Leadership Responsibility for Rank

[Eagle Foot]

For the ranks of Star through Eagle each Scout is required to serve in a leadership position, Troop Scribe, Troop Quartermaster, Patrol Leader, etc.

 

To give this scout credit for that position how strick are you? Does the Scout just have a title for credit or does the Scout really have to work for the credit?

 

(Edited by Eagle Foot)

[VentureScoutNY]

"To give this scout credit for that position how strick are you? Does the Scout just have a title for credit or does the Scout really have to work for the credit?"

 

Well...it's not about being strict, it's about following the rules and doing the job. A scout cannot "serve" in a position unless he actually does something. Some Troops, I know, do not always adhere to the rules, and let some scouts slide by without doing much. I can not begin to explain how wrong this is, and how it does nothing to teach the scout responsibility or scout spirit.

 

These positions Scouts must hold are not equal to being the Queen of England... they are not just figureheads, its not about the title, its about the job, the learning, and the experience.

 

YIS

[EagleBeaver]

That has been a discussion point in our troop since some positions have relatively little 'work' required and others have much more leadership involved on a daily basis.

Each scout needs to do the work asked of him in his position in order to receive advancement credit. Unfortunately, we have sometimes not asked much of him. That tends to be a dis-service to the scout since it gives him little or no opportunity to demonstrate leadership.

To help with that situation, we are now trying out agreements that list the specific goals of the scout for his term in office. Such as "create a check-out process for library materials" for librarian, "record details of every campout" for historian, "plan and lead 5 patrol meetings" for patrol leader, ... Two months into their term, the Scoutmaster will meet with each scout for a conference to see how well they are meeting their goals - before its too late to fix it.

All the troop leadership positions have good descriptions and job tasks defined in the Scoutmaster's junior leadership training kit but a general requirement such as "plan and lead patrol meetings" can be too vague for new leaders.

As part of the short Scoutmaster training session with each new troop leader, the scout is asked to come up with a list of specific goals he wants to accomplish in his term. Those self-expectations are incorporated into his agreement.

 

Paul

 

[Eamonn]

If we look at "The Big Picture"

We see the mission of Scouting, part of which reads "To make ethical choices over their lifetime".

When we look at the Scout Oath and Law we see: To do best.

A Scout is Trustworthy, Loyal,Courteous, Thrifty, and if we wanted we might want to add Obedient.

We also know that we can't add or subtract requirements. When I read the requirements I see "Serve Actively"

Serve actively is More than wearing a patch or holding a title.

I think that there needs to be a job description written down that outlines the job and what is required to do the job successfully. Before the Scout accepts the position.Some positions require more activity than others.

I was talking with a Lad last week, he was telling me how excited he was that he had landed the leading role in two one act plays that his school was staging. Now is more than lightly the best time for him to take on being the SPL, he might be able to do a good job of being Quartermaster. I think it is very important that the Scoutmaster meets with the Scout, a face to face meeting and ask the Scout "If you were to become the Troop whatever what would you do? At this meeting the Scout needs to set goals for himself.These goals need to be realistic. If you the Scoutmaster can help he should try and get the Scout to have SMART GOALS:

Specific.

Measurable.

Attainable.

Relevant.

Time-Based.

I think that it is important that these goals come from the Scout. In the mission statement we talk about making choices. It is a lot easier and a lot less work to just hand him a sheet of paper that tells him what he Has To Do. But if we want to teach Leadership and responsibly, it is better that it comes from the Scout. We the adults need to remember that each Scout is an individual, each has his own strengths and weaknesses. Each Scout may have different resources. Each Scout has a different home life life. While it might be easy for the son of one the leaders to get to every Scout meeting and activity, it might be a lot more difficult for the oldest boy in a single parent home. If his parent is working and he is left to look after his younger brothers and sisters. The A student more than lightly will do a much better job of being the Scribe, than the Lad with a learning disability, and just because he has this disability , we should not prevent him from taking the job.

