Code of Conduct - Your Unit Experience

[CA_Scouter]

Ah yes, another snarky comment from the BW.

 

Wouldn't it be nice to get a post from this knowledgeable person without a putdown in every one?

 

It would seem a code of conduct might be helpful in this case.. oh wait.. we have one.. it includes words like 'courteous' and 'kind'.

 

Maybe you know it....

 

 

 

 

[Lisabob]

Somebody said that codes of conduct tend to be oriented toward telling the parents what to expect, and I think there's a lot of truth in that. Heaven knows the boys do not read, memorize, quote, parse, and squabble over them, as adults sometimes do. With regard to the Jambo code, reading through it I kind of had a feeling that some of it was designed to prevent law suits in the case that little Johnny gets sent home without a refund for doing something stupid. So again, aimed more at the adults than the boys.

 

That said though, the Jambo code isn't the worst thing on earth - at least it is reasonably short. Seriously, our troop's is many tens of pages long, seems to grow more every year, and spells out all kinds of details (some of which probably violate actual BSA policy). And large parts of it seem to have been drafted to deal with specific cases of misbehavior. Making policy for a whole unit on the basis of one specific experience is usually a bad idea! So is making up more "policy" to deal with symptoms of underlying problems (like, say, low attendance might be a symptom of a program issue so let's just mandate a certain attendance level) which also seems to be a common temptation.

 

 

[mmhardy]

You all have made very good points. Thanks for all of your input.

 

Just to get a glimpse of what our CoC draft contains it has provisions such as ....all Scouts must "check in" their cell phones and ipods or stow them...show attention and respect by refaining from sidebar chatter or doing homework while at the meeting...stay in the building and not wonder out into the parking lot and into cars...remember all these nuggets were drafted by 12-15 yo boys.

 

Not sure if the Oath and Law are capable of identifing these specific beefs that the SPL and the ASPL had when they were drafted.

[Lisabob]

Maybe suggest to your PLC that they discuss the meaning of "Courteous," which I have found many pre-teen and early teen boys cannot define. It seems to me that most or all of the things you mention, mmhardy, could be covered with a reminder of that one word.

[CalicoPenn]

Vocal dissent by the older Scouts? Were they involved in drafting the original code or perhaps don't feel there is any need to have changed the "code of conduct" at all? Families thinking the Troop is starting to drift from being boy-led?

 

It sounds to me as if there has been a change in the make-up of the committee and program leadership with either little continuity from an "old guard" or perhaps an influx of new blood that don't quite understand the BSA program (perhaps after coming from the leadership ranks of a Pack).

 

You mention a schism that seems to be shaping up - and from where I sit, it sounds like a schism between new and old - is this correct or am I just reading too much into it.

 

When the older Scouts start to vocalize dissent, its really time for the leaders to step back and rethink - Scouts are generally pretty resilient when it comes to change - but when they start pushing back on the changes, then the change is probably not good, and not needed.

 

I'd say the unit is teetering at the brink but can still be brought back - the fact that the unit had a "special" scout/parent meeting to roll this out and no one actually got up and told the leaders where to pound their code of conduct tells me that there is some loyalty to the Troop that can be built upon.

 

My suggestion - scrap the whole code of conduct thing - and go back to basics - the Code of Conduct for the Troop is the Scout Law.

 

No other "code of conduct" is needed. When people have a question about specifics - ie. doing homework at a meeting, the simple solution is to ask if doing so violates any part of the Scout Law (in this case, I'd say Courteous) and if it does violate part of the Scout Law, what would the solution be?

 

Then reboot back to being a Patrol led unit - that means training or retraining of adult leaders if neccessary.

 

Finally, let all this lead to a Scoutmaster's Minute (or 5) at the next Scout/Parent meeting (say a Court of Honor) with a brief summary of the issues that led to the Committee wanting a refreshed "code of conduct", how confused and disappointed these issues made them and an admission that the Adults tried to "do their best" (just like the Scout Oath tells us to do)to make corrections but that even Adults "fail" when trying to do their best yet the true mark of leadership and maturity is recognizing when one has gone down the wrong set of tracks and then hurrying to get back on the right track. I don't think anyone needs to apologize - just be humble. To end the "Scoutmaster's Minute", I'd ask every Scout to stand and recite the "Scout's Code of Conduct" along with the Scoutmaster (and any other uniformed (program) leaders: "A Scout is Trustworthy, Loyal, Helpful, Friendly, Courteous, Kind, Obedient, Cheerful, Thrifty, Brave, Clean and Reverent".

[eagle1977]

I was astonished to see a Code of Conduct posted in my son's pack meeting room. There was nothing but negative statements of what they could not do. Way too many statements of No this and No that. When my wife and I suggested something more empowering; telling the boys what they could do, more along the lines of the Scout Oath and Law we were scoffed at.

 

I think we, as adults, tend to lose sight, from time to time, about this being a program about the boys. I am my pack's advancement chair and I have to constantly remind myself of the importance of recognizing every achievement every boy makes. I forget they are 7-10 years old. I forget that they crave attention and desire acknowledgment.

 

I have also had to point out to another adult leader that we are there to provide a positive environment for the boys. We are not there to brow beat every little transgression we perceive. At our recent Webelos weekend we had a very long flag retirement ceremony. This ceremony occurred at 9:30 on Saturday night. The boys had been up since 6:00 a.m. and had been going strong all day with little or no break. Another adult took offense to three boys talking quietly during the ceremony and really balled them out afterward. My question to him was, was it worth scaring those boys away from the program out of fear of him? Unfortunately not all parents hold patriotism and ceremony in the same high regard as many Scouters do. But aren't we there to nurture these boys and to attempt to show them a path to becoming better citizens?

 

I think we would all be better served if we simply followed the 100 year old ideas that fostered Scouting in the first place, the law and oath!