Dutch scout here, I've been a scout since I was 7 and I'm now 28 and a cub scout leader (kids aged 7-11).
Being in scouting can be perceived (in NL at least) as for nerds/geeks or 'corny' (don't know what is a good translation for the Dutch 'oubollig')
Especially when the kids hit puberty (the scouts/guides age), this negative image thing among school peers can be a reason for kids to quit.
When I was that age, I didn't really care about much of that sort of talk and really enjoyed my time at scouting. Although there definitely was a negative image among school peers.
The image is changing for the better though. I certainly would not hide it.
I heard some nice stories from the scouts/guides at high school telling they hiked through the woods for the weekend with a backpack and went canyoning etc, while their non-scout peers only played video games inside.
When I was older and went to university, I noticed a lot of people did scouts when they were little kids. Not sure why they quit.
The social aspect is definitely a plus in some professions.
I remember more details: this was about the 'instemming' (in Delft), a sort of interview you need to go through to get a room. So I suppose being uncool could be a factor there.
Being in scouting can be perceived (in NL at least) as for nerds/geeks or 'corny' (don't know what is a good translation for the Dutch 'oubollig')
Especially when the kids hit puberty (the scouts/guides age), this negative image thing among school peers can be a reason for kids to quit. When I was that age, I didn't really care about much of that sort of talk and really enjoyed my time at scouting. Although there definitely was a negative image among school peers.
The image is changing for the better though. I certainly would not hide it.
I heard some nice stories from the scouts/guides at high school telling they hiked through the woods for the weekend with a backpack and went canyoning etc, while their non-scout peers only played video games inside.
When I was older and went to university, I noticed a lot of people did scouts when they were little kids. Not sure why they quit.
The social aspect is definitely a plus in some professions.