Here’s something I need to confess: I’ve failed!.

After years of being a Group Scout Leader, I’ve never once managed to get every single Scout Leader from my group in the same room at the same time. Not at meetings. Not at socials. Not even at family camp when everyone’s literally already there.

And I’ve finally stopped beating myself up about it.

Why Getting Scout Leaders Together is So Hard

If you’re a Group Lead Volunteer or GSL in old money!, you already know this struggle. Everyone has work commitments, families, other responsibilities. Someone’s always going to be missing. Virtual meetings seemed like the answer, but let’s be honest – Zoom just doesn’t cut it for building real connections. You can’t replicate proper eye contact and body language through a screen.

The advice is everywhere: “Get your Scout Leaders together regularly!” “Build your team!” “Share best practices across sections!” It all sounds wonderful in theory. In practice? Nearly impossible.

So I’ve accepted reality: 100% attendance isn’t happening. But that doesn’t mean I can’t do better than I have been.

My New Approach for 2026

The problem with my previous attempts wasn’t the activities – it was the lack of structure. Sporadic “let’s meet at the pub this Friday” messages don’t work because nobody can plan around them.

My solution? Consistency over perfection.

Starting in 2026, I’m scheduling Scout Leader socials for the first Friday of every other month. It’s going in everyone’s calendars now. Will everyone make every event? No. Will I even make them all? Probably not. But having that regular, predictable schedule gives everyone the best chance to prioritize it.

Ideas That Actually Work

After brainstorming with Scout Leaders who’ve had success bringing their teams together, here’s what I’m planning:

Keep It Simple and Social

The best gatherings aren’t formal meetings disguised as socials. A “bring a dish” night at the Scout hall costs nothing, requires minimal planning, and gives people something to talk about. Everyone brings their favourite food – comfort dishes, recipes from their heritage, whatever they’re proud of or enjoy eating. You’d be amazed how much conversation happens over shared food.

Make It Fun, Not Formal

Murder Mystery nights have been brilliant for date nights with my wife and also catchiong up with our old friends. You can buy kits online or create your own using AI. The fancy dress element divides people, so we make it optional. What matters is the shared experience and the laughs.

Craft evenings tap into what we love about Scouting anyway. I’ve done Christmas wreath-making and other seasonal projects. There’s something satisfying about creating something with your hands alongside fellow Scout Leaders – plus you learn skills you can take back to your section. I’m thinking about bringing in instructors to teach us skills such as stained glass making, or campfire cooking techniques.

Leverage Your Unique Assets

Living in London, I’ve discovered treasure hunt experiences that send you around different neighborhoods with cryptic clues. We did one in Spitalfields and found places I’d never known existed. This works anywhere – use AI to generate clues about your local area’s landmarks and history. It’s the adult version of a wide game, and it actually gets people moving and talking.

Music quizzes have become our Friday night camp tradition. My radio background means I’m probably biased, but they’re genuinely fun. Just a speaker, a Spotify playlist, and the 10-second intro game. You can theme them around Scouting if you want to get creative.

Create Meaningful Experiences

Here’s my challenge to every Scout Leader reading this: if you haven’t been to Brownsea Island, make 2026 the year you go. Take some Scout Leaders from your group. Make a proper trip of it – you can even camp there.

I took a Scout Leader last month who’d been in Scouting for decades but never visited. His reaction said it all: “How have I never been here?” Standing where Baden-Powell started everything, where those first 12 boys camped – it’s powerful. It reminds you why you’re doing this.

The Memory Book Idea

This one I’m stealing from an American youth program I saw online. Keep a physical book or folder at your scout hall where Scout Leaders can write down memories throughout the year. Not Facebook posts that get lost in the algorithm. Actual handwritten stories.

That moment when a Beaver proudly showed you their artwork. The ridiculous thing a Scout said on camp. The parent who actually thanked you for something. All of it, written down.

At year’s end, read through it together. And when you’re having a rough week – when you’re questioning why you volunteer, when parents are complaining, when nothing seems to be going right – pull out that book. Remember what you’ve built together.

We carry these memories in our heads, but they fade. Writing them down makes them permanent.

Why This Actually Matters

I became a Scout Leader 15 years ago partly because I’d just moved to London and didn’t know anyone. Scouting gave me a community and some of my closest friendships.

But here’s what I’ve realized: we’re so focused on creating community for young people that we forget Scout Leaders need it too. We WhatsApp. We nod hello when dropping kids off. But actual face-to-face time, building real relationships with the people we work alongside every week? That takes intentional effort.

We can’t keep running on empty. If we want to avoid burnout and keep good Scout Leaders engaged, we need to invest in our teams.

What Works for Your Group?

I’m sharing my plans, but I’d love to hear yours. What’s actually worked in bringing your Scout Leader team together? What failed spectacularly? What would you try if you had the time and energy to organize it?

The reality is that every group is different. What works in London might not work in a rural area. What resonates with one team might fall flat with another. But we can learn from each other.

So tell me – how do you do it? Let’s figure this out together.

Because whether we get 100% attendance or not, making the effort to bring Scout Leaders together is worth it. Every single time.

Mark – Big Man in the Woods

Helping Scout Leaders navigate the realities of volunteering, one honest conversation at a time.