Explain why this profession might interest you

[Stosh]

If he has zero interest in the subject, why is he pursuing the MB in the first place?

 

Earning a MB doesn't make a scout an expert in the subject, but he should have some level of knowledge.   "I'm not interested" strikes me as the easy way out.   He should be able to articulate the pros and cons of any profession of any MB that HE signs up for. 

 

For example, let's say there is a Lunch Lady MB.  If he has zero interest, why bother?   Why waste everyone's time?   If he has some interest, and wants to legitimately wear the MB on his sash, he might take the time to talk to a couple lunch ladies and ask they what motivates them.   The ideals that strike a cord with the scout, he can articulate them to you.   Requirement fulfilled.

 

Then he's showing initiative, which is one of the key parts of earning an MB.

 

What percentage of scouts are really all that interested in taking ALL the required MB's?  Citizenship MB's?  I'm thinking that if one could get 10% of the boys say they are interested in those MB's one would be guessing generously.

 

I guess it would be okay to then say. "I'm interested in this MB because I'm interested in getting to the Eagle rank in Boy Scouts."  That too, is a valid answer which has nothing to do with the MB subject at all.

 

One can tell whether the answer given is flippant or not.  But without the tonality and inflection of the comment, we can't determine exactly what the boy was really answering.  If he is truly not interested he should be allowed to answer truthfully.  If he is just give a blow-off answer, then that should be dealt with accordingly.  One has to be there listening to determine which answer the boy is giving.

Edited March 29, 2016 by Stosh

[desertrat77]

I view the response "I'm not interested" akin to "I don't like mustard."

 

If a scout doesn't like mustard, no one is forcing him to do so.  It's a personal choice.

 

Regardless of whether the MB is required for Eagle or not, the scout voluntarily signs up and says "I'll take the challenge."   Even if the challenge is nothing more than gritting ones teeth and putting one foot in front of the other (eg, The Dreaded Citizenship Trio), it still requires effort, poise and the willingness to THINK and MEET the requirements.

 

I'm not interested = I'm comfortable with my current state.   Scouts that want to earn MBs and achieve rank should be able to demonstrate their willingness to learn and achieve things that are outside of their comfort zone.

 

Not interested?   Don't take the MB.  Don't pursue rank.   Enjoy the camaraderie and the outdoor adventure and other aspects of scouting.   But if a scout wants to take the challenge of earning a MB, he needs to meet that challenge.

[Stosh]

Desertrat77, I think you have fallen prey to overthinking this.    I think the original OP indicated that the boy was answering the question I'm not interested in a career about this MB.  That doesn't mean he isn't interested in it as a hobby or a passing interest.  I do coin collecting, but I'm not going to open up a coin shop and make a living at it.  I may like rocketry, but I probably will not get a job for NASA either.  But I might just enjoy building rockets for a hobby.

 

I might not like mustard but I don't have to taste it for the second time to convince myself all over again.    However, if I needed to taste mustard in order to get my Eagle, I will probably  gag my way through it best I can, but I will guarantee everyone that it's not because I'm interested in doing it.

 

I guess I'm not going to give a scout a hard time because he's not interested in certain MB's and I don't think that should stand in his way of attaining Eagle either.  I know of a lot of boys that did take on that challenge and still didn't find it something of interest or liking on his part.  He jumped through the hoops, smiled a lot and basically when asked answered honestly, "No this subject is of no real interest to me, but I did it anyway."

[MattR]

 If scout is absolutely not interested in that career at all, why did he select it out of all the possibilities for a career in that field to spend his time researching?

Because it's eagle required?

 

I'd rather see more requirements involved with doing than discussing. To encourage a scout to make a career out of cooking I think it would be better to teach him how to fry an egg without burning it than talk about a career in cooking. Success is a better motivator.

 

But it's more than that. I really like to cook but it would never interest me as a career. I cook every day and all I get paid is good memories with friends and family. How about learning something because it's fun? So I don't see anything wrong with a scout saying no, that's not for me.

[Krampus]

Is "It does not interest me" a valid answer?   curious as to others thoughts on this

 

thanks

 

I had to laugh at how many responses you would get to a simple question.

 

No it is not an answer. They have two choices: Explain why they MIGHT be interested (and show you did research about the profession, or explain why it ISN'T something they'd be interested (and show the research you did as to why). 

