekend on the Lehigh River in PA, near Weatherly.  Gorgeous river scenery and the leaves were in peak color.  Was a great way to end our warm weather season as we store the boats and hunker-down for our indoor training season.  Thanks to all of you Pennsylvanians for maintaining such beautiful state park properties.  

[mrjohns2]

2 hours ago, Cburkhardt said:

Had a splendid raft trip with 28 of our 40 Sea Scouts this weekend on the Lehigh River in PA, near Weatherly.

Sounds awesome. Your ship is 1-2% of all Sea Scouts in the country! 

[Cburkhardt]

I did the math.  Believe it or not, we are 1.14%!

[mrjohns2]

It totally seems like an awesome program. I am surprised that it hasn’t taken off. 

[Cburkhardt]

Watch what happens with it over the next 2 or 3 years.  The Coast Guard has made it their official youth program and will likly be the driver of significant growth these coming years.  That said, it will never be a big program.  The upper end would be in the 6,000 - 8,000 range.

[jcousino]

     not sure I totally agree with that assumption; the coast guard auxiliary (they run the sea scout program for the CG) is facing its own membership problem with the average CG auxiliary member being over 65 years old/ with a drop in membership system-wide. we have 4 flotillas based out of the small coast depot here in Chattanooga, Tn most have about 25 on the books with less than 10 at any one meeting. and two private boats.  Yes, the coast guard has made it their youth program most of that happened pre covid, pre bankruptcy. I would suggest that the opening up of the paddle craft level from a traditional ship points to a decreasing membership. I have enjoyed the different options that sea Scouts offered to the scouting movement. I am afraid that they will go the way the explorer program.

i was also sad to see venture scouts dying out and the police a fire posts leave scouting also

john

[MikeS72]

8 hours ago, jcousino said:

I am afraid that they will go the way the explorer program.

The Explorer program is still alive.  While not as large as it was when I took part in the late 60's/early 70's, and now is a part of BSA affiliate Learning for Life, it is  still around and includes both Explorer Clubs (6 - 8 graders) and Posts (14 - 20 year olds).  One of our council's police posts was involved at our 100th anniversary camporee recently.   Exploring.org

8 hours ago, jcousino said:

i was also sad to see venture scouts dying out and the police a fire posts leave scouting also

Also still a part of the program:  Venturing | Boy Scouts of America (scouting.org)

Just like the base Cub and Scouts BSA programs numbers are down across the country, but these programs are far from gone.

[jcousino]

glad to hear there are a few left i was under the impression that most of the post left scouting to go under their own fire and police state level academies ,based on years of no support from scouting. That was what i was hearing pre covid

As to explores still operating that got to be one of BSa best keep secrets, thanks for reminding me about learning for life side of scouting another area that i had thought had gone away , because to my understanding  they only existed to get arounds scout views at the time  on gay membership.

 thank for the up date