See my rant on scouting...
Another option is Cadets. Weekly meets (Usually Wednesday nights) with an option for extra nights for Band/Sailing/Glider piloting/Shooting
In the summer they have camps that range from 2 - 8 weeks in length.
Cost to you is minimal. Maybe $50 a year for corps level trips.
Kids get paid to go to camp. Usually starts at about $300 for a two week camp, goes up from there. They return home with recognized licenses and qualification for real-world use.
Information here:
http://www.cadets.ca/en/ If this is something you'd like to hear more about let me know. It seems this option is often overlooked, but as a graduate of the program and currently going through to become a leader, I really wonder why more people don't take advantage of it.
Cadets treats your child like an adult with training they are marked on and expected to complete and rewards them with life experiences that would be hard to replicate elsewhere. My sea cadet summer camp career included:
2 Week Basic Training <13 yrs Old - 1986> - Kingston (Royal Military College) ON - Sailing (Tall Ship and Dinghy), Marksmanship, Marine Band Radio operator's license, Canoeing, General Seamanship (Ropework), Marine maintenance (Fibreglass/structural repair) <----- This camp is intended as an introduction to different facets of Navy life and offers cadets a feel of different paths they can reach for in the future.
Junior Leadership <14 yrs old - 1987> - Comox BC - Expedition Sailing (Whaler Sailing, Schooner Sailing)/Coastal Pilotage, Marine Rescue Training, Marine Survival, Mountain Trekking, Mountain Survival, Confidence Course, Advanced Seamanship, Advanced Physical Fitness <----- This camp is extremely difficult - it is no longer offered. It pushes kids to see how far they can go without breaking by putting them in real-life situations and encourages them to work out their own solutions. I came out of this knowing I could handle anything life throws at me.
Marine Engineering <15 yrs old - 1988> - Victoria (CFB Esquimalt) BC - Advanced pilotage, Diesel Engine mechanics, Diesel Generator mainenance/mechanics, Shipboard systems (water/heat/cooking), Firefighting, Marine Damage Control, Extended Sea Phase (2 weeks spent cruising the straits of Juan de Fuca) <----- I came away from this course with an apprentice's ticket as a marine engineer. As in if I wanted to I could quit school, jump on a boat up to 250 feet (IIRC) and start working. At the time I didn't have a driver's license, but I could man a ship - alone. Anywhere. Crazy! Oh, and steaming through the straights on a sunny day with the diesel thumping away below was magical.
Absolutely miserable summer spent working in my Dad's grocery store as we watched it go bankrupt <16 yrs old - 1989> - Gawd I hated that summer.
Cadet Staff - Supply/Logistics - <17 yrs old - 1990> Kingston (Royal Military College) ON - Spent the summer employed by the camp outfitting new arrivals and returning used gear to inventory. <---- This was a party summer. I was asked to return for a second year to head up supply, but I declined since real life was calling. I think I came home with over $1,000 from this camp. It was a really good summer.
When I came out of cadets, it was easy to apply the learning I had there to an engineering environment, and I had a very strong resume to support my goals. Plus, I had been paid to get all this. Really I don't understand why we struggle to keep the program afloat.
<Edited for camp details>