Scouting struggling to attract teenagers

WESTERN BUREAU:

The Scout Association of Jamaica is struggling to attract and retain teenagers, despite relatively strong participation among primary-school children, according to Kevin Richards, the association’s chief commissioner.

His admission has renewed focus on a longstanding challenge facing the 116-year-old organisation. In 2010, fewer than 2,000 Scouts were registered, though an estimated 3,000 young people took part in its activities. Historical records show membership stood at 2,539 in 2011, reflecting efforts to rebuild a movement that once had a strong presence in schools and communities and was viewed as a premier avenue for developing future leaders.

Today, fewer than 600 members have completed registration for the 2026-2027 scouting year, although that figure remains provisional and does not capture the total number of young people participating in scouting activities across the island.

“What we have observed in the Scout Association of Jamaica is that we have been struggling with the 11-year-olds and above,” said Richards. “We are doing fairly well with those in the primary school ages.”

“The reality is, when we have [civic ceremonies] and uniform groups parades, these are not the youngsters that should be there. Those that should be there are our 11-year-olds and up,” he added.

Richards, who assumed office as chief commissioner in February, was addressing delegates at the association’s 2026 National Scout Leaders Conference in Manchester on Saturday. The event was held under the theme, ‘A New Dawn in Scouting: Transforming Youths, Empowering Jamaica’.

The association operates five youth sections: Busy Bee for children ages four to six; Cub Scouts, seven to 10; Scouts, 11 to 14; Venture Scouts, 15 to 17; and Rover Scouts, 18 to 25.

Richards’ concerns centre on the three older sections, which are critical to developing future leaders and sustaining scouting’s presence in secondary schools, tertiary institutions and communities. His assessment underscores the importance of retaining youngsters as they progress beyond the Busy Bee and Cub Scout programmes into sections offering more advanced leadership training, outdoor adventure and community service.

The challenge is hardly new. In 2010, former chief commissioner Reverend Barrington Soares disclosed that the movement had experienced a sharp decline in school-based Scout troops. He recalled that virtually every Jamaican high school had a Scout troop in 1962 but said that presence had diminished considerably by 2010.

In response, the association set a target of increasing membership to about 5,000 through renewed recruitment efforts in primary and secondary schools.

In 2019, Governor-General Sir Patrick Allen, Jamaica’s chief scout, acknowledged that membership had fallen between 2010 and 2012 but welcomed subsequent gains in recruitment.

Yet, Richards’ latest assessment suggests that attracting and retaining older youth remains one of the organisation’s most pressing challenges. He argued that scouting must adapt to the changing needs of young people while preserving the values of discipline, service, leadership and responsible citizenship that have defined the movement for generations.

“Together, we are building a stronger scouting movement that responds to the needs of a changing world while still remaining true to the timeless values of duty, service, and character,” he said.

albert.ferguson@gleanerjm.com