NATION Scouts help fill need for nature

SCOUT numbers across the nation are booming, driven by parents who want their children to be prepared for a life beyond their devices and unitblock homes.

About 1500 Australian children and young adults are joining Scouts each year, with enrolments expected to top more than 90,000 by 2020 – up from 70,000 today.

And females now make up 45 per cent of all Scouts, with groups and activities for people aged 6 to 25.

Inner city areas such as Sydney’s Alexandria and Kensington in particular are seeing a spike in new Scout numbers.

Retired NSW Children’s Guardian Kerryn Boland, who was newly appointed to Scouts’ NSW board, said with more children living in apartments or homes without backyards, parents were looking to Scouts as a way to expose them to the outdoors.

“From the parents and children I’ve spoken with, they’re very vocal about their desire to be outside and experience that environment,” Ms Boland said.

Ms Boland also said Scouts could be a “safe place” for young people to build friendships and crucial life skills, particularly in the face of rising rates of cyber bullying or domestic violence.

“Scouts is also working with partnering with schools as a way of giving young people an opportunity to experience things they’re not getting in the classroom,” Ms Boland said.

NSW Scouts youth commissioner Lloyd Nurthern said Scouts was no longer “just about tying knots”.

“We have programs focusing on everything from arts and performance to social justice,” Mr Nurthern, 21, said.

“It’s about building important leadership skills and teaching young people to engage with their community.

“I meet a lot of young Scouts who live in apartments or ( homes) without a backyard and for them they love the opportunity to go camping and explore.

“Also with parents so busy these days, the meetings can help young people build up those social skills and interact with new kids.”

Dorine Fryer enrolled son Luc, 9, in Scouts two years ago because she liked the values it teaches and the opportunity to get outdoors.

“If he was at home he’d want to be playing games on the iPad. At Scouts he gets to experience outdoor activities,” she said.

Luc now hopes to one day become a Scout leader.

“I’ve made lots of friends and learnt lots,” he said.