Is Cubs middle class??

[Livpool]

My son is 9, soon to be 10 and we have tried out a few after school clubs for him; local community club with was too much positive mental attitude and martial arts, which became boring. He has just started Cubs locally (only been a couple of times) and has enjoyed it as they’ve done science experiments. Saw a mum friend earlier and she mentioned she wanted something for her son and suggested Cubs and she looked aghast and said I am a middle class wannabe!

I have always considered myself working class - not that I given it much thought and my dad and DH went to Cubs and Scouts and enjoyed it. A few of DS’ school friends do it too and he loves seeing his friends. I’m not going to stop him going or anything but is she right? And if so, are middle class things a bit naff?!

I’m on the fence about this. Mines are a bit older so scouts / guides in a way it’s the most accessible activity they do subs are £2 a week. The leaders are really engaged/ proactive.

Ours runs with a lot of community support but there is lots of so and so works for forestry commission, university, council, local big estate. there lots of opportunities for the kids. I think there’s something a bit middle class about it or possibly it’s Possibly it’s the constant fundraising so we can keep subs artificially low / accessible. Possibly it’s just the kids who go tend to be a bit mc and have supportive parents?

Probably depends where you live. I found that of all the activities my kids did, Cubs and Scouts had the most mixed demographic, in part due to where it was held and also because it was low cost and didn't need expensive kit like lots of sports etc. We lived almost equidistant between 2 groups. The one we went to was in a Church hall in a bit of a run down town whereas about the same distance in the other direction there's a group with it's own HQ in a much more upmarket area. The second group had a far more middle class membership, had more equipment, went on more expensive trips etc and I can see that if your only experience of Scouting was a group like that or seeing pictures of the Princess of Wales at events then it might come across as "posh". But our group had a real mix of people ranging from kids from low income families in the town where it was held to some from fairly wealthy families in surrounding villages. Most of the activities were quite simple and low cost. Camp was local, the Christmas outing would be to the nearby amateur panto rather than a coach trip to a professional one and so on. My boys loved it and made some lifelong friends. I'm sure the other group was great too but I preferred the feel of ours. Some of it was nostalgia - it reminded me of my own childhood and even the Church hall had the same musty smell as the one I went to Guides in - but I thought it was great how much fun the kids had without needing to throw lots of money at it and I think that was a good life lesson for them

@Tiredofwhataboutery- that’s interesting. It is sad to think that people think that working class parents aren’t engaged - and not my experience. I wfh so able to be more ‘engaged’ than some. If people work on shifts or in retail then they can’t run out for an hour for an assembly like I can. Doesn’t make me a better parent - am just ‘around’

No I don’t think so! I would say we are middle class now but as a kid growing up I was more working class and did brownies and guides, I’d say a mix of people go. My DS also 9 loves cubs, 3-4 camps a year, lots of different activities and I think it’s a great thing for them to do.

As a whole organisation... its fir everyone
Locally... different groups will attract different people. Some groups are a lot "posher" than others.

All of it is run by volunteers.

Sadly, like most things it’s populated by people who have the confidence, time, resources and awareness to take advantage of it. So yes, it does tend to be more middle class. Despite being open to all and as cheap as it can possibly be.

No I think cubs/scouts and brownies/guides are some of the cheapest after school activities so are accessible to far more people than many other things like music or dance.

All the clubs my kids have attended and the demographics of the all the other children there:

Toddler groups: Mixed. Depends on the area.
Street Dance: WC
Ballet: MC
MMA: WC
Youth Club: WC
Gymnastics: WC
Scottish Opera children's choir (allow me this stealth boast!): Soooo MC!
Into University (academic support for disadvantaged kids): WC but quite a specific section of the WC. Mostly black and Asian kids with super ambitious 1st generation immigrant parents.
Cubs and Brownies: Both MC

HtH

I think it is a bit of a myth that working class parents are not engaged. Yes you are going to get some that are not bothered but ime of .being a WC parent we gave our kids opportunities and engaged with them.

That is completely bonkers. How is cubs middle class, and who actually cares. She is insane.

My child has done it all, beavers, cubs, scouts and is now a young leader. My other child has been horse riding for the last 10 years.
I couldn't be more stereotypically working class if I tried so I think if you have middle class ambitions scouting won't be enough (perhaps throw in badminton and a few ski trips a year?)🤣

Your mum friend is suffering from Pathological Inverted Snobbery. One of the eternal structuring forces of UK society!

Middle class means good.

So, is your friend is not wanting her son to join cubs because she thinks it's middle class??

My DD actually went to cubs and not Brownies. Other clubs my children have attended are tennis, horse riding, ballet, youth concert band and creative writing, so I'd possibly get her point on those ones - not that is should matter one bit (although that's mostly to do with how expensive they there!) Also karate, boxing and football.

Cubs is sooo good for kids and inexpensive. I've no idea what her problem is but it would be a shame if she didn't let her son try this because of her skewed views on something so daft.

How extremely sad for your friend's son that his mother is restricting his life experience to those things she thinks are working class enough. Why would anyone do that to their child? Talk about inverted snobbery.
Maybe in time she'll stop him from doing A levels or going to university in case he " gets ideas above his station". Poor child.
So many efforts by organisations to promote social mobility, must be like banging your head against a brick wall with people like your friend.

I was a Cub leader for over 10 years, based in a village with a mixed demographic. I would say we skewed towards mostly WC kids. I loved the fact that we were giving opportunities to kids who would never have the chance to try things like kayaking, climbing, shooting, archery, etc. Our more affluent parents were very generous, offering to subsidise those who could not afford camps/activities - we didn't need to take them up on their offers as we already had a slush fund for this.

Easy to say if you’re middle class/have lots of social capital/have have not spent a life time inagining yourself or actually being put down by the “poshos”. It’s much more complicated than you think.

My parents are working class and they sent 2 children to those clubs! Never heard if it being a middle class thing?! Your friend must be mistaken.

me and my brother grew up doing brownies and cubs etc. we’re from one of the then most deprived places in the country!

It sounds like your friend has some reverse snobbery on the go as well as some wrong preconceptions.

Around us brownies/cubs/scouts etc is aimed for all and all activities they do are kept very low cost. They have a panto visit in Dec which is subsidised so we pay £5!

Er…she sounds very small-minded! Dos she get out much ?

It’s almost comical- I’m now imagining a notice on the Scout Hut demanding documentary proof of Middle classness before your son would be allowed to join.😀

I honestly don't see why you'd care either way. If your child enjoys it, and you can afford it, why would it matter whether someone else viewed it as an activity associated with a particular social class.

DH was a Cub and later a Scout, in a very poor WC area. The camps were pretty much the only holidays he had in childhood.

It sounds like she's projecting. Like others have said, it's volunteer run, mainly by parents and the subs are fairly cheap.

I run a cub pack. I'd say we are a mix of MC and WC, this applies to both leaders and cubs. There's a real mixed demographic. Mostly this is due to the area we live in, I would imagine location is the biggest influence for most groups.

I think it will depend a lot on the area and the individual group as they do have different approaches. Some groups depend on a lot of parental input (do x/y at home to get a badge, bring in x/y from home for an activity, bring in spare clothes which can be wrecked with mud/paint, regularly deliver child to a different location for the weekly session) this will always be a barrier for parents who are less able to do that for whatever reason eg working long hours or don't drive. If child can walk themselves to the local hall that is a very different scenario. The uniform is expensive but less expensive than eg buying leotards/ costumes/tickets/dvds for dance shows...