More young people into Scouting = Need more Leaders

(1) Warmer Welcome:

Digital tool to recruit:

• Many groups already give a warm welcome, would be interested in seeing how the movement are going to bring more leaders to their groups?
• Where are these adverts going to be advertised?
• Some leaders are not convinced there will be less admin/time required?

Welcome Conversation:

• Some leaders welcomed the idea of having a welcome conversation, one leader mentioned that the current process puts some parents off Scouting and needing to take more time to travel to an unknown location, to meet people they don’t know. This leader has never been able to recruit parents into the role. Whereas a welcome conversation would make more sense and may help with parent recruitment.
• Some people mentioned that if the goal is to stop leaders from having to do things, the welcome conversation is going to take time. Scouts runs for an hour and if they have to carry out a welcome conversation and the Personal Learning Plan at the same time, that is going to take up too much time.

(2) Positive Volunteering:

Teams-based volunteering:

• Like the idea of working in teams, but many groups already do this.
• It’s all good and well having lots of leaders, which is not a luxury for some groups, but the issue is further back than that, current leaders would want the right kind of people in scouting not just anyone.
• Some groups do not have enough leaders to ‘share the load’ with.

Changing roles:

• Many leaders don’t like the idea.
• People said it sounds like the movement are only interested in ‘badging’ Scouts with a new identity so that it fits the new narrative to get new people in, disregarding its routes.
• From a parents perspective, when parents come for their kids at the end of an activity/meeting, it’s important for them to come and see the Scout or Cub Leader.
• Some felt that leaders who are newly made ‘Team Leaders’ are only going to be referred to as ‘Scout Team Leader’ anyway.
• Many leaders joined Scouting as the history and tradition is what they liked about Scouting and the movement.
• Leaders would be happy with the movement modernising, but keeping elements of what the movement was made up from.
• Not many people like the idea of being a ‘Team Member’ or a ‘Team Leader’, if they wanted to do that they would have joined another club or society.
• Some think it sounds too much like a business, a reminder of work.

(3) Engaging Learning:

• All agree with replacing the current adult training scheme, and leaders want an emphasis on doing less admin work.
• Most people were happy that the Wood badge is being made optional, however some leaders were against this, as it serves as a purpose to encourage leaders to work towards something and achieve the best version of themselves.
• Some people asked – if they do ‘Safeguarding’ as a job at a school, why do they have to do safeguarding for scouts too? Some feel like education and clear information about why the learning is important would clarify and motivate leaders to get it done.

(4) Digital Support:

• Does the new system allow an assessor to log the hours on courses, e.g. like archery.
• Reassurance is needed, that the new system will be more functional and reduce admin work for leaders.