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But what if you could change some things that are done in the Cub Scout program that would:
Increase the year vs. year retention rates from 65% to 85%?
Increase den leader confidence and satisfaction?
If you knew that these changes would work as advertised, would you be willing to make them? I’m willing to bet that all of our Cub Scout leaders would go along with that.
For the past several years, I’ve been watching the progress of studies that originated in Cub Scout dens in the Central Region where the method of delivering existing Cub Scout program was being refocused to be more handbook-based and create den activities leading to increased youth advancement and, as a outcome, increased youth retention. As I understood the pilot programs, den meetings were being restructured to make sure that all den members were advancing as a natural part of den meetings. A defined route, through specific den meeting plans, for boys to earn advancements by their participation at den meetings was showing promising results as far back as 2005-06. Each year since, the study groups have become progressively larger. Last year, our council has had packs and dens participate in the “Fast Tracks on the Advancement Trail” program, which incorporated all of the changes being rolled out nationally in 2010.
Each year at conferences I would attend, we’d hear glowing reports about how youth retention skyrocketed, about how much den leaders appreciated the revised approach and materials, how parents liked seeing their sons earning more advancements. In talking with other Scout Executives, we were all wondering when, if this new delivery system for Cub Scouting was resulting in huge improvements in youth retention, why it wasn’t being rolled out more quickly?
Well, after four years of studies, this new style of Cub Scout den meetings is being finally being rolled out nationally in 2010, just in time for the 100th anniversary of the Boy Scouts of America, appropriately titled “Cub Scouts 2010.”
There will be new detailed den meeting plans for all ages of Cub Scouts, including Webelos Scouts. As den leaders use these new meeting plans, boys will naturally earn age-appropriate advancements as part of regular den activities. Parents can and should be involved in their son’s advancement, but more advancement-related activity will be occurring at den meetings as part of the core program. Leaders who have used the new meeting plans have been more satisfied with the ease of meeting preparation and have stated they are more satisfied with their role as a den leader.
And you certainly cannot overlook the fact that youth retention jumped from 65% to 85%. That seems almost too good to be true, but it actually happened in the test dens.
I’m really excited about the potential that all of this has for Cub Scout families in our council. National implementation begins with the 2010-11 program year in September 2010. New and revised publications and training should be available in May 2010.
I encourage all interested Cub Scout leaders and parents to view the detailed materials and information currently available at www.scouting.org/cubscouts2010. You can review an overview of the new program, look at sample den meeting plans, and look at frequently asked questions about the program. A web-based forum will also be created in the near future for leaders to discuss Cub Scouting 2010 and ask questions. Please let your fellow Cub Scout leaders know about these exciting changes and how they can learn more about Cub Scouting 2010 online.
As additional information becomes available to us here in the council, we’ll pass it along as quickly as possible.
Yours in Scouting,
Ron (Gardner)
1 comments:
Ron's letter is an interesting thought provoking piece that suggests some positive change may come to our cub scout programs beginning next year. As a district training chair and someone who assists with fall cub roundups each year, I am seeing some alarming patterns in our own cub scout programs. We are seeing fewer cubs and fewer "stable" packs in our districts. We also seem to be training fewer adult leaders who have a strong committment to the program.
It's easy to recruit a young boy into a cub pack by promising him fun and adventure. It's another thing entirely to keep the promise and retain that boy in the program for five years and turn him into a highly motivated young man who is well prepared to cross over to a good troop. Cub Scouting is the foundation of all scouting programs. Inability to retain cub scouts and good cub scout leaders will eventually cause problems in troops and crews as well. We need that constant dependable flow of boys from Cub Scouting into our troops and crews.
Let's hope the impresive early statistics in these "experimental" programs bring similar changes throughout when they are implementedacross the councils.
I believe strongly in the old addage that "Doing what we've always done only produces more of what we've always had". It is time to make more than just cosmetic changes in our foundation program in scouting. As a trainer, i hope the new program is simply structured and easy to teach to new leaders. One important key to retaining boys is to provide them with well trained and highly motivated leaders. We tell our cub leaders to "Keep it simple and make it fun". I hope that is what we have done in our new program design. A cub pack that has well trained, highly motivated leaders who actually ENJOY what they do as scout leaders will keep young boys in scouting.
I truly believe a boy who stays in scouting until his 18th birthday will be a better prepared citizen who has a better chance of being successful in life. If the foundation program in Cub Scouting isn't able to keep that young man through age 11, how is he going to experience the leadership training and independence he will gain over those next seven years?
I look forward to training our first new leaders in this new program in the fall of 2010. As trainers, we need to embrace the change and make it work.
R. G. Waters, Echota Training Chairman
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