Scouts?

[jonesfam]

SWMBO & I are trying to find activities for the kids.


The boys (4 of them) all have some form of special needs but are all high functioning.
We are looking for something that will increase their social skills, encourage confidence, fitness & life experience but also keep them interested.


So, we were thinking about Scouts?


It isn't cheap, SWMBO will have to run the kids to & from so we want to be reasonably confident that the boys will get something out of it.


I have Goggled Scouts, spoken to the Leader on the phone and all that but I would like some extra input.
Does anyone here have experience of Scouts? What is it like? Do kids love it or is it just something that Mum/Dad makes them do?


Neither SWMBO or I were Scouts so know little about it except you tie knots.


Any sort of real world opinions would be appreciated.


Jonesfam
PS We are also signing the kids up for athletics.

[austastar]

Hi,
Ages?

Cheers

[vnx205]

Unless someone has first hand knowledge of your local troop, I don't think anyone can give you a guarantee of how much your boys will get out of Scouts.

I was a Cub, a Scout, a Senior Scout (now called Venturers), a Troop Leader, a District leader, a canoeing instructor and a canoeing assessor, so I have some experience of the movement.

I can tell you that training of leaders is now quite thorough and includes an understanding of how children change as they age and how the approach to play and to skills development needs to be adapted to suit the age of the Scout.

Even so there is quite a lot of variation between troops in different towns. For example our troop and most of our district was very big on canoeing, while scouts from other troops might only get the opportunity at larger scale events like District events, Jamborettes or Jamborees.

While a lot of the activities will be common, differences will exist because of geography,resources, and leaders' expertise and experience.

A lot of the emphasis is on developing social skills, leadership skills, and so on. The practical skills are still important. I still use ropes and knots for securing things like motorcycles and canoes where everyone else seems to use ratchet straps. I also still find it useful to be able to splice rope.

As I said, I can't guarantee anything, but it is quite likely that your boys will find that Scouts gives them a chance to mix with other boys (and in some troops with girls) around their age, it will give them a chance to learn to work as part of a team, to take responsibility, to develop leadership skills, to have adventures, to test themselves, and learn practical skills (including tying knots :D ).

Most of this you will have read on the Scouts Australia website, but those are my impressions based on over 40 years of involvement in the movement.

[Barefoot Dave]

If the local scout troupe doesn't fit the bill;
Military Cadets- any arm (used to be air force in Atherton). Fyi- there is a private Army cadets organization now as well. Pm for info.
St johns ambulance cadets.
Emergency services cadets. None in you're neck of the Woods, but check with your local pcyc to see if one is planned.

I suspect that your boys will respond well to the more formal structure of a cadets program.

[rar110]

Unless someone has first hand knowledge of your local troop, I don't think anyone can give you a guarantee of how much your boys will get out of Scouts. I was a Cub, a Scout, a Senior Scout (now called Venturers), a Troop Leader, a District leader, a canoeing instructor and a canoeing assessor, so I have some experience of the movement. I can tell you that training of leaders is now quite thorough and includes an understanding of how children change as they age and how the approach to play and to skills development needs to be adapted to suit the age of the Scout. Even so there is quite a lot of variation between troops in different towns. For example our troop and most of our district was very big on canoeing, while scouts from other troops might only get the opportunity at larger scale events like District events, Jamborettes or Jamborees. While a lot of the activities will be common, differences will exist because of geography,resources, and leaders' expertise and experience. A lot of the emphasis is on developing social skills, leadership skills, and so on. The practical skills are still important. I still use ropes and knots for securing things like motorcycles and canoes where everyone else seems to use ratchet straps. I also still find it useful to be able to splice rope. As I said, I can't guarantee anything, but it is quite likely that your boys will find that Scouts gives them a chance to mix with other boys (and in some troops with girls) around their age, it will give them a chance to learn to work as part of a team, to take responsibility, to develop leadership skills, to have adventures, to test themselves, and learn practical skills (including tying knots :D ). Most of this you will have read on the Scouts Australia website, but those are my impressions based on over 40 years of involvement in the movement.

I have one in the local scout group. 100% agree with the above. Most groups allow you to try it out first. They get experiences they might not otherwise get.

[DoubleChevron]

Try one of your local martial arts clubs .... Go along first and watch a class. You don't want meatheads (eg: some kickboxing and MMA type classes where the idea is to WIN ... KILL ... etcc...). Rather a more traditional art where they focus on technique, respect and self discipline. You may be more likely to find this iwth a small club running out of you local public hall ( as it's not a "for profit" type venture, more of a passion).

The martial art style is upto you and your kids :) Anything but olympic style taekwondo I reckon is fun (olympic style is just a joke ... fancy tag tiggy).

My kids have been training in Taekwondo at one of the local clubs now for a couple of years. They still really enjoy it. It's unusual for kids to stick at something for so long ( 8 & 10 year old girls ).

seeya,
Shane L.

[jonesfam]

Thanks for the replies.:)
The boys are
12 FAS, hearing & Intellectual disability. Very physical & active, easily lead.
11 FAS & Intellectual disability. Really physical & active, has no fear.
11 Autistic spectrum. Very big, intelligent in a lot of ways & bossy, very strong but not physical as such.
10 Hearing, mild FAS & needs a personality.


