The Softening of Scouting

[jambo]

Yes, Scouting will be dying out, in the near future. Scouting to an average " joe shmo " is just a silly youth organization, as bowling, ping pong, and etc. The National Council is not doing anything worth while to advertise Scouting , what it realy should be, portrait as. You would think they would have some sort influence in holywood or TV media, to produce " SCOUTING IN ACTION ". This TV program or a movie ,would motivate our youth and our parents. and maybe the Scout movment would gain some respect. During so called 'Scout week ' in February did you notice TV coverage of that event ? I have not even seen one ! or why is there no coverage of the World Jamboree, but our local crime get's the spot light all the time ? Let me stop now, before I write a book. Follow my user name for more of my oppinions. Jambo

[Lisabob]

Jambo, although I agree about the advertising issue, I respectfully disagree that scouting is going to die out soon, or that people see it as "just a silly youth organization."

 

Call me optimistic. But tonight I went to a local library to sit on an Eagle Board for a very strong candidate. There were 7 people (5 BOR members, 1 scout, and the SM) in uniform hanging out at the library tonight and let me tell you, not one person in the very full library gave us "the look" or made any negative comments. Several had positive things to say to us.

 

The scout in question is a teen aged boy - exactly the demographic we hope to appeal to, and exactly the group we are sometimes accused of not connecting with very well. When asked about what he enjoyed in scouting, he had quite a list of exciting adventures to recall. He's looking forward to more adventures in the future. This scout got letters of rec from his church leaders, his teachers, his neighbors - all of whom discussed specific ways that this boy had lived up to the ideals in the scout oath and law in his daily life, and how he had grown to understand the role he has to play in his community, as a result of his participation in scouting. How much more could we want than that?

 

Like anyone who has sat on BORs for the more advanced ranks (esp Life and Eagle) I've heard quite a few teen aged boys who are on their way to becoming the next generation of leaders in this country tell me that being an Eagle Scout matters a great deal to them, not for their resumes, but rather because of what it says about character, loyalty, trustworthiness, honesty, and perseverance. I've heard them recall how scouting has shaped them and their world views. I've heard a couple of them tell me how scouting has helped them turn away from making dangerously bad choices that others in their peer group or family had already made.

 

And then when I got home tonight, I got a very excited call from my son, who is out of state visiting relatives. His cause for excitement? Well someone there heard that my son had worked on his rifle shooting MB at camp this summer, and they invited him to come over and shoot targets together. This isn't a person who normally shoots with anybody (let alone with kids) and he's very serious about guns and gun safety. It turns out, this "someone" is also an Eagle scout who used to run the range at his scout camp in his younger days. To be invited to share this connection through scouting - it made my son feel about 10 feet tall. I could feel his joy and pride radiating down the phone line.

 

So no, I don't think that people who have any connection at all to scouting see it as "just a silly youth organization." The boys, their families, their neighbors and community members, other former scouts and scouters, (and together, that's a LOT of us), all "get it" that scouting can be much more than that.

[jambo]

Dear Lisa, I hope that is your name? And , congratulations...having your son receiving the Eagle rank. Respectfully , I feel you are not in the trenches of Scouting, as I was and still am . It seems you don't see the entire picture. You site only a small success story, but the reality is, that todays Scouting is slowely diminishing. Let me sight you some examples ( I was trying to recruit boys in our neighborhood school ! I was told that this can not be done, since we had to give the same privilage to the basketball, chess club, and etc. When I confronted the issue, I was told that Scouting is the same as any other youth orginization ) ( When I wanted some cub scouts who left their units, to join the Troop , I was told by the boys ,that they had all the scouting they wanted or needed !They said : "We went on hikes, summer camp, we played games...we don't need to join a troop...we had all the scouting we need !" ) It is good to be optimistic ! But, I want this trend to reverse ....I have to go...you can read some of the other oppinions on this forum, later...Thanks for your comments. Jambo

[Lisabob]

Jambo,

 

Thanks for the congrats but they are premature. My son is not anywhere near Eagle. He has been a boy scout for a little less than 3 years. He was a cub scout for 5 years before that. I hope he'll be an Eagle one day, but that's up to him and we'll see. He's not particularly driven by the advancement method, for better and for worse.

