Adult Leadership and Training in BSA,, what are we in it for?

[dana_renner]

Why do we do Scouting? On a certain night of the week we could be doing something else instead of being at Scouts for another meeting of dealing with parents or sometimes rowdy kids. We are there because we care and we believe in what we are doing. I know that is why I am there. I am a Unit Commissioner for a Venturing Crew and a Venturing Roundtable Commissioner went through much training for the positions that I hold in BSA and in the Commissioner's Service as well. It is for the youth, and other adult leaders and finally Scouting is why we do it, ok we get a patch, beads, work a ticket as in the case of Wood Badge, or get the Powderhorn for 2 three day weekends of being and acting and doing as a Venturer for that time it does make us better scouters and gives us the training and experience to do our scouting jobs better> Every youth deserves a well trained leader. But we do sometimes put ourselves in that youth mindset where we want to earn that square knot, or that set of beads and do not seem to care for the basic reason for the training which is to make the program better for the youth. So let's all take a time and examine our motives, review the Scout Oath and Law and other Oaths and Codes of our programs reflect and still train and learn but for Youth this time and not us.

[OldGreyEagle]

An old man, going a lone highway,

Came at the evening, cold and gray,

To a chasm vast and deep and wide,

Through which was flowing a sullen tide.

The old man crossed in the twilight dim,

The sullen stream had no fear for him;

But he turned when on the other side

And built a bridge to span the tide.

"Old man," said a fellow pilgrim near,

"You are wasting your strength in building here,

Your journey will end with the ending day,

You never will pass this way;

You've crossed the chasm deep and wide,

Why build you this bridge at eventide?"

The builder lifted his old grey head,

"Good friend, in the path I've come," he said,

"There followeth after me today,

A youth whose feet must pass this way,

This chasm that has been as nought to me,

To that fair-headed youth may a pitfall be.

He too, must cross in the twilight dim -

Good friend, I'm building this bridge for him."

[Fuzzy Bear]

When thinking about Scouting, many questions can be well answered. For instance, if death confronted us and we were given a test; it might read something like this:

 

What did you do during your life?

Did you live a life that was clean and did you keep yourself fit?

How did you live in relation to the expectations of your country?

What would your friends say about you now?

What would people that knew you in the darkest hours say about you?

Did you eat and drink with self control because you wanted to continue serving those you loved?

Were you courteous and cheerful?

How did you choose your jobs and spend your time?

Did you do your best for each of your goals in life?

Did you know your personal characteristics and did you make compatible choices?

Did you spend your money wisely?

Did you know who you were?

Were you a person that could be trusted and were you loyal?

Were you obedient to your promises and did you make good your vows?

Were you prepared to meet the challenges and did you do a good job while you were there?

When the challenges were overwhelming, were you able to stand up to them?

What were your main goals in life and was it worth it?

Did you have friends and did you know how to be friendly and kind?

What do you have to offer to show for your efforts?

Who did you help and how many?

How was your daily walk with your God?

 

*To check your work, consult the Scout Handbook.

 

Fuzzy

 

[Fat Old Guy]

I'm in it for the paycheck and the snazzy uniform.

[dana_renner]

Thanks Guys

[Eamonn]

There is way too much love in this thread.

I wish that I could put my hand on my heart and swear that everything that I have done,and do always has the end user at the forefront. Sad to report this is not the case.

One of the "Perks" of donating at a certain level is that I attend a really good dinner with a lot of people that I like to spend time with. I suppose I could say that the cost of the dinner could be put back in the pot but I have a good time and dare I say it - I have fun.

When I took the family out to Philmont -Sure it was good for the district but I had my own reasons for going along.

I have never taken the Powder Horn Training, but have either taken or presented most of the other BSA trainings. I don't give a tinkers about the knot but try and sell me a course by telling me that it will be long, boring, no fun and you will have a real hard time getting me there. Just about all the good stuff that we do is for the youth that we serve, I do it because it is fun for me. - When it stops being mostly fun I will know that it is time to quit.

There are no cookie cutter reasons why anyone does what they do.I don't think that it is any of my business to ask, in most cases I am just happy that they are doing it.

Eamonn

[evmori]

I'm in Scouting cause I like working with kids!

[shemgren]

I am in Scouting because it was a great influence on me when I was a boy and I am striving to provide that opportunity to as many youth that I can.

 

Training is vital to providing a quality program to youth by quality trained leaders.

 

I have done training since I have been an adult in the program and feel that it is necessary to this aim.

 

Scott