AIBU to think that 9 months' notice should be enough for a club...

[BashfulBunny]

Apparently 9 months notice isn't enough to join Beavers as by the time my son will reach the top of the waiting list, he'll be too old to join. He's currently 4.5, Beavers goes up to age 8.

This is not a complaint about Scouts. I know it is run by volunteers, I have volunteered to help if they need more people. My son has just started school and I thought one extra-curricular activity starting next summer would be a gentle way to get him involved in things that his school friends might do.

But AIBU to think the world is mad these days that you have to sign up for everything the instant you are pregnant otherwise 50million tiger mothers will have got there first.

Boys Brigade? Usually has space because people are scared off by the loose association with religion. My boys have been involved for years and go to church once a year on Remembrance Sunday, no other mention of God, or if there has been my kids haven't noticed.

Or Woodcraft? That usually involved quite a lot of parental involvement.

I got caught out with football in our area, you need to start football classes ages 1 or else your child is already way behind by the time they try to join the school football. I am not organised enough for modern parenting.

Yikes! Is it really that sought after?! Should I be calling Rainbow groups now for my 2.5 year old?

sadly the same here - my DC1 did get a place at Beavers, but then I put his name down at 2.5 years. If they are at capacity, then they can't take extra children even if they do have extra leaders.

If no one is prepared to set up another group (often just needed to be another group on a different night at the same location) then there will be shortages.

I have seen parents who "volunteer" to get their child to leapfrog a huge waiting list, and then be strangely unavailable once the child is in. Sadly that is (part of) why some units don't prioritise children of leaders or other volunteers. Very frustrating obviously but understandable.

There is probably also a maximum number of children they'll take in the unit. You could offer to start a new unit but you'd need more than just one volunteer.

Don't underestimate how much work goes into these things, it's not just about turning up every week.

Depending where you are, it might be you can find another group a little further away with space. There are no catchment areas for scouting or guiding, if you're willing to transport your child there nobody will mind where you live.

Is there no way you can throw the net a bit wider and travel a little further out of your home town to a Beavers group with a shorter waiting list? It would be worth checking out other groups in case they have more space than your nearest group.

It does depend on the area because it depends on volunteers who are prepared to come out every week.
In my cousin's area (back in the 1980s) if you didn't get their name down before they were 2yo, then you wouldn't get in to beavers. Beavers got priority to get into cubs, so if you didn't get into Beavers you had no chance of Cubs. Ditto with Scouts.
My cousin did 1 month of Beavers to get his priority into Cubs.
Rainbows/Brownies however was you could join the week you turned 5/7.
Interestingly their dc are now going to them, and it's the other way round.

I reckon just stick him down.

Waiting lists are just a weird concept. Kids leave Rainbows etc because they don't like it/ they move/ they have something else on. Then they need a child who is the right age to replace them. It's pretty pointless being on the list from 2.5 for something you need to be 5 to join.

I was told in the playground by another mum who had been on the list for years that DD would never get into rainbows (I put her down at 5.3) and 2 weeks later the leader emailed me to say she had a place. Cos she was the only one on the list old enough to actually start.

It’s worth looking a bit further away. Our immediate area doesn’t have (long) waiting lists - both my dcs got in beavers and brownies without any problems (and have now short waiting lists). However, I do know that some groups in the area run massive waiting lists - only less then 1 mile down the road makes a huge difference .

I'm laughing at the suggestion that people can just start up their own group, does anyone really think that's a feasible solution?

Put his name down for cubs

That's a real shame. I'd never know 2 years in advance what activity my dc would wabt to do or of the time and location would suit.

There is no waiting list for my local rainbows - enquired and took up place at local one within a fortnight. Is it worth looking at groups slightly further afield?

Of course people don't "just start up their own group", but if there's a group of parents in OP's position, who are prepared to start leadership training now and/or there's an experienced leader from an existing unit who's prepared to run a new group (and be backfilled by one of the new willing volunteers) then it's not a ridiculous suggestion.
If OP's son is 9 months off being beaver age, it 's probably an ideal time to start.

I am the Beaver Leader in my group and my waiting list would be about 2 years ahead.

This year is my biggest numbers ever and I have a number of children on the waiting list but quite simply they are not going to get a place (the parents have been told). I do have a good number of assistant leaders but at the end of the day I can’t make the hall bigger and when we go out from the hall - camping, trips, etc we have a certain ratio so that also puts a limit on taking more.

