Dump the bum!

[GaHillBilly]

John-in-KC wrote: "Our challenge is too many new arrivals show up on our doorsteps with little training and less patience. They think the program should look like X, when the literature says ABC."

 

As a new arrival (which 18 mos into Scouting, I guess I still am), I've resembled that remark, at least to some degree. But, I know that the problem for me and for at least some other "new arrivals" is the converse of what you stated. Instead of expecting the program to look like X, I expected it to look like ABC, as described in Scout literature, but found it actually looked like X.

 

My experience with Scouting is obviously not broad, but in my own small area, I've found that many Scouters define "Scouting", not by what's in the literature, but by what they experienced as Scouts and as Scouters. And, it's become obvious that what they experienced was considerably different than what's described in the literature.

 

This surprised me initially, but I realized that it made sense, in a frail human sort of way, once I thought about it. But it does create a real sense of dislocation in your "new arrivals" if they come to the program knowing at least some of the literature, and encounter Scouters who are operating on their past experience alone, with almost no knowledge of that literature*.

 

And, while I doubt that my experience is the most common case, I'm pretty sure it's not that rare, either.

 

GaHillBilly

[Bob White]

I don't know if you have spent any time in commissioner service Beavah but you have spent enough time on this forum to see that most the problems people write in about are caused because the program was not followed.

 

Not knowing the safety regulations, not using the patrol method, not having good relationships with the CO, not being trained,committees not following the right procedures. Those are just a few of the repeating themes we see in the posts.

 

 

[MarkS]

I don't know. I think I've seen as many of these kinds of posts because someone's expectations are not being met as much as because the program was not followed. Disputes can still happen when a unit follows the program but doesn't meet someone's expectations. Disputes can still happen becuase someone's lack of knowledge of the program is producing unrealistic expectations.

 

Sometimes people in a group have trouble working together. You don't need the scouting program for this to happen.