Good Old Boys

[OldGreyEagle]

It may be that I am coming off the high of our Jambo100 celebration held at Kutztown, PA. 6,600 Scouts and Socuters were there and no one was arrested. Not common for gatherings of 6,600 or so

 

To bring off a scouting week end of 6,600 or so takes quite a few people and it helps when those people know or at least know of each other. The week end was wonderful, the program fantastic and the weather even better. The "Jambo" event is a biennnial (every 2 years) thing and this is my (gulp) 6th one. I remember back to the first one I attended lo those many years ago and seeing all the old guys in the Old Boys Network running around, shaking each others hands and geting things done.

 

As I was making my rounds at this Jambo, staffing the Venturing Information booth, proctoring the all night Movie Marathon (All Indiana Jones Movies) I said hi to a lot of scouting friends and shook a lot of hands. One thing struck me, I couldn't find any of the guys in the Good Old Boys Network, only people I had met through scouting who are dedicated to providing the best program possible to the youth.

 

I guess it depends on what you view a Good Old Boys Network to be. Is it a group of people with an Espirit de'corp that gets hard things done or is a group of people who manipulate the system with a wink and a nod and Eagle Projects that shouldnt get accepted are accepted and other projects that should pass with flying colors get held up because they are "lost" or a technical question needs to be answered.

 

Then it depends on whose perspective you are looking from.

 

A group of people who have worked together before can be a high performance team since the forming, storming and norming is already done and they can move on to performing. Then again, I can see a danger in not allowing in new people and new people who have different views than you. You have to be open to new ideas and concepts and the new people have to be cognizant of the established Policies and Procedures.

 

In all, I guess its a lot like life, if you have a positive attitude, then positive things happen, if you are negative then bad things happen. Who figured on that?

 

(This message has been edited by OldGreyEagle)

[acco40]

Scouting and Scouters, like politicians, can become too insular if they don't "get out" and meet the folks they should serve. However, some have "jobs" that have lots of interface with the Scouts and some don't.

 

As for the DAOM - there is a misunderstanding by some that the awardee should have a district position. That is false.

 

REQUIREMENTS

1. A nominee must be a registered Scouter.

2. A nominee must have rendered noteworthy service to youth in Scouting, outside Scouting, or both.

Note: The nature and value of noteworthy service to youth may consist of a single plan or decisions that contributed vitally to the lives of large numbers of youth or it may have been given to a small group over an extended period of time.

3. Consideration must be given to the nominees Scouting position and the corresponding opportunity to render outstanding service beyond the expectations of that Scouting position.

4. The nominees attitude toward and cooperation with the district and/or council is to be taken into consideration.

5. Nominations cannot be considered for posthumous awards.

[ThunderFox]

Acco is correct.

 

The District Award of Merit is NOT the District Award of District Merit!

[ThunderFox]

From what I have read here, there are Good Old Boys and there are Good Old Boys. And the question is what kind of Good Old Boys are you a member of?

 

A wise leader knows things always change and by embracing change you can minimize it's negative impact and maximize the positive. Our Good Old Boys actively recruited new parents (moms & dads). Through our ASM-Pack Laison, we identified parents to recruit before they were even members. Because we aggressively recruit, we have Basic Training Courses that are predominately learners from our troop. We have one or two "Troop Committee" Parties a year and make sure everyone feels accepted. We do orientations there and recruiting. Our New Young Boys are very soon Good Old Boys because we work at making sure our Scouts have continuing, consistent leadership who goes by the book and make sure the Scouts can plan an exciting program as promised by Scouting.

 

Our PLC once decided they wanted a campout where they would compete against the patrols rather than plan and execute the campout. The GOB saw this as an opportunity to channel the eagerness of our newly tyrained leaders. We now have an annual "Mystery Campout" where our new graduates put on a Competition Camporee for our troop and all patrols compete. The concluding campfire first recognizes the new leaders' efforts and "graduation" and then climaxes with presentation of "war feathers". They are Blue, 1st, Red, 2nd and Yellow, 3rd. They have been prepared as if they would be part of a warbonnet. Why war feathers? Well, the only decent way to display them is on a Patrol flag!

 

Jack

[BrentAllen]

Acco40 left some important information out of his post. The application has a "General Information" section just before the "Requirements" which states:

 

The award is available to Scouters who render service of an outstanding nature at the district level.

 

See http://www.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/33720.pdf

[Twocubdad]

And pretty much the same rules apply for Silver Beaver.

 

A really good clue that a district or council is too insular is how they intrepret the phrase "at the district level."

 

It is incredible that some folks make the argument that service "at the district level" or "at the council level" is exclusive of service at the unit level. A year or two as day camp director or a couple years as district commissioner is a lock on the DAM. Three to five years politically savvy service on select council committees is good for a Silver Beaver. But for the politically disfavored unit leaders, who week in and week out deliver solid Scouting programs to the boys in their units, 12 to 15+ years doesn't merit either district or council recognition.

