Encouraging participation in non-unit functions by scouts

[qwazse]

I forgot about patch collections! Showed mine from way back around a picnic table, and that got the boys psyched! Power points sell to adults, patches to scouts. Not sure what sells to Venturers.

[SR540Beaver]

AJR,

 

If your troop is already doing a Canadian canoe trip, I wouldn't necessarily worry about getting them to one of the HA bases. At least you are doing your own HA which is much more than most troops do. That being said, if you are doing a canoe trek every other year, why aren't you doing it thru NT if you are wanting guys to do BSA HA bases? You do know that most councils have HA contingents each summer that your boys could take advantage of if your troop can't muster a trip. For your guys who are in OA, they have the cheapest opportunity of any BSA member to attend the HA bases. If they will go work a trail crew at Philmont or work on portages at NT, they can custom buid a week long trek and the total cost (minus transportation there and back) is $200. What a bargain! My other suggestion is check out the council calendar when it comes time to do the troop's annual planning. Sceduling the troop activities away from council dates like NYLT might help open the door to boys taking advantage of those kinds of programs.

 

Again, we lead by example. If an adult can help inspire the first kid to become an active OA member, attend NYLT, etc......the rest will follow that boy and the culture becomes alive.

[Stosh]

I found that when no one stepped up, I as SM would collect up all the information at RT, etc. and simply present to the boys by holding it up and asking if anyone wanted to take the lead on this event. If no one did, I tossed it. Generally there is more than enough of this stuff to keep the idea that there are a ton of things out there that off some fun that goes beyond just the unit.

 

Eventually someone will bite and check it out. I have had boys go back to the trash can and drag something out because they didn't want to step up and lead, but they were interested.

 

Unless ownership of the boys catches on, all the communication in the world isn't going to excite the boys. Just put it out there and eventually their curiosity will get the best of them and they'll at least check it out.

 

If there is nothing forthcoming from RT, Council, etc., then I simply suggest they check out some of the websites out there that have things going on. Same thing for Boys Life and Scouter magazines that left after a meeting. If it has a BSA logo on it, we're good to go to look it over.

 

This process really raises havoc with the annual calendar for the boys, but at least things that they are interested in get brought to light.

 

Stosh

[Engineer61]

Oh...some layman thoughts:

 

OA? "What...still MORE service? Pass." (Scout's response)

 

Philmont/Northern Tier/Sea Base? COST!

 

NYLT? Never heard of it....so I guess that's an issue right there!

 

Jamboree? COST!

 

 

[SeattlePioneer]

Hello Engineer61,

 

 

My priority is developing Scouting programs that are low cost to families.

 

Personally, after a Scout has done summer camp a couple of times, I'd encourage many Scouts to do the NYLT training course, perhaps in place of summer camp.

 

If I were a SM again and Scouts wanted to do an expensive trip, I'd be developing ways for Scouts to earn the funding to do that kind of outing.

 

Some families are willing and able to drop a dime and just pay for such trips --- that's fine with me, but it's not something I'd go a long way to promote.

 

Right now my Cub Pack is getting geared up to have families sign up for Cub Scout Day Camp. I've been promoting the idea of Webelos Scouts attending the Council Resident Camp in place of day camp, but I don't see much interest in doing that from the Webelos Den Leader.

 

 

And so it goes.

 

When you have someone who wants to make things happen, they can often do so. If no one is especially interested, not much happens.