How can we better emphasize self-reliance?

[sherminator505]

From the previous thread, desertrat77 writes:

 

"It speaks to a larger problem, namely, many parents aren't trying to raise young men...they are content to let their teenager act like he was still five ("Oh my little Johnny is such a good boy!"). So he progresses through his teenage years thinking that his every action is cute, proper, and consequence-free."

 

This evoked some thought for me. It strikes me that there isn't a lot of emphasis on self-reliance in society today. The media sends the message to kids that it's cool to spend their parents money (you must be 18 or older to call...) and that they are somehow entitled to everything. They don't get a lot of information about actually growing up and having to take responsibility for themselves (somehow, a miracle occurs).

 

While this problem is pervasive, it is by no means new. B-P saw this in the new recruits he encountered in the British military. His concerns went far beyond their apparent lack of outdoor skills; the sad fact was that they were in too many cases simply incapable of taking care of themselves.

 

B-P created Scouting a century ago to combat this problem. We exist now to further this end. My question to the group is: How can we better emphasize self-reliance through the Scouting program?

[Eagle92]

Use the patrol method fully,

 

Instill in the new scouts, and I say even CS, that the patrol method is messy, chaotic, failure prone at times, BUT FUN, CHALLENGING, AND EXCITING!

 

Constantly tell parents that BS is bout the scouts growing up, elarnign formtheir successes and failures, and constantly drillign it into them.

[boomerscout]

by letting them fail more instead of rushing in to fix things. By not signing off on things when they almost have it instead of being accomplished at it.

we volunteer at the soup kitchen--mostly on holidays I admit. It gives a chance for some of the Scouts to talk with those who gave up too soon.

we push the personal merit badges (budgeting, etc). the counselor we send them too is a stickler for getting it done right

if our t'feet are having trouble starting a fire, we show them how it's done, but then put it out & make them start their own fire

we they hand in their yearly dues, we ask for a writen report on how they earned the money. we tell them "got it from parents" won't be acceptable for next year.

we give them multiple chances for responsibility in various troop activities. at the campfire their peers judge them (privately if it's really bad)

[Stosh]

I constantly emphasize that unless a boy can take care of himself he doesn't deserve to be first class regardless of whether or not his has the patch on his shirt. If he can't take care of himself he surely can't take care of his buddy either. That also translates into he can't take care of a spouse so he'd better not plan on ever getting married. If he takes on a POR i.e. PL, if he can't take care of a few others besides himself and a buddy, then he can't take on a patrol, and that also translates into he can't can't take care of a family either, so don't plan on any kids.

 

My boys are constantly reminded that what they are learning isn't just for scouts, it's the lessons he's going to need to be successful in marriage, family, work, school, sports, church, etc. He is told to either give it try now while you're young or wait until you're 18 and the world around you will force you to learn it the hard way.

 

Those that don't want to accept this challenge are usually just along for the fun and the other boys know that they are going to have to babysit them through the program.

 

Stosh

[boomerscout]

we love going to camporees--our district, out of district,,,when our Scouts visit others & come back to us with "their troop does such & such, how come we don't?" We'll tell them "you want it , you can have it. just submit a budget & Gantt chart to the troop."

we also like the inter-troop patrol competitions; tells us if we're effective or not. If not, we discuss it with the PLC & the SPLs; their decision.

some camporees have a skills award camporee patch instead. those who earned them, wear 'em. those who haven't seem to get peer review.

during patrol cooking, we make sure the PL rotates the position so everyone learns to cook. Ever eat your own cooking? You learn real fast

 

[OldGreyEagle]

Have them read Ralph Waldo Emerson

[Eagledad]

Turning the troop into a backpacking troop is a wonderful way to turn the program into a self-reliance teaching program.

 

I once had a mother donate money to our troop when she realized how well the program worked. Her 18 year old son (not a scout) went to his 14 year old scout brother to learn how to stay dry on the forcasted wet church campout he was about to go on. It was a little thing, but it made a huge impression on her because it was the first time she realized that her son would be OK if left out in the woods by himself. Something most moms fear I guess.

 

Barry

[Mafaking]

 

"How can we better emphasize self-reliance?

 

We can't. Scouting is a 90 minute program once a week. An elective, extra curricula activity for boys with surplus time and parents with sufficient money. The self reliance issue is entirely a family and cultural phenomenon.