 

No, I was sitting on an EBOR for another scout - because I am a member of our troop committee - and an active district committee member (in various guises) as well. Prior to that I was a cub leader for several years. I grew up in a scouting family. (My parents met at scout camp - Dad was on staff at the BSA camp, Mom was on staff at the neighboring GSUSA camp. My godparents were - you guessed it - scouts and then scouters.) If I'd been a boy I'd almost certainly have been a boy scout! As it is, somehow I missed out on Explorer Posts. Venturing didn't exist when I was a kid or I'd have joined that for certain. Girl scouting in my area was lame and I quit out of sheer boredom, sad to say.

 

So although I have less experience with boy scouting than many here and I am the first to say I have a lot to learn, please don't suppose that I'm "just" a parent of a scout with no basis for analysis, either.

 

Right now one of the things I'm working on is developing a better district recruiting plan for boy scouting. Exactly the sorts of things you mention - poor/non-existent advertizing, lack of access, and yes sometimes people's unfounded attitudes about scouting - are the issues we are trying to overcome here, as well. Right now we're working on taking advantage of community events to do our boy scout recruiting, because we too have access issues in the middle and high schools. And we want the boys to see what scouting is like for themselves - not just listen to some presentation in a classroom or auditorium. So we'll be doing a big outdoor, hands-on display/activities later this summer and again the fall. We're working on plans to do district-wide lock ins at a local sports complex for potential new boy scouts and we're helping local troops get some free media publicity for the exciting things they do (both in terms of service, and in terms of trips, events, high adventure, etc.).

 

You are absolutely right that it is difficult to get the word out and sometimes the barriers seem ridiculous. But it isn't impossible, and as I've discovered while working on this membership plan, there is also a great deal of residual, un-tapped good will toward scouting in most communities, too.

 

Oh and yes, my name is Lisa. the 'bob comes from "And a good old BOB WHITE too!" Everyone in my patrol became a "'bob."

 

 

 

[jambo]

Dear Lisa, I certainly liked your commentary, and I am glad that we have people like you, who still try to get Scouting program a bit better. My beef is with the National,Regional and the Local council. It seems they are not assisting people like you in recruitment, advancement , realistic training of new leaders...I think you know what I am saying. Just speak to most the volunteer Scout Leaders at a round table, and you get similar concerns from them. Sorry ,I have to run, and I am glad you are still in the trenches trying your best. Jambo

[ScoutNut]

Welcome to the campfire Jambo. If I might, you sound rather bitter on the whole organization. Do you think that you might be having trouble recruiting because the boys and their families, who you are trying to recruit, sense this?

 

The issue of recruiting in schools is a nationwide one, not just in your area. BSA wants equal access, just like any other youth group (and YES we ARE a Youth Group). To be picky and get around that, many school districts are restricting, or eliminating, access by ALL youth groups. This does nothing but hurt all of the youth in that school district, but their point has been made.

 

Instead of complaining, or blaming BSA National, what most of us "in the trenches" are doing is finding alternate methods of reaching our target youth. Yes, it is harder, and requires more work and creative thinking, but to us "in the trenches" it is worth the extra effort.

 

Scouting is NOT going to die out any time soon. At least not in my Pack, Troop, District and Council. And not if I have anything to say about it!!

 

 

 

 

[jambo]

Thanks for inviting me, " Scoutnut " ,to the council fire. I must have attended 100 of them , in this country, and many internationally. The topic for discussion is " Softening of Scouting " ? No , I am not bitter...but it hurts that we don't have unity or cooperation between the proffesionals and the vulenteers. It seems that all the " by-laws " writen not by the volunteers but by the " technicrots "...administrative beurocrats, who some times know very little of scout principals, nor the spirit .The main subject of our organization , we are dealing with.is " the boy/youth of America ". Have they ever polled the the active scoutleaders who are in the trenches . of their opinion ? The National council has to recruit scout minded people, in order to serve this movement properly. Is this a dictoship/autocracy ? or should it not be run on democratic principals, the way we try to teach our PLC/Troop. Here is to our FORUM !...may it live for a long time. jambo