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[The Latin Scot]

13 hours ago, SiouxRanger said:

Perhaps I misjudge, are you advocating going to war with snot-nosed cub scouts and their moms?

In my Troop I satisfy myself that the scouts have their shirts tucked in.

Perhaps the difference is that I simply don't approach Cub or their parents with the assumption that they are going to create problems. I always assume that in their hearts, people want to do the right thing - and I am rarely disappointed. I have found this to be true both as a Scout leader and as an educator. I never have to "go to war" with them, because I always treat them like beloved allies - and funny enough, that approach seems to make them feel like beloved allies. I have developed deep and meaningful relationships with not only my Scouts, but also their parents and siblings - because I decided early on that I would love and care for every member of our pack. And that makes all the difference. People want to learn from their friends. So that's how I approach all Scouting.

It's really so much easier than people want to pretend it is. Yet we make such a fuss about how hard it is to get kids to behave or to wear their uniforms correctly, almost as though it's some kind of badge of honor that they are willing to put up with such difficult travails as those "****-nosed cub scouts and their moms." That kind of attitude is utterly disrespectful of our cub scouting families, and has no place in Scouting. I would never advocate being satisfied with mediocrity, yet that's just the kind of attitude that is watering down the program and driving out our families today. Expect less, get less. Scouting should be more than that.