Personal development and leisure education in scout and youth programs

The Boy- and Girl- Scout programs around the world, along with those of many similarly oriented youth groups, have as one of their principal goals the growth of personal development. For example the World Organisation of the Scout Movement (1995, p. 19) lists six 'Growth Areas' for Scouts: physical development, creativity, character, affective development, social development, and spiritual development. The role of leisure and recreation is formally recognised in only one of the several 'lines' of physical development. There the Scout 'achieves a balanced distribution of his time between different obligations, practising appropriate forms of leisure activity.' In a related line of physical development, the Scout 'takes part in outdoor life with other people and participates in sporting and recreational activities.' Neither leisure nor recreation is formally mentioned as a 'line of development' in the other five growth areas.