 

The objective is obviously for the Scout to show he knows a bit something about the profession in question besides what he'd read on Wikipedia.

[desertrat77]

@@Stosh, yes, I might be "overthinking" this:)

 

I'll cease my screeds and finish thusly:

 

If "I'm not interested" is the sum total of the scout's answer, that's unsat.

 

"I'm not interested and here's a thoughtful discussion concerning the reasons why" is slightly better but doesn't meet the requirement.

 

"I might be interested in this profession because of X Y and Z" the scout meets the requirement.

 

"I'm not interested for X reasons, but another person might like this profession for Y reasons" that scout hits the ball out of the park.

Edited March 29, 2016 by desertrat77

[Stosh]

Situations like this always remind me of my college course on making tests for class curriculum.

 

1. A botanist is a scientist who studies ____________.

 

2. A botanist is a scientist who studies ____________.

 

3. A botanist is a scientist who studies ____________.

 

The correct answer to question 1 is "hard".  The correct answer to question 2 is "Yes" and the correct answer to question 3 is "plants."

 

Of course I might not like the answers given.  They may not be what I was looking for, but one has to admit all the answers are correct.  It's not the fault of the student, its the fault of the teacher for making stupid test questions.    40 years later that example still sticks in the back of my mind when I ask dumb questions to my scouts and don't get the answer I was looking for.   

[Rick_in_CA]

@@Stosh, yes, I might be "overthinking" this:)

 

I'll cease my screeds and finish thusly:

 

If "I'm not interested" is the sum total of the scout's answer, that's unsat.

 

"I'm not interested and here's a thoughtful discussion concerning the reasons why" is slightly better but doesn't meet the requirement.

 

"I might be interested in this profession because of X Y and Z" the scout meets the requirement.

 

"I'm not interested for X reasons, but another person might like this profession for Y reasons" that scout hits the ball out of the park.

I don't understand this. Why is answer 4 acceptable, but answer 2 isn't? The question is "Explain why this profession might interest you", not "Explain why this profession might interest someone else".

[desertrat77]

I don't understand this. Why is answer 4 acceptable, but answer 2 isn't? The question is "Explain why this profession might interest you", not "Explain why this profession might interest someone else".

Question 2:  the scout merely expressed the cons.   Falls short.

Question 4:  the scout presented both points of view, pro and con.  He was honest about his non-interest, and the reasons why.  But he also took the time to figure/research the pros and could articulate those.  

 

So taking another look at my post, sure, the answer to question 4 may also fall a bit short of the requirement.   But it shows initiative, insight into the profession, and the ability to comprehend two differing points of view.  

[qwazse]

Here's my take.

A scout will likely not be interested in any given career. But, if he can think about why he might be interested, he might gain a little empathy for why someone would really be glad to have that job. That way, when he has a buddy come to him asking about how to plan for the future, he might be prepared with useful career ideas for his buddy.

 

This reminds me of a conversation I had with Lebanese boys decades ago. They were talking about what they'd do when their civil war would end. The one boy (a Maronite Christian) said he was saving money for a garbage truck. His buddies were dumbfounded. He said, "Don't you know the one thing that everyone will want when the fighting stops? They piles of trash to be removed! And they will pay any price for it!"

[Stosh]

Nope, I've thought about this all evening and even though I love to cook, especially over a campfire, I love to eat, I still have no interest whatsoever of making cooking a career, it never crossed my mind at any time in my life and I can honestly say I have no way to explain why this profession would be of interest to me.  I could probably come up with a couple of reason why I would NOT ever want to be a cook such as it's fun, but that would wear thin long before my first day on the job would be over.  It might be interesting to go to school to become a better cook, I can go with that.  But to make a job of it?  Nope, never gonna happen.  So I can totally see where that kid is coming from.

[qwazse]

@@Stosh, just because you can understand where a kid's coming from, that's no reason to let him stay there.

 

Here's a reason nobody mentioned: world travel. I know a kid who wound up working at a popular restaurant in Dubai.

 

Think laterally ...

Being the deciding factor in war. Infantrymen move on their stomach.

Understanding cultures distant in space and time.

Being part of history by planning months (now years) of meals for astronauts.

Operating a delicatessen or winery.

Getting out of the grind of estate law and creating a welcome place for folks in the community to grab a coffee before the morning rush. Which reminds me, gotta go meet my barista.

