Is scouting still revelant?

[scoutdad]

What in your opinion are the difficulties scouting faces in todays social climate?

[Scout Enthusiast]

I think that there are many American traditions that are at risk, Scouting is one of them.

I realize that Scouting is an activity that stretches worldwide, but it is synonymous with American values. The United States has always been seen as a melting pot. It's people have historically been bound together by shared values. As American values get eroded, it seems natural that Scouting would be negatively impacted, but also that much more important to the health of our country.

[scoutdad]

I am not sure it is a values issue. The next generation of parents, the Gen-X parents seem very committed to thier kids according to recent studies. Do you think we as scout leaders are involving the parents as much as we can and teaching them the benefits of Scouting?

[scouter_KGM]

I am not sure it is a values issue. The next generation of parents, the Gen-X parents seem very committed to thier kids according to recent studies. Do you think we as scout leaders are involving the parents as much as we can and teaching them the benefits of Scouting?
Is one of the challenges actually getting the parents involved so that they can learn the benefits? How do we, as scouters, get parents who are used to a service culture to jump in and serve?

[owl735]

I have found that if you ask a parent to bring something to a meeting or be in charge of a small activity helps to get them involved. I also gave the kids homework sheets and asked the parents to help thier scouts with it. That was the begining of a great group of parents helping with the den. Our den is the only den in our pack that made 100% grand slam(every scout earned every pin) and Arrow of Light.
The task can be as easy as bringing a box of pencils or making phone calls for field trips.

[ScoutmasterJerry]

The Short answer is YES.
The Long answer is YES.. it is more relevant today and is needed more today.
The argument of "Competeing against..." is a cop out and can easily be answered by providing a vibrant program.
The key to success is good old fashioned work.. and there in lies the rub...
Relevance is realitive to how much work you are willing to put into something.
If Scouting is a priority then more work is put into it.
As a Scoutmaster I understand the Value of Scouting and how it effects the lives of these young men (and their families). I believe in the program and therefore put alot into it.
The Committee needs to believe also. Once you have your unit Bought into the program it takes on more and more relevance in the lives of the families. I have found that a family that does not make a Scouting a priority for whatever reason will eventually leave.
I think we need to be honest and forthright... It never hurts to ask the Mom and Dad where Scouting is on the Scale... and what you can do to move it up a notch or two.
Scouting on its own is relevant.
Skills, Values, Character, Service... what of any of those are not relevant in America today?
I think that it is key for the Scoutmaster of a Troop to make the program relevant. In my Troop I am responsible for the Program. We keep it fresh for the Older Scouts and meaningful for the younger Scouts. All the while maintaining the Fun of the Patrol method and teaching this "Game with a Purpose".
Is Scouting Relevant? Oh Yeah!
We ask that Every Parent get involved in one way or another. Merit Badge Counselors, Committee Members, Drivers.. What ever.. The line I use..
"Just give me an reason to spend time with my boys"
what Parent would turn down time with their kid... it kind of puts them on the spot, but once they buy it, they come around and (Knock on wood) stay with the program. With some encouragement and smoozing... they often move up to bigger tasks and responsibilities, especially if their son is doing well and having fun.
Just my 2.5 cents

[etsi_yona]

I agree fully with ScoutmasterJerry. Never has Scouting been more relevant or more needed than now. In a society that often looks for a quick fix for everything, our children need to know how to be responsible, caring, compassionate citizens who make a difference. Scouting imparts those values and encourages the family as a whole to work together and play together.

[ScoutmasterJerry]

The more I think about it... this program is EXTREMELY Relevant.

We were at a local Store the other day, and my wife and I were commenting on a group of boys that were "hanging around".
Now I have nothing against hanging out, but in the 5 minutes that we stood in line at the check out.. the group allowed a lady with a baby to carry her own 4 bags, watching as she dropped her keys and then half her groceries. Instead of helping they laughed and giggled. My son got out of line, and helped the lady pick up her stuff, got her a cart and helped her to the car. All without Dad saying a word.
In my daily ofe I see young men that have no work ethic, they can not work as a member of a team, they can not care for themselves, let alone someone else.
Scouts... PRICELESS as the commercials say.