The Scouts goals should be written down, maybe placed in the back of his Scout Handbook. As the time passes all the adults should do everything that they can to support the Scout and help him meet his goals. This might involve the Scoutmaster meeting with him and asking how things are coming along? It might mean getting together with the Scout and rewriting the goals. If the Scout had a goal that he was going to play taps at the October camp-out and the School Football Team made it to the play offs, and this meant that the School Band had to play on the same date. The goal could be changed.

When the time requirement has been completed and the Scout goes for the Scoutmaster Conference, the sheet with the goals written on it should be reviewed.

Some of the questions I would ask are:

Did you enjoy being the whatever?

Do you think that you learned anything?

How do you think you done meeting your goals?

What would you do differently if we could turn the clock back?

What parts of the Scout Oath do you think you covered by doing this job?

What Scout Laws did cover?

If you could rewrite the job description what would you change and why?

The requirements say that you were to serve actively, do you think you did?

All of this needs to be done in a friendly, quite way. If possible without interruption.

If we have helped and supported the Scout I see no reason why he should not pass this requirement.

However, if the Scout has made no effort and it is clear that his best was not even given a chance. It will come out at the Scoutmaster conference. Most Scouts will see the truth and will own up to the fact that they have not served actively. In which case they have not completed the requirement.

I dislike the word "Strict" I like the word Fair.

If a boy does have to be turned down or failed. We as adults have to ask why? And how did this happen? We need to examine what happened? Did we do everything that we could to support the Lad. When we seen that he wasn't at the troop meeting and the ASPL,was running the show, would a call have made a difference? If we had known that he left the camera at camp and didn't get back there to pick it up. Would he have met his goals?

Seeing a Scout fail or not meet his own expectations is hard and very sad. We do need to let him know that even though he didn't do it this time, that we all are going to work harder on it next time.

Failure can at times have a very positive outcome.

Giving a Lad a "Pass" for having a title and wearing a patch teaches him nothing good. When we do so we are not showing him what an ethical choice is, the Scout Oath and Law become just words with little or no meaning. We are in fact saying "Go ahead, it's OK to cheat" As the parent of a Scout, I never want him to learn this anywhere. I'm entrusting the Leaders of the troop with my son. He is at a very impressionable age. He looks to his Scoutmaster and the other adults for a example. He is questioning everything, his faith and the values that we his parents have are being scrutinized. I expect the values that Scouting has to be the values that are shown by his leaders.

He needs to learn how to play the game by the rules. He is an individual,cookie cutter rules don't allow him to grow and become the person that he wants to be. Beat him over the head with the rule book and he will rebel. He wants and needs to associate with caring adults who will listen to him, support him and help him meet his goals. Leaders who can't do this need to look in the mirror and set some goals for themselves.

Eamonn.

 

 

 

[anarchist]

like eamonn's post...but I wonder ( from another thread under service hours) we want to give double credits for service project ie (church and scouts)why don't we give credit so the scout feels good wearing the patch for his tour...(just joking here...sort of) The SM should be working with the "leaders" at each PLC and off and on at the troop meetings and activities, assessing and advising where needed, helping the SPL train, retrain and 'hold' the scouts to their responcibilities. and our SM has in the past noted to the leaders that unless they put their heart into it they would not recieve the necessary sign off...and kept to his word! If you take on a job you do it to the best of your ablities...It is counter-productive to give credit where credit is not due! BUT IT HAS TO BE FAIR AND THE SPL with the SM/ASM's assistance has to work continuously to help these kids succeed...no do their job just try to give them the tools and occaisional ...er...prod to "just do it"!

 

 

Someone once told me something that the "P.C." crowd will hate but I give to you for thought...

Think of a plant that grows...greenhouse vs. open nursery

the hothouse plant is thick and beautiful where the field grown plant is maybe not quite as beautiful or fully formed...after all life for it has been tougher...

But which plant will do better without you there to watch out for it...to protect it from the hard knocks??? Is there a lesson here???

Be tough, be fair, grow leaders!

good scouting!

anarchist

[frankj]

I agree with eammonn's posting. It is important to lay out the expectations when they assume the job, so they know what is expected and what qualifies as fulfillment of the duties. This also enables the tailoring of the expectation to the boy's abilities or age. I have found, if you don't do this, the time period slips past and then you have a boy asking for the req'mt to be approved when he hasn't actually done much.