Beavers and helping out

[Infinityandbeyondthestars]

So my DS has recently started Beavers and i am getting a bit of pressure from the leadership team to help out as a section helper. I am in 2 minds, i don't mind helping out occasionally but a bit weary about committing to it.

Has anyone done this role, what does it entail / is it a big commitment?

I’m a Cub leader. I started as a sectional assistant and soon realised that our group is very tenuously hung together with extreme goodwill and very little spare time. I am a big believer in many hands making light work, so I stepped up as assistant leader.

As sectional assistant, I needed a DBS check (straightforward, and free for volunteers). I was not expected to help in planning meetings, but was welcomed when I did. The role involved helping deliver a meeting that had already been planned, Wetherby by setting up a games/activity/craft/bake, assisting on a walk, making up adult ratio numbers, putting out tables, occassionally running a game etc. It could be as little as just helping at a pack meeting once a week, but you could build on it.

In our Scout Group, every section has a parent rota.

It's an hour a week op, did they not say

no, i got a text asking me to do it, no information given, and i know it's only an hour but he's been to one session and not sure if he will even stay and also i am not always the one who would have taken him, so means committing to blocking out the time, which sometimes isn't convenient with work.

Ime say no.
Eating beans and singing awful bloody songs still haunts me.
20 years ago and still shuddering.....

You could let them know which dates are suitable. I doubt they’ll be expecting help every week.

I do it. Much like bike I deliver sessions (1hr15) that someone else has planned. The other leader does all the admin so I only really commit to 1.5hr a week during term time and the odd weekend/evening event throughout the year.
I usually love it but sometimes it’s a chore. It’s worth it because it’s so valuable for all the kids involved. If your heart’s not in it though you’ll probably hate it.

Is it occasionally volunteering as part of a parent rota? Or are they particularly keen on you? You can say you do it once or twice a month or something like that. (I did that with other parents for beavers)

I volunteered for a bit for Girlguiding. It surprised me how much I did enjoy it!

It doesn’t sound they want every week, but like a previous poster said, just give them the dates you’d be available, be honest and firm.

A section helper shouldn’t feel the need to commit and mess around with work imo so only do what you can spare, not what you have to work for to get to do, iykwim

I would probably say you can’t commit to every week to start with but happy to help as and when. DS is a Beaver and we try and help at least once a term or when they send out a call to arms to parents. I would struggle to do weekly (or at least DH would- I send him)
If you enjoy it you can then make a commitment to do more?

@infinitybeyondthestars, tell them you’ll consider it when/if your son is invested.

If you could help out I am sure they will be very grateful. Explain about not being able to commit to a regular slot and see if they can accommodate you. Beaver groups need more adults for activities outside the hut than in the hut, so demand for help has weeks where more/less is needed. I can guarantee that any offer of help will be gratefully accepted.

I suspect it's something they send to everyone when their child starts rather than targeting you. Certainly one of ours did.

If you'd enjoy it, then go ahead. I helped at Rainbows when the assistant leader was ill for a couple of terms and loved it. I did find beavers (all parents helped once a term) a slightly different kettle of fish*, but the leaders seemed to love it and be terribly enthusiastic all the time.

*Rainbows for example, you gave them a craft activity. They spent time enjoying it, and when they'd finished put up their hand and asked for a new one. Beavers looked at the craft activity, maybe scribbled on it for a moment and then found some way to use it as a physical activity. They were sweet (and imaginative, but in the context I'm not sure that was a positive ) but took a lot of energy. I'd come out exhausted after a session. I think the Beaver's leaders deserved medals.

DD’s Brownie pack tried it just before she left. It would have been a nightmare for some parents as they work and only come home 10 minutes earlier.

I heard of some packs making parental help mandatory for a child to attend.

I am all for volunteering but not everyone enjoys active participation. DH and I volunteer for practical matters at DD’s scout pack but it is more behind the scenes or one specific thing DH is licensed to teach.

they work and only come home 10 minutes earlier.. That’s me. I’m a Cub leader. I have honed 5 minute teas to a fine art.

I heard of some packs making parental help mandatory for a child to attend. Ours expects it. We have 32 Cubs and 3 leaders. 2 of the leaders don’t even have children in the pack. It’s not really an unreasonable expectation. Parents are told this when they first make contact.

