12 November 2008
BSA Endangered Species in Hoosier Trails
Posted by admin under: recruitment .
I think of Indiana as part of the heartland of America wherein Boy Scouts of America should be a thriving, active part of the community. Not so, according to WCSI.
The Boy Scouts are facing a major problem – declining interest. It’s a trend the Boy Scouts are seeing across the nation. Recently that trend has started showing up in Indiana. In the 18 counties served by the Hoosier Trails Council, Bartholomew County saw the largest decrease. Interest in the Boy Scouts here has dropped about 25 percent in recent years.
“If this trend were to continue and we didn’t do anything about it, I would say probably by 2015, Scouting would be dead in Bartholomew County and that would be a horrible loss,” said Tom Petty, unit commissioner with the Hoosier Trails Council.
Jackson and Decatur Counties aren’t far behind. Scouts are seeing an increase in rural areas and a decrease in cities. Petty says unfortunately the Scouts are seen by many boys as “un-cool.” It’s something that Petty and others are working to change. They’re hoping to get back into local schools to begin recruiting again.
Who knew that after losing his backup band, The Heartbreakers, that Tom Petty would wind up as a unit commissioner in Indiana? Well, maybe it was a different Tom. With that recent story on scoutingnews.org about the innovation engine, it’s clear that the BSA is taking this stuff seriously and are trying to come up with new ways to solve these same old problems.
- Another Clue on Hispanic Scout Recruitment
- GSUSA and BSA Joint Recruitment
- Boys Don’t Quit, Parents Do
- Sri Lanka Scouting Push
- Boy Scouts Might Advertise More Co-Ed Aspects
