When a scout turns 18...

[Laure 10]

Hi - I have a question and haven't yet found an "official" answer for it. What do you do with a boy who turns 18? I understand that he can be trained and become a leader, but he doesn't seem interested in that. He seems to just want to continue coming to meetings and outings as before. I guess it's awkward for us to just tell him to stop coming, so I was hoping for some handbook or BSA-type backup for that conversation. One of my concerns is that he may not be insured as an 18-yr-old. Also, he is now an adult, so needs Youth Protection Training, right? We're a bunch of relatively new leaders, so please pass along any advice or ideas. Thanks -- Laure

[Eaglescout06 10]

Why doesnt he become a committee member? Its no more or less work but its a very big deal as those are the people who decide your rank advancements.

 

Im pretty sure he can still go. I mean parents go all the time and there not leaders.

 

[FScouter 24]

Boy Scouts is for boys up to 18 years old. After 18 his only option in a troop is to register as an assistant Scoutmaster. Committee members must be at least 21. It would be innappropriate and risky to let him simply hang out.

[EagleInKY 14]

The only position he can hold in the troop is ASM. He is no longer a scout. He is not old enough to be a SM or Committee Member (the age requirement for them is 21).

 

This is very important to understand - HE IS NO LONGER A SCOUT! He cannot advance as a scout, participate as a scout and most importantly - tent as a scout. He is now an adult. If he wishes to stay with the troop, he should fill out an adult application as an ASM. And, yes, I would strongly encourage YPT, since he probably never realized all the limits that we must live by as adult leaders.

 

It's great that he wants to be around. Young adult leaders can bring a great deal of energy to the troop. But, he must understand that he is now in a different role and must act differently. There are new rules he must follow and lines he must not cross.

 

As for the thought that "hey, other parents camp with us that aren't registered", the issue here is that he is not a parent. I would ask you if you would let an 18 or 19 year old friend of one of your scouts attend "just for fun". I'm sure the answer is no. So, just because he used to be a scout doesn't get him around this.

 

I know you are trying to be nice and don't want to have the awkward conversation. But you must.

 

Good luck.

[packsaddle 753]

In the spirit of George Bush, I can answer this with one word, 'Venture Crew'.

[Beavah 205]

Yah, I've always felt this was an awkward problem in the BSA.

 

A few kids are ready to be real ASMs as 18 year old high school seniors. Even then, it's pretty hard and in many ways just absurd to suddenly be an "adult" when your (often same-grade) peers are still "youth." We can't really expect a lad to suddenly behave like an adult toward the buddies he still sits next to in English class, especially when often the "old kids" in the class aren't the natural leaders. And sure as shootin' some overly officious snot will tell him he can't share a tent with his best friend who's 3 months younger.

 

At the same time, I think it can be pretty hard to convince parents of younger boys that the 18-year-old high school senior should really be trusted with their little Johnny.

 

So here's an answer a few troops in our district have gone to: have the boy sign up as a youth member in a Venturing Crew to finish out his senior year. Don't get rid of him, but don't put him into an adult role until you're all comfortable with that. And of course, joint crew/troop campouts with youth members are just fine and dandy. Even spots for it on the tour permit.

(This message has been edited by Beavah)

[EagleInKY 14]

I was going to follow-up my post with the idea of venturing as well. This certainly is an option if there is a crew in your area. Or, if there's not, maybe your troop can start one. But don't try to beat the system either. Registering him as a venturer (where 18 is still a youth) doesn't get around the adult rules in the Boy Scout Troop. Yeah, it's awkward, and these rules sometimes gets confusing, but that's why we get paid the big bucks.

[SueM 10]

Right around the time I took over as SM, I had a couple of boys who got their Eagle right as they turned and wanted to stay on. We talked to them both about their changed role in the troop before we had them sign the adult application. Unfortunately, neither ever really got the point. The one would continue to show up for meetings and sit with the other boys in their patrols and just talk and socialize with them. I explained things again to him several times but it didn't stop. I finally had to say to him "If you can not keep from socializing with the boys, don't come back!" and he didn't. He just could not make the transition from Scout to adult leader and separate himself from the scouts.

 

Sue M.

[frank10 12]

"And sure as shootin' some overly officious snot will tell him he can't share a tent with his best friend who's 3 months younger."

 

Ok, now I have a new title to add to my profile.

 

Am I the only one who belives that YP is not optional.

[emb021 16]

If he's not interested in being an ASM (his only option to stay with his troop), get him into a Venturing Crew.

 

 

[CalicoPenn 729]

As others have pointed out, once he turns 18, he can register as an ASM or leave thr troop. The other option is he joins a Venturing Crew - if you have one affiliated with your Troop, you could have a couple of joint outings.

 

As for the "officious snot" - YPT guidelines are clear that an 18 year old ASM can't tent with a 17 year old Scout - even if they are the best of friends. However, a 17 year old Scout can also be a 17 year old Venturer, and they may be able to share a tent on Venturing outings (can anyone confirm?)

 

Calico

[BrentAllen 10]

On our trip to Cape Town, we found the Scouts there operate much differently than we do. When a Scout reaches 18, he is no longer a Scout; he becomes a junior leader and goes through training. After training, he is an ASM. Once 21, he may take over as SM. The SM's are very young - not dads of boys in the Troops, as we have here. I have always felt it is a shame we lose our Scouts, especially our Eagles, for 10 or 12 years until they come back in with their 1st Grade sons.

 

I would encourage the 18 year olds to stick around, get trained, and try to find ways they can help keep the older boys involved with the Troop. Keeping Scouts active past the age of 16 appears to be a problem - these young adults might hold the answer to helping solve that problem.

[Hunt 11]

This is a situation in which I believe the rules do not adequately deal with the reality, which is that boys turn 18 at different times during, after, or even before their senior year in high school, and while boys are in high school their grade is much more important than their age. Especially if the boy is going on to college, it isn't really practical to turn him into an adult leader for his last few months in the troop. I agree that under the rules you must register him as an adult, and you must ensure that he no longer tents with youth members, but I don't believe it is realistic or necessary to insist that he now begins to act as an adult leader for all purposes.

[Beavah 205]

YPT guidelines are clear that an 18 year old ASM can't tent with a 17 year old Scout - even if they are the best of friends. However, a 17 year old Scout can also be a 17 year old Venturer, and they may be able to share a tent on Venturing outings

 

Yah, that's the case. Humorous, ain't it?

 

Common sense, people, common sense. If you exercise your duty to be Mentally Awake you will do just fine in terms of safety and youth protection and everything else. There just ain't a YP issue in havin' an 18 year old "youth" senior tenting with his best friend who is a 17 year old senior. Heck, that 18 year old is showerin' every day after school with that 17 year-old in the school locker room, and probably with some 14-year-olds too.

 

There's a much bigger YP and legal issue with trustin' an 18 year old with supervision of peers as an ASM.

 

 

[EagleInKY 14]

Hunt - I'll give you a different POV on that. I turned 18 right before going to college and signed on to be an ASM. I camped with the troop over Christmas holidays and a few times over the next few summers. I even made a return trip to Philmont (and made it to several of the shakedowns before the trip). So, it can be done.

 

Admittedly, it was easier to come back and act like an adult after being away to college for a semester. It has to be much harder if they turn 18 while still in school.