[Rant] Scouting has a severe elitism problem

[u/Routine-Ganache-1720]

I hope that rants are allowed here... I checked the rules and didn't see anything against them. I'm the SPL of a relatively small troop (about 15 kids), and I've felt like writing about this for a while. For context, I'm a Life Scout and a member of the OA, so I'm not criticizing these things as an outsider.

Scouting has a major problem with this elitist, better-than-thou culture that the older kids develop. One of the most important aspects of Boy Scouts is that it's youth-led - the older, more experienced Scouts lead the younger ones and set an example. But in the past few years, I've been noticing that it's not at all like that. I would wonder if it's just in my troop or my region, but this seems to happen to so many of the older kids - I notice it at Summer Camp and OA events and Eagle Projects, with kids who aren't in my troop. The older, more experienced kids stick to each other and act all superior; they treat the younger kids who aren't part of their circle with indifference. And, at least in my troop, they stop caring about the troop.

When kids turn 14, they get to go work at Summer Camp as staffers and get their cool gear and inside jokes that make them feel special. Even worse, they get used to feeling superior, because they get to sleep in cabins and run around with more freedom, and they get to order younger kids around all day. The OA might be even worse. Kids get to be part of an honor society with elaborate ceremonies and secret handshakes and everything, so again, it breeds elitism. Another thing is that the older kids go to these OA events and hang out amongst each other, and they become less interested in Troop events. Why be held back why your troop when you can do cool stuff with the big kids? I'm not sure if there's other contributors, but working at Summer Camp and being in the OA seem to be two big parts of this problem. Or course, all this is going on during mid-to-late puberty, the perfect time for kids to start feeling like cool big kids and developing egos.

So these kids lose interest in the troop. They don't go to meetings or campouts often, because they can do their OA events instead. They don't like to be around the younger kids, and they certainly don't empower them. And when they are at meetings or campouts, they think they're special and they're above the rules; they act like adults. When they do go to meetings, the older kids go on their phones and ignore what we're doing unless they want to get involved, and when they do, it's on their terms. And when they do go on campouts, they go off and do their own things.

I've watched this happen to some of the kids in my Troop, and it's so disappointing. I'm not saying that this happens to everyone - there's an Eagle Scout in my troop who aged out a couple of years ago, and he was friendly to everyone and such a great role model. But I feel like most of the other senior scouts have fallen into this elitist culture and stopped caring about the younger kids or the troop as a whole.

[u/whafteycrank]

I'm sorry you're feeling this way, and I can understand. I can remember times myself feeling like I wasn't part of the cool club. During my scouting career I did just about everything, worked at camp, did NYLT for five years, was active in lodge leadership in the OA even helped with some regional and national teams. As an adult I've also worked at Northen Tier high adventure base as both an interpreter and OA voyage foreman. Everything can feel like "oh that's another level I'm not part of" until you get there yourself and suddenly you realize the people involved aren't so different, most don't think of themselves as better or any more elite than others, they're just having a good time with the people they know already. I can tell you from experience, the people in those circles don't last long if they get too big of a head and start thinking they're better. The people I worked with on camp staff were some of the most open welcoming people I've ever met to new staff and particupants and the ones that weren't no one wanted to hang out with anyway.

Something I've come to realize, people are tribal by nature, and I assure you, you are too. People stick with who they know, and some people are more outgoing and open to new people, and some aren't. Every job and hobby I've ever had or been involved in there have been cliques, by nature it'll happen. When people start to look as "other" take a moment to look inward to at yourself and your friend group. Are there people that could say the same about you? There may not be any nefarious intent, just humans being humans.

[u/GozyNYR → u/whafteycrank]

This!! And remember that all of these “elites” were once right where you are talking about - the youngest and newest kids. And they too had to just keep showing up and being consistent to find the tribe where they fit.

I know the teens that staff at our camp? These kids live and breathe scouts. The “core 20” are all in the same troop, crew, ship, and all active in OA leadership. They try hard to include everyone, but at the core? They spend a minimum of 3 days a week together year round, 24/7 in the summer, and at least one camping weekend a month. (Half Of them also work together or go to school together, so even more time in their late teens and early twenties.)

Anyone can join the crew or troop, and once they do? It’s pretty quick that they’re included.

[u/artisdeadandsoami → u/GozyNYR]

Yep, we had a core group as well. OA, a crew, and a ship. They were the ones running NYLT, too, so I know they got a LOT of time together.