Outdoors? Leadership? After School Activity?

[Beavah]

but if your group of volunteers are that "kind" of person, and the regular parents just don't know better...them rules might just come in handy.

 

Nah.

 

What you're forgettin' is that da folks who actually need the rules never read 'em. If you're the sort of fellow who would tie his alligator to the fire hydrant, then yeh sure aren't going to be the sort of fellow who is goin' to read all the city ordinances.

 

So thinkin' that adding such a rule improves safety is just make-believe.

 

And when yeh add too many of da things and make the rulebook lots and lots of pages (or lots and lots of books), then nobody reads the durn thing. Like warning stickers on ladders and those 12-page licensing agreements yeh click on to install da software you're usin' to read this.

 

But what really hurts, and what I reckon JoeBob and Eamonn and da rest are talkin' about is that when yeh start increasin' all the rules and worry about da rules and fear of stuff, then the good people stop doin' it. Too much of a hassle, too much of a worry. Might as well sell my alligator rather than deal with this stuff. Might as well not do that "dangerous" outdoor stuff and just become a youth club. In some places, da Baloo restrictions have nearly killed cub and webelos camping among the "good" leaders.

 

So yeh get nuthin' but bad effects, eh? The fools remain fools, and don't read da rules. The good folks cut back on what they do out of worry or not likin' the hassle, or miss the thing that really would help 'em because they can't find it buried in the middle of the 80 pages of fool rules.

 

Beavah

 

[JoeBob]

OGE: The 'mentally challenged' comment was my attempt at politeness. I try not to call people stupid. For all I know that woman may have been a genius in another area. After she repeatedly muzzle swept and scattered the other participants, the instructor assigned a helper to stand right next to her, for our safety. She was breathing hard after walking to the firing line. To my knowledge, she was certified; and since the legal requirements were met, set loose to set-up and supervise her own Cub Scout shooting gallery.

 

Beavah: I tried tying my alligator to the mailbox, but he pulled it over. Now I HAVE to tie him to the fire-hydrant, and it's leaning.

[boomerscout]

"Another way of thinkin' about it is 'don't hire stupid people.'"

it's sometimes hard to tell in advance who are the stupid. We may "think" that just because someone is a good engineer, or a powerful attorney, that he/she will be competent in any and all Scouting tasks. T'ain't necessarily so

[Scoutfish]

"What you're forgettin' is that da folks who actually need the rules never read 'em. If you're the sort of fellow who would tie his alligator to the fire hydrant, then yeh sure aren't going to be the sort of fellow who is goin' to read all the city ordinances. "

 

Yeah, but when I go to stop that fella..I can point to rule X as to why he can't, instead of just saying "You can't do that because .....you just cant!"

 

Then if he doesn't like the rules.. he can sit out or leave.

 

Rules don't prevent stupid people or leaders... but the rules can reel them in and stop a potential accident.

 

Otherwise, we wouldn't need the rules in the first place right? You and I don't need them,and the dummys don't read them. Why bother with them right?

 

 

So do they have a "sign" badge? You know the one Bill Engvall talked about! LOL!

 

"Hey y'all, looky here now.... I got my sign badge. Let's staple it to my shirt! Nah.. I don't need to take my shirt off!"

 

As much as I hate to say it.. I wouldn't mind watching that just for the laughs!

 

[Beavah]

Yeah, but when I go to stop that fella..I can point to rule X as to why he can't, instead of just saying "You can't do that because .....you just cant!"

 

Yah, still...

 

If yeh need a rule in order to be brave enough to stop someone from being a dolt around kids, then yeh shouldn't be in this business.

 

Kids are experts, eh? They're experts at doin' things that you haven't yet thought up a rule about. So in order to be safe doin' kid-work, yeh have to be able to say "no" even if there isn't a "rule."

 

Same with fools, eh? Fools will work around any rule yeh come up with, and tie yeh down for ever with what the definition of "is" is. It just doesn't help. Yeh have to have da courage to say "no" and the spine to stick to your "no." No, sir, you really shouldn't tie your alligator to the fire hydrant. If yeh do that in a courteous and friendly but firm manner (which lot of rules-quoters don't), then yeh have kept a friend, dealt with da safety issue, educated folks about alligators, and been a good example to kids.

 

Few things as bad as when committees start comin' up with rules about this that and the other thing and building long rule books so they can "point to rules". What's needed instead is a stronger SM or CC who just says "no," politely and firmly.

 

Beavah

 

[83_Eagle_T148]

le Voyageur, you're on to something. Although the fund raising is important, we need less dinners, golfing, starbucks, and more down to brass tacks scouting.