Re: BSA Membership Stats
Settummanque, ("MAJ)
Sat, 26 Oct 1996 17:14:22 -0500
We're talking a basic principle here: the idea of resourcing your program:
This is in reference to the September, 1996 stats from the BSA's Stats
Service, which shows, as it has for years, that the BSA's program is
based upon a high number of Cub Scouts and Cub Scouters, a fair
amount of Boy Scouts and Scouters, and a smaller number of other
programs (which change from year to year, but basically we're talking
my program, Exploring as well as Career Awareness Exploring, Varsity
Scouting, and the contriversial Learning For Life programs).
Of course, you're going to see a larger number of Cub Scouts. Whom
do you think are going to fill those Boy Scout Troops, Varsity Teams
and Exploring units later?? *grinning*. Seriously, the program's set up
so that there are in many area twice the number of Cub Scouting units as
there are Boy Scout Troops and Exploring units to serve as "feeders".
Look at it as you would a school district:
In a typical school district, you will find about six to eight elementary
or primary schools; a couple or perhaps four intermediate or middle
schools; and one or two high or secondary schools. This is because
there are lots of youngun's out there to fill those schools, but as the
population density slows, there's less and less to fill those middle and
high schools.
Now, there are exceptions to this, like there's exceptions in our
instance, in Scouting, but for the most part, that's why. We simply
have more elementary-aged kids interested in Scouting than we do
middle (Boy Scout-aged) and high (Exploring/Varsity aged) young
men.
Also remember that the Exploring youth numbers include a 67
percent female population (as of 1/1/96) within it.
>Experienced Scout Leaders all know that it is harder to keep
>older boys in Scouting, so that is probably why the numbers show more
>younger boy (Cub Scout) membership. Peer pressure often makes them
>leave or their interest in older youth Sports programs. Whatever the
>case older boys seem to quite more often or do not join as often as
>younger (Cub Scout) age boys.
They don't join as often as they used to....I wished that I'd brought
my four-pounder to the "LOC" this afternoon/evening with me, but
I believe that a quick trip to the library by anyone interested will
bear this out. My memory suggests that from 1958 to 1972, we
saw almost an even number of Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts (take
out the Exploring figures), as the numbers of youth members were
at our highest during that time. We still had more Cubs than Boy
Scouts, but the numbers were only off by a couple hundred thousand.
Those were the days when neighborhood Cub Packs/Scout Troops
were big, and almost every large neighborhood had a Pack and Troop.
>What are some of your feelings on this? We could have a lively
>discussion on this subject, but the numbers speak for themselves.
They say, Rich, that we're losing Cubs, Scouts, Explorers and
units across the board as opposed to the last three years, and that
we as volunteers need to come up with a gameplan to get some of
those youth back...because they're NOT going to our "competition"
out there (other youth groups, church groups, etc.)....they're out
there, sitting on the block, with little or no interest in becoming
Scouts....which goes back to several other issues we've discussed
here in the past (dealing with parental attitudes, uniforming issues,
the costs of Scouting, etc.)
Good topic....sorry I entered into it late!!
Settummanque!
-----
(MAJ) Mike L. Walton (Settummanque, the blackeagle)
http://www.vhm.com/~uscardnl/
(Brigade) Signal Officer, TF 21, 21st Theater Army Area Command
Kaiserslautern, Federal Republic of Germany
"everything I say is "on the record"; speaking ONLY for myself unless indicated"
personal inquiries via blkeagle@midwest.net or kyblkeagle@aol.com
professional inquiries via waltonm%po2.hq@taacom.kaiserslautern.army.mil
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