Please note this article is still a draft, but has been published to allow early comments

Youth Engagement is one of the hot topics in Scouting just now. Although there are very effective structures in place, these are not always effectively used. And there are plenty of opportunities outside these structures too which are not always taken. Adult training is currently lacking in content on the topic (though rumour has it this is being addressed) and many leaders stuggle to do it effectively. Here we give a few guidelines and ideas about how to make youth engagement a bit easier.

Why do Youth Engagement?

There are many reasons to involve young people in decision making, but here’s the main ones:

• it develops young people
• it helps them to feel they have more ownership of the Section
• it help keeps the programme relevant
• it brings new ideas

I feel the first is by far the most important – after all, this is the reason Scouting exists. It is so important that the Vision 2018 states ‘Scouting in 2018 will be: Shaped by young people in partnership with adults.’

It is also important to address some of the falacies about youth engagement. It is sometimes pitched as making a leaders life easier. This can be true, but more often is not. There is usually some extra effort involved, though frequently not very much, but the rewards can make it very worthwhile.

I’ve also heard it said that young people don’t want to be involved in decision making. They can be lazy and will often choose the line of least resistance, especially if that means the leaders doing all the work. But they do want a say in what goes on.

R is for Relevance

The first thing you have to do is make sure that the decision making is on something relevant to the young person. By relevant we not only mean in terms of outcome, but also their experiences. For the younger sections this basically means the immediate programme. For example, was that new game good or bad? If a vote seems too staid try a gladatorial thumbs up or thumbs down. Or a one-dimensional Port (good/repeat) and Starboard (bad/never again.) Perhaps they can choose the next game – from a limited choice of course.

For older sections you can move beyond the immediate. Involving PLs, or all Scouts in camp planning is an easy call. Perhaps choosing which Challenge badge is the next one the Pack or Troop will do. As they get older they can start running their own activities (under supervision of course.) PLs should be capable of this, Explorer Scouts certainly are and Networkers have to!

Explorer Scouts and Network members are more than capable of looking at Scouting beyond their own Section. Both can work with other Sections and it is good to see that it has become the norm for Young Leaders to be involved in planning meetings. They are also capable of contributing to Groups, Districts and Counties/Regions. Having young people on executives can be a positive step, but all too often has not worked because the young people have not been engaged properly. Unless they are planning on going on to be an accountant they will probably need support for the discussions on accounts. Same for many other topics. However on what to do with the local campsite they are likely to be the smartest people in the room.

R is for Results

For youth engagement to maintain its relevance the young people need to see the results of their decision making. It is very easy to ask their views, and then put that game they asked for in the programme in a month’s time when everyone has forgotten why. So if they have influenced your decision then say so – promise that game, say why it is next month and not next week and remind them when it appears that they chose it. And, what many find harder, is that if you do not take their decision on board then you let them know you have not done so and explain why. Easy when health & safety is involved, perhaps harder if it is more subjective.

Which brings us to the hardest part of youth engagement – if this process is to have any value then you have to let the young people make bad decisions. Obviously you can’t let dangerous activities occur, but Scouting is about learning by doing and if all you do is say no every time a dodgy suggestion comes up then the experience will be much weaker. I know this is really hard for many leaders. But it is a necessary part of the process. What you do need to do is be ready afterwards – review quickly and effectively. Focus on what to do better, not what went wrong. We need to encourage responsibility, not blame. This can be a tricky balancing act, but is necessary to make sure that the youngsters don’t withdraw from future decision making.

R is for Repetition

Here’s a scenario you may have heard of: Scout Leader asks PLs to run a meeting. They do so and it is terrible, so they aren’t asked again.

Decision making is a skill. Like any skill the first attempt is often poor, but it improves with practice. The more decisions you let young people make the better they will be at it. Simples. Just like learning a knot – the first time it never works, but by the fifth or tenth time it does and by the fiftieth time they can’t get it wrong.

Your role is to support that – train them in decision making and give them the opportunity to practice whenever they can. You will never look back and neither will they.