 

Emphasize "boy led": the PL does not show up for a campout. The PL quits coming to campouts, the PL evokes that camping is not required in the scout hand book to make Eagle. "pull him" you say, well isn't that the SPL's decision, oh no the committee which is really a parents watch dog group is there to finalize all program decisions.

 

Backpack your way to Independence: Great but in a boy led troop they didn't pick the backpack outings.

 

Boy led is one of the most misunderstood concepts in scouting. It should be, Adult Led - Boy Played.

 

Sorry for the negativism but my youth leadership is just not stepping up. They can't or won't organize an outing. Meetings are play dates.

 

The holy trinity of scouting:

SM: want charter building and challenging events to make men out of them

Parents: want and investment return on the money and their kid's time. "How much fun did you have?"

Youths: want leisure free time way from books and the pressures of daily life.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[boomerscout]

we were adult led our first two years, while we worked on a transitioning program, and we remain adult led for the new scouts patrol. We show plenty of scouting type movies to "suggest" things. we also have brochures for high adventure & similar in the literature rack. the plc has its own subscription to Scouting.

we do a lot more than 90 minutes a week. add in the patrol meeting, which is usually some kind of field trip (they take public trans) or outing, our monthly backpacking hike to camp, quarterly fund raisers, community service projects, summer camp, high adventure, merit badge programs, occaisional fishing trips...

[GernBlansten]

Self reliance come from self confidence. Confidence comes from experiences.

 

Get the scouts away from the car camp. Get them into the wilds where they have to live out of their own pack. Boy led is great, if you can obtain it. But get them out away from their comfort zone, their troop trailer, their patrol boxes.

[scoutldr]

A good friend, former leader and Eagle Scout from WV in the 60's likes to tell me about his SM (who he still visits) who would just announce at the end of the meeting, "our next campout is the weekend of 15 Sept at XXX Camp". And not another word was mentioned (by him). Then sit back and see what happens.

 

Never had the guts to try that in my troop...don't like camping alone.

[Mafaking]

 

"Never had the guts to try that in my troop...don't like camping alone."

 

Its not so bad. Usually mid day on Saturday my wife drops my son off so I don't spend two nights alone.

 

 

[kenk]

Sometimes I think that Boy Scouts puts too much emphasis on leadership and not enough on self-reliance.

 

As the father of a Scout, self-reliance is the skill that I most want developed in my own son.

 

I agree that the patrol method, an active boy-run PLC, and REAL active positions of responsibility are all key to developing and encouraging self-reliance. Oh, and letting them fail, counseling them to learn from mistakes, and celebrating and sharing success when it happens.

[red feather]

I love the look of a SPL when he asks a question of the SM (me) and I tell him that it is his and the PLCs decision to make.

 

The troop that I serve really pushes personal responsibility and trustworthy. It is up to the scouts to advance in rank, earn merit badges and run the troop. The adult leaders will help provide the opportunities and fulfill duties that only adults can do, but it is up to the scouts to determine what needs to be done. This is not saying that we will not help guide them through the maze that has to be negotiated at times, but it is UP TO THEM.

 

Actually some of the hardest hurdles are the parents. Instructing them and working to have them buy in to the possibility that their son may fail can be a real effort.

 

But it is worth the effort seeing how these scouts grow into and learn that what they get out of scouting is up to them.

 

Many meetings I come away feeling that many small muntions have gone off around me but when I see how the scouts have stepped up and taken responsibility to make something happen and their look of 'Wow, we did it!' is worth it.

 

yis

red feather

[Stosh]

"A good friend, former leader and Eagle Scout from WV in the 60's likes to tell me about his SM (who he still visits) who would just announce at the end of the meeting, "our next campout is the weekend of 15 Sept at XXX Camp". And not another word was mentioned (by him). Then sit back and see what happens.

 

Never had the guts to try that in my troop...don't like camping alone."

 

LOL! I do this all the time! Last June I said I was going whitewater kayaking and if they wanted to go, the bus leaves at 5:00 pm, on Friday on such-and-such a weekend. I got no takers. I don't think they believed me. When I told them I had gone and had a great time, they could see I don't kid around about such things. 3 weeks ago I threw out the same challenge and this past weekend we had 5 scouts and 3 leaders go. Next May I'm expecting even more.

 

One will never develop self-reliance in a boy unless one puts the "ball in his court" and has the courage to follow through on the threat/promise.

 

Stosh