CBC Radio 1 "Ontario Today" Program Aug.11 - Should listen

By chance I happened to hear the last half of this CBC radio program. They introduced it as about the Girl Guides selling one of their camps and the controversy that the sale generated. (Sound familiar??)

But the relevant part for Scouting was the "phone-in" portion on this item, where the host asked listeners to '...tell us what you think of Scouting and Guiding ... your experiences, especially what you didn't like ... and why the organizations have been declining.' (I paraphrase.) It was like an "exit interview" of people who have left Scouting / Guiding.

I'd recommend everyone in Scouting listen to this program. -- especially the phone-in portion.
Go to http://www.cbc.ca/ontariotoday/story_archive.html and select the program item "Girl Guide Camps for Sale".

I heard several young adults, mostly parents with young children, describing why they've "left Scouting/Guiding". Most of their comments were ones I haven't heard before, hadn't thought of and were very well expressed. (Phone-in portion starts at 15:34 on the timer.)

Some of the comments: (again I paraphrase -- listen to the pod-cast)

* "... too much of a religious and military overtone for my liking ... "
* ".. too 'uniform'" -- both about the dress and about the approach to dealing with the youth.
* ".. I couldn't fit into the clique .. " (this young lady was referring to her 1 year in Guides, but maybe it applies to Scouting ??)
* "... too many of the leaders had girls in the group ... and didn't get involved as much with the others..."
* ".. I expected to learn real outdoor skills ... but didn't.."
* ".. most leaders didn't really want to get to know me as a person ..."
* ".. standards (of dress, deportment, knowledge for badges, level of activities) have eroded..."
* ".. costs too much.." (this from a parent who could only afford 1 year for his Scout)
o have to pay Annual Registration, Weekly Dues, Uniform(s), for camps & activities, plus do a few fund-raising events.
o admitted it was a bargain compared to some other organizations (hockey), which he couldn't afford either.
o compared to Cadets -- no reg. fee, no 'dues', uniform supplied, camps and activities fully paid for and even some personal equipment supplied. Only asked for one 'tag day' a year.

Lots of food for thought.

YIS
"Scouter Bob" Millar
219th Toronto Group.

Scouter Bob,

I plan to listen to this when I get a few minutes, but I'd like to respond to some of the points you brought up.

First, I'd like to know how many of the callers have had recent contact with Scouting and/or Guiding. The CBC's demographic runs into the 45+ age group (if that young) and many probably have memories of what Scouting was, not what it is.

By chance I happened to hear the last half of this CBC radio program. They introduced it as about the Girl Guides selling one of their camps and the controversy that the sale generated. (Sound familiar??)

"... too much of a religious and military overtone for my liking ... "

As a Scouting Chaplain and Trainer I only wish the "religious...overtone" was true. My experience has been that one of the three principles of Scouting - Duty to God - is only given a perfunctory nod.

"... too many of the leaders had girls in the group ... and didn't get involved as much with the others..."

Sounds like a function of poor training and poor leader teamwork. In any Group I've been involved with, it's been made clear that I am a Leader first and father second. And it's worked well.

".. I expected to learn real outdoor skills ... but didn't.."

This was actually one of the reasons my daughter left Guiding for Scouting. A recruiting opportunity for Scouting?

".. costs too much.." (this from a parent who could only afford 1 year for his Scout)

I think we've just about flogged this horse to death on this forum.

Robert, to retain members, we need to listen to the customer. If they say it is too militaristic, too religious, too expensive, not enough outdoors, or whatever, we need to take that seriously. There is no point soliciting feedback from people if one is just going to dismiss it. Scouter Bob is right: This is "food for thought"; we need to listen and act to meet the needs of the young people and the section Scouters that serve them.