Every young man will have varying interests. It is important to recognize that not every young man in your ward is going to fit into the same mold. There will be young men that love basketball, and others who hate. There will be the boys that love camping and those that don’t. There will be young men that love video games, and those who don’t (well—maybe not that one!) My point is that it is important to recognize each individual in your group and give him a chance to shine. Here are five ways to do that.
1) It is important to offer a variety of activities on a regular basis. You may not want to have basketball practice for two straight months or knot tying every week. While you may focus on one merit badge or specific goal a month, you can still add a little variety to it.
2) Allow the boys the opportunity to teach part of a merit badge when it falls within a talent or interest area. This gives each of the boys a chance to gain leadership experience. It can also really boost their self-confidence as they help others to learn about something they love.
3) Try to relate the projects, goals and merit badges to things that the boys are interested in and like. One example is if you are doing an activity on careers you may talk about the math requirements for a video game programmer.
4) Support the boys in their activities outside of church. This may mean going as a quorum to a school play, basketball game or choir concert. This can really help the group to grow closer together as they support each other in their interests. (Many of these activities also pass off corresponding goals in the Duty to God program.)
5) Take the time to learn each of the boys interest in your troop, and try to have an activity that reaches out to each boy (several may overlap) every few months. This will help the boys to stay active and interested in the young men program.
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Young Men: Summer Activities
Young Men: Leadership Opportunities