I also lead another section of our group which means all paperwork from those two sections and about half of the other paperwork from my DH’s sections (he’s also a Leader in two other sections) is my responsibility.
We are both also involved at county level which means more responsibility and work.
Plus we have our own 5 kids, jobs, etc..
There’s not a mission I would open a 2nd Colony for more new Beavers!

I know you say you have triplets but if you want a place for your son and in the future for the triplets you may have to join up with other parents and open your own Colony.
Offering to volunteer with our group will not automatically get your child a place as we just don’t have the places.
If you haven’t been a Beaver in our group you’re very unlikely to get a place in Cubs or Scouts, again because of the numbers. We have an extremely good reputation in our area for activities and events and we always have lots of parents from other areas trying to get a place with us but unfortunately for them it doesn’t work!

Ps. By the way I’m not an old hand at this, I only started a few years ago! You should think about it, the joy and happiness I get back from the kids is completely unmeasurable

Our cub group had this problem, and then solved it by splitting the colony (I think that's the correct term!) and having the children coming every other week only. So half the children go one week, the other half the other week. It's no extra work for the leaders (in fact less, as they prepare one meeting, and deliver it twice) but double the number of children can benefit. Other benefits = double the subs, double the potential parent volunteers, double the fundraising capacity etc.

There are waiting lists for Beavers here but not that long. But we live in a town and there are at least four groups that I know of within walking distance of our house, maybe five.

When I was little however I never got to be a Brownie because by the time a space came up I was old enough to be a Guide. So it's not a new thing.

Do you apply to a particular group or to any in the District? I am a Brownie leader and think it's actually hard for parents as they can't see which groups in the area have shorter waiting lists (so could choose those ones) before they sign up. It can vary hugely I think: some groups have a waiting list as long as my arm and others are a term or so wait and then your child can start. We do let children jump the waiting list too if parents can help out on a weekly basis. It's also really hard to find people willing to do the accounts, so if you were happy to do that I'd be surprised if units didn't take your son on straightaway!

4 years for my daughter to get into Rainbows. She ended up joining Guides...

There's only about 6 Scouts in DS troop. Mind you, there are about 12 troops round here.

I'm laughing at the suggestion that people can just start up their own group, does anyone really think that's a feasible solution?

With a few more volunteers and support from the local Scout group/district leader etc then of course it is a feasible solution. How do you think anything gets started? Beaver groups and beaver leaders are not just found perfectly formed under gooseberry bushes you know.

10 years ago there was 1 beaver group, 1 cubs in our village. Now there is 1 beavers, 2 cubs, scouts and explorers. All started by local parents with no prior experience.

solylluvia Ironically accounting is exactly the most obvious thing for me to offer. Guess there must be a lot of us around here! Though I'm happy to do whatever.

Perhaps I need to go back and ask if there are any groups nearby who might need that sort of help and go from there.

SandyDenny what's laughable about someone starting a new colony? Where do you think the existing ones came from? The suggestion was made before the op mentioned the triplets, which understandably is a very valid reason for not starting another colony.

I second Boys' Brigade, massive waiting lists for Beavers and Rainbows round our way but DS walked straight into Boys' Brigade and they are happy to have more members. Technically it is now Boys Brigade and Girls Association, there is a mix of boys and girls at DS's group. Activities very similar to Cubs etc i.e. he comes back sweaty and clutching craft item. Turn up for church a couple of times a year.

OR try Beavers further afield OR see if there's a Woodcraft Folk nearby. I did Woodcraft Folk as a child and loved it.

At our group, you would skip the waiting list if you help as a leader - this is what I did and am still there 13 years later! I would try other groups - I'm sure another one would welcome you to help out.

We are actually having to close one of our beaver colonies due to lack of leaders :(

Being a uniformed leader is different to helping out. A considerably more significant investment of time. All parents are on a rota in our beaver colonies anyway, so that wouldn't get you up the list. Uniformed leaders are who you need to run a group.

Our group is massively over subscribed. To try and manage a waiting list we take names from their 5th birthday only, but church children from 4th birthday. Then they start the actual group according to age, time on the list, leaders/permanent volunteers children, siblings, everyone else. We can usually take in 2 or 3 Beavers per term, if your child doesn't get a Beaver place they're highly unlikely to get in to our Cubs direct. It's so tricky, we really need a second unit but don't have the leaders to run it.

I thought I was being organised when I asked to put my DD on the list for Rainbows, she's three and a half. I got told by two local groups their wait lists are closed to 2014 birthdates (and DD is an April baby so I was obviously quite a bit late off the mark!), but got lucky with the third having space. I have no idea if she'll want to go, or what other commitments we'll have on a Tuesday evening in 18 months time but at least I'm on the list!