Ever since my oldest son became an Arrowmen in the OA, his attitide has changed and he looks for opportunities to be helpful.
I am not saying he would grow up to be a slug, but I know that Scouting helps him. Being not only his Dad, but his Scoutmaster, brings us closer together and he knows that there is an expectation (Living the Oath and Law, and fulfilling the obligation he took in the OA) that he needs to live up to.

Again... PRICELESS

[C.A. Green]

Observe a community or classroom anywhere in the world and you will conclude that boys instinctively form groups, adopt uniforms, establish standards, develop a credo and create initiatory challenges. While most educational systems battle these instincts scouting gives them a means of positive expression. Boys yearn to belong, to gain acceptance and approval outside the confines of their family. Their imperfect search for guidance and understanding is often met with suspicion and misapprehension. In adolescence they try on lots of attitudes and poses paradoxically seeking approval from the adult world in their very rebellion against it. It can be a tough time for everybody.

We all more or less hammered our way through adolescence in whatever way we could. Some had it easier than others. There were some people who made the process more difficult for us and some who helped. That's part of the reason that I am a Scoutmaster - I'd like to help. I like to go camping, I like to teach, and I like to cook over a fire.

Scouting, for all the protestations otherwise, is not an ideology. It is a movement with a program that recognizes how to channel the unstable energies and excesses of adolescence: something that will always be relevant.

We don't compete with other activities; we work in concert with them. I encourage my Scouts to be involved in other activities and respect their commitments. It can be difficult for them to reconcile the different demands on their time- so we try to be as helpful and supportive as possible.

[WB Bear]

To answer the question of whether Scouting is still relevant today, let me ask this question. Are those 12 values in the Scout Law still relevant today?

We, society, must make a commitment to raising our kids, the future. Scouting provides the opportunity to spend time with our children plus a tool to imparting character values to them. It’s a two-fold benefit. Granted that doesn’t always provide the instant gratification we have all become accustom to.

[1st Mate]

Is scouting still relevant?

and

What in your opinion are the difficulties scouting faces in todays social climate?

aren't those two entirely different premises? ;)

Yes it's relelvant, just not to everyone, but then it never was.

The difficulties scouting faces today??? I was a scout during the days of assasinations, the Viet Nam War, Watergate, the explosion of the drug culture and the sexual revolution....believe me.... scouting in todays society is a cake walk!!!:D

[Westergaard]

One of the easiest ways to get the parents involved with the unit activities is to call the parents up to give their son's the awards that they earn. This is especially effective on the pack level and does work on the scout level when the family is allowed to participate in certain activities.
Have a parent give the prayer at a dinner, have a parent speak about their career, or have a parent talk about some family activity that they do that might be a unit activity.
Once they start doing simple things like that; they will be more reseptive to do other tasks that they may be asked in doing.

[1st Mate]

Getting back on the subject of the thread...Certainly scouting is still relevant if a scout is in a unit that understands youth and what they want and need.

One of the best recuiting tools or ship has are troops that have lost touch with programing for older scouts. You can take a new scout to a campground the troop has been two 6 times last year and it is an adventure to him because it is his first time there.

Take him a second time and its fun because now he is comfortable enough to geo exploring. Take him a third time and now it's like camping in his own back yard it's easy and comfortable. Take him a fourth time and it's YYYYAAAAAAWWWWNNN....where is the adventure, where is the edginess?

The ship I serve had two Scouts achieve Eagle as Sea Scouts and we will have 5 this year do the same. All 16 or older and all wanting adventure that they could not find in their troop any longer.

The question is not "is scouting relevant?" the question is "does the unit you lead or belong to stay relevant to the needs off all the age levels in the unit?".

If not and you are 14 or over (and out of the 8th grade) and under 21 years of age and looking for adventure...Come Join the Sea Scouts!:D

[NC Cub]

1st Mate, We want our Scouts back. Lesson learned.:D

I think our biggest difficulty we face is FAMILY. 1st Mate pointed out wars,drugs, and the like. Society has faced and will face these problems forever. I think that our family structure and priorities have changed so dramaticly that we often have friends not family.

The relevance of Scouting is that for at least "one hour a week" we have families. Families that share Scouting. If we don't see that happening it should be a good reason to get the word out. We are a family organization.