Hi op,
I expect it's a blanket text sent to all new parents, don't feel individually pressured 🙂
I am a sectional assistant at Beavers, and we are always desperate for new volunteers just so we can run the nights with enough adults to be safe. We are trying to get a rota of parent helpers together this term as it will give us an extra pair of hands on trips out, and if one of the regular leaders has another commitment e. g. parents evening, or childcare for younger ones falls through, then we can ask parents who have said they're willing rather than cancelling or asking one of the cub or scout leaders who are already running their own sections.
Make sure your son is enjoying it first, then please do think about offering to help out with even the odd evening, the leaders will be very grateful I'm sure!

Oh yes, just to add, I don't have kids in the colony, nor do the main leaders anymore. Our Scout Leader has adult children who are leaders themselves! And yes, we usually get in from work grab something to eat (or have tea after) and go straight out again. It is hard work, but it is SO worth it. Seriously, seeing the kids grow up from tiny shy 6 year olds to more mature, responsible older ones is brilliant, and the kids do appreciate it. I did scouts for a while having done beavers for a couple of years, some of the 10 year olds coming into scouts remembered me from beavers and it made my week! The first time I persuaded a kid to try climbing because "it's like spiderman" even though they were scared of heights, they were so so proud of themselves for trying it. Or when we took them to sing carols at the sheltered housing and a couple who are usually little nightmares were chatting away nicely to the older people. Or when they're doing a wide game in the dark, and one clings to your hand for the first 20 minutes then gets the confidence to let go and join in.
I love it.

Wow that was a bit of an essay, I'm clearly very passionate about it lol.
Behind the scenes stuff is also really really appreciated, our current comittee is mostly made up of people whose children left years ago or are leaders themselves now and most of them would like to step down now if anyone would take it on.

I have tried for 2 years to get my son into cubs but it's full. I would go every single week if it meant he could get into Cubs.

The leaders are all volunteers.

It's not unreasonable to ask parents to commit some of their own time too.

I ran a beaver colony until a year ago. We expected all parents to help out in a tor’s system. It allows the leaders to plan better sessions as you can do more with young children if you have additional help. A section assistant is a more regular role, a smaller commitment than a leader.

These groups rely totally on volunteers, if they don’t get helpers they don’t run. I continued for about 3 years after DS left scouting, so about 6 years after he left the beaver section!

Our Beaver/Cub/Scout pack had to rely on parent volunteers to help out every week - there was supposed to be a rota but some parents used to drop their kids and run when it was their turn unfortunately. I used to take my son but offer to hang around to make sure the parent helper arrived - if they didn't, then I used to stay and help.
I didnt mind doing it as I appreciate how much the leaders put into the groups but a lot of parents refused to help

I am happy to help occasionally and did put my name on the rota. She then text me saying I see you've volunteered would you do it officially as section helper. She has texted again saying she'll phone me tomorrow with details etc.

I do appreciate the leaders at giving up their time etc. But ds has literally been there once and hes not entirely sure about it. If it where a few months down and he loved it, it may be different.

I heard of some packs making parental help mandatory for a child to attend.Ours expects it. We have 32 Cubs and 3 leaders. 2 of the leaders don’t even have children in the pack. It’s not really an unreasonable expectation.

How does this work if you have younger children at home and no one to look after them? My eldest ds is nearly 6 and I was going to put his name down for beavers but I would only be able to stay and help if I could bring along his little brother. I'm lucky because ds2 will be 4 by then so not too much trouble but I imagine if you had a baby/toddler (or both!) to look after you wouldn't be much help.

I ask because I used to run a rainbow pack and a Brownie unit and a lot of the children came from single parent families, so parents couldn't come along to help because they had younger siblings to look after. I remember we had one little girl who had a really awful home life and the only way she could attend brownies was if one of the leaders picked her up and dropped her back home every week. We had a mix of a few mums who could help out most weeks and 18/19 year olds who wanted work experience.

I heard of some packs making parental help mandatory for a child to attend

I’ve heard this from others on MN and I wouldn’t call that inclusive if some people can’t do this due to childcare for example.
Tbh something like that leaves the associations with a bad taste and I’m not sure if they can actually demand this from parents .

My daughter is a member of GG and it’s her respite time, she has an older sister with special needs I need to care for during the session.

Our scout group have a parent rota, we struggle to get leaders so having an extra adult helps with ratios. If you can't help then let the leaders know. Sometimes you can help in other ways.

anon if you agree to go into uniform in our group your child would jump the queue.

But if you do become a leader/assistant do not believe "it's only an hour a week' comment, that is an in-joke amongst leaders, who may have been told that when they signed up.