Considering Converting the Troop to a venture Crew

[Kudu]

 

http://www.scouter.com/forums/viewThread.asp?threadID=343357

[Jeffrey H]

I commend your efforts to try and keep a unit alive, whether it be a Venturing Crew or Troop. I watched a Troop die this past month (did not re-charter) because they refused to recruit for many years. It was a shame because they were once a strong Troop an active outdoor program but eventually they lost numbers through attrition. They continued in their final year to allow a couple of boys to earn their Eagle.

 

 

[Kudu]

 

Jeffrey H writes:

 

"I watched a Troop die this past month (did not re-charter) because they refused to recruit for many years."

 

This refusal to recruit is one of the great mysteries of "modern" Scouting.

 

I think it is related to the assumption that Boy Scouts should come from Webelos, rather than the vast majority of sixth-graders who rejected Cub Scouting.

 

Yours at 300 feet,

 

Kudu

http://kudu.net

 

[jrush]

If no youth...not Webelos, not 6th graders who rejected cubs, not 15 year olds craving high adventure are joining, I think there's an issue here that won't be addressed by simply opening the door to girls.(This message has been edited by jrush)

[SeattlePioneer]

RIGHT NOW is the prime time to recruit new Boy Scouts, whether from Webelos or not.

 

Wednesday the pack for which I'm Commissioner had a crossover for six Webelos into Boy Scouts.

 

The pack was having an outing at a roller skating rink, so the ceremony was done there. A lot of the Boy Scouts and adult leaders in the troop turned out in uniform, especially boys who came from the pack.

 

About 85 youth and 60 adults.

 

 

Also, this is a great time to visit elementary schools and invite 5th and 6th graders to a troop joining night. I've been in six schools in the past week or so recruiting Cub Scouts, and I could be inviting 5th and 6th graders to a troop joining night, but when I contact Troops inviting them to do that FEW ARE INTERESTED!

 

It's a shame.

[5scoutmom]

3 years ago, my husband and oldest son joined a Venturing crew based in another town. 2 years ago, my second son left his boy scout troop due to conflicts with leadership. A few months later, I pulled my 2 youngest sons out of that troop, again to its leadership.

 

I put my youngest son in a different troop in a different town but my middle sons did not want to be in another troop. They really want the leaders of their old troop to leave but that wasn't happening. My oldest son was turning 18 and aging out of scouts.

 

The crew my husband and son were in was aging out as well. My husband and I moved the crew's charter to the same COR as my sons' former troop and we now meet there as a crew.

 

We have about 3 girls and a dozen or more boys who range from 15 to 20. My oldest son is now an adult leader, along with 2 of his friends who were never in scouting before. My son who was expelled from his troop is the treasurer of the crew and my 3rd son is the president. We have several boys who are still members of the troop, 2 who had dropped out of a different troop, a couple who are from my youngest son's new troop and at least 6 other boys who never belonged to scouts before. Three of them had never even ever been camping.

 

The crew is awesome. The kids are great. They hang out even when they are not doing crew activities. They go camping, they have run an activity each year in their specialty which has become so successful we have to turn people away, they do scouting for food, they are planning on doing a CPR training, a few have been inspired to join our local volunteer FD... And the best is that my youngest son isn't venture eligible till next year and he is planning on recruiting his friends to join up.

 

Starting a crew is not easy. We were lucky to be able to take over a somewhat existent group but a year later only one adult leader from the old group and none of the kids is still a part of it.

 

However, when I see my sons and their friends still involved in scouting and know that it can continue after age 18, it's worth it. I will say that none of the boys we have is much interested in advancement but that's ok, they are learning skills for life even if they aren't moving up in rank.

 

An option for you, Thomas, might be to try to lure some of the other troop's views in to your crew. They can dual enroll in both groups.

 

Good luck.