Things you can do to help your Scout

Scouting's goal is to create young men of good character with strong organizational and leadership skills. Boys who lose interest tend to be those who are disorganized, lose things, and who don't know where they are headed. Parents can help. Here are some proven ideas.

Scouts should keep track of scout materials and records. A three-ring notebook with some pockets will help. Plastic photo holder sheets made for a three-ring binder are perfect for badge and rank completion cards, totin' chits, and unsewn or unworn patches. Some self-laminating sheets make totin' and firemen's chits last a lot longer.

Write troop events on the family calendar so conflicts can be minimized. Attendance is the key to keeping up, advancing, and liking Scouting. Keep up with the troop calendar. The online calendar on the troop website is usually kept up to date with changing information.

Teach your Scout to call his Patrol Leader with any questions. Your Scout, not you, should be responsible for getting any of his questions answered, and his Patrol Leader is the Scout he should ask first. If the Patrol Leader is not available or doesn't know, the SPL should be asked. Adult leaders should not be answering routine questions better directed to the youth leadership. This is not meant to prevent the Scout from contacting adult leaders, but rather to provide a framework in which most issues can be handled by the Scouts themselves.

Stay for troop meetings and share your time and skills to strengthen the troop. You will know what is happening and how your Scout relates to your troop. You can help provide a more complete experience for your son if you are involved. Parental involvement and encouragement has been proven to be the single most influential factor in keeping boys interested in Scouting. Don't worry about not knowing much about Scouting yet - all the current adult volunteers had to learn, too. Please don't be bashful.