Do you think the Scouting & Guiding movements should 'force' parental involvement?

[miljee]

We endlessly read about the incredible burgeoning popularity of Scouting and Guiding (presumably in these days of not allowing DCs out to play alone and unsupervised!) YET parental involvement is like hens teeth around here!

DS2s Beavers draw up a roster for parent help BUT only from those who have agreed to help so my actual 'turn' comes round once every half term tho' I help far more often than that; DS1s Cubs- well, I'm at risk of being put in a uniform I'm there so often! Probably 2 out of 3 meetings! Now I have to say there are several reasons I help: my DSs are not 'natural' scouting material but I really feel what scouting has to offer them is so worthwhile that I go often to 'encourage' them, AND they go 'out of village' which means there's no one from their schools there; also, I don't mind helping as I think scouting and guiding leaders deserve medals for all the time they give our DCs for free. At Beavers, by and large, you're a bit supernumerary- they don't actual NEED the help but they do need the legal minimum adult to child ratio. Cubs- well, you're in there running around, generally having a good time. Oh, and stacks of washing up at both!

MY thing is I believe that the movements should INSIST on some reciprocation in that if you want your DC to benefit from these activities, YOU, as a parent should expect to have to put something IN. God, Akela has had to insist that the parents actually enter the hall to collect their DSs so he can eyeball them and pass on important information! I can't deny also there is also the issue that I think a couple of parents might get a bit of a rude awakening if they saw how 'difficult' their DS is once they're out of supervisory eye-shot!

And OK we could argue we SO have to be involved in EVERY aspect of our DCs lives these days, which is true but I DO feel organisations run entirely by volunteers deserve the help!

Bribery Indith! Its the only way! I sent a letter to parents expressing my disappointment that girls turn up for fun days in their droves, but come Sunday, no-one is to be seen! I told them like it is frankly. I told them I went to church for the good of the girls and I really would rather be doing other things with my family than finding myself as 'bill-no-mates' in the front pew in Church.

I then did a very colourful postcard for all the girls saying that anyone who turned up would be richly rewarded with chocolate and a special sticker! Our vicar also lets us take Olivia up with the flags, so the first one there, gets a turn! I now win the competion with the other Guiders every month, for having the most girls in church. I've even had to take over the Brownie pew too!

Message withdrawn

Maureen that is what I am already doing (helping in a neighbouring village)....still working on the tiresome Guider qualification. Because of numbers on waiting list girls in my village cannot get in, so I have this rather bizarre conversation with plenty of mothers

"when are you starting Rainbows here, because Cynthia is just desperate to start"

"when someone offers to help me run it"

"Oh"

Indith - Cheshire

Mmm. I've heard that line plenty! I had a classic not so long ago. Mum asked me why I wasn't starting back after the holidays until 2 weeks after the swimming and gym clubs her dd goes to? I simply said, 'because its my unit, I do it for love not money and I'd like to spend some time with my family! If you would like to run the unit and open earlier, then be my guest! That soon shut her up!

Have things changed a lot then? I went through Brownies and Guides and we never had parents involved. We had a selection of leaders (Brown Owl, Tawny Owl and Snowy Owl IIRC) but no additional parents.

My mum became an Owl, and then followed me to Guides and I hated it! I wanted to get away from her, not have her going with me.

DD1 went through Rainbows, Brownies and Guides, then became a Ranger and a Young Leader and helped out at Rainbows. They had a waiting list of Young Leaders because there were too many of them

I am hopeless with other people's children so if a rota is a condition of attendance then DD2 will not be going to these groups My idea of hell.

Maureen , I always look super hopeful in a "please plese come and help out" way and strangely enough there is a lot of shoe shuffling and "I've got to get home I think I left the iron on" excuses.

Don't panic! Its not always a condition that you have to help. Some people (Science Teacher!) have loads of help. Fair enough if you're not a children person, but I bet you could lend a hand doing some cutting out or a bit of paper work. TBH, if a parent like you said, 'look, I don't 'do' kids very well, but I am happy to help out in any other way I can.' I would be more than happy.

Yes I feel bribary is the way forwards Maureen The Guides get bribed with chocolate but at least with them they can make their own way but Rainbow mums have to bring them and are not so easily bribed. Of course som ehave good excuses which I don't mind (next church parade one is doing a funrun for leukemia which her brother was trewated for a few years ago) but often it is "oh we go to another church" Well so does the (catholic) Brownie leader but she manages to come once a term!

It's help in any way that is needed. A lot of parents drop them off and pick them up with no involvement at all. In my area we had great trouble getting parents to help at fund raising activities. The same people did all the work and some did nothing at all. We gave them the choice of helping or raising the subs and they went for raising the subs and fundraising stopped. I think this was very unfair on parents who were not so well off.