Adult Leaders in Their 20s

[lee1989_2007]

Hey man, im in the same boat, im 19 and an assistant scoutmaster. I love the program and i know that i can help the boys in my troop. The troop im from comes from a poor rural area in Missouri and a lot of these kids come from broken homes, and other bad situations in life. Because of my age they see me more as a trusted friend. Our scoutmaster is either 50 or near it and some boys see him like a father figure and sometime its also good to have a younger adult in the troop that the boys would see as a brother. Stay in there man, i know the feeling but its worth it, just wait till you see a young man join your troop then a few years later you watch him taking the eagle scout oath. its worth it and i would trade it for the world.

[Mr. Boyce]

My scoutmaster years ago was a single man in his early 20s. My parents never expressed any concern in front of me. He was an enormously positive influence in my life. His age HELPED him be a good scoutmaster in that he related well to everybody in the whole troop. He was phenomenal.

 

But this was back then. Now, it makes sense to be proactive about one's sexual orientation. Why not have a date attend a court of honor? It would probably not be sensible to include her on a campout. Or even have her hang around the troop.

[khbaker]

Short-term lurker... first-time poster...

 

I'm an Eagle Scout from St. Louis, MO that followed my wife to the Chicagoland area after college. A couple years later, I signed up as an ASM with a local scout troop and will admit that initially, I didn't "get it" (i.e. the transition from Scout to Scouter that's been discussed here in this thread. The troop's amazing Scoutmaster and I were chatting about it and he simply reminded me, "when you were in Scouts, I'll bet you didn't always like to line up in a straight line"- There's some amazing perspective in that simple statement.

 

A few years later when we had our son, he gave me some other really good advice - "Time to take a break... bring your son back in a few years"

 

Ecstatic to say my son and I just signed up with a local pack as a Tiger and Tiger Den Leader. The pack gave me a round of applause for volunteering and - true story - then my son said "Dad, when I grow up, I want to be a Cub Scout leader like you". Needless to say, all of our pack meetings will likely be downhill from here.

 

DAL_TX_SCOUT: Here's to reminding ourselves it is all about these kids.

 

(p.s. that lovely girl I followed up to Chicago is even letting me go to Woodbadge later this summer)

[khbaker]

wow - I'm so new that I don't even know how to post and accidentally double-clutched... sorry(This message has been edited by khbaker)

[John-in-KC]

Welcome to the forums, and welcome back to the grand game.

 

Don't worry about double-clutching, everyone has their chance... some more than others

 

If you've had leadership psych and soc along the undergrad or grad school road, you'll find Woodbadge a review of plowed ground. The friendships, though, will be fantastic. By all means take it.

 

If you want a grand weeks' vacation, consider taking a course at Philmont Training Center. Your bride, your kid(s) (by then mebbe more?) and you will all have a grand time... and you'll learn as well.

 

Enjoy the trail

[kb6jra]

I was in your shoes as well. Stayed semi active after 18 in my home troop, was asked to SM of another unit when I turned 21 by my old SM, our Dist Chair. Kept that job for 5 years or so and never had issues with adults in my unit accepting me. I was a Cub daycamp director for a couple years in there too, and still no issues with the adults I recruited to help.

 

The only place I found I was not welcomed - get this - was at Roundtables and Commissioners meetings (I was asked to be a UC as well). Old Scouters have trouble accepting Young Scouters sometimes. Don't let it bother you.

 

I recruited a 24 year old Eagle to my Council level committee. He's the hardest working member of our group and just a joy to work with.

 

I'd like to point out how many people in this thread are between 18 and 30 years old. This is just fantastic IMO and I think it's very exciting to see. Keep up the great work.

 

 

 

 

[emb021]

Like some others, I remained active as best I could after 'ageing out'.

 

During college was semi-active, mainly during the summer. I tried a little to be active at college, but was miles away and had little money or time to be active with a local unit. After college I've remained active.

 

Similiar to kb6jra's experience, I found some older scouters weren't as welcoming as others. I was very disappointed to be turned down for a position on the Jamboree contingent in 1989 because other leaders thought I was 'too young' (this after just going thru WB). FWIW, I went as staff.

 

Now adays my problems are more with other leaders who seem to expect everyone is involved with a unit (tho you know many aren't), and pass me over for stuff because I'm not (as if that makes any difference).

 

[allangr1024]

Boy, I wish I were in my 20's as I try to do this. I can still hear my cocky 15 year old son yelling back at me on the Philmont (ususally uphill) trails, saying "Dad, you are holding us up." But then again, as a SM in my 20's, I would not have the cocky 15 year old son.

 

I wonder if anyone has ever studied how the boys react to a younger SM as opposed to a 50 something SM. That would be interesting.

[allangr1024]

Boy, I wish I were in my 20's as I try to do this. I can still hear my cocky 15 year old son yelling back at me on the Philmont (ususally uphill) trails, saying "Dad, you are holding us up." But then again, as a SM in my 20's, I would not have the cocky 15 year old son.

