Do you use professional titles?

[Armymutt]

I'm generally laid back, since I rarely hear my first name at work - I'm in the Army.  I'm a veterinarian, but don't really care if people call me Mr. or Dr.   My wife is a pharmacist and really hates being called Mrs. or Ms.  She's about to become the Committee Chair for our pack.  It brought up the idea of using titles in Scouting.  My personal point of view is first names are better.  I have/had a closer bond with my Scoutmasters that I called by their first names, than with those I interacted with in a more formal manner.  What's the crowd say?

[69RoadRunner]

When I reference another adult to scouts, I try to use Mr./Mrs./Miss. I'm not perfect at this, but most of the time this is what I do.

When speaking to adults, we're peers and I use first names and expect others to use my first name. If someone insists on me, a 50 year old adult, using their title, I see it as them putting themselves above me and I will not comply. The exception is a professional setting when seeing a medical doctor.

[Armymutt]

We're talking kids to adults.  Adult to adult, it's first name anyway.

[Sentinel947]

Adult to adult- first name.

Me referring to an adult to a youth: Mr. or Mrs. 

Youth to me: Mr. but if they slip and refer to me by my first name, I don't care.

[qwazse]

I’m a first name guy. Period.

But, that’s not the culture I live in. So, if scouts are compelled to address me as Mr. Q., I try to address them as Mr./Miss. My problem at the moment is our troop is chock full of siblings, so I’m using first names more regularly.

Edited January 24, 2021 by qwazse

[yknot]

Adult to adult --- First name 

Scout to adult -- Mr./Mrs./Ms. No professional honorifics

Adult giving instructions and referencing another adult -- Mr./Mrs./Ms.

I don't like it when kids address adults without a courtesy title, but that might be more a reflection of our demographics. Some of the kids around here could use reminders about basic manners and social courtesies, especially in formal communications. 

[mrjohns2]

28 minutes ago, yknot said:

Adult to adult --- First name 

Scout to adult -- Mr./Mrs./Ms. No professional honorifics

Adult giving instructions and referencing another adult -- Mr./Mrs./Ms.

I don't like it when kids address adults without a courtesy title, but that might be more a reflection of our demographics. Some of the kids around here could use reminders about basic manners and social courtesies, especially in formal communications. 

You summed it up quite nicely. At times, I use the Mrs./Mrs./Ms. so much, I even use it during committee meetings, but no one seems to mind. It is hard to "code switch" at times. 

[Eagle94-A1]

It depends, how does the adult want to be addressed?

Growing up, we had a LtCol. in various positions. He was also a MD.  We addressed him as "Doc _____________" or just plain "Doc"

In my middle son's den, his DL was an MD, but went by "Mr. _______________"

[scoutldr]

I have always expected youth to address adults as "Mr Lastname" or "Mrs Lastname".  My boys are 40 and still address their former SM as "Mr."  .  And I hate when friends tell their kids to address me as "Mr Firstname".  Guess I'm just old school and was taught to show respect to my elders.

  

[mrjohns2]

2 hours ago, scoutldr said:

And I hate when friends tell their kids to address me as "Mr Firstname".

I agree. I don't like Mr. or Mrs. First Name.

[yknot]

21 minutes ago, mrjohns2 said:

I agree. I don't like Mr. or Mrs. First Name.

Agreed. I feel like I'm in nursery school. 

[skeptic]

No issue with first name with adults, and I feel if an honorific is applicable, it is a good idea, but Mr. etc is okay.  I do ask my leaders to introduce me to youth as Mr., as I just feel it is the proper method, as I was raised.  I had one scout that no matter what, wanted to use my first name for some reason, but ironically he always introduced me as Mr.  Like many old guy here, past scouts, some now in their 50's still address me as Mr. 

 

[elitts]

4 hours ago, skeptic said:

 but ironically he always introduced me as Mr.  Like many old guy here, past scouts, some now in their 50's still address me as Mr. 

 

My parents are still close friends with 3 or 4 of the adults who were my Scoutmaster and ASMs as a kid.  I'm in my 40s now and I still have to make a conscious effort to address them as anything other than Mr. XXX when I run into them at my parent's functions.  In fact, I sometimes find myself just doing the "Catch his eye and start talking" trick to avoid having to use their names.

[Protoclete]

Adult to adult, first name. 

Scout to adult, I've seen different practices.

Some units are consistent using Mr./Ms. for everyone - even then trying to remember titles would be too much. But others are first name for everyone. As a scout, I do not recall using anything but first names for our Scoutmaster and ASMs. I don't really recall for committee members. 

 

[Jameson76]

I work with our Life Scouts.  They know who the SM is (title and name) but reference him only as Mr (name).  I refer to getting the CC signature, they say who it that, it's Mr CC.  Oh

Adult to Adult is first name.  Youth to adult is Mr (last name).  Agree with others, if I am conversing with a Scout and they need something from another leader, it's see Mr (last name)

If we're being smart alecky (which is often) it's title and first name - Scoutmaster Bob...ASM Pete