How does this happen?

[skeptic]

I fudged my Nature merit badge in 1959, I think.  It grated on my conscious, and later I earned completely Soil and Water, Forestry, and worked on Wildlife Management.  I also did insect study.  Outside of Scouts, I took a summer school class in biology that I did not need to take, but felt it would also salve my disappointment in myself.  It was not just learning about nature and so on, but about myself.  Self reflection can be good for you, and as an adolescent, it is even more important perhaps.  Another reason we should, in my view, mentor bad behaviour in a way that might allow the youth to do that self analysis.  

[SiouxRanger]

There is some merit to the sentiment that, “All’s well that ends well.”

A scout whose effort on a particular requirement was not as hearty as they could have done or should have done, and that they have recognized their shortcoming, and used that as a springboard to improve or perfect their future efforts, toward their future scout advancement or later as an adult scout mentor…

Well, the Scouting program thereby produced a responsible adult.

Meeting the program’s goal.

And, everyone follows a Scouting Trail personal to themselves. 

Unit leadership, summer camp staff, merit badge counselors, are all of variable quality, intensity, knowledge, interest, and incompetence, indifference…

Some youth tread a near perfect path (I’ve known many brilliant scouts), others struggle and falter but get there (I’ve known many of those also-I’m in that class).

Those who intentionally made a weak effort, and revel in having “gotten away with it,” well, the real world tends to let them know it in one fashion or another.

And then there are the early short-comers who flourished.

I class myself among them.

It all gets back to the poem, “The Man In The Mirror.”

[skeptic]

2 hours ago, SiouxRanger said:

 

There is some merit to the sentiment that, “All’s well that ends well.”

A scout whose effort on a particular requirement was not as hearty as they could have done or should have done, and that they have recognized their shortcoming, and used that as a springboard to improve or perfect their future efforts, toward their future scout advancement or later as an adult scout mentor…

Well, the Scouting program thereby produced a responsible adult.

Meeting the program’s goal.

And, everyone follows a Scouting Trail personal to themselves. 

Unit leadership, summer camp staff, merit badge counselors, are all of variable quality, intensity, knowledge, interest, and incompetence, indifference…

Some youth tread a near perfect path (I’ve known many brilliant scouts), others struggle and falter but get there (I’ve known many of those also-I’m in that class).

Those who intentionally made a weak effort, and revel in having “gotten away with it,” well, the real world tends to let them know it in one fashion or another.

And then there are the early short-comers who flourished.

I class myself among them.

It all gets back to the poem, “The Man In The Mirror.”

That is a great poem.  Another old one that I like still is Kipling's If.  Growing up in the late forties and early fifties, our Mom read to my brother and I out of Cook's One Hundred and One Famous Poems.  I still have that copy of the book, along with other examples, as it was in print for decades, and I think still is in a modified format.  Kipling of course was part of the B.P.'s influence for Cubbing.  I do not remember for sure, but I believe there is mention that B.P. was friends with Kipling.  

Edited January 3 by skeptic

[SiouxRanger]

Thanks for the reference to "IF."

Some professional from Milwaukee, I believe, unknown by name to me, in the early 1970's would send a box of Scout Mirrors to Philmont to be distributed to the Philmont Rangers (at least, and maybe other groups and classes of staff-I was a Ranger) which had a copy of The Man In the Glass (now Mirror, apparently) on the back. A remarkable contribution and a treasured possession.

The Scout Motto: "Be Prepared."

What more concise summary of life can be made?

If you are "caught off-guard" you were not "Prepared." End of discussion. An "F."

Essentially, it is a zero defect standard. And that is a harsh standard. Most of the world does not attempt to meet that standard. Buy a car-99% work fine, 1% recalled. Not so, Be Prepared.  There are no recalls.

But, if one shoots for an "A," you might get an A, shoot for an A+ of A++ and an A will likely be.  Shoot for a B, expect a C and shoot to pass, a C, expect a D or F.

The result of failing to exert maximum effort is usually mediocre.

Against the Be Prepared's zero defect standard, one has to take measure of the typical human's failure to be perfect.

We all make mistakes. Large or small.  Serious or trivial.

Time passes, and one has to reconcile one's reaction to their mistakes.

