cheffy Posted September 18, 2003 Share Posted September 18, 2003 This question came up over coffee this morning. What qualities make up a good SM. Let's get the ball rolling this should be a good discussion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldGreyEagle Posted September 18, 2003 Share Posted September 18, 2003 1. Able to take training and apply whats presented 2. Realize there are many ways to "skin a cat" (hope PETA doesnt hear that) 3. Not be afraid of losing the spotlight, the boys are front and center 4. Be willing to let boys make mistakes and fail, as long as no one is in harms way 5. Adapts his/her leadership style to the situation and to the scout involved 6. Carries thorugh on all promises made Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KoreaScouter Posted September 18, 2003 Share Posted September 18, 2003 Patience; this is a marathon, not a sprint... KS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eamonn Posted September 19, 2003 Share Posted September 19, 2003 OGE has a real good list. If I might be so bold I would add 7.Does his or her best to live the Oath and Promise. 8. Is able to laugh at him/herself and with the Scouts. 9. Never ever falls into the "We have always done it that way" trap. Eamonn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fat Old Guy Posted September 19, 2003 Share Posted September 19, 2003 I'd go with be willing to let the Scouts make mistakes. Also, be willing to let the Scouts run with some harebrained ideas unless they are unsafe. They might work and if they don't, the Scouts have learned something. As Eaamon said, laughing with the Scouts is important. We have two ASMs who are equally by-the-book and hard nosed about the program. One is loved by the Scouts and the other disliked by everyone. The difference is that former has fun, laughs at himself, and is approachable. To the latter, the book is the program and if fun is had, it is incidental and by the numbers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dsteele Posted September 19, 2003 Share Posted September 19, 2003 Someone, I'm sure, will help me with the source -- I think it was a Scoutmaster Handbook from the late seventies . . . But it illustrated to me very deeply the idea of a good Scoutmaster. My old man took it to heart when he was Scoutmaster. It began with a description (first person, I think) of a parent with no Scouting background visiting a troop with his son. It described the boys running the troop while the leaders meandered and looked like they were doing nothing. There was no "leader" in sight. It wasn't until the Scoutmaster's minute that the man knew who the Scoutmaster was. To me, that's a good Scoutmaster. It isn't that he/she isn't doing anything -- it just isn't obvious. I'm not making this up, am I? If it is a figment of my memory I still stand by it. DS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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