fixing incorrect information without taking over

[RainShine]

Last meeting included a part about cold weather first aid issues. The SPL did all the talking and he said some stuff that was wrong. I am loathe to take over the meeting but perhaps I should have in order to fix misunderstandings. Please advise.

Edited October 23, 2019 by RainShine

[DuctTape]

most information/instruction delivered via talking will not be absorbed or remembered. So likely it went in one ear and out the other for the rest of the scouts. I would use your time as a mentor to the SPL to help him develop an activity to do on a winter trip which focuses on the first aid issues. During that help, slip in the "corrections". For example, "One idea might be to do activity 'xyz' which would reinforce concept 'abc' (the error correction)".

 

[SSScout]

Winter camping.  Oh, to Scout in Finland or Sweden.   Build a sauna (!!) out of natural materials,  use it and jump in the lake after....AND climb out and get dry and dress....

 

[Eagledad]

Where did he get his information? We taught our scouts to start their discussion by showing the sources used for the details of the discussion. Typically the Scout Handbook, field book and MB Books. 

The scouts in our troop teach Woods tools to the new scouts "and new ASMs" on their first campout. I remember a new ASM Eagle scout came to me saying that he was taught a different technique for sharpening the knife when he was a scout. So we pulled out the Scout Handbook and read that the technique our scout taught was correct. He was very impressed.

Barry

[MikeS72]

On 10/23/2019 at 7:38 PM, DuctTape said:

most information/instruction delivered via talking will not be absorbed or remembered. So likely it went in one ear and out the other for the rest of the scouts. I would use your time as a mentor to the SPL to help him develop an activity to do on a winter trip which focuses on the first aid issues. During that help, slip in the "corrections". For example, "One idea might be to do activity 'xyz' which would reinforce concept 'abc' (the error correction)".

 

I agree that you should try to do this behind the scenes, so to speak, so as not to needlessly embarrass the SPL.  I would also want to make sure that the activity introducing the correct information takes place as soon as possible, as there is always the chance that the one bit of the SPL's presentation that stuck with a scout was the incorrect part.  I consider first aid one of the most important skills that we teach scouts, as you never know when or where you might be called upon to use those skills.

I remember being at a Webelos to Scout transition weekend hosted at our local camp a few years ago.  There were a number of areas manned by local troops showing the Webelos how to build a fire, set a campsite, make rope, do knots and lashings, dutch oven cooking, etc; all of which really captured their attention.  The last activity area of the day for our group was first aid.  Coincidentally, we had just completed the First Responder activity with them a couple of weeks earlier.  One of the first situations they 13-14 year old scout leading the demo asked was what to do if someone cut their arm.  Several of our boys raised their hands and said to apply pressure to the wound.  They were promptly told that they were wrong, and the scout in charge pulled out a tourniquet!  They were at times told that the first thing to do for a heart attack was to raise the feet and pack the victim in ice, that if bite by a  snake they should try to get close enough to see if the eyes were round or a vertical slit, along with several other errors.  Not wanting to stand up and make a scene by telling him all of his instruction was incorrect, we sat through to the end and left the area.  Before leaving I suggested to the SM (who was not actually in the presentation) that as a long time Red Cross instructor, I would recommend they review those items with this scout, and then responded to my Webelos who wanted to know why they were told that they answered everything wrong, when they knew they were correct.  We spent a few minutes explaining that this was a young scout, who was probably giving them the same information that he had been given, and that yes, all of the answers they gave during the presentation were indeed right on the mark.