Learning from one's mistakes is a huge step in maturing.

However, some never learn.

"Experience is a hard teacher, but a fool will learn from no other."

And, there is this other notion that one does not learn from successes.

"Gee, that went great, I''ll put that in my pocket." (Nothing learned.)

But when things went poorly. Us humans tend to study those. "Why did that go wrong?" "What do I need to change?" (in modern parlance, "tweak.") And we learn, tweak the plan, and get better results the next time around.

These lessons need to passed on to scouts, so they feel comfortable with their shortcomings and learn that all is not lost, that every life has another inning to improve.

 

[skeptic]

7 hours ago, SiouxRanger said:

Thanks for the reference to "IF."

Some professional from Milwaukee, I believe, unknown by name to me, in the early 1970's would send a box of Scout Mirrors to Philmont to be distributed to the Philmont Rangers (at least, and maybe other groups and classes of staff-I was a Ranger) which had a copy of The Man In the Glass (now Mirror, apparently) on the back. A remarkable contribution and a treasured possession.

The Scout Motto: "Be Prepared."

What more concise summary of life can be made?

If you are "caught off-guard" you were not "Prepared." End of discussion. An "F."

Essentially, it is a zero defect standard. And that is a harsh standard. Most of the world does not attempt to meet that standard. Buy a car-99% work fine, 1% recalled. Not so, Be Prepared.  There are no recalls.

But, if one shoots for an "A," you might get an A, shoot for an A+ of A++ and an A will likely be.  Shoot for a B, expect a C and shoot to pass, a C, expect a D or F.

The result of failing to exert maximum effort is usually mediocre.

Against the Be Prepared's zero defect standard, one has to take measure of the typical human's failure to be perfect.

We all make mistakes. Large or small.  Serious or trivial.

Time passes, and one has to reconcile one's reaction to their mistakes.

Learning from one's mistakes is a huge step in maturing.

However, some never learn.

"Experience is a hard teacher, but a fool will learn from no other."

And, there is this other notion that one does not learn from successes.

"Gee, that went great, I''ll put that in my pocket." (Nothing learned.)

But when things went poorly. Us humans tend to study those. "Why did that go wrong?" "What do I need to change?" (in modern parlance, "tweak.") And we learn, tweak the plan, and get better results the next time around.

These lessons need to passed on to scouts, so they feel comfortable with their shortcomings and learn that all is not lost, that every life has another inning to improve.

 

Thus what we call "thorns and roses" after events at times, especially larger ones.  Trying to get the youth to speak can be hard much of the time, as we have a society that tends to NOT encourage them to speak their minds, but with candor and verity.  So, they simply glare or look confused.  Then, later, someone speaks up out of the circle, so to speak.  We should still take that into consideration, and even maybe draw out some more.  Always the challenge, but that is part of the job description I think.

 

[RememberSchiff]

On 12/30/2023 at 7:56 PM, PACAN said:

... 12 y/o girl gets Eagle. ...

Another example

"Julia Totora, a 12 year old from Pitman,NJ keeps a passion for environmentalism behind her shy smile and soft-spoken voice.

Most recently, Julia became the youngest recipient of New Jersey's James J. Florio Emerging Environmental Leader award.

The James J. Florio Emerging Environmental Leader Award, which was introduced last year, recognizes a New Jersey resident currently in high school or college who demonstrates exceptional leadership and has experience coordinating environmental sustainability events.

At only 12, she'd already successfully ran a petition to have plastic foam lunch trays replaced in her school, participated in making leaf packs for school groups to investigate macroinvertebrates and volunteered with her Boy Scout troop on Earth Day to educate her neighbors about water testing and waterway health in Pitman, home to an infamous Superfund site.

This emerging leader has always had a passion for exploring and improving the world around her, something that led to her choosing to join Cub Scouts, and eventually Boy Scouts, over other options like Girl Scouts.  (ouch)

"I noticed there were a lot more chances to be outdoors," Julia explained, also mentioning her attraction to the various merit badges that were available for Boy Scouts.

She is one of three girls in her troop."

Scout Salute,

More at source, including photos,

https://www.courierpostonline.com/story/news/local/south-jersey/2024/01/04/pitman-tween-named-emerging-leader-by-murphy-administration/72038422007/