29 September 2008
Parents Not Doing Their Duty
Posted by admin under: leadership .
“We definitely need help,” said Scoutmaster Roy Pratt. “I think we’ll have enough kids. But will we have enough adults?”
Troop 34 counts seven scouts as members, Pratt said. Five are needed to register as a troop, Pratt said.
And later,
Adult involvement is just as crucial, Pratt and Rowbotham said.
“We really need another adult or two,” Pratt said. “(Regulations require) at least two adults for any activity. Tim and I are holding down the fort, and we don’t have any kids in the program anymore.”
“We want scouts and parents to become involved like they should be,” Rowbotham said. “It’s family bonding.”
This is where I feel the decline of Scouting, both for Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, is. Most parents think it’s fine to have their kids in Scouts – as long the parents don’t have to do anything. Thankfully that situation doesn’t exist in my own troop, but there are troubling signs there, too. Some parents never help out or perhaps once every year. What do you do? I talk to the parents, but they just shrug and talk about the reasons why they aren’t there as if they can’t be dealt with or worked around. Busy at work? Fine, take on a paperwork job (keep up the parent roster, maintain the car insurance list, check on training opportunities from the council, etc). Don’t really like to camp? Merit badge counselors don’t have to camp and there are many subjects that can be taught that have nothing to do with camping. Weren’t a Boy Scout and so you don’t feel prepared? There are more training classes in our council than you can shake a stick at not to mention the online training available. After dealing with the objection you’ll usually get a maybe.
The objection isn’t a real reason; it’s the symptom to the problem. They just don’t want to do it. How do you get around that? I try to hit them up with a few methods.
Excitement. Just be excited about the program. What a great outing the next one is going to be! Your son is going to have such a great time. You should be there with us to see it happen. When parents catch the excitement of what the boys are doing they start wanting to help make it happen. Every year I appreciate more and more the part of the law that says a Scout is “cheerful”. A good attitude, even when it is partially forced, makes a world of difference in every aspect of the program. People like having fun. A cheerful attitude makes even mundane tasks more bearable, especially if you have a group of cheerful parents.
Another method is finding their interests and matching it to a part of the program. Not skills. Interests. I know dads who are carpenters or electricians who hide out because they know they’ll have to do work additionally for Scouts if others find out. However, if they used to do a mondo snow camp-out when they were kids and you tell them that the boys have a similar outing planned, that dad will generally want to help out. People like to pursue their interests. You just have to match theirs up with the troop’s.
A method that works, but not as successfully is ability. I’m priming one of my dads to take over as Scoutmaster after the current Scoutmaster’s term is done in another year or two (we’re playing that by ear). He’s an army veteran recently back from Iraq. He’s a likable guy with a good personality and a very good role model for the boys. He can also be strict and that can go either way, but I’m sure he won’t be an unfair martinet. When I was talking to him at summer camp and he was wondering if he would have the time and if he would be okay given that he hadn’t been a Boy Scout I played the ability card. “Are you willing to let someone else become Scoutmaster of your son who might not be able to do the job as well as you?” He had to acknowledge my point. He’s not convinced he’s the best man, but none of us generally are. We need others to point out our good points; we’re well acquainted with our bad ones.
So, this Ohio story just reinforces what my theory on the decline of Scouting is. It’s not as much the controversy, although I’m sure that plays a part, as it is a failure to step up on the part of the parents. 7 families and no leaders from any of them? That’s the story right there.
- Scoutmaster Merit Badge Veto
- Declining Interest in Girl Scouts – By Parents
- A Timeless Experience
- Same Mistake, Same Impression
- Vermont’s Parents Get Girl Scout Help
5 Comments so far...
Eric Says:
29 September 2008 at 3:54 pm.
I think you’ve hit the nail on the head. Especially the last part about ability. That’s why I cotinue to coach soccer and basketball. I might not know quite as much as some others, but at least I can keep the atmosphere fun, no yelling, fair playing time, etc. I’ll step aside for someone better, but from what I’ve seen, I often feel like I’m protecting these kids from a jerk.
admin Says:
29 September 2008 at 4:01 pm.
And thank you for doing that, Eric. It’s one of the reasons why I’m a leader, too, even though I feel like I’m hugely inadequate to what I think a really good leader should be able to do. I like this quote I recently heard from Jerry Garcia (RIP) of the Grateful Dead even though it’s a little more self-deprecating than I would usually be: “Somebody has to do something, and it’s just incredibly pathetic that it has to be us.”
I’m not that too far down on myself, but I do worry about my shortcomings and marvel that others (and myself if I’m to be immodest) feel that I’m the best fit for some of the volunteering I’ve done.
Well, we do what we can, right? Just don’t expect to be able to step aside. It can be fun, though. Remember what Mel Brooks said? “It’s good to be the King”.
Rick Larzo Says:
8 October 2008 at 10:16 pm.
Just Read this story about Troop 34 in Conneaut, Ohio. I was a member of the troop for many years back in the late 60s and early 70s. My Scoutmaster was “Roy Pratt”. At that time the troop was quite large and with Roy’’s leadership, I developed many of the skills I needed later in life. After 9 years in the US Navy and a successful carreer in engineering, I still look back to those days under Roy’s mentorship as the most valuable of my life. I hope Roy see this message so I can let him know how much his time and effort meant to me and later my family. Parents should take advantange of Scouting and participate as much as possilbe to keep this institution alive and well.
ron44030 Says:
14 July 2009 at 2:00 pm.
Mr. Larzo, I made sure that Mr. Pratt saw the note that you wrote. We were at summer camp last week (my two youngest are now in the troop. My oldest went through the troop with Mr. Pratt also). Anyway, I showed the story to Roy, and he was excited to read it. He would love to hear from you. I hope that this message reaches you so you can get in touch with him.
tammy kobernik Says:
13 September 2009 at 4:19 pm.
Searching history for Boy Scout Troop 34 of Conneaut Ohio. Troop 34 is almost 100 years old and I would like to put together a scrapbook or pictures and information on the Troop. I am searching for past Families of Scouters or Scoutmasters that can give me information or history of that Troop. Please email me at trkobernik@suite224.net
Thank You
Tammy Kobernik
BSA Troop 34
