Guiding and Scouting Your thoughts

[ProfJohnL]

On AOL tonight there is a new debate concerning the differences between Scouting and Guiding.

I'm guessing that many of us may have had our interest in caravanning sparked by camping and other outdoor activities perhaps introduced to us through Guiding and Scouting.

What are your experiences of Guiding and Scouting?
Do you think what they stand for is still relevant to-day?
Would you encourage your children or grand children to join?
Would you consider volunteering to help a local group?
Do you think they need to change and if so how?

 

[WoodlandsCamper]

On AOL tonight there is a new debate concerning the differences between Scouting and Guiding.

I'm guessing that many of us may have had our interest in caravanning sparked by camping and other outdoor activities perhaps introduced to us through Guiding and Scouting.

What are your experiences of Guiding and Scouting? I was a cub/scout/venture for many years and am now in the Scout Active Support
Do you think what they stand for is still relevant to-day? Yes, definately
Would you encourage your children or grand children to join? Yes
Would you consider volunteering to help a local group? I already do
Do you think they need to change and if so how? Scouting already changes with the times, eg coed, all persuasions, all religions including none, long trousers, no hats, no sticks, no knives, reduced number of laws, modified promise, 'outdoor/active' Chief Scouts (Peter Duncan, Bear Grylls), increasing membership, etc

Try it and see for yourself, they always need more adult volunteers to lead the increasing youth members.

 

[Oldsalt49]

One thing they got rid of was that forced slavery called "Bob a Job" week. I remember being given some really gruesome tasks for a shilling!!

 

[ProfJohnL]

Try it and see for yourself, they always need more adult volunteers to lead the increasing youth members.

I have, I was a GSL for a number of years until health issues forced me to reduce my involvment.

 

[crazyguider]

I was so influenced by my days as a Brownie and Guide, that I became a Guide Leader at 17! That was 26 years ago, and I still have a huge passion for it. It has helped me with many decisions in life, and in living by the Guide Laws as much as possible, although not an active Christian, I feel that the movement has shown me when compassion is needed and when to use it. Guiding has been the cornerstone of my life and the way I live it. It changes with the times, and provides girls with a place to just be girls. My proudest moment was the day when I enrolled my own daughter as a Guide in 2010; she's still going and has nearlt completed her Baden Powell Challenge Award - the highest award for under 14's.
I agree with Woodlands Camper, in that we always need reliable and enthusiastic adult volunteers to help our movements going.

 

[ValA.]

I joined the guides in the early sixties and lasted just two sessions - I was too rebellious for all the rules and regulations!!! Now both organisations have changed - in my opinion forr the better. My sons were both scouts, and enjoyed it and learned a lot, and my nephew is a scout and his sister a guide. My sister and her husband are volunteers. I think the old scouting ways were relevant (to some, if not to me!) at the time, but society changed a very long time ago, and fortunately so did both scouts and guides. I think any changes have been for the better.

 

[soldlisa04]

I was in the Brownies and the Guides. I learnt to iron, clean, sew, cook and orinteer within these two establishments. I have one son, who for his own reasons, didn't wish to join the Beavers, Cubs or Scouts but I do have a nephew who is currently loving the Scouts! I have many fond memories (ahem) of digging my own latrine pit, making a washing up stand, sleeping with spiders in my sleeping bag, being evacuated at 2am due to torrential rain flooding our tents - all of which made me a stronger person. I think more children should join, they might just learn some manners, respect and life skills, sadly most of which seem to be lacking in today's children!

 

[Surfer]

I used to look forward to our annual camp which was going back to basics. We used to camp on a farm near piketsberg in teh Western Cape. We dug our own latrines etc. Also on the farm was a small dam over which we constructed a foofy slide. It was great fun and we were taught a lot of values. I am talking about the early sixties. Unfortunately I found out recently that one of the scout masters hasd been arrested a few months ago for being a paedophile. He was also a leading businessman in the area!

 

[Mel]

An organisation that gives young people something to belong to that has good values and gets them out and active has to be positive. I do think that Scouting and guiding may have a lingering image problem as being not cool, rule bound and middle class. Which is probably no longer true but I suspect many teenagers might see it that way.
mel

 

[JohnM20]

Scouting and Guiding are extremely relevant in today's world, possibly even more so than when the movements started. Getting more young people involved may, no, will, help to produce a better society.
It proves that there is an interest in and a belief in the relevance of Scouting by younger people, or perhaps initially their parents, because there are waiting lists over most of the country especially for Beavers and Cubs. These lists are are difficult to reduce because of a lack of leaders. Having said that, the number of leaders here in the Derby area is increasing year by year but not at the same rate as applications to join the sections. Unless there is a certain number of leaders to young people then groups can't expand. It is important that there are sufficient numbers of leaders in each of the sections, (Beavers, Cubs and Scouts), as, without the right numbers, the Beavers can't go up into Cubs and Cubs can't go up into Scouts and the momentum is lost. I think I'm right in saying that the number of Scouts joining as Scouts is far lower than the number that have come up from the other sections but once they are in the Scouting movement the vast majority thoroughly enjoy themselves and get a lot out of it and stay for many years, often to their early twenties and beyond.
I don't know a lot about Guiding so I can't really comment but it is interesting that it appears that there are as many girls joing Scouting from Beavers upwards as there are joining Guiding.
So, to answer the questions, yes Scouting and Guiding is relevant today. It is changing and evolving and has done over the years although personally I believe some of the changes are not for necessarily for the best, (eg climbing a tree was something that a Scout used to have to be able to do but now it is banned). Yes I would encourage anyone to join, and that includes adults as leaders and yes, I do volunteer as part of a Scout Active Support Unit. Perhaps you should give it a go, you may be surprised at what you have been missing.