Too much growth ?

Hi all,

Happy to meet everyone electronically. I have an odd scenario for your consideration. We have rekindled a previously retired Cub/ Scout group. Currently in our second year of scouts we have 19 scouts and run a fairly decent program.

With the trend of new recruits that I am seeing, I am considering capping the troop off at 20 scouts to protect the integrity of our program. I truly hate to do this, however I equally hate to jeopardize a thriving troop by swelling the ranks so much that leadership gets swamped and scout participation diminished as a result.

Anyone have any insight for me?

Troop Scouter Jim

You can certainly cap it at what ever level you are comfortable with. You also need to consider number registered vs number who actually turn up. A few years ago when we had 30+ Cubs registered, we would only have about 24 turn up on a regular basis (due to sickness, away, etc) which we found to be a good number. Anywhere between 24 and 30 worked well for us, but there was no doubt that at 30 it was a little more hectic. I certainly wouldn't want a pack with less than 24 kids. Not having experienced a large troop, I can't really comment on your situation, but I would guess you could go up to 24 Scouts vs 20.

Jim, I would strongly urge you the opposite way, i.e. to not cap growth. The reason I say this is that we can't afford, nationally, to be turning kids down, though locally you are doing great. It sounds like it is time for your Council and Area Service Scouters to pay you a visit. Looking at your introduction, you guys are doing amazing things, creating a Group of almost 100 kids in 3 years, and getting some attention from the service Scouter for your area is overdue if you are thinking of capping. With 40+ cubs waiting to get to Scouts, you need more growth room. What about doing an "A" Troop and a "B" Troop? Keep your ranks open and actively recruit new leaders, and then split the Troop when you have the graduating cubs coming up next fall.

BTW, with kids clamouring to get in, use the defence of "ratio!" to to recruit leaders.

Angus I agree with most of what you say. but using ratio as a defence when recruiting leaders will get you some who are there to be numbers. leaders who are numericly present are realy just a drain on the group. I like the idea of National helping to develop a strategy to recruit more leaders.

if a leader is talked into the role, they just dont do as well.

We had to recruit leaders this year simply for numbers but they have turned out to be good leaders. We have also capped our group sizes. Next year if we are to get any bigger we will have to start a second colony, leadership and gym space permitting. We capped our beaver colony at 30 this year, cubs at 24. Part of it was due to ratio. We actually weren't considering that scouts would end up coming so close to ratio. We had a waiting list at the beginning of the year for beavers and had to tell parents that we couldn't accept youth until we had more leaders. Parents who signed up, could skip the waiting list with their children. We also held parents meeting in each section to start the year to let them know our current status with leaders as well as our fundraising initiatives for the year. We gave a high level of the years plan at this time as well.

This was well received by the parents, fundraising has been more succesful this year, as I believe the parents previously thought the registration fee they paid stayed mostly in the group, but we gave them a bit of breakdown. We recruited 4 new beaver leaders and a webmaster through the whole process, a cub leader returned from years past and we have a lot of SITs and ALs in our group who have nearly all completed their WB1.

I hope that in future years we can encourage additional growth but it will only be through additional leadership.

Angus I agree with most of what you say. but using ratio as a defence when recruiting leaders will get you some who are there to be numbers. leaders who are numericly present are realy just a drain on the group. I like the idea of National helping to develop a strategy to recruit more leaders.

if a leader is talked into the role, they just dont do as well.

I have since added a smilie to indicate that I was, in part, joking. Southpaw makes my non-joking point. I was a strong-armed leader myself, and now I have become the keener of the 1st Brockville Group. Sona (from Airdrie (I've driven though it many times, back in the 1990s)), I do get your point too. We had a few "empty shirts", there just to make ratio. One of them dropped out in spring, and the other went on to do some training and has really grown into a good leader.

I was sort of strong armed into being a beaver leader, did my WB1 and never felt comfortable or productive in the role. went to cubs the next year and did much beter. probably an age thing. I guess most people who let themselves get talked into a role do try, I have seen a few who act like scarecrows and dont do as much good.

I may have put too much emphasis on those in my thought though.

I see great recruiting campains from girl guides that might help...