Godwyn IV
Second Class
Joined: 26 Jul 2004
Posts: 21
Location: Greater Western Reserve Council
Posted: 01 Aug 2004 04:31 pm Post subject: Lack of Older
Scouts
What do you do when you have a lack of older scouts in your
troop (2 older scouts out of a troop of about 24)?
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wagionvigil
Counselor
Joined: 21 Jul 2004
Posts: 192
Location: PA
Posted: 01 Aug 2004 04:38 pm Post subject:
WHat do you mean as older 16 17 or 13 15?
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BM_Crawford
Life
Joined: 12 Jul 2004
Posts: 131
Location: PA W/F Council
Posted: 01 Aug 2004 06:47 pm Post subject:
We too have an extreme shortage of older scouts there are only
three of us in my troop (thats the 17 range). The rest in
attendence are 14 and under.
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Brian Crawford
Troop 251
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wagionvigil
Counselor
Joined: 21 Jul 2004
Posts: 192
Location: PA
Posted: 01 Aug 2004 06:53 pm Post subject:
The Older Scouts Should take the lead and be mentors to the
young guys. Work with them on their Scout skills and plan
outings etc. WIth two older scouts you have your SPL and ASPL
or Jr. Asst. SM. It is important to have the young scouts want
to be like you so you must be examples that they look up to.
Remember Scouts is a youth organization and if you older guys
take the lead all your Adult leaders have to do is sit at the
meeting and help You not you help them. I know in my troop we
now have 4 approaching 18 and 6 1st and 2nd year and the Older
guys make the SM and ASM job easy.
_________________
Action Center D Rappel Tower Director 2001 and 2005 National
Jamborees
Northeast REgion Area 4 Venturing Chairman
Wagion 6 Lodge Advisor 96-99
"If you ain't A bear you're a Meal"
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cballman
Second Class
Joined: 27 Jul 2004
Posts: 18
Location: Nicholasville KY
Posted: 01 Aug 2004 10:36 pm Post subject: older scouts
either I must be crazy or wait a minute I am we just got back
from summer camp with 43 boys. we had three jasm that are 17
years old two that was 16 years old 5-6 that was 14-15 and
then 10 first year scouts the rest in between. and I bad as i
hate to admit it but we had about 20-25 scouts that didnt go
to camp. so we dont have that big of problem of not having
enough boys to teach something.
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Charlie Ballman
ASM Troop 41 Lexington KY
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BM_Crawford
Life
Joined: 12 Jul 2004
Posts: 131
Location: PA W/F Council
Posted: 01 Aug 2004 11:10 pm Post subject:
Thats good to hear! It's important to have alot of older
scouts.
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Brian Crawford
Troop 251
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optimist
Advancement Chairman
Joined: 27 Jun 2004
Posts: 148
Posted: 02 Aug 2004 07:47 am Post subject:
Scouting for older boys is definitely different from Scouting
for younger boys. To me, the most obvious reasons are (1)
diminishing numbers with age and (2) differing needs for older
Scouts.
Diminishing numbers with age works this way - approximately
one-third of currently enrolled Scouts of any given age group
will leave Scouting before their next birthday. In other
words, if 100 Scouts join at age 11 by age 12 only 67 will be
left, by 13 they will be down to 44, by 14 the number will be
30, age 15 leaves 20, age 16 leaves 13, age 17 leaves 9, and
by age 18 only 6 Scouts will "graduate" from Scouting.
Wow! That looks horrible, doesn't it? Don't freak out, it's
been that way for a long time and other organizations, both
adult and youth, work with very similar numbers. It's one of
the reasons ALL volunteer organizations emphasize recruiting
so much. People's interests change, people move away, people
get seriously ill or die, there are any of a number of factors
which cause this to happen.
Because of diminishing numbers, there will obviously be many
less older Scouts than younger ones, even in troops that do a
good job of retaining their Scouts. Lack of substantial
socialization amongst peers means many older Scouts must find
alternatives in what is a very social organization. One of the
most important alternatives includes the mentoring/leadership
opportunities already mentioned.
Another opportunity for older Scouts is becoming involved
outside the troop structure. This includes activities such as
OA, Exploring, Venturing, and other older Scout programs.
These same activities also tend to help satisfy/support the
differing needs of older Scouts, the second reason I mentioned
above.
