[parennoob]

This is almost certainly the case. Being a scout/guide strongly correlates with parental income in the US at least – I don't know how it is in the UK. But if that is true, the headline might as well be "Being rich provides a mental health boost for life".

[JoeAltmaier]

My scouts (was Scoutmaster for 20 years) definitely did not fit the 'rich kid' profile. Farm kids, rural community, parents working 2 jobs or driving a truck.

We went to mountains, deserts, rivers and lakes. We swam in a lake on an island in a lake. We canoed, hiked, camped, cooked, woodworked, laughed and ran.

Our Troop tried to keep event costs down to around $15, so everybody could participate. Succeeded for the most part. And we did regular fundraisers so anybody who wanted to go, had a way to get there.

Scout Troops can be expensive too. Our district has that kind. That can drive the perception of the demographic. But our Troop was top-rated in our District for years. And not because of money. It was because our youth led a very rigorous program, invested themselves in it, and expected a lot from one another.

That's actually the whole point of Scouting - getting the youth invested in something worthwhile. In the process, modeling behaviors and training skills and leadership.

[moyta]

Depends on your troop, I know by far we were the best funded troop in our council, but that was purely due to the area we were able to sell christmas trees in. Without that, we would not have been able to get half our troop to go on trips, or get the proper gear (wool clothing, a good pack, tent, sleeping pad, etc) due to a lack of affordability.

I do feel bad for the other troops in our area though, I know at least 2 folded while we were going strong, one got kicked out of the district cause the BSA hates gay scoutmasters, and the other had no place to meet and severe funding issues. Running a troop requires a ton of parental involvement and effort, and outside the Mormons most troops are dying in the US.

It is really quite sad, but I get why. None of the gay guys in my troop could participate in leadership due to the BSA's policies at the time, and in a small troop that is lethal, you need every warm body that is willing to do the fundraising, planning, organizing, paperwork, etc. and they are few and far between

[JoeAltmaier]

Our Troop required only a little parental involvement. The youth leadership decided most things. The parents were needed to drive, to serve on the committee (one meeting a month). It helps to have a strong Patrol Leader Council.

The gay youth in my Troop never had a problem taking leadership roles. The BSA national (read: Mormon) policy was no gay Adult leaders?

[lfowles]

Interesting that you mention rural community, my impression (I was in 4-H) was that rural kids tended towards 4-H and city kids tended towards Scouts.

[JoeAltmaier]

Many did both. One poor mom with 5 hyperactive sons had them in everything, out of desperation. One 4H fair they submit 50 projects as a family.

[parennoob]

> My scouts (was Scoutmaster for 20 years) definitely did not fit the 'rich kid' profile. Farm kids, rural community, parents working 2 jobs or driving a truck.

Stuff like "farm community....2 jobs" tends to obscure actual family income. Do you know what income percentile they were in?

> driving a truck

The median annual wage for a trucker in the US is $73,000.

This is not to doubt your comment -- just to put it in some perspective. Until you compare it to the whole country, you might just be saying that they were at the upper end of the middle class, but just didn't fit an idealized profile of a rich person that you have mentally imbibed.

[JoeAltmaier]

...drive a pickup truck with a ladder in the back and a sign on the side: Bob's Lawn Service

[ptero]

At least in my area I do not have an impression that scout kids are from richer families than all school kids (which should be a pretty good reference point; a little lower maybe because some of the richer parents take their kids to private schools).

I do see scouts take lots of active outside trips which can help with mental balance. Doing white water rafting, being thrown overboard, fighting elements, being cold and wet, seeing occasional physical injuries and the beauty of the stars in a desert can put minor life disappointments into perspective for a long long time. My 2c.

[dfsegoat]

Have any data to support that? Anecdotally, the Scout Troops in my area are all fairly blue collar.

[fahrradflucht]

Here in Germany it is the same. Being a scout/guide strongly correlates with high(er) parental income, high(er) education and having no migratory background.

(This is not just anecdotal but are findings that the RDP (Ring of German scout organizations) made a couple years ago.)

[bkmartin]

I have observed the opposite in my son's scout troop. None of the kids come from "wealthy" families. Some are very poor in fact. It is all about parental involvement. These kids have parents or grandparents that see the value in having their children involved in an organization focused on character building, team building, being a good citizen, and doing your best in life. Our troop is a beacon of positivity, fun, respect, and focus on doing the right thing.