Volunteering in scouts- why not?

[Tabby15]

Hoping to get some useful feedback from you all.
My local scout district is almost a crisis point in terms of getting enough adult leaders to run the beaver (age 6-8) cub (8-10 1/2) scout (11-14) and explorer (14-18) sections.
We are going to do a big recruiting campaign but before we do I am trying to get an idea of what stops adults from volunteering. So can you give me some feedback please. Would be useful to know that if you feel you don't have time, how much time you perceive it would take up, or how much time you would give.

Many people think the answer is to force parents to help. That is hard on kids whose parents can't or won't and who would probably benefit most.

Would be interested to hear your views. Happy to accept personal messages rather than replies to this if you prefer.

 

[MuswellMetro]

i think it is anything t do with Children not just Scouts

My BKA no longer allow in the apiary or train under 18 year olds, mainly due to the general view of members towards CRBE and misconception and mis reporting that newspapers publish on the trouble you can get into if some child or parent accuses you of misdoings or negligence

it was all,

We need two M&F and we cannot take them into a field to see bees, not in your car alone, musn't help them get their suit on, no photos,third party insurance ,and many more concerns especialy about how intrusive the CRBE would be (i am not having a policeman come round my house to interview me etc etc., )

so we gave up trying, looking after children was seen more problematic than bees ,sad

 

[Polyanwood]

I hope you can get someone to volunteer. Try contacting CSV. They are fantastic at recruiting and supporting volunteers here and abroad. My brother used to run beavers, cubs and scouts when his boys were doing it. He loved the enthusiasm of the kids. He hated the behaviour of some parents; rude, blaming, moaney and turning up late to collect the kids.

 

[Edward.21]

im an assistant beaver leader, and i have been through all the sections. in my opinion there are alot of reasons people come and go in scouting. the majority, i think say to themselves they dont have the time. i think "forcing" parents to help is detrimental. from an advertising point of view i think you should suggest that the parents could (and probably will) have lots of fun and that even 1 night every now and then would help out tremendously.
feel free to pm me with any questions. good luck finding leaders

 

[enrico]

I lived in a village. The group would have closed with no leaders, so my wife took over the cubs scouts and I did the scouts, long enough for the group to survive while our children were in it. It took hours of work planning each meeting, the weekly meeting came round so quickly, then there was all the extra's . When our children left we gave up as we needed the time to do the things we wanted to do! My parents gave their lives to scouting.
I still remember the good times with the group we took over but wow.... It was hard work.
Half the problem is that the parents you want to be leaders were never in scouts themselves so they have no idea what it entails to give kids a good time! Because of my parents my life was always about scouts so it was easier for me..... But still hard work!
Never again! Good luck
E

 

[Tabby15]

Thank you all for your feedback. I know time is a big factor though there are many more accessible resources nowadays, for example, now we are in our stride it only takes our beaver team about an hour and a half to plan a terms worth of meetings ( two year rolling plan with annual tweaks!)
Agree forcing parents is not the answer. Thinking of aiming campaign at former members on a " give something back " theme.

 

[Queens59]

My daughter wanted to help run a Giude group locally and they were keen to have her - but they met at 4.30pm and she was not allowed to leave work early- or start early to make it up - she was very disappointed...but the Guides couldn't move their times - and she couldn't/wasn't allowed to change hers...

 

[Worldsend]

I help with cubs,my boys are now in Explorers,I could give you a list of a few parents who will turn up to help events -the rest are much too busy with their own social lives

 

[Tabby15]

Thanks but I am not convinced it is their social lives, just an unwillingness to help, hence I am trying to find out why.

 

[oliver90owner]

hence I am trying to find out why.

Think CRB? That would scare off/prevent quite a few.

 

[psafloyd]

I have the same problem with the allotment society and BKA. I fear it is one of the downsides to the welfare state where people expect someone, anyone but them, to certain things because that's what they pay their taxes for.

People seem to think it is solely up to schools to teach their children, dropping litter is acceptable as people are there to pick it up, etc.

The allotment society is worst, because despite being told that we are independent, they seem to think for £25 rent a year, we should provide skips for them to offload all the crap they have brought in over the year.

You wouldn't believe how often I have to remind people I am a volunteer when they tell me all the things the 'society' should be doing. Forgetting they constitute a part of that society, and yet contribute exactly nothing.

 

[alanf]

My local scout district is almost a crisis point in terms of getting enough adult leaders... I am trying to get an idea of what stops adults from volunteering...

Several reasons I would think. I do some work around schools so I see what children do. I also know some youth drama groups and sports clubs with youth teams that are thriving. In no particular order:

• More competition, certainly more organised activities. Some of which better reflect the specific interests of the volunteers: sports, drama, martial arts.
• There are more clearly structured and achievement focussed alternatives such as Duke of Edinburghs award. Like it or not, much education emphasis these days is on specific qualifications and awards. Tutor groups are an obvious alternative use of time but there's the general spread of more specific awards and schemes into leisure time. .
• Non parents do feel excluded from contact with children. CRB is one factor but the whole "safe" emphasis is a turn off. Where informally including children in adult activities used to be normal such as giving a lift to neighbours kids, it's now the reason under 18s are excluded unless their parents are already coming along.
• Where groups are established, the extra paperwork and restriction is tolerated but it adds rigidity. Planning a terms worth of activities might sound good but it doesn't leave a lot of time for spontaneous fun if the sun shines.
• Most scout groups keep going because they're run by people who did it themselves and their parents helped run groups. Cultural backgrounds of children now are more diverse, scouting isn't the first activity their parents think of.
• Many scout groups were associated with churches. Attendance has fallen and the average age of congregations is getting older, that's fewer adults in a position to volunteer.
• I checked how the "duty to god" that I recall was still present. It appears that in the UK at least "the avowed absence of religious belief is a bar to appointment to a Leadership position" that's a substantial number of adults explicitly excluded.
• More families have both parents working and struggling to fit all the childcare into their schedule. We're expected to work more flexibly, for instance shop staff don't go home at 5 any more. There's a wariness about committing to long term support of organisations that we can't carry through.

 

[jd101k2000]

Sadly, it is the CRB (now Disclosure and Barring Service) check that puts off a lot of people. It is really just the police forces checking their records - I have never had a police officer visit my home to complete checks, even at the enhanced level.

There are also the child protection safeguards that are expected to be in place - no adult left alone with children. While these are in place for excellent reasons, they do leave the adults feeling that they are continually under suspicion of being an abuser. Having been a school governor for various primary schools, head-teachers have suggested to me that this was one of the reasons for the drop-off in male primary schools teachers. It only takes a parent or child to take offence against a teacher and the teacher's reputation is ruined. They will not work again as a teacher and will probably have to move home.

We clearly do not want to put children in unnecessary danger, but we then have to put up with the consequence of fewer volunteers.

 

[Tabby15]

Thanks for all your comments. I take them all on board. Your comment about sun shine made me smile. We do plan a term but the entire plan went out the window as the weather was great last term and we just got outside and into it! I also believe that kids don't melt in the rain so we get out and into it then.

 

[Tabby15]

I had not really appreciated how much the CRB may be an issue because it has never bothered me. Hence why this forum has been really useful to find out perceptions. CRB is a (boring but necessary) paperwork exercise from my point of view. Clearly not from others. Thank you