| Out-of-school time (OST) programs are a major influence on promoting positive youth development in the lives of young people in the United States. Recent research has attempted to understand how OST programs make significant and sustained change in the members that they serve, especially in the area of character development. The Boy Scouts of America (BSA) is an exemplar of a program which has sought to promote leadership and character development over its rich history of more than a century. Within the structure of the BSA, adult leaders have been positioned as a key component to the delivery of the program. In this study, the role of adult volunteers is focused upon with a specific eye to attributes of the leaders. Using Multilevel Modeling, group association is examined in its relationship with individual youth outcomes. Analyses show that no significant relationship exists in the data to predict group differences in the outcome based on pack membership. Interpretations for this finding are discussed as well as the limitations of the data. Based on these interpretations, recommendations for policies and programs of the BSA are offered. |
