Joining local Troop vs. out-of-town troop and retention rates

[FireStone]

Anyone know of any data on retention rates for scouts who join troops outside of their hometown vs. being members of an in-town troop? 

The reason I'm asking: Some folks in my daughter's Pack are discussing the possibility of starting a local girls' troop or having the girls join an out-of-town troop after they finish Cub Scouts. My concern with an out-of-town troop is the possibility of scouts feeling a little disconnected by being in a troop that isn't in their own town and mostly with kids that they don't also go to school with. 

Are scouts more likely to stick with the program if they have a troop in their own town?

Do we know that joining an out-of-town troop is or is not a detriment to willingness and enthusiasm to stick with the program? 

[fred8033]

"out of town" ...  What does that mean?  20 minute drive?  Or is it a short drive, but a different school district, etc?  

There is no clean answer.  Finding the right troop is a mix of magic / luck of the draw / luck that you make.  When the magic is right, scouting is great.  I'd look at the whole picture ... drive time ... adventure ... effort to create / setup new troop ... desire of parents to be leaders and setup a new unit, etc.  ... There is no right answer. 

Sadly, I do know the time in scouting goes quick.  I greatly miss the 20 years in scouting with my boys.  Note that the time in a troop is actually much shorter than you think.   7 possible years, but not all seven years are equal.  Nine very active months to a year as a new scout.  Two strong years as a younger scout.  A good year as a senior scout.  Then, the scout is turning 15 or 16 years old.  Conflicts.  Thinking of the future.  Distractions of being a young adult.  Those years are very special, but scouting may not be as important anymore.  ... Time in scouting goes very fast.

[FireStone]

1 hour ago, fred8033 said:

"out of town" ...  What does that mean?  20 minute drive?  Or is it a short drive, but a different school district, etc?  

20 minute drive in either direction (one troop to the east, one to the west, both about 20 minutes away). Entirely different towns and school districts. 

[Tron]

I don't think anyone tracks that data. Even if someone at Scouting America did track that they probably have no idea where it is or how to use it. I was once asked by a DE to help restart a pack (due to the other local packs being too large) and I asked him what units had scouts from the CO and where were they currently meeting (if they had stayed in the program at all) and the best I got was deer in the headlights followed by an uncomfortable silence which was followed by a  "great question my dude". 

There are a couple eagle mills just outside my district and I asked my DE to get the data on retention in those units (I was trying to build an argument as to why the local packs should not set up troop visits there) and my DE couldn't get the data. We found out that once a scout transfers or crosses up out of district it's as if they ceased to ever have existed in the district of origin. 

[Eagledad]

3 hours ago, fred8033 said:

There is no clean answer.  Finding the right troop is a mix of magic / luck of the draw / luck that you make.  When the magic is right, scouting is great.  I'd look at the whole picture ... drive time ... adventure ... effort to create / setup new troop ... desire of parents to be leaders and setup a new unit, etc.  ... There is no right answer. 

Yes, Fred is right. It depends on the adults and the program and if the program fits you. I did study some of this stuff when I was the District Membership chair. In general, programs are based from the level of passion by the adults who manage the program. That can be good and bad, but in typically the top 15% of the programs managed by the most passionate adults, and have gift for selling the program. You have to visit the unit to see if it is a good fit.

Barry

[yknot]

I don't have statistics but I don't think it matters much and it can go both ways no matter what kind of configuration you are in. We've had single district units, multi district units, and units with a mix of private schools. They can all work. I will point out that some legacy youth sports are increasingly operating in this way with many mergers of leagues or traditional local associations across town boundaries to keep player numbers up. It works. Kids make new friends from other towns.