Can Scouting Make a Difference?
We hear on the news frequently, about young people involved in drugs. Cheating, shoplifting and carry weapons to school. A recent study called "The Values of Men and Boys in America" was conducted for the Boy Scouts of America.
The project was conducted by Louis Harris and Associates, a well known international research firm, and examined the attitudes and behavior of boys in grades four through twelve. The study indicated that:
Scouting delivers what we say it does:
leadership, careers, morals, values, and ethics.
Ideals which are much needed in our society today.
According to the study, the longer boys are in Scouting they are more likely to assume leadership roles in school, put the needs of others before themselves, make the most honest, not easiest decisions, and value education and the environment.
This is an extract from the study conducted by Louis Harris and Associates on behalf of the Boy Scouts of America.
It examined the attitudes and behavior of boys in grades four through twelve, indicating that the recent ethical and moral choices being made by boys in their daily lives are less than ideal.
During the past year boys in America have:
|
Cheated on a test |
54% |
|
been drunk |
28% |
| shoplifted |
24% |
|
used drugs |
17% |
| carried a gun to school |
5% |
So the question is can the Boy Scouts help society stop this decline in values? Further findings indicated that men grapple with making other strong moral and ethical decisions!
- 79% indicated that preserving our environment for future generations is important to them.
- 72% indicated they would be willing to fight for their country.
When asked the question what would they do if given excess change at a store, 37% said it was not wrong to keep it.
- 62% indicated a person should not resort to a means that he or she knows is wrong, even though it will lead to success.
- 38% said helping others should come before one's own interests.
- 25% indicated being honest with everyone is not something that pays off in the kind of world we live in.
When asked the question about declaring one's income to the IRS, 35% do not classify it to be wrong to not declare it all.
Can Scouting have an influence on boys lives?
Yes! Scouting is making a difference.
According to the study, the longer boys are in Scouting they are more likely to assume leadership roles in school, put the needs of others before themselves, make the most honest, not easiest, decisions, and value education and the environment.
Lets look at some of the survey results of Scouts who have been in for at least 5 years compared to those who were never Scouts:
Men who were Scouts as youth have a higher chance of being listed in Who's Who
Men who were Scouts as youth are 24% more likely to be college graduates.
Men who were Scouts as youth have a higher chance of graduating from high school.
- Getting an education is important to me.
- Preserving our environment is very important to me.
- I would volunteer to be a leader.
- I would tell a teacher or a parent if a classmate had a gun.
- Helping others should come before one's own interests.
- Ability to work with others.
- Hobbies and interests.
- Ability to accomplish tasks.
- Health and fitness.
- Family Life (as a boy).
- Enjoy work life in later years.
- School life.
- Career.
Men who were youth Scouts are twice as likely to earn in excess of $50K.
As we can see Scouts are more likely to graduate from high school, college, earn more money, be listed in Who's Who, and .... (list continues). The data from the survey seems to indicate that YES Scouting can indeed make a difference in a youth's life.
Data published by The Cascade Pacific Council, BSA
This page last modified
December 15, 2003
