National Service !

I commend your thinking TF and I would like you to consider the following.

National military service was reasonably successful because recruits were esconsed in secure military establishments and subject to military discipline. 

The national civilian service you suggest, would obviously have to be compulsory with some kind of strong sanction for failing to carry out their duties.  .  This would immediately fall foul of the "Bleeding Heart"  brigade and the "tricky dicky" compensation lawyers. 

Lets face it,  youngsters with a social conscience who  would enjoy the experience will not be available, as they would have already worked hard at school and found employment.

Those others, for whom the experience would really be beneficial, in all honesty, would possibly make the whole experiment unworkable and non cost effective. 

While I applaud your ideas, They are excellent.  I think it's a non starter -- Sorry !!!

K

Having experienced service life, I enlisted as a regular, right at the end of National Service (1959). Not all National servicemen were totally committed or wholly enthusiastic with their lot, however service discipline kept most on the straight and narrow and lets face it that discipline did not include or condone violence. A much more effective way of controlling individuals into accepting discipline was to punish the whole platoon, that way his fellow squaddies brought all but the most stupid into accepting authority, either by sending them to Coventry, or beating seven bells out of them.
On the whole I think it could work, at least give it a try.

Kennine, I do understand and accept your viewpoint, but I have been lucky enough to assist the Prices trust on occasions, finding Team Leaders for them. this enabled me to see the huge benifits some young people obtained from sympathetic leadership.

I appreciate what i was suggesting is on a different scale and as a result much more difficult.  However i am coming to the conclusion that soon, doing nothing will not be an option!

TF

If it worked once ( which it did on the whole) it can be made to work again. I am all in favour of it. Compulsory service for everyone  - no exceptions!

It just needs a bit of a stiff political backbone!