Let the Boys Lead

[Stosh]

All of the boys in my troop are first year scouts except for one older boy.  We went on our winter cabin camping weekend this weekend.  It would seem that my wife's cleaning around the house surfaced 3-4 pair of binoculars, some still in their original packages.  She told me, she didn't care, just get rid of them. 

 

So, last Friday when we got to the weekend, I announced that on Sunday it will be decided that the scout that shows the most Scout Spirit (according to the Oath and Law) would get a prize.  That's all I said.

 

Throughout the weekend, the boys thought about this and constantly asking me questions like: "Who is going to make the decision?", "Can an adult win it?",  etc.  I didn't say anything, just let it ride.  As always my mantra was used a lot "Not my problem." 

 

By Saturday night's melt down (I was waiting for the PL to step up and quiet things down, maybe the APL would say something, boys were complaining to me, waking me up from my "nap", etc. the PL finally came to me and said with the way things were going, there probably wasn't going to be any scout winning the "prize", which caused me great angst in that I had to get ride of the binoculars somehow.

 

Things quieted down and this morning things were down to cleaning up the cabin and getting packed up before noon.  It was decided the adult were to make the decision,... Not my problem.  The prize wasn't really worth it, probably just a candy bar or something.  Finally they somehow got it down to 2 boys that really worked hard on getting the cabin in order. They came to me to ask me to vote to break the tie.  Not my problem.  They then went to the ASM and asked him to vote and break the tie.  He said, "Not my problem."    Finally they came up with their pick (would have been mine, too!)

 

The last I saw of the winner he was getting into his parent's car still wearing his new binoculars around his neck.

 

Oh, by the way, did I mention these were first year scouts, none of which have yet earned their TF?  It's too bad we don't have older scouts to mentor and guide them...... (or get in their way!.... same for adults.....) 

 

Good weekend all the way around.  Youth leadership and patrol method really do work!

 

[HelpfulTracks]

That's how it supposed to work. Congrats!

 

Hopefully leaving Helpful Tracks

[qwazse]

So, wait. Mrs. told you to get rid of 3-4 pairs of binoculars, and you only ditched one.

How big is your doghouse?

[Stosh]

So, wait. Mrs. told you to get rid of 3-4 pairs of binoculars, and you only ditched one.

How big is your doghouse?

 

You weren't supposed to do the math.  I have 3 pair of binoculars hidden behind the seat of my pickup truck.  I was hoping the boys wouldn't have broken the tie so I could have gotten rid of two of them. 

 

We're both outdoors types and so after getting married we realized that it wasn't just two of everything in many cases.  I have enough inventory to keep prizes out there for boys for years.