Sure, some longer-term activities require considerable preparation, with as much as possible done by the young people themselves, of course. Clearly, some outdoor activities that young people really enjoy require very little planning at all, and these are exactly the types of activities we need more of in our weekly programs. We think outdoor activities are difficult to organize and require special skills, so we tend to avoid them. This is borne out by the fact that over half the Scouters in the survey reported that their section had taken part in between four and eight outdoor activities in the past 12 months. In reality, while the number of outdoor activities is certainly below what it could be, a second factor seems to be at work here.
Scouters tend to think of the outdoors in very narrow terms.
This view is not restricted to Scouters in Toronto, either. Their skills improve by starting small and moving on to more challenging activities, both within their section and through successive sections as they go up. Self confidence for Scouters comes in the same way. The broader definition of the outdoors is more than mere words. It represents a new way of thinking and a renewed focus for planning your section's programs.