SueVerner Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 Is anyone doing any kind of BSA program in homeless shelters? Rather than incarcerating every citizen in America (which is a key goal of law enforcement here in Georgia), I would prefer to teach values to at-risk children BEFORE they grow up to become the dregs of society. I am investigating the possibility of starting Cub packs, Scout troops, and Crews (to include the girls) in homeless shelters in the Atlanta area. The obvious biggest problem would be attendance, as many folks are transient. Does anyone have any experience with this, or any thoughts on the subject? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sentinel947 Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2004-08-28-prison-scouts_x.htm Thats the only case I've seen published.. Good luck in a worth endeavor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeattlePioneer Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 That kind of program is usually one undertaken by the council, often with paid staff of one variety or another. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boomerscout Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 this sounds like you are looking for Scoutreach, which the BSA uses to bring Scouting to the poor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eolesen Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 It's a good idea, but as you said, it's a transient group. My wife did outreach at a shelter in Texas, and the average stay for the moms with kids was 30 days, since they jumped to the top of the list for housing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basementdweller Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 My troop and Pack are part of the urban poor......The biggest problem with bringing scouting to these boys is they are very transient..... They will just not show up one day, family picked up and moved or custody changed. They deserve scouting as much as the next boy......their life situation makes it nearly impossible. So how do you deliver a meaningful scouting experience in single sessions???? Don't get wrapped up in uniforming, a "Pack" or "Troop" tshirt is adequate.....remember chances are you probably won't see them again. Don't bother with books, but word process up a colorful hand out with the Law, oath, motto on it. A thought, You could do single scouting activities......Single day Pinewood Derby, single day rain gutter regatta, Take a group to an event at a local camp.... Our boys love Pioneering projects..... Gear is a problem especially......I have purchased enough personal gear for the boys to use for camping trips.....Be aware of the bedbug problem.....All of the bags are laundered outside the house and dried on high heat before being brought into the house. Had some hard learned lessons regarding this......I have a workable solution. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeattlePioneer Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 Interesting ideas, Basement. The contrast between the long term program orientation of Scouting and a short term, transient population would make that tough. I'm supposing that this would be treated more or less as a service project by an established Cub Pack? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basementdweller Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 Don't treat it like a service project...... Treat it just like a regular Pack that hopefully ends up with a lot of bobcats or scouts..... The other problem was returning from camping trips we had occasion where the parents had disappeared and a relative from out of town came to get the young man.... So would I recommend taking these youth out, absolutely.....make sure their medical form is filled out completely and make sure you call the second and third numbers on their medical form to make sure someone who knows them actually answers..... It is a lot of work.... but I find it rewarding. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boomerscout Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 Hey Basement: You must have a devil of a time lining up cars with drivers (and gasoline). As to the sleeping bags -- Maybe teach the Scouts how to make blanket rolls? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basementdweller Posted August 3, 2012 Share Posted August 3, 2012 Thats why we have a church bus.....Even though most of my parents have cars most of them won't leave the neighborhood because they are unreliable or not all that safe. Far as sleeping bags......I get a yearly bonus, over the years I buy sleeping bags backpacks and other gear. First year I simply gave them to the boys with the instructions for them to keep and take care of them.....Well that failed, they were left outside in the rain, sold or siblings tore them up. Second year I kept them an tried to launder them...in the house, impossible. then then bedbug incident. So now I trash bag them and haul them to the laundry mat and wash and dry them their.......So far no unwelcome visitors have made it home. Third tried to give bags to the older boys.....still failed..... four try had a family of three boys move to North Carolina and never saw them again.....oh well. So I just loan them out and wash them after every trip......Just takes a couple of hours after the trip.....Go home set up the tents and then to the laundry mat......Sunday afternoon so I can use as many washers and dryers as I need. Sue.....I would try to make the meetings 2 hours.....You can accomplish a lot in that time. Safety inspections for the wolf badge, If your allowed to use the kitchen make cookies, or dinner......Lots of games to keep them interested.....Not every game has to have a lesson. Keep your approach low key, get a plan shirt with council strip and cubmaster patch. If you come in looking like an admiral you become unapproachable. Don't walk in and expect the boys to come running with open arms, remember these families have trust issues and are near the lowest point in their lives.... Under no circumstances give them your full name or phone number, or get a trac phone and use that number and turn it off at night and while your at work......They will call you at all hours looking for help, hand outs or just to talk.....Their world is significantly different than working folks.....Learned that lesson the hard way..