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Programbo
12-29-2007, 17:22
Is anyone on here connected with the BSA?..I was curious about the current average age and the age at which someone can become a "Boy Scout"..I remember when I was in the scouts back in the late 60`s-very early 70`s you needed to be 12 to join the Boy Scouts and the average age of the boys in the troops were mid-late teens (They had the Cub Scouts and Webelo`s for younger boys)...Recently on my day hikes (And at shopping centers) I`ve run into troops of Boy Scouts and all the boys looked like they were 10-11 years old...Today in fact I passed an entire troop of Boy Scouts (Not Cub Scouts) on the trail and of the 20 boys maybe 1 looked older than 12....My question is..Is scouting something older boys no longer do?..Do they drop out of it at a much younger age than in my youth?...I wonder if the internet and access to loads of info allows people to get out on their own easier and there isn`t as much use for official groups to learn or go on outings :-?

Tabasco
12-29-2007, 17:34
to become a Boy Scout, you need to be 6th grade or 11 yrs old and completed the Arrow of Light.

There are 2 major vapors that get boys to drop out of scouting, perfume and gasoline.

Lellers
12-29-2007, 17:36
Boys can join a scout troop (not cub pack) at age 11, or have completed fifth grade. If they have been involved in a cub pack and are in the Webelos program, they can join at age 10 if they've earned the Arrow of Light. They can remain a youth member of a boy scout troop until they are age 18. Boys AND girls can be part of the co-ed BSA Venture program for ages 14 to 21.

I've been an assistant scoutmaster with a troop for 13 years. The demographics of a troop will vary over time. At one point, the average age of our boys was 16. It's probably more like 14 at the moment. It depends on the program offered at the troop, the adult leaders, and the boy leaders.

Yes, it is retaining older boys can be difficult, mostly due to what scouters call "fumes" -- car fumes and perfume. Pretty self-explanatory. For the younger boys, I have found that over the years, we've had a harder time convincing parents and younger boys that the outdoor experiences are as valuable as are team sports. We've also been dealing with declining fitness levels in the youngest boys, and I believe that a lot of that has to do with their just not being outside and playing like we did back in the "old days".

bshow
12-29-2007, 23:01
I'm a scoutmaster and I'd say while the "fumes" are a contributing factor, part of the problem is with troop programs themselves. Too many troops fail to have an effective outdoor program.

We're blessed to be located near the AT and lots of other hiking and camping opportunities, so we strive to have an active outdoor program. Still, it is difficult to get the older boys to participate.

Thirsty_River
12-30-2007, 00:41
I'm 15 and have (almost) Life. My dad "forced" me to stay last year when I was going to drop out, but I like the backpacking trips. I arranged with my scoutleaderguy to let me plan them all, so they all more challenging and fun then what they used to be... :)

jesse
12-30-2007, 01:10
most of our boys are middle schoolers. Once they reach high school, they have so many other things going on they tend to not participate in meetings and camp outs. We have some high schoolers, who are still registered with the troop, and are working towards Eagle, they just don't participate as much in troop activities.

OregonHiker
12-30-2007, 02:49
Too many troops fail to have an effective outdoor program.

.

And that is the PARENTS fault:(

TN_Hiker
12-30-2007, 10:41
I agree with OregonHiker......way too many parents think BSA stands for babysitters of America. If you have a strong outdoor program the boys will want to stay. It must be a lot of high adventure type activities to overcome the power of the fumes.

SouthMark
12-30-2007, 11:12
Too many adult leaders operate as dictators instead of advisors.

Tin Man
12-30-2007, 12:28
Too many adult leaders operate as dictators instead of advisors.

There needs to be a balance between adults advising and boys leading to keep things on track. It can be a difficult balance to maintain and needs to be adjusted to fit the ages and personalities involved.

SouthMark
12-30-2007, 12:54
There needs to be a balance between adults advising and boys leading to keep things on track. It can be a difficult balance to maintain and needs to be adjusted to fit the ages and personalities involved.

Yes TinMan, this is what I actually meant, just worded it too strongly. I am a former Scoutmaster and understood the importance of allowing the boys to lead themselves but with guidance.