For how many years did your kids do scouts?

[Anonymous]

Our GS troop is dissolving at the end of 4th - the girls are all over-scheduled with sports and other activities and it's everyone's lowest priority (including the parents/troop leaders). The girls who are more gung-ho about scouting (particularly the outdoor/camping parts) have joined the Cub Scout troop. I expect the Cub Scout/Boy Scout troop will continue on for some time as that group seems to be more committed (including parents). I'm not sure my son will continue past elementary school though and as the time commitment and requirements become more extensive.

[Anonymous]

BSA Scout leader here. One of my kids earned Eagle at 17 and registered as an adult when he turned 18 - not very active now since he's off at college, but he still joins some of our events when he's home on breaks. Other kid is still in at 15, Life Scout.

I find there are two big waves of kids leaving:
5th-6th grade - when it's time to bridge from Cub Scouts to BSA, it seems like about 1/4 to 1/3 decide not to continue, or they bridge but leave within a year. Finishing elementary school is a time when kids' interests are changing, and they are narrowing their activities and spending more time on a select few, so something has to drop. For some, that's Scouts.

Most who stick with it through 6th grade tend to stay until at least 9th. I've only had a couple leave during middle school.

10th-11th grade - a ton of kids make Life rank by 9th grade, and then slow down when they get busier in high school. They might skip meetings all spring due to conflicts with a sports team schedule, or stop camping once they have their camping merit badge done. A bunch get re-energized at 16-17 and finish Eagle, but others fade away until they drop out.

If they're still in and somewhat active at 16, they usually stay all the way through to either Eagle or their 18th birthday.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our GS troop is dissolving at the end of 4th - the girls are all over-scheduled with sports and other activities and it's everyone's lowest priority (including the parents/troop leaders). The girls who are more gung-ho about scouting (particularly the outdoor/camping parts) have joined the Cub Scout troop. I expect the Cub Scout/Boy Scout troop will continue on for some time as that group seems to be more committed (including parents). I'm not sure my son will continue past elementary school though and as the time commitment and requirements become more extensive.

Scouting America is as much as a commitmment as you want to make it. We have kids in our Troop who attend the meetings and activities that they are interested in and nothing else. Sometimes they decide to drop out, sometimes they develop an interest in ranking up and earn Eagle. And some kids drop out.

It works because there are families that are interested and are there regularly but there are plenty of kids who drop in and out when it fits their schedules. We have a lot of Scouts involved in HS sports and band and the like. They come to meetings when it fits their schedule. Our Troops Eagle Scouts tend to finish Eagle around 14/15 or a month or so before they turning 18. The 18 year olds normally decide in the last year or so that they really do want to earn Eagle and shift into high gear. Most of them had completed the rank and a good amount of the leadership requirements before hitting HS and then dropped off once they got involved in HS activities.

It is not an all or nothing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Started Cub Scouts in 4th grade. Just achieved Star rank in 8th. We assume Eagle rank by the end of sophomore year.

do they get a cookie for that

[Anonymous]

Both of mine started in 1st grade with Cub scouts and went until they got their Eagle in high school. They did a few things after they earned their Eagle. One was a sophomore and one was a junior.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Started Cub Scouts in 4th grade. Just achieved Star rank in 8th. We assume Eagle rank by the end of sophomore year.

do they get a cookie for that

and cake!

[Anonymous]

DD was a Daisy in Kindergarten and stayed through her silver award in HS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Started Cub Scouts in 4th grade. Just achieved Star rank in 8th. We assume Eagle rank by the end of sophomore year.

do they get a cookie for that

Nope, popcorn.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:BSA Scout leader here. One of my kids earned Eagle at 17 and registered as an adult when he turned 18 - not very active now since he's off at college, but he still joins some of our events when he's home on breaks. Other kid is still in at 15, Life Scout.

I find there are two big waves of kids leaving:
5th-6th grade - when it's time to bridge from Cub Scouts to BSA, it seems like about 1/4 to 1/3 decide not to continue, or they bridge but leave within a year. Finishing elementary school is a time when kids' interests are changing, and they are narrowing their activities and spending more time on a select few, so something has to drop. For some, that's Scouts.

Most who stick with it through 6th grade tend to stay until at least 9th. I've only had a couple leave during middle school.

10th-11th grade - a ton of kids make Life rank by 9th grade, and then slow down when they get busier in high school. They might skip meetings all spring due to conflicts with a sports team schedule, or stop camping once they have their camping merit badge done. A bunch get re-energized at 16-17 and finish Eagle, but others fade away until they drop out.

If they're still in and somewhat active at 16, they usually stay all the way through to either Eagle or their 18th birthday.

DS just finished 7th grade and is 1st class. Goal is Life by the end of 8th grade - timing and his badges make it possible. I have gotten comments that he's rushing, but we foresee the future and that in high school there will be other demands. He plans to have Eagle by sometime in 10th grade. Right now he loves it and says he will stay involved, we will see what happens when reality of high school comes along!

[Anonymous]

Girl scouts elementary - 10th and likely till end of high school. Hope to finish Gold Award Junior year. In our troop the kids that stayed loyal are often the ones who loved the summer camps.

The troop lost about half its members in the middle school years. The ones who left were never that into it and caused a lot of drama, maybe because of boredom or because their parents forced them to be there.

[Anonymous]

I have an 8th grader who is still in Girl Scouts. I won't make her stay to 12th if she doesn't want to, but she may want to. She'll be a camp aide this summer.

I did k-12 and my gold award, and the older version of what is now Destinations.

[Anonymous]

Do you ask same for soccer? Or music?

[Anonymous]

I have no idea. DS is a Bear this year and I have no idea how he earned badges or moves up ranks. Most of the boys didn’t even come to the end of year dinner, including kids moving up to Boy Scouts from Cub. I’m told it gets more active after Arrow of Light but also considering finding a den/pack elsewhere.

[Anonymous]

Daughter started Girl Scouts in kindergarten, is now going into 9th. The majority of her troop has stayed together thanks to amazing leaders. I expect that she will stick it out to get her gold award.

[Anonymous]

OP here. My DD is part of a large troop that ranges in age from K-12, but there are very few kids in the middle and high school categories. I kind of hope she'll drop by then, because the badges are much harder to earn, she probably won't have many friends left in it because most of them have dropped out, and I don't want to volunteer anymore when she's old enough to do activities independently.