How is the soccer program working?

[theysawyoucomin' 10]

There is no shortage of ideas on how to reach the folks that are not buying the traditional program.

 

We saw a soccer program for Cubs earlier. It looked like it was mostly for hispanic kids but I'm sure it was for all soccer kids. How many kids enrolled in this? was it considered a success?

 

Has anybody seen this in their area?

 

Does anybody have any hard facts, or know where they are on the ISH (infosupahiway)?

 

We can talk about how to handle the influx of those eight million boys we will have if we would just allow gay men to lead and drop the DRP another time. Think of all those camps we'll have to buy back.

[jmwalston 11]

We have it in are area (District). It is hard to get a grasp on the program. It was started with through the auspices of a prominent Hispanic spokesperson in our community. But apparently, there is only a desire to do the soccer part, not incorporate any Cub Scouting into the program. Our DE has mentioned that there is a marked indifference to push the Cub Scouting angle.

[Lisabob 13]

There is talk of trying to get it started here although the Hispanic community is very small. A local soccer club director asked us about it but I think it was more out of curiosity than serious interest in starting up the program. I wonder what does it include other than playing soccer, which the kids are already doing? And what about girls? All the local rec leagues are co-ed and I am not certain how you could have a team where the boys were eligible to join this program but not their female team mates.

 

I too would like to hear about how it is actually working out elsewhere.

 

[infoscouter 11]

The dens meet for a 12 week session.

 

The meetings/practices are supposed to include a soccer skills session (25 minutes), a Scouting program activity (25 minutes), and then a "mini-game", followed by a closing ceremony

http://www.soccerandscouting.org/program/index.html'>http://www.soccerandscouting.org/program/index.html'>http://www.soccerandscouting.org/program/index.html

 

Weekend pack meetings include more games. Each 12 week session is concluded with a mini-tournament.

 

Each Scout is also supposed to have family time during the week to work on soccer skills and Scouting requirements.

http://www.soccerandscouting.org/program/index.html

 

Our program here is still small, and I too am curious about how its going.

 

The new National Commissioner has a podcast on the program:

http://www.soccerandscouting.org/program/index.html

[theysawyoucomin' 10]

I wonder how many uniforms they sold?

 

If BSA National was run like a business somebody's head would roll for the ad campaign that flopped.

[Bob White 20]

Our Council Newsletter just had an article on this. They are using the full program with soccer and scout skills combined. It currently has a few hundred participants and seems to be doing fine.

[BadenP 93]

Actually success depends on who you talk to. This soccer program initially was developed solely as an outreach to Hispanic youth by National since the traditional scouting program has been unsuccessful in doing so. What has happened is that this program has also failed in attracting many Hispanic youth, the reason is not so much the program as the severe lack of understanding by National of the various latino cultures immigrating to our country. The consultants National used were mainly Mexican Americans who had already been part of mainstream America for many decades. So guess what happened their target audience needs were ignored and the program failed to reach its goal. The new goal seems to be to attract boys who think cub scouting is lame but like to play soccer. This is one of the reasons why Mazzuca is reorganizing National, they seem to be out of touch with our society today, and the needs of the volunteers and kids who make scouting what it is today.

[shortridge 184]

Boy Scouts, blazing a new trail, reach out to Delaware Hispanics / Recruiters hired to show community it's not just 'a program for the rich'

 

Marc Garduno faces a couple of obstacles as he sets out to recruit Boy Scouts from Delaware's Hispanic community.

 

First, the Scouts' traditional uniform, with pressed pants and insignia, might be off-putting to immigrants from countries where dictatorships thrive.

 

Second, the Scouts' Norman Rockwell image has for decades sent a message that it's a club for well-to-do whites. Statistics show that of about 3 million Scouts nationwide, 70 percent are white.

 

"Within the Hispanic-American community, there is an idea of the Boy Scouts as being a 'programa para los ricos' -- a program for the rich," said Garduno, 39, of Dover, whose parents are from Mexico. "That's what we're trying to change."

 

Hired in July by the Delmarva Council of the Boy Scouts of America, Garduno is working full time to make connections with Hispanic organizations and churches, particularly in Kent and Sussex counties, where the state's Hispanic population is growing fastest. He hopes to have four Hispanic troops organized by the end of the year.

 

Full story here(This message has been edited by shortridge)

[Knot Head 10]

>>First, the Scouts' traditional uniform, with pressed pants and insignia, might be off-putting to immigrants from countries where dictatorships thrive.

[Gold Winger 9]

"Statistics show that of about 3 million Scouts nationwide, 70 percent are white."

 

So? Isn't the country still about 70% white? Black are only about 12% of the population and, incredible as it sounds, "Hispanic" is not an racial description, it refers to people who come from Spanish speaking cultures.

 

"First, the Scouts' traditional uniform, with pressed pants and insignia, might be off-putting to immigrants from countries where dictatorships thrive."

 

Check out a Latino gang. Their clothing is immaculate and pressed. I've seen predominately Latino troops and you'd think that they were Marine. Clean, pressed, orderly. Simply amazing.

[SWScouter 34]

Lisabob wrote, "And what about girls? All the local rec leagues are co-ed and I am not certain how you could have a team where the boys were eligible to join this program but not their female team mates."

 

That's actually a very big issue with the Cub Scout soccer program here in the Grand Canyon Council. The hispanic community is very family oriented and this is a big drawback to the program. It will be interesting to see how this evolves but it is looking like there will be some accomodations made to the program for the girls.

 

SWScouter

[shortridge 184]

According to the Census Bureau (2006 population estimates):

 

"White persons": 80.1 percent

"Black persons": 12.8 percent

"Persons of Hispanic or Latino origin": 14.8 percent

"White persons not Hispanic": 66.4 percent

 

# # #

 

It seems like any local units that wanted to could have run programs like this in the past without a special National initiative. Just make sports a central part of your program - say, half and half. There's nothing that says you can't customize to meet local needs.

 

What intrigued me was the mention of allowing young girls into the program. Do I hear some cracks starting in the glass fleur-de-lis?

 

If you make sports an overwhelmingly dominant part of your program (say 75-25), and you bring in young girls, at what point does it stop being Cub Scouts and start being a soccer league with somebody named Akela?