Why is running a Scout troop so dificult now compared to 1950's?

Because kids today are raised by parents who were raised by the television.

I have no idea about running scout troops but I think it would be the same as running a karate club.

Times have changed, and yes, parents are especially more contentious than they used to be.

My Sensei has gone so far as to ban parents from some events because they are the disruptive ones!

Another reason maybe, is that today kids do so much more than they used too. The most I ever did as a child was piano lessons and the art club. My neighbour's kids do swimming, flute lessons, karate, has his playstation, and goes out on his bike alot too!

The difficulty comes, I believe, in that to a certain extent there has been a decline in the level of respect for certain positions - be it Scout Master or Sensei - it's become consumer led so people becoming demanding of their rights as they a 'paying for a service'.

It doesn't always make things pleasant or easy.

When I was a child work was something that we looked for and payment for that work was something we looked forward to.

Children today are given what at one time they had to earn.

(God I sound like an old fart)

It isn't the failing of todays children, its the failing of todays parents. I've heard so many parents say " I want my child to have what I couldn't have" Thats fine and dandy, however, rewarding a child for nothing teaches the child nothing about the value of the reward. That and the fact that every parent thinks that their child is a unique and beautiful snowflake. As we all know this isn't the truth. In todays world, the unique and beautiful snowflake is the one that will work his butt off for a new bike when all the rest are playing video games expecting to be handed to them.

Good question

I work under a lawyer who is a Scoutmaster. I took a phone call from one of the Scout parents yesterday saying her son wouldn't be coming on the trip this weekend.

When I told him he said that the boy hasn't done anything with them since he started saying that the boy is playing baseball in high school trying to make it "PRO".

I think it's harder these days because kids are too busy playing video games and other technical entertainment instead of gaining skills that they one day could use. They just seem to not care anymore. And parents just let them do what they want and sometimes give them false hope of big dreams..... And parents giving them what they want instead of teaching them the responsibility of working and earning what they get.

Could you be more specific about the difficulties being encountered?

I suspect the root of it is a lack of clear goals held either by the Scout organisation or by the members. The Woodcraft Folk has certainly suffered from that - too many people wanting it to be different things.

These have included older members who want to keep the organisation as it was, new parent - helpers/leaders who often want changes, leaders who were members as children and tend to be conservative, the temptation to change to meet grant criteria, the debate over whether to set out to appeal to as many children as possible or to offer a narrow range of high-quality activities to those who want them, whether leaders are or should be there to provide things for child clients or to join the children doing things both want, etc.

Hey Frank, My opinion is that society in whole is turning that way, to bloody Politically Correct, half the stuff i did when i was a cub( Pre-Scout in New Zealand), would be illegal now days because some one might get hurt its silly really, then the health and safety arm of the goverment would get involved etc, although I see a need for them they can be over the top.

probably a good playing factor in te equasion is with all the "ghost stories" around it get's harder for some people to believe that adults can indeed have a healthy interest towards children. Plus of course that nowadays parent spoil their kids rotten and are scared to death if the "little angel" does as much as scrape his knee.

i think the main reason is because we have gotten away from our core values as a nation. and i don't think we have done a good job instilling into our scouts the basic principals of "..... i will keep myself mentally sound, physically strong and morally straight."