Todays Leaders V The leaders you remember

[Eamonn]

Are the leaders we have around today as good as the leaders you remember being around in the past?

Ea.

[Eagle732]

Leaders today certainly have different challenges that yesterdays leaders did.

[fred8033]

Does the thread question match the point of interest?

 

For example, I believe today's school teachers are the best that's ever existed, but I also yearn, at times, for the old days when teachers would wack a mouthy student. I fully believe that, at the appropriate time, a bit of quick immediate pain can be more effective, less traumatic and less damaging than the bureaucratic BS and extended bad behavior tolerated in today's society. BUT, I also would not want to go back.

 

"Are today's scout leaders as good as the ones in the past?" I absolutely believe they are. I believe the commitment and concern for the scouts has not changed. The big difference is that the current leaders are better trained and more safety conscious. The training might not be just scout training, but also through school, college or other professional growth. I just believe we have a great set of scout leaders today.

 

BUT that might not be the right question to ask.

 

 

[Tampa Turtle]

I remember a Cub Master/Scout Master Sam who had a booming bass voice and always settled us down with "Gentlemen, gentlemen...". We were always a "Mr Smith" and not a "Billy". Seemed very respectful and I try to copy it to less effect.

[Beavah]

Memory has a delightful habit of erasing the failures and hard times and amplifying the good times. People are people, eh? Good, bad, and mediocre. I do, however, believe that there are good and bad systems; ones that enable good people and encourage da mediocre, and ones that just get in good people's way.

 

I don't buy fred8033's everything modern is better notion either. Given school achievement and the profession's demographics I have a hard time buyin' da notion that today's teachers are better. I also don't believe that most scouters are "better trained" than they once were, unless yeh call the silly online checkbox stuff "better trained". Overall, I'd say that scouters skill sets are similar, and committee members skill sets are weaker. We have a bit less depth than we used to.

 

Beavah

 

[Basementdweller]

Point take eamon......

 

 

[shortridge]

Tampa Turtle - I really like that approach, too. Some of them think it's silly, but it gets a much different reaction from the Scouts.

[fred8033]

I'm not saying everything modern is not automatically better. Generally I agree people are people. On the committee side, I'll agree depth/skill/support is a bit less as I believe people are a more mobile, busier and less connected with their immediate community.

 

I'm just saying today's leaders have been exposed to more educational opportunities and ideas. People are also a bit less naive on critical topics. An obvious one is youth protection. The issue isn't new. But leaders today understand youth protection, what to look for and how to run a safer program. I believe leaders today might be a bit more sensitive of other issues and a little less likely to just take an attitude of "get over it".

 

I think the better question is which leadership style is more effective. Maybe a less reflective, less sensitive, wack on the head, Darwinian "get over it" leader produces a better scouts. I'm not sure. But I do believe today's leaders are as good as those in the past and better in some areas.

 

 

[Kudu]

Today's Scout Leaders are more likely to believe that indoor office workers know more about "leadership" than Baden-Powell.

[Thomas54]

 

We are men/women of our times.

 

Watch an old show, Ozzie and Harriet for example. The father was defined as a formal relationship. The man who wore a tie and was consulted on matters of Life. He was distant. He was the stereotypical if not the ideal man of his time.

 

Now if you have had the opportunity to see the recent Pixar movie "Despicable Me" you will see a somewhat stereotypical man of his time. The man starts out as evil but grows into a father figure for three orphan girls. When one of the girls is cheated at a carnival side show, the father blast the booth into pieces with his ray gun. (helicopter parent) The man becomes more of a pal-friend, as he gets his face painted along with the girls. He is manipulated by the children when they want to go to dance class but he has work to do. The priorities of the children come first.

 

The point is that Mr Nelson's style would not work in today's environment. Nor would "Despicable Me"'s modern man approach have worked in the 1950's. They are men of their times.

 

The argument could be made that "leaders are Leaders no matter the time". Perhaps this is true. But styles, expectation and approaches evolve and even the best leader of his time may not make the conversion to another era.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Eagle732]

" the father blast the booth into pieces with his ray gun."

 

I think ray guns are banned by the G2SS.

[Eagle732]

" the father blast the booth into pieces with his ray gun."

 

I think ray guns are banned by the G2SS.

[frank10]

My SM was a hero. He did no wrong, and neither could I when I was with him. I know more about him now, and he was no saint, but back then he never let me see a flaw. I try to do the same.

[pchadbo]

we are also comparing apples to oranges. The leaders of yore for those of you who are "of an age" were by and large verterans from the days when the draft was a real thing and military service was the norm not the exception and the older among us here had WWII vets as leaders. These men were given extensive courses in Scout skills by the military AND were taught leadership by the very same organization. Tough to compare a Pack Committee Chair like my grandfather, WWII vet, purple heart and bronze star for his time in Europe in 1944-4, to me also a CC who never served and is a product of the "management school" of leadership.

Am I a better leader? Was he a better leader? I don't know the answer but I know our styles and skill sets are completely different.