Whose Troop is it?

[buffalo2]

Wonder what would happen if half of the time and energy that we spend on semantic hair-splitting and sniping at one another was spent on something constructive?

Just a thought...

[packsaddle]

I named our dog after a food item (Pepper). And now I feel so...guilty!

[Twocubdad]

Bob, I don't think there is anyone here who misses your point. Your lesson from Green Bar Bill is an excellent one which we should all take to heart. It seems to me that everyone here does.

 

In it's place "the troop I serve" is a good tool for reinforcing this point. In a training session or even in casual conversation where you're making a point, it's fine. But if I'm in a leaders' meeting and the camp director asks who can do a skit at the campfire, to respond that "the boys of the pack with which I serve can do a skit" is just flat goofy. Trust me, no harm will come from simply saying "My pack can do a skit."

 

Yes, words matter and can shape attitude. But I suggest to you that attidude more frequently and more strongly influences the words we choose. A Scoutmaster who would say "In my troop you better advance a rank every six months or you're outta here!" needs to change more that his vocabulary. Sometimes the words we use matter, but sometimes they don't. Using "my" in this context is one of them.(This message has been edited by Twocubdad)

[NJCubScouter]

Absolutely right, TwoCubDad. That is what I was trying to say earlier, but you said it better.

[jbroganjr]

So how about I refer to the troop as.... my neighbors aunt daugters son whose dog runs in my cousins yard with my kid belongs to a troop....

 

Seriously, I can see BW point, but disagree that saying "my troop" denotes so negative or causal relations. If you truly try to live up the oath and law, the possessiveness tendancies should not be tied into your venacular nor your behavior.

I always tell the trainees at training Try not to be subjugated to ubiquitious displays of esoteric parlance

And splitting hairs on semantics, though some say a waste of time, have been humorously full filling in its own odd way.

 

could everyone agree that using "my troop" as a way of expressing pride or to simplify the expression "the troop I serve or am associated with" is okay if we stay alert to the malfeance that lurks behind these innocent words.

 

 

[OldGreyEagle]

hey, who says they dont like arguing semantics? Isnt that like making an antisemantical remark? And normally while I make a point to eschew obfuscation the paramount objective is to understand that rhetoric is not always rhetorical and may actually comprehensively define the situation

[Scoutmaster Ron]

jbrogangr..

 

You have my vote

[evmori]

On last thing. By saying "my troop" or "my patrol" can also mean one belongs. There is nothing wrong with that!

 

Bob,

You have in previous posts used the terms "my troop" or "my son's troop". No one thinks you own them!

 

While the words are important, I think this is really splitting hairs. And as Fat Old Guy said, the SM handbook uses the same terminology. So obviously the BSA thinks calling a troop or patrol "my, mine, our, etc" is OK!!! And Bob, if the BSA uses the same phraseology then it should be gospel for you!

 

Ed Mori

Scoutmaster

Troop 1

1 Peter 4:10

[Joni4TA]

I kind of like what NJCubScouter has had to say about it being a collective responsibility. In reality, no one owns a Troop, it's all voluntary.

[SM406]

I realize that this thread is beginning to die, however I have been away from the forum for a little bit and I would like to respond to Twocubdad. Another reply could have easily have been our pack can do a skit. By using our, you are still being associated with the unit with out the connation of direct ownership. When ever I hear a Scouter say my troop, I think the person is claiming ownership and a doctorial style of leadership. I believe by using my it is a subconscious or conscious wish or desire to indicate ownership and if you truly believe the troop belongs to the CO and the Scouts, when you say my troop it should not feel and sound right. This thread has been extremely worth while to quibble over semantics because we have to be careful about becoming too casual about our speech. The use of my troop by scouts is totally appropriate.

 

 

SM406

 

[Twocubdad]

What's the difference? By saying "our pack" you would still have inserted yourself as an "owner" of the unit.

 

The point is that for 90% of us, use of "my troop" or "our pack" is not suggestive of ownership. We don't intend it that way when we say it, we don't interpret it that way when we hear.

 

[SM406]

There is a huge difference between my and our. My is singular possessive and Our is plural possessive. The insinuation sent by our is not nearly as negative and suggests many owners as opposed to the insinuation of my with one owner.

 

Maybe 90% do use the words as you suggest (I wont confirm or deny your statistic) however, maybe more of us, since we have the understanding of who the program is for, will take the time to be a little more sensitive in our choice of words, for you never know who might be listening and how destructive it might be.

 

SM406

 

[Twocubdad]

Maybe it's time for a status check on the thread, because it sure sounds like we are heading back into personal attack mode.

 

Perhaps you should clarify your last sentence, 406, because it really doesn't make sense. But it sure sounds like your are saying I don't understand who the program is for. You don't know me well enough to make that judgement.

 

It is ironic you would make such a baseless statement and then conclude the same sentence by saying we should "take the time to be a little more sensitive in our choice of words, for you never know who might be listening and how destructive it might be. "

 

 

[SM406]

Twocubdad,

 

I meant no personal attack on you or anyone. My apologies, if I offended you. I have gathered from your posts that you have the best interests of the Scouts at heart. It is just from my experience with Scouters who are not careful with either word or deed they can and do great damage to the boys. I just feel strongly about the idea in this thread and it has been taken very lightly by some. That concerns me.

 

SM406

 

[Fat Old Guy]

"Another reply could have easily have been our pack can do a skit."

 

That doesn't work too well. You are sitting there in a group of 40 Cub Scouters and you say, "our." Who is included in "our"? If your assistant Cubmaster is sitting next to you, that might work but otherwise . . . Do you mean "our" as in all of the guys in the room? Who's included in the "us" that follows from the "our"?