Re: Recruiting

Hello John et al,
Just to warm things up a bit, I was always taught this...

The best way to not only retain Scouts, but also to gain them is
to make it a boy-run troop. Not just say, "Oh yea, it's a boy run troop",
but to really have one. If the PLC is active and functioning and if
everything follows the boys will want to stay 'in their troop' and
bring friends into 'their troop'.
It's called pride in Scouting, the most basic reason for a
recruitment problem is the boys' lack of pride in scouting. When was the
last time a scout wore his uniform to school or extensively in public?
It has probably been a while. Lack of pride. Hey I understand,
Scouting is not neccessarily considered the cool thing anymore with kids!
So the real question becomes, how does one make Scouting cool
again? The BSA Insurance program is not going away, so activities are
limited. That should be no problem, there is still room to move, but
where? Move toward a troop that is totally run by youth, with adults
keeping a sharp eye out. The boys will decide what's fun and what's
cool, when they do they will stay, they will bring friends, and the
friends will stay.
There are some other excellent programs to help, if your boys
don't like the above, ie. Order of the Arrow, Camp Staff, etc.
Think about it. I didn't even go to Woodbadge....

YiS
Tom Baker
<tbaker@falcon.cc.ukans.edu>
Tamegonit Lodge, #147
Heart of America Council
Kansas City, KS 66102

• Messages sorted by: [ date ][ thread ][ subject ][ author ]
• Next message
• Previous message