After a few years of major decline in Scouting all across the country, the ship is being righted. Right now, our 2016 deficit in scout enrollment in our Council is 29 scouts versus 2015. That's the closest to growth we've been since 2012. It's a testament to our Scouters, Scouts, and staff putting on an awesome programs at the pack, troop, district and council levels. To further understand how HUGE of an accomplishment this is, know that our portion of WNY is losing (or not replenishing) young people at unprecedented rates. Consider these examples: In the 2015 school year, the average class size for sixth through twelfth versus kindergarten through fifth were down by these percentages in the these school districts in our territory Barker 23%, Roy-Hart 22%, Wilson 21% and Newfane 12%. Almost every other school district in our 5 county Council is seeing similar declines. Think about that --- almost instantly, we have SUBSTANTIALLY fewer boys in our communities (the population decline of boys is numbered in the THOUSANDS), yet we are recruiting more of them as a percentage of the local population to be scouts. Keep up the GREAT work! Our Council and local scouts are truly blessed.
