scoutmaster's pay

[baden]

I just returned from our Troop campout and have been chuckling all day. Last night, after dinner I did a Scoutmaster conference with a Scout for Tenderfoot. We talked a while about his Board of Review, 2nd Class requirements, his plans for the future, etc. The usual. I was trying to wrap up and asked him if he had any questions for me. He said "Yeah. How long are you going to be Scoutmaster?" I said I had no plans to quit, why? His response was "If you go, I go Dude".

 

Absolutely cracked me up.

[purcelce]

Cool Beans Dude!!!!

[CA_Scouter]

I have this scout who is a bit of a handful... but generally a good kid. He can be confrontational, defensive, and has a habit of grabbing other kids and a little too much horseplay. He's had a pretty rough family life. I have had to reprimand him several times...

 

So we are at summer camp, and he finds a $5 bill stuffed into the cup holder on one of the chairs. He looks at me and says 'boy I sure was tempted to take this money and go down to the trading post, but I didn't'. I looked at him and said 'You know, XXXX, you've given me some lip and I've had to discipline you a couple of times, but you always told me the truth and always owned up to your actions. You've always been trustworthy in my eyes.'

 

He had this surprised look on his face... 'Mr. Feil, nobody has ever told me that I've been trustworthy before.'

 

I felt a little sad about that response, but then again, I felt better knowing that our program is making a difference in this kid's life, albeit small, but I'm hoping that he'll retain this memory as he grows older and that it will help him somehow.

 

That was a pretty good return on my Scouting investment.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Juggler]

I had a meeting with my ASMs a few weeks ago to discuss the upcoming year, and review what worked and what didn't work last year.

 

One of the things I was told was that what worked best was my Scoutmaster minute. One of the ASMs said it was the only time in our meetings when all of the Scouts' attention was focused, and all the Scouts were listening.

 

Of course, that means we need to do a better job of getting our scouts to listen to the SPL and patrol leaders, but it was still nice to hear.(This message has been edited by Juggler)(This message has been edited by Juggler)

[Eamonn]

Talk about the gift that keeps on giving.

I became a Scoutmaster when I was very young.At times I really was more of an older brother to the Scouts in the good old 17th Fulham (Pioneers) - Change that!! I was the older brother nearly all the time!!

I was SM for almost 12 years before moving across the pond and have now been here for over 20 years. Still I keep in contact with some of the "Lads" who went through the Troop.

Of course they are now middle aged men now, many have kids of their own. Some have came back into Scouting to serve in Troops near to where they live.

When we talk it seems that the big topics of conversation are not the things that went like clock work but the things that went wrong.

Of course we have over the years been there for each other sharing times of joy and times of sadness.

Add these young Lads to all the other great and fine people that Scouts and Scouting has added to enrich my life and there just isn't enough money.

Eamonn.

[Lynda J]

Ain't those paydays the best. I have a boy in my troop whose parents are big into drugs. He is a good kid but no home life. He was elected PL this last elections. And is doing such a good job. He told me the other night how much he wanted to be like me, because I was "cool". Didn't know at 58 you could still be "cool" in a 12 year olds eyes but it sure was "COOL" to hear it.

 

Had a guy question my belief in God once. He wanted to know how I knew there was a God. I told him that every time I see the eyes of a scout when he light his first campfire without using a match it tells me that God exist. You see the excitment, the thrill, and then they look at you and you see respect. Then you watch as an older scout holds the hand of a younger one and teaches him how to tie a knot. All of these acts show me that God is present.

[red feather]

Had a COH Monday, changing of the guard. New SM (me), new CC ( last SM) and the stepping down of the current CC. He had been SM and CC for the last 15 or so years. Never been given a plaque for his time. Do not know why, just did not ever come up or seem right.

 

But at the COH I called him up and told him that no plaque would ever be up to what he had done. I read off the names of the Eagle Scouts that he was a big part of.

 

41 names were read off. No greater tribute to the efforts of this Scoutmaster could be presented.

 

And no this Troop is not an Eagle mill or a merit badge mill. Just Good Scouting.

 

yis