 

I wonder if anyone has ever studied how the boys react to a younger SM as opposed to a 50 something SM. That would be interesting.

[click23]

I have never seen that here, almost two hours between the two posts of a double post

[Tokala]

I'll add my personal experience to the thread.

 

I have been a member of the same council since I joined as a Cub Scout in 1972. I am an eagle scout, Vigil and Founders Award recipient, worked summer camp staff, lodge chief, section officer, jambo troop SPL, a SM, and on, and on.....

 

I'm single, never married, middle-aged guy with no kids. For the most part, I don't see many that question my involvement. Most respect me for my many years of service and the long history within this council. Occasionally, there's someone that raises an issue. My response has always been to do exactly what I do and not dwell on someone's misconception.

 

I will add that I know that I have NOT been considered for some council level positions because of my marital status and age. I understand the council's position, but find it somewhat hypocritical to expect kids to accept their peers for their character and not use the same criteria at a more "political" level as the council.

[Mr. Boyce]

Tokala: I can relate a bit to you. I didn't marry until I was 35. Just never in the right place. In grad school, in small towns; hard to find good women. You forgot to mention how some people quietly freak out if you talk to their kids and you're a single male. I've had some people call that a kind of discrimination. But so it goes; parents are naturally protective.

 

I heartily, whole heartily congratulate you guys in your 20s working in the program! I wish I had done so. It would have been a more constructive and more personally valuable thing to do.

[Chippewa29]

I'm now in my mid-30's and still single and childless. I've worked with my hometown troop since I got back from college 13 years ago, first as ASM and now as SM for the past 7 1/2 years. I have had issues with adults (old enough to be my parents) not taking me seriously and have had a couple of parents say that I don't understand kids because I don't have kids. However, as time has gone on, I've been able to win over pretty much everyone.

 

On occasion (especially when talking to Cub Leaders), I'll have people wondering why I'm single and working with the Scouts. My answer is simple: I enjoy working in the outdoors and I feel it is important for the Scouts to have good role models beyond their parents.

 

After all these years as being the younger leader, I'm close to most of the parents age (although I have yet to deal with a parent younger than me). My challenge now is more trying to relate to the younger kids than it is to convince the parents I am an adult. Now that the kids see me as being older, I'm fortunate to have a couple of 19 year old ASM alums that can be the "cool young guys" and take that mantel from me.

 

About five years ago, we had a family join the troop where the dad was a seasoned Scouter. At a committee meeting, someone made a comment about how I was too young to lead and didn't understand kids because I didn't have kids. Before I could say anything, Rob got up and said that instead of rejecting my help (I had be SM for two years at that point), the troop needed to embrace the fact that I was there to help all the Scouts (not just one or two) and that my experience as a leader and track coach gave me some wonderful insights to kids that parents focused on their own kids wouldn't have. From that point on, I didn't hear anything else from within the troop.

[Rover Scout]

I'll toss in my encouragement with everyone else.

 

I remained active during college (boy scout camp staff during the summer, service as an explorer and as a unit commissioner in a different council than my "home" unit while attending college) and then when I moved out of state for my first job, I became active within a week of moving to Illinois. As with you, I was a single male, new to the community, etc.

 

The committee job was a surprise--I had stopped in at the local council office, introduced myself, and they directed me to attend the district committee meeting later that week. When I arrived, I was welcomed and greeted as "our new district camping chairman." I maintained that position for three years, and then served in a number of other district and council roles over the next 20-plus (!!!) years.

 

I was very fortunate in that everyone was very welcoming and encouraging to me as a new scouter in the area.

 

I am now married and have two sons who are cub scouts. The council and district level service has been helpful to me as a cubmaster, as I could find answers to questions very rapidly, and I "spoke the language" of scouting. All that said, it has been much especially rewarding to me--and fun--to see my sons having a good experience with the scouting movement. They did not require much encouragement to become cub scouts--they wondered for years where I was going, dressed in short pants, long socks, and my red jacket, and finally they found out, much to our collective pleasure.

 

So...go for it and build your memories now.

 

In service,

 

Ken

[Eagle92]

Everyone has said given good advice. I know b/c I've "been there, done that." GET INVOLVED and don't worry.

 

One thing that can help is if in your old unit there are a few leaders, or even older scouts, who remember you. I left my old troop after completing college to take on a DE job in another part of the country. When I transfered to Supply Division three years later, I moved back into my old council and picked up where I left off with the my old troop. They had alot of new faces with leaders and scouts, but one of the committee was around when I was active, as well as the SPL, ASPL, and a few members of the Venture Patrol. At the first meeting back, a swim test and prep nite for summer camp, there were some concerned looks by parent who didn't know be. But once word was out that "YODA" (my troop nickname) was back, things quieted down.

 

Also if you have a girlfriend/fiance, do invite her on any family functions: i.e. COHs, family campout, family daytrip, etc. And be a stickler for YPT. That will calm down nerves.