Scouting runs on volunteers who already have full lives. Parents may be working long hours, raising multiple kids, running between sports, band, school stuff, church, community things, and just trying to be the best parents possible. Then Scouting comes along and needs a den leader, committee member, driver, cook, campout helper, fundraiser, trainer, or somebody willing to refill the mysteriously empty propane tanks.
When there are not enough people helping, the same few volunteers can quietly end up carrying more and more of it. Their passion and dedication can only carry them so far. A love for Scouting and compassion for the youth can only provide so much energy.
Scouting is often one more thing sitting on top of an already overflowing plate. Burnout can be a sign that the total load, Scouting plus everything else, has simply grown too heavy.
Does one person really need to do all of this? Is there a way we can use technology to streamline any of it? Can part of the job be shared? Maybe something can be simplified, combined, or maybe just stopped because nobody remembers why it's still needed?
The same idea can help when asking families to volunteer. “Would you help with the upcoming field trip?” is a much different question from “Please, we really need help, won't you become an assistant Scoutmaster?” One campout, one activity, one drive, one skill, one small, time-locked job can be a lot easier to say yes to than taking on another long-term, open-ended responsibility.
Some people may only ever help once in a while, and that is still useful. Others may show up for a few things, discover they actually enjoy it, and slowly deep dive into being a Scouter.
How we present volunteering matters too, especially when new families first arrive. Scouting needs help, but joining night probably should not feel like “welcome aboard, here is your second job.” The easier Scouting America and the unit can make it to understand, enter, and share the work, the healthier and more relaxed the whole thing becomes.
Scouting needs volunteers, of course. It also needs those volunteers to still have enough energy to enjoy and want to be there, with compassion and interest in doing it the right way. Just think how a handful of people carrying a handful of small pieces can distribute the load, allow the unit to be healthier, and make the activities that much better.