Adjusting to Change

[235 Lodge Chief]

Hi, I'm an 18 year old eagle scout who just recently crossed from the youth to adult side in scouting. I am very active in the order of the arrow: I am a Vigil Honor member of the local Lodge and am currently serving my second term as Lodge Chief. My father is the scoutmaster of our small troop. I do mean SMALL. We only have six boys in the whole troop, but just because we are small doesn't mean we don't have a quality program. Since my becoming an adult, dad has charged me with keeping our youngest scouts active. These four boys make up one of our two patrols and are second class scouts who have been in the program for two years. They will be first class scouts by the end of January. The Scoutmaster has told me that he doesn't want them to work on Rank Advancements until after summer camp in July because he is scared that they will get "burnt out", and I agree. I want the boys to enjoy themselves as well as learn. With that said if anyone has any ideas on what scouting things I can do in meetings or on weekend outings to keep these young guys intreasted and invovled I would appreacite any help I can get.

[Eamonn]

Hi

Welcome to the forums.

I'm a little unsure about this "work on Rank Advancements".

Sure there are some requirements that do need the Scout to sit down and show that he has mastered a skill.

By far the best way for him to learn the skill is having him use it, while maybe not knowing that at the same time he is working on advancing.

Grab a copy of the Boy Scout Handbook and read it.

When you are done take some time to think about how you can make the activities fun and interesting for the Scouts.

The best way to learn how to use a map and compass is not in the Scout meeting place but by going on a hike.

Knots and lashings are more fun when used as part of a pioneering project.

Backwoods cooking or having a nationality theme for all the meals at a camp out adds more interest.

Now that you are an adult leader take on the role of being an Imagine-er.

Go out of your way to look for and find fun ways to do and present the skills.

Some of them will fail, but even these can be fun and the Scouts (and you) will learn from them.

I know I have posted this before but...

Some years back at a meeting in our Scout Hall, I came up with the "Brilliant" idea of a knot relay. I wanted it to be different, so I gave each patrol a gal of water, a backpacking stove and a pound of Fetuchini.

The idea was they had to light the stove (outside) boil the water, cook the pasta, cool it and tie the pasta using Scout knots to form a long line/rope.

The race it-self went well, the Scouts really got into it.

But after the found that placing handfuls of cold wet pasta down the back of each others shirts was a lot of fun.

Soon there was pasta everywhere!!

Clean up seemed to take for ever.

The idea was a good one.

Just the wrong location!!

We all learn from our mistakes.

In time we can look back at them and see how funny things were.

Adding something or a twist to an activity can make it more fun.

How about orienteering using back bearings?

Eamonn.