 

That speaks volumes about what is valued by the council - or maybe just what is valued by the Good Ol' Boys on the awards committee.

[BrentAllen]

Twocubdad,

Those things might be true in your district, but not in mine.

 

Question: Should we award the Scoutmaster's (Unit Leader's) Award of Merit to the District Advancement Chair?

 

No, it is a unit level Award of Merit, not a District Award.

 

The District Award of Merit should be awarded for service above and beyond at the District level. There are other awards for unit level leaders. The knots are all the same size, just different colors.

[Stosh]

Obviously the phrase "The award is available to Scouters who render service of an outstanding nature at the district level." can be interpreted a couple of different ways.

 

Just changing the words around clarifies the alternative meaning.

 

The award is available at the district level to Scouters who render service of an outstanding nature.

 

Now that might be just a different understanding of the phrase and one could play that game all day long and yet it does not alter in any way shape or form the REQUIREMENTS section. There it specifically does not state the accomplishments need to be done on a district level, but are accomplishments recognized at the district level. The Requirements section supports the award being awarded at the District level for outstanding service to scouting.

 

Because of the various "interpretations" out there that everyone runs around championing, the intent and honor of the award have taken on various interpretations of it's importance and respect as well.

 

Regardless of who wears the knot, those that have put 15, 20, 25 years of dedicated service to youth far outweigh and deserve (in my book) the award far more than someone who has put together a couple of Cub day camps or Scout Camporees, or merely served on the FOS district committee and did a couple of FOS presentations at a Blue Gold or two.

 

For this reason the District Award of Merit and/or Silver Beaver really don't hold the respect they deserve. Of course of one is a GOB their interpretation is going to be far different than mine.

 

I was told that when I received the DAM, it was a "break in tradition" from what they had been doing and was awarded because of my many years of service to youth and not because of anything on a district level.

 

Because of that I wear the knot. Had it not been under those conditions, I wouldn't.

 

Does that mean I don't do anything on the district or council level? Absolutely not, but I don't do anything "outstanding" like head up a Camporee/Day Camp, but I just roll up my sleeves and help out as much as I can to make it happen for the boys.

 

Stosh

[Twocubdad]

Apples and oranges, Brent. The Unit Leader Award of Merit is for Cubmasters, Scoutmasters, Varsity Coaches and Crew Advisors. It is not a "unit level" award per se. It is not awarded to either District Advancement Chairmen or Unit Committee Chairmen.

 

Stosh is right, there is enough wiggle room in the description of the awards for a district or council to recognize the service of just about anyone they wish. My point, again, is how the criteria are intrepreted and who is recognized is telling of who and what a district or council values. The awards can perpetuate the same predictable cliques every year or the awards committees can quit gazing at their collective navels and recognize volunteers based on service to youth.

[BrentAllen]

"Obviously the phrase "The award is available to Scouters who render service of an outstanding nature at the district level." can be interpreted a couple of different ways."

 

Yes - correctly and incorrectly.

 

 

"Just changing the words around clarifies the alternative meaning."

 

Or, the incorrect meaning. I think the statement is clear and doesn't need to be restated to clarify.

 

"...and was awarded because of my many years of service to youth and not because of anything on a district level."

 

So, in other words, just hang around long enough and wait in line for your turn. Yep, that award would carry a lot of respect.

 

Apples and oranges is exactly what I meant. You don't give an apple award to an orange. You give an orange award to an orange. Hence, the name DISTRICT Award of Merit.

 

When you combine the name DISTRICT Award of Merit with the General Information statement, "The award is available to Scouters who render service of an outstanding nature at the district level" I find it hard to believe anyone would have trouble understanding the intent of this award.

[Stosh]

What I find troubling is that the requirements for the award do not state that the nature of the efforts be only on a district level. Only the introductory commentary may allude to it with a vaguely stated comment. I don't see this as a compelling argument for making it a district only effort.

 

>> REQUIREMENTS

>> 1. A nominee must be a registered Scouter.

 

No one's arguing this point.

 

>>2. A nominee must have rendered noteworthy service to youth in Scouting, outside Scouting, or both.

Note: The nature and value of noteworthy service to youth may consist of a single plan or decisions that contributed vitally to the lives of large numbers of youth or it may have been given to a small group over an extended period of time.

 

Okay, noteworthy service to youth outside of Scouting? How is this possible if it is District only service and with it being a BOTH option, how does one render noteworthy service to youth outside of scouting and not be a District effort? I'm thinking the requirement statement is very clear that it is not just a district "level" effort.

 

>> 3. Consideration must be given to the nominees Scouting position and the corresponding opportunity to render outstanding service beyond the expectations of that Scouting position.

 

Obviously it must be more than just the expected.