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noname Posted August 3, 2012 Share Posted August 3, 2012 I say do what you can- even if you impact 1 child it is well worth it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basementdweller Posted August 3, 2012 Share Posted August 3, 2012 Seattle I wouldn't haul a lot of Cubs from you home Pack......You end up managing the Pack scouts as much as the less fortunate scouts. The entire point is to deliver these boys a HUGE dose of scouting in a very limited period. Now maybe webelos to help with the tiger age fellows might work..... Now Boys from your Troop, absolutely, they are a huge help. The goal is to make them want to join scouting when the family is back on their feet. There is no way we can make a significant impact meeting with the boy in a couple of hours. They have bigger problems after all, like where is dinner coming from and am I going to school. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basementdweller Posted August 3, 2012 Share Posted August 3, 2012 If the families are reluctant.......Feed them......Boil a bunch of hot dogs and get some baked beans and chips......you will have all the boys you can handle. We fed the families before the scout meetings and started to have extended families show up and it got to be too much so we ended it. We were feeding a hundred or more people just before we stopped, 3 gallons of baked beans and 150 hot dogs...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeanRx Posted August 4, 2012 Share Posted August 4, 2012 Sounds like Basement has a lot of good ideas and expirience in this area. I'd just be careful not to try and make the program into something that its not. Offering to feed folks is a worhtwhile idea, but if it is the only reason people are showing up, then it is really just you running a soup kitchen, not running a scouting program. If you unit wants to do this as a service project, then great. It will likely open their eyes to something they never think happens in "their" town / city. I had some expirience with this doing outreach medicine while in college. Couldn't get folks to show up for treatment OR food at a local shelter. When we walked the streets and TALKED to homeless people,we found out why. The shelter was Christian based (fine good church folks trying to do the lords work). But, they had a policy that a person HAD to sit through their gospel sermon (usually about the pitfalls of drugs and alcohol) to get to the medical and food part. Well, even the homeless decided they didn't want to be force fed salvation just to get to some free food and a free primary care visit! They know they shouldn't be using, they know they're addicted. The last thing they needed someone preaching to them was how they needed to stop. I'd say best of luck and God's speed. Keep your service life and private life VERY seperate. While homelessness is often a temporary thing for families, there are often underlying reasons (drugs, alcohol, psychosis) that play into the long term situation. Don't go in thinking you are going to save the world. Expect that some (if not most) will not welcome you and most all will question your motives. Be EXTRMELEY careful about YPG !! I would not be surprised at all for a false claim to be leveled either as a profit motive, or just to get your unit out of "their" domain. Don't set yourself or anyone else up to be subject to such a claim. Many adults / parents in this demographic can only see someone wanting to interact with a child as someone who wants to cause the child harm. (why else would you want to interact with a child? A child is a need, they need things, they are viewed as a burden to many homeless families. Some of the kids are the mother's lasting reminder of a man who knocked her up and fled, or worse yet beat her until she fled with the child! So if you want a "burden", you must be wanting something in return) These are kids that are wondering where the next meal is coming from and if they'll have parents next week. Hard to get them to sit down and discuss LNT or scout skills when they likely don't even get to their homework every night (if they attend school). Its a very worthwhile endevour and I think you are wonderfully brave for wanting to try it. Just don't go in with rose colored glasses. People from the streets are used to a whole different set of social realities and rules than one might expect. Best of luck. Dean Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScoutNut Posted August 4, 2012 Share Posted August 4, 2012 I suggest talking to the Scoutreach professional at your council. A good Charter Partner for this might be the Salvation Army. They charter BSA units and run shelter programs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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