Scouting post high school

[Anonymous]

Did your kids continue scouting activities after high school?

[Anonymous]

I thought you had to reach Eagle Scout by the age of 18. After that, I guess you could be a leader.

[Anonymous]

What would scouting post HS look like? My husband has been hiking and backpacking with some of the same friends for 20+ years.
For a young adult, there are likely jobs at outdoor camps that incorporate a lot of activities similar to scouting. Heck he could probably get a job at REI and meet likeminded people.

[Anonymous]

I continued with Girl Scouts after high school. I worked at a Girl Scout camp as a camp counselor during the summers when I was in college. I absolutely loved it - getting paid to go to camp! Most of the counselors I worked with were former Girl Scouts. Then when I first moved to the DC area, I volunteered with the scouts for a few years.

[Anonymous]

My son will attend occasional troop meetings when home from college. He has also worked at Philmont several summer during college (including this one). I could see him staying involved in some way depending on his career path after graduation. He was a very involved scout in HS.

[Anonymous]

My oldest did a little volunteering with the troop closest to his college (several hours from "home") his freshman year of college. Nothing consistent-just when they needed extra hands for a major event. But other than that, no.
My other son will be starting college this fall at a school that has a chapter of the Eagle Scout fraternity,(Epsilon Tau Pi) but I'm not sure if he will be involved in that. I don't know if it's like other fraternities where you have to rush and possibly not get admitted?

[Anonymous]

Many schools have chapters of a national co-ed service fraternity which adheres broadly to the principles of Scouting, Alpha Phi Omega: https://apo.org/

See, specifically: https://apo.org/about-us/

[Anonymous]

Both Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts NEED adults, especially young adults! Please have your post-HS kid talk to someone in the organization. I know that in Girl Scouting there are absolutely things for college age and post-college young women, like a PP noted regarding camp staff (both volunteer and paid). Many, many troops likely would welcome an energetic young adult to act as a co-leader or even just an occasional second or third adult on field trips, camping, etc. If your young adult is good at and loves teaching some particular skill, he or she can offer that to troops in the area at home or near college!

My experience is in Girl Scouting (12 years as a leader, plus adult staff for camps etc. and a lot of hours at adult leader meetings and so on). Believe me, a post-HS student who approached the local Girl Scout council or its Boy Scout equivalent should be treasured. Go to the "council" equivalent (the group that oversees all troops in a geographic area) and get on lists of people troops can call on to teach skills, visit meetings, etc. Harder for me to be detailed as I don't know Boy Scouting structure but in Girl Scouting there are absolutely resource lists where troops and camps go to find names of people to do everything from take troops on challenge courses (something I've done for my own troop and others) to teaching various skils etc.

Your Scout may have to be assertive at first beacause operating outside his or her familar troop structure will require finding the right contacts in the larger scouting structure. And of course your post-HS scout could just connect with one particular troop or troops back at his or her old schools.

One thing. Many PPs are assuming scouting = camping/outdoors. While that's a big element it's not the be-all and end-all. There are both Girl and (I believe) Boy Scout badges and programs for things like computer skills, graphic design, astronomy, history, and many other things. If your kid has interests that coordinate with almost any badge or program, that's a good way to offer services back to troops as well.

[Anonymous]

I have a friend that co-led a daisy troop while in college. If your school is in a lower income area it’s often really hard to find troop leaders and the little girls adore an older girl. It’s a great way for college kid to get some leadership experience and serve the local community in a fun way.

[Anonymous]

Most people grow out of it and explore other interests and activities. They may get involved if their children join scouting but otherwise it's unlikely.

[Anonymous]

Venture crews in BSA are co-Ed and allow youth up to age 21.

[Anonymous]

My Eagle Scout went on to Venture Crew. Great group with lots of high adventure opportunities. Even as a college student he’ll still meet up with his old scout friends on breaks and go camping.

[Anonymous]

My eagle goes back every year to help with Christmas tree sales. It’s the biggest, most import fundraiser for thectroop

[Anonymous]

Not a good look.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not a good look.

+1

Not a good use of your time unless you cant find paid internships, academic research etc.