Wake Up Call

[HICO_Eagle 93]

Troops don't own packs.  IMO, one of the reasons Scouting is declining is that we don't encourage boys to find a troop that meets their particular needs or modus operandi.  Webelos crosses over the troop he has been told his den always goes to and then finds he doesn't like it -- maybe the Scoutmaster is old-school like me, maybe he's new school and the Webelos or his parents want old school, maybe the troop is too big or too small.  Not knowing any better, he probably quits Scouting altogether rather than figuring out there's another troop a mile or two away that he'd enjoy.

 

I tell boys (and their parents) who visit that we'd love to have them but to go look at 3 or 4 troops (or more) and get a feel for what each troop is like and how each troop fits in with what they want out of Scouting.  Inviting Webelos from another pack isn't raiding, it's giving the Webelos options to find the Scouting they want.  The troop that complained needs to 1) grow up and 2) think about what they're doing to service the Scouts.

[Stosh 3452]

If one is running a good program, one doesn't need to worry about others raiding boys from them.  Half my boys don't come from my general neighborhood, but drive past other troops to get to mine because my program is different and that seems to be what the boys want.

[Eagle94-A1 2687]

I know our troop has a program, maybe too good a program as A) we are getting scouts from multiple units and B) We are a hiking and camping unit. The youth have been slack on advancement up until recently. But that's because most  don't care, they want to have fun. All the older ones now want First Class so they can go to Philmont next year. Funny thing is, withthe exception of the 30 days of exercises for Tenderfoot, and the 1 mile orienteering course for First Class, all they really need to do is get the stuff signed off. They have the KSA for the advancement.

 

One thing that seems kinda ironic is that it seem the challenged troop is copying us. We announced when we won the Philmont lottery for 2016 and has x number of spaces open to get them filled. When the SM found out that all the spaces were filled, about a month later he announces that their troop is going to FL Sea Base, and none of the parents or scouts knew anything about it.  We announced we were going to a specific summer camp, they announce they are going to the same camp and the same week. We had some minor issues with their scouts bugging ours, especially the two who transferred from them to us,but overall everythign was OK. 

[Stosh 3452]

You know when you have a good program when others mimic and follow your lead.  I wouldn't worry too much about it, you're setting a good example for other to follow and remember, they are always going to be one step behind so that shouldn't be a big problem later on down the road.  It's a good thing for Scouting in general in your area that the others are following your lead, it's nothing to be afraid of, everyone knows which troop out there is the one to follow and that's the best PR you can get.   

[SSScout 1615]

Since this enumeration of Scouterdotcom doesn't have a "spin-off" function, Time for another thread.