All the kids are high functioning in that they can communicate, have excellent to reasonably hand/eye & balance. Comprehension can be bad.
3 boys are what we used to call "Slow" before we all became PC.
They all have poor school grades but try their best.


All are Aboriginal & love the bush & bush activities. I used to take them camping & fishing but now I work away from home I don't get the chance any more.


Anyway, SWMBO is going to take them to a sign up day where the scouts put on displays of some of their activities.
I'll be back at work by then so I will see what SWMBO thinks.
Jonesfam
PS Regarding Cadets. 2 of the kids want to be soldiers (probably change next year) so I will investigate that.

[rangieman]

My experience dates back a very long time :eek: Im guessing it has changed a bit now :cool:
It was very rewarding being in the cubs and scouts as a youngster back then:D

[Fifth Columnist]

I lied about my age to get into (Wolf) Cubs and remained actively involved with Scouting 'til my mid-sixties.
Fantastic organisation. Even met my now wife through Scouting.
Let the boys try it and see if they want to stay.

[Safari]

Hi I am a current Leader and have been for over 30 years, My view is that if a kid is not going to shine at sport then Scouts is a good avenue as they can earn badges etc and get a good sense of achievement. Our local child psychiatrist happens to recommend Scouts and karate to kids with special needs. So depending on your local area you may have a group with a high proportion of kids with other problems. Most groups are happy to let you try them out for 4 to 6 weeks as it is now a costly organisation. Our group charges $65.00 to join and $85.00 per term plus the cost of the uniform. As with most volunteer organisations the level of Scouting varies greatly depending on the leaders and the Group as a whole. Some leaders are thrown in with no previous experience as most groups are desperate for leaders. (Training is provided but it is a pretty steep learning curve if you have no previous experience ) The organisation also has a lot of competition now, so numbers change all the time. In our area some Troops are lucky to go on one camp a year with another Troop in the next suburb doing at least one camp a term with plenty of other weekend day activities. If you have a choice in your area ask to see their term and year program. Scouts start at 11yrs but they may take the youngest if he is about 10 and a half. But saying that 4 boys with special needs on to a troop in one hit may be daunting to the existing leaders ( Be Prepared to be asked to help out). Good luck Cheers Rob

[DoubleChevron]

It's interesting, we have a member who obviously has downs syndrome turn up a our Taekwondo club... I thought she wouldn't even last one lesson. Amazingly 2years later she is still very keen and would be one of the few students that turns up every single week without fail.

She seems to get a lot out of it. Obviously it would become far to difficult if you have a number of higher needs students in the one class (you would need to have a lot of instructors to help out which most clubs don't have).

But I'm still amazed on how well it's working out.

seeya,
Shane L.

[ramblingboy42]

hmmm Scouts.

I was a SL in a NSW district which was really made by the DSL.

I became an ASL in an Adelaide troop.

I became an ASL in a NT troop.

I became an ASL in a newly raised troop in SE Qld and that's when the "fun " began.

My daughter wished to be a scout and we had no female leader or helper , so I had her camp with me.

On a jimboree the DSL became aware of this and tried to make an issue of it , other than quoting PO&R, which I understood , he would not say why he held such a strong objection to my daughter sharing my tent , and had me face(during the jimbooree)a kind of kangaroo court.

The "court" comprised of 3-4 fat old spinsters and the DSL and some other tired old senior leader in the organisation.

They made all sorts of implications about my daughter being in my tent , but would not say what they were really thinking , which I strongly challenged them to do....I wanted to shred them and their terrible minds legally and personally.

Prior to the jimboree, the DSL assigned areas to each troop, and myself and my leader went in the night before and set up all the tentage for the cubs and joeys , which happened to be brand new dome tents , donated by local businesses and parents.

When we came in on the morning of the jimboree we found all our dome tents had been unpegged and basically thrown across the camping area, to which I found the DSL and reported the matter and it was he who had done it because he said we had not placed the tents where he specifically required.

As, you can imagine , at the end of the jimboree I was pretty ****ed off and approached the Scout Association of Qld about both matters. The association heirachy, full of fat old ladies and a conglomeration of rather strange men , closed ranks on themselves and tried to hush everything over.

I worked very hard for the troop and the scouts and I was really the pillar of strength for the whole group. The group leader had had enough of the District's stupidity and antics and my leader was waining rapidly , the cub leader had enough of banging his against District and the joeys were suffering sinilarly.

I took this upon myself to go back to District and they just threw everything back in my face , I subsequently handed in my warrant , which I had held for 30 years and they just shrugged their shoulders.

The group fell apart within weeks then the association demanded everything the group had purchased and put together. I said no , it will be offered back to the parents of the group who supplied it all, which I did.

When the date for collection of all the groups equipment arrived there was only a few hundred metres of telsra rope, some mildew tentage that some one offered the group years before and useless leftovers from the joeys.

The Association were going to investigate and sue and I said I will have my defense laweys ready for them. Typically all **** and wind the Associatio did nothing.

so, thats my sorry final venture in scouting. I feel sorry for the boys and girls who were let down by Queensland Scouting , I feel sorrier for the senior leaders who believed in themsleves so much before the welfare of the scouts , cubs and joeys.

btw ...this is/was much bigger scenario than I have portrayed here.