Generation gaps

[Stosh]

I kinda hijacked another thread with a topic but got to thinking it might be something to consider on its own merit.

 

How readily to the different generations cooperate in the world of scouting today?

 

1) There are the Traditional generation of those who grew up and although quite rare still hang in there doing scouting.

 

2) Then there's the Baby Boomer generation of what would be many of the old guys out there still quite active in scouting.

 

3) The Gen X crowd had Boomer parents with little structure and "do your own thing" emblazoned on everything. This is the 70's and 80's. (parents of today's boys)

 

4) Finally the Millennial generation (Gen Y) where one has the hover parent, fear of litigation and computer savvy and just about everything foreign to the way others think or have experienced.

 

I'm a Boomer that grew up in a world far different than the boys I have today and I've worked with Gen X/Y kids all my life and find it quite difficult to comprehend a lot of the attitudes and expectations tossed onto scouting the past few years.

 

I used to think my folks were old-fashioned, but we saw the merits of such dynamics although wouldn't admit it in front of our peers. Is that still the case today? Are the Boomers out of touch? Are Gen X'ers totally without structure and have Gen Y'ers been self-esteem stroked so much that they really do believe they are God's gift to the world and can do no wrong?

 

Stosh

[shortridge]

This doesn't address your questions, but I think those categories are just silly. Making such broad generalizations helps no one.

 

I've known quite a few Boomers who act just as selfish and entitled as the Millennials are supposed to be. I've known many Gen-Xers who were slackers as youth and became amazingly mature once they became parents.

[ScoutLass]

Oh man, Stosh, I could ramble on generational differences all day. What have you done?

 

I'm a Gen Xer. I've done a lot of reading on the generations, and one thing I agree with is something quite a few historians have said, and that is that Gen X shares a lot of behaviors with the Silent Generation (those who grew up in the post-WWII years). The Boomers and Gen Y have a lot in common in my opinion as well.

 

Okay, broad generalizations follow, based purely on my own experiences and with the understanding that few people fit neatly into the boxes I am about to draw:

 

Working with parents and grandparents of all four these generations, I've seen that Boomers and Y-ers are more likely to assume that their little Johnny deserves ever award, regardless if he earned it or not. X-ers and Silent Gen-ers seem more prone to sit back and make Johnny earn it. X-ers are more hands on than Silent Gen-ers. When it comes to grandparents in scouting, Boomer grandparents are more apt to volunteer on the organization side than Silent Gen-ers, but this could be an age thing (Silent gen-ers are in their late 60s and above. They've put in their time).

 

Y-ers get bored more easily. Even if their boys are willing to give the program a chance, you have to keep the parents interested or they'll hustle Johnny to a new activity. X-ers shop around more for a better troop/pack and make Johnny at least stick it out for the year before pulling him. Boomers take charge of the program when they aren't happy, taking over leadership roles when needed but sometimes hovering too much and taking over too much. Silent Gen-ers are very free with advice about how things used to be, and when physically able tend to step forward and help shape the program themselves.

 

Lots of new cub parents are Y-ers right now, as they reached adulthood in the last 5 to 10 years. Gen X also has quite a few cub-age boys, but most are moving into troops now. Some Boomers are still parents, but overall both Boomers and Silent Gen-ers are grandparents.

 

 

[moosetracker]

I do think ever generation has deteriorated. This generation has some truely spactacular young people, but it is few and far between..

 

Even with my son, he can be wonderful at times, Sometimes it is totally for the benifit of others, most times there is something to gain for himself. Say he will go off and help fiance spring clean her parents home top to bottom, but if we ask him to make a dinner or take out the garbage we more get ignored, sometimes a disgruntled doing.

 

We are also rotten folks because we expect him to pay for his own car, fuel, repairs, insurance. While everyone elses parents pay for everything for their child.

 

Even when you want to instill values on them the correct way, you are fighting being measured by all the parents around you who pamper their children.

 

Our son will survive, and he will have good values if not the best.. Then we can only hope that after he is on his own for a while, he will see the values we taught him helped, and we can go about mending our relationship.

 

Of course each generation did have their "more flexible" parents & whoa be the ones trying to instill values.. Such as in the past one parent might set an earlier curfew then the next, or one might allow you to go to a rock concert and another one wouldn't.

 

So maybe it just "seems" times are tougher to raise a child with good values when the world around you is filled with children & parents who have no boundries. Yet really things have not changed that much after all. It is just now we're the parents and it seems a much harder job then when your role was that of the child, your perspective is different also.

 

But, I personally think it is much worse. We have alot of people who want instant gratification, and expect something for nothing, which makes the current world a very scary place.

[perdidochas]

Some of us Gen Xers (the early side of Gen X) had Silent Generation parents. (Silents were in between the Great Generation who fought WWII and the Boomers--they are the only generation in a long time that hasn't had a President (GHW Bush was a Great Generation, since him we've had Boomers (even Obama is a late Boomer)).

 

I don't think Xers are without structure. I actually think we are more structured than Boomers (and that is part of the reason some of us hover over our millenial kids.

[perdidochas]

Moosetracker,

 

 

The children now love luxury; they have bad manners, contempt for authority; they show disrespect for elders and love chatter in place of exercise. Children are now tyrants, not the servants of their households. They no longer rise when elders enter the room. They contradict their parents, chatter before company, gobble up dainties at the table, cross their legs, and tyrannize their teachers.

[perdidochas]

I don't think young people have deteriorated. I think older people always think that. I'm the father of a Tenderfoot, and I'm very impressed by most of our older scouts. They are a great group. They are fairly patient with the younger kids, respectful to the adult leaders, and just good kids.

[shortridge]

LOL! I always loved Cubmaster Socrates.

[OldGreyEagle]

And I was just about to search for that Socrates quote myself, I remmeber a Great Great Great Grandmother, she was three times great I think who knew the world was comming to end with the flappers of the 20's...

[Kudu]

"cross their legs"?

[packsaddle]

Huh?

[DancesWithSpreadsheets]

If they were wearing togas, I should hope so.

 

Regards,

 

DWS

[evmori]

3) The Gen X crowd had Boomer parents with little structure and "do your own thing" emblazoned on everything. This is the 70's and 80's. (parents of today's boys)

 

Well I am a Boomer parent and there was a lot of structure in our house. Same goes for a lot of my friends. Generalizations are never good and usually incorrect.

[OldGreyEagle]

"Generalizations are never good and usually incorrect."

 

Ed, is that a generalization? just sayin'

 

I don't know if generalizations are correct or not, but the sub 40-45 year old set does not appear to be in touch with their Volunteer side in any aspect. Many volunteer organizations have an average that is creeping up because the "new blood" is not coming as it should

[UCEagle72]

If you are not familiar with the issues face in generational diversity, then you may want to take the "Generational Diversity" training on the BSA web site. It is pretty good information.

http://olc.scouting.org/courses/diversity/index.html