Edited March 30, 2016 by qwazse

[Stosh]

@@Stosh, just because you can understand where a kid's coming from, that's no reason to let him stay there.

 

Here's a reason nobody mentioned: world travel. I know a kid who wound up working at a popular restaurant in Dubai.

 

They have Micky D's all over the world....

 

Think laterally ...

Being the deciding factor in war. Infantrymen move on their stomach.

 

 I was classified 4-F back in the Vietnam era, had to be pretty bad to miss out on the draft.  Cook my potatoes with the skin on anyway.

Understanding cultures distant in space and time.

 

What color wine goes with bugs and snakes?

Being part of history by planning months (now years) of meals for astronauts.

 

After a couple of months hot dogs roasted over a campfire, mac and cheese in a Dutch sounds better than anything squeezed out of a tube.

Operating a delicatessen or winery.

 

Highly salted and overly processed meats swilled down with a bottle of the best house Ripple?

Getting out of the grind of estate law and creating a welcome place for folks in the community to grab a coffee before the morning rush. Which reminds me, gotta go meet my barista.

 

At $5/cup, I'll brew up a pot, fill my thermos and meet you there! 

 

STILL NOT INTERESTED!    (LOL~   )

[Krampus]

Nope, I've thought about this all evening and even though I love to cook, especially over a campfire, I love to eat, I still have no interest whatsoever of making cooking a career, it never crossed my mind at any time in my life and I can honestly say I have no way to explain why this profession would be of interest to me.  I could probably come up with a couple of reason why I would NOT ever want to be a cook such as it's fun, but that would wear thin long before my first day on the job would be over.  It might be interesting to go to school to become a better cook, I can go with that.  But to make a job of it?  Nope, never gonna happen.  So I can totally see where that kid is coming from.

 

Executive chef for a mega star? Pastry chef on top of the Eiffel Tower? Sous chef on board a luxury yacht? Sushi chef at the Top of the Mark (assuming it go turned in to a great sushi bar)? Head chef at the VIP tents at Oktoberfest? Dietitian for Real Madrid (or NBA champs or NFL champs or [insert your sport club here])? Fitness instructor for the Victoria Secret models (implies knowledge of food on the body)?

 

The point is to press the Scout to actually THINK about ALL of the possibilities. Never say never. Sean Connery learned that lesson. There are always SOME circumstances under which you would do something.

 

Didn't you ever get dared as a kid? This is the Scouting equivalent of that....sort of.

 

Counselor: "Tom, what would interest you in having a career in cooking?"

 

Tom: "Nothing. I hate to cook."

 

Counselor: "I hear the Dallas Cowboys [Tom is a huge Cowboys fan] pay their dietitian $800,000 a year to advise them on healthy meal planning and working with their players at home on how to keep their diet healthy. Would that interest you?"

 

Tom: "Maybe. Sounds hard."

 

Counselor: "Well, that some position with the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders pays $700,000 a year and its fewer hours. The last five guys who that position ended up marrying the head cheerleader...just FYI."

Edited March 30, 2016 by Krampus

[Stosh]

Executive chef for a mega star? Pastry chef on top of the Eiffel Tower? Sous chef on board a luxury yacht? Sushi chef at the Top of the Mark (assuming it go turned in to a great sushi bar)? Head chef at the VIP tents at Oktoberfest? Dietitian for Real Madrid (or NBA champs or NFL champs or [insert your sport club here])? Fitness instructor for the Victoria Secret models (implies knowledge of food on the body)?

 

The point is to press the Scout to actually THINK about ALL of the possibilities. Never say never. Sean Connery learned that lesson. There are always SOME circumstances under which you would do something.

 

Didn't you ever get dared as a kid? This is the Scouting equivalent of that....sort of.

 

Counselor: "Tom, what would interest you in having a career in cooking?"

 

Tom: "Nothing. I hate to cook."

 

Counselor: "I hear the Dallas Cowboys [Tom is a huge Cowboys fan] pay their dietitian $800,000 a year to advise them on healthy meal planning and working with their players at home on how to keep their diet healthy. Would that interest you?"

 

Tom: "Maybe. Sounds hard."

 

Counselor: "Well, that some position with the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders pays $700,000 a year and its fewer hours. The last five guys who that position ended up marrying the head cheerleader...just FYI."

 

  And what's that got to do with cooking????