AIBU to not put my occupation down on the Beavers application form?

[MyCarHasBrokenDownAgain]

Hi All!

Really not sure if I am or not! DS has wanted to go to Beavers for over a year. He finally starts this week and we're both really chuffed about it.

Anyway, the pack of forms has arrived, and I've filled in everything quite happily, until I came to the parent's occupation bit. Why do they need this information (it's on his personal details card, which also contains medical information etc, so would assume it's held confidentially somewhere). It's not as though they ask where I work and contact details; just for my occupation. Just makes me slightly uncomfortable as to why they want to know this, and what it's got to do with him joining Beavers. FWIW I have a very boring admin job in HR, so not anything to hide or be proud of .

If anyone can shed any light on why they need to know this or just thinks I'm being really petty and should get over myself I am happy to back down and add it.

Thank you!

Mycar, often information about your job is used to assess socio-economic status (i.e. are you poorer or richer). It is usually as the organization wants to monitor that it is reaching out to all groups of people, and this is the only way it can tell. However, I'm sure you are not obliged to fill it in, just state 'rather not say'.

I dunno, I had the same issue so made DH fill out the form, and the CRB check and now he's the only one who can help out with two hour long water fights with 30-odd cubs, shame

There was another bit where they asked if you had any special talents or interests - to me that could be relevant, because if you were a rocket scientist you could organise a make-a-rocket night. But knowing you are a procurement manager, not so useful for them.

We dont ask parents occupations on our Beaver admission form. Leave it off.

I don't know how I'd feel either OP! It's a bit, well, nosey really isn't it?!

It's probably asked incase you have a super exciting job and they can persuade you to come in and do sessions about it with all the different Beaver groups.

They are asking in case you have an "interesting" job such as fireman or policeman that they can ask to come in and give a talk. Or a job that might involve an interesting place to visit (you work at the zoo). Or somewhere that might offer them donations for fundraising events. I doubt you can guess socio-economic status from a job (plenty of well off families where one parent e.g. has a very low paying job.

But I don't think they will care if you leave it off.

Yes, what Outraged said.

Thanks all for the speedy replies. I think I might leave it off unless they specifically ask.

No space for any other talents on our form, which is lucky because I don't have any I'd find that question a bit uncomfortable too .. unless being a bloody expert a pushing broken down clapped out cars counts?!

Ha ha - well they definitely wouldn't want us coming in and giving a talk then:

Mine would be: 'How I broke the photocopier for the fifth time today' and DH's would be something like 'I drove 100 miles only to have my job aborted'! Zzzzzzz

What does 'FWIW' mean?

For what it's worth

what outraged said too

Agree with most - it'll just be so they can approach any parents who might be able to help them with a particular bage or interest night. Nothing more sinister

It's like those forms you get with just about anything now. Asking age, religion, ethnicity, disabled status. I never fill them in. Nothing to do with whatever it is usually.

I agree it is probably in case you can offer something to the club - eg an Accountant might be able to help file their accounts; a police officer might be able to do a stranger danger talk etc etc.

There was a great thread a while back where someone was asked their profession on the school application form and MNers were coming up with some hilarious eyebrow raising suggestions

Put stripper, and say your talent pole dancing.

I always put 'Various' and wonder if people then think that I am a criminal.

Mind you, some years ago when I went with a mate to an Over 30s Singles Disco (and yes, it was every bit as bad as you might expect) I decided to claim i was a proctologist...

Under the Data Protection Act, they need to tell you why they want the information and what it will be used for. So they are acting illegally if you do not know this information.

The Cubs and Beavers here ask which school your child attends. Is that useful to them somehow?

i would expect they might get funding if working with poorer families maybe?

Knowing what school they attend means they can target PR if needed to schools where they don't get many.

Obiwan Ours asked that too - strangely enough I didn't balk at it ... maybe I'm happier giving out DS's personal information than I am my own!

Both times I've spoken to the leader she has emphasized how they have such a lot of kids, all voluntary, don't get paid etc, so I can imagine they are gently fishing for volunteers. If cornered I was just going mysteriously say that I'd never pass a CRB check

It is all volunteers so people are right to think that your occupation might be useful.
They want to know the school because they are all inclusive and will make a special effort if your DC is the only one from a certain school. If they don't know each other through school you do lots of 'getting to know you' games, you don't need it if they all know each other to start with. If a DC is home educated they would get them integrated.

In my area it is nothing to do with PR - their names has to be down from about 2yrs if they want to be sure of a space! (long before they know which school they will go to)

I think I must have been going through a 'why do they need to know!?' phase when I filled the form in.

I started to worry about what they'd be getting up to at camp when they wanted the name and address of the G.P. plus the child health registration number. So that when they inevitably rock up to A&E with my half drowned child (who still can't swim), at least there'll be no confusion with the health records.