I hope I've given you some good food for thought concerning
activities for older Scouts. Keep in mind that you don't
necessarily have to just stick to the official older Scout
programs in order to have fun with other older Scouts. I know
that in my district it has become kind of a tradition that
older Scouts from many different troops get together on
camporees and hang out. It doesn't interfere with the weekend
programs and when these guys get together they often come up
with helpful projects and ideas relating to Scouting in the
midst of discussing everything else under the sun.
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RWSmith
Counselor
Joined: 13 Jul 2004
Posts: 55
Location: Charlotte, NC
Posted: 02 Aug 2004 08:05 am Post subject:
optimist wrote:
Scouting for older boys is.... Diminishing numbers with
age.... it's been that way for a long time.... People's
interests change, people move away, people get seriously
ill.... even in troops that do a good job of
retaining.... many older Scouts must find
alternatives.... mentoring/leadership opportunities
already mentioned.... such as OA, Exploring, Venturing.
Wow! Optimist, It's scary how much of my beliefs are mirrored
in your words. I envy your ability to express it in softer
colors and tones than I can.
Y'all, this guy is the best! Let's give 'THE MAN' a big round
of applause!!! Who whooo!!! (That goes for Wagionvigil and
ScoutmasterBob, too.)
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Bob Smith, OA, NESA, DAV
ADC, Apache District
If you can read this, thank a teacher... If you can read it in
English, thank a Veteran.
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Godwyn IV
Second Class
Joined: 26 Jul 2004
Posts: 21
Location: Greater Western Reserve Council
Posted: 02 Aug 2004 09:30 am Post subject:
AAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!!
The reason I asked is that the older scouts in my troop are my
ASPL (3rd or 4th year scout) and I (7th year scout). There are
two other eagle scouts that come sometimes.
We also have three regularly active trained adult leaders (SM,
Advancement Manager, Quartermaster Manager). This not only
makes it hard at meetings but also on campouts because of the
lack of adults/older scouts. We have lives outside of scouts
too! I cant always go on campouts and niether can the adults
and the ASPL! (sorry for fuming) It drives me up a wall
sometimes !
Now we also have other dads who come on campouts, but they are
not trained. This is problem because it goes against troop
policy to have just untrained adults in camp with the scouts.
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ScoutmasterBob
Counselor
Joined: 07 Jul 2004
Posts: 79
Location: Woods Cross, Utah
Posted: 02 Aug 2004 10:41 am Post subject:
We have alot of dads go on camps with us, so we asked them all
to get trained. Basic training, depending on your program, is
usually a 1 day class on a saturday, and youth protection
training can be done online at your leisure.
Most of the dads in our group have done youth protection, but
alot of them wont do the basic because they are not the actual
scout leader.
I think that for a dad that goes on camps with the troop once
in a while, youth protection is much more important than basic
training. Both would be best.
Youth Protection deals with interacting with the scouts and
the dos and donts that must be followed when on an outing with
the scouts. Basic deals with the nuts and bolts of running a
troop.
Another thing you can try, if your not already, is the annual
planning meeting, if you can schedule your campouts a year in
advance and then make sure all the leaders and dads have the
calendared camps, it makes it alot easier to take time out of
their lives outside of scouting, and make it to the camps.
Believe it or not no one likes to cancell a campout, not even
the leaders.
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Bob Torkelson
Scoutmaster Troop 538
www.wx5troop538.homestead.com
Live The Oath!
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wagionvigil
Counselor
Joined: 21 Jul 2004
Posts: 192
Location: PA
Posted: 02 Aug 2004 10:53 am Post subject:
A word to the wise about parents attending camp outs. If they
are not registered with the council in some way( committee,mb
counselor etc.) they are not covered by BSA insurance if
something would happen. Its very easy for an adult to say" I
will help but don't ask me to register or get trained". That
makes it too easy for them. I just finished 15 years as a SM
and am Now the CC we have always required all adults going
with us on any camp out etc. ( unless it is a yearly dad and
son) to fill out a registration form pay their fee and take at
least Youth protection. You can do that on line now But you
MUSt have a registration card for it to count.
_________________
Action Center D Rappel Tower Director 2001 and 2005 National
Jamborees
Northeast REgion Area 4 Venturing Chairman
Wagion 6 Lodge Advisor 96-99
"If you ain't A bear you're a Meal"
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