 

>> 4. The nominees attitude toward and cooperation with the district and/or council is to be taken into consideration.

 

How does one do a district level contribution without cooperating with the district? Kinda leaves that one up in limbo as well and if it's a district level award, what's the council got to do with it, it has the Silver Beaver to cover that... ???

 

>> 5. Nominations cannot be considered for posthumous awards.

 

"So, in other words, just hang around long enough and wait in line for your turn. Yep, that award would carry a lot of respect."

 

I work an average of 2080 hours a year for my employer. That's 40 hours per week for 52 weeks.

 

Last year I contributed 1750 hours of volunteer hours to several organizations in my community, the bulk of which was my Scout troop.

If I were just standing around waiting in line, I'm sure putting a lot of time and effort into that wait....

 

"Apples and oranges is exactly what I meant. You don't give an apple award to an orange. You give an orange award to an orange. Hence, the name DISTRICT Award of Merit."

 

If I do an outstanding job for my unit, I may receive an award for those efforts. But no one will ever recognize a person's efforts for their church, their community, or other organizations (Lion's, Kiwanis, Mason's, etc.) that are benefited by a Scout leader's good turn efforts. Hence, there needs to be a BSA vehicle by which our top leaders are doing more than just being a good SM or ASM or CC, but are actually living the Scout Spirit in their everyday lives. I don't see this as limited to only Cub Day camp, camporee, committee and FOS efforts. To limit it to this is to limit the importance of the award.

 

"When you combine the name DISTRICT Award of Merit with the General Information statement, "The award is available to Scouters who render service of an outstanding nature at the district level" I find it hard to believe anyone would have trouble understanding the intent of this award."

 

Nope, not one of the requirements. Only a vague statement of intent, but not one of the requirements. I'm thinking that by limiting the award to district level efforts only is in fact contradictory to the requirements explicitly spelled out in the requirements section.

 

Stosh

[Beavah]

Interestin' change of tack on da thread. I started talkin' mostly about unit folks. Yeh see very few "bad" GOBN's at the unit level. In fact, I can't really think of any. Occasionally yeh see a district that has become stale. Old fellows who have hung on out of fellowship with each other but have become too disconnected from units and service. Happens enough to be recognizable. And since district service is a very optional thing, it tends to be self-perpetuating, as da service-minded unit folks just stay away. No bad intent on anybody's part, just a bit stale is all.

 

Awards are a different beasty. I confess I really dislike adult advancement and awards. I think it sends da wrong message and attracts the wrong sort of people to the uniform. Folks who are a bit more in it for their own ego needs than in it to serve the kids. I've received a dozen or more of those knots and medals (I don't even actually know the number anymore). Missed my DAM presentation (spent the evening helping a unit instead). Went to a silver critter, and almost got up and left. Bunch of long-winded whoopla and self-congratulatory malarkey, with not a kid mentioned or present. Avoided other silver beasties after that like da plague. Get enough of that pomp and foorah in my professional life. Scouting is not about us, and if we spend more time celebrating a DAM award than celebrating a Tenderfoot then I reckon we've lost our way. Nuthin' quite toasts my oaties like a pack Blue & Gold that spends more time on adult acknowledgments than it does on kids' awards.

 

Da rewards of scouting are the growth of boys, and da tales we share with them and with other fellas (and ladies) who share in that great endeavor.

 

So maybe a version of Eagledad's question is appropriate here, too:

 

What would it be like if we did away with all adult awards?

 

Beavah

 

[OldGreyEagle]

Hey Beavah, I know you and I don't always think the same way, but I am with you here. If this topic can cause such angst amounst us here in cyberland, perhaps dumping all adult knots and awards would be the best approach

[BrentAllen]

"I really dislike adult advancement and awards. I think it sends da wrong message and attracts the wrong sort of people to the uniform. Folks who are a bit more in it for their own ego needs than in it to serve the kids. I've received a dozen or more of those knots and medals (I don't even actually know the number anymore)."

 

Gee, did it take receiving a dozen or more awards to make you realize how much you dislike them? That's not what I would call "quick", Beavah. Good thing we have you to point out who the wrong sort of people who are, who only want the awards. With more than a dozen awards of your own, you aren't one of those people, are you? ;^)

[moosetracker]

BrentAllen - People get those little awards without asking or wanting them. The receiving of them doesn't make you a bad person. The doing things only to get the awards makes you out of sorts with the true purpose.

 

As for what would happen to scouting without the adult awards - Since most scouts don't know about the awards, and don't nominate people. And half the people who go to the overpriced dinners, go because they feel obligated. I think the majority of scouts will remain the same. Those who never got or knew anything about the awards will know nothing different. Those who got awards and really could care less about them, will continue as if nothing is different. Those who are in it for the awards, may leave, but who cares? Actually (for example as in Basementdwellers district), there may be alot of celebrating when the go.