Scouter Truths

[bigbovine]

So I thought I would get opinions and suggestions on this. I am planning on putting this up in the "Adults Room". I have it on Word and will be dressing it up to put in a hanging frame. Anything you might add, take away, or even reword. I have no problems changing to something better, I got this idea from the "SOF Truths" links in another Thread. I reworded, copied, and so forth to go with Scouters. I would like to keep it short and simple, and this fits on one sheet of paper, so don't get too long winded please.

 

 

Scouters Truths

1: Scouters are more important than Equipment

Scouters, not equipment, make the difference. The right Scouter, with the right training will get it done. Spending money on equipment will never make up for inexperienced or unmotivated Scouters.

2: Quality is better than Quantity

A small number of Scouters, carefully selected, well trained, and highly motivated are more preferable to a large number of Scouters who might not be up to the task.

3: Scouters cannot be quickly trained

It takes time to recruit, train, and develop the Scouters needed. It also takes time to develop the level of trust necessary for the Scouters to become fully capable. You cannot speed up the process and expect the same results.

4: Scouters cannot be trained after they are needed

It takes time to develop Scouters. You have to develop them before you need them. When you need Scouters, most often you really need them at that particular moment. Do your preparation work beforehand.

5: Scouting sometimes requires non Scouter assistance

You cannot do it all by yourself. You will need other skills and talents that do not exist on your team. Recognize and accept that. You will always need outside assistance. Make sure you grow and develop outside relationships.

[Callooh! Callay!1428010939]

Nice. For the use you posit, it should be concise. The following cuts it from 209 down to 124 words while retaining its meaning:

 

Scouter Truths

 

1. Humans are more important that Hardware.

Motivated, skilled, knowledgeable Scouters benefit Scouts more than expensive equipment can.

 

2. Quality is better than Quantity.

A few motivated, skilled, knowledgeable, trained-Scouter role models can run a more effective program than a large group of less qualified/committed volunteers.

 

3. Scouters cannot be developed quickly.

Developing skills and knowledge and acquiring training necessary to run a quality program take time, as does developing necessary trust. Rushing yields inferior results.

 

4. Scouters must train before needed.

When it's go-time, Scouters are trained and qualified, or it's not go-time. Be Prepared.

 

5. Scouting requires non Scouter assistance.

Scouting needs a variety of skills, talents, and resources on the team. Recognize, appreciate, and grow the circle of volunteers.

 

 

(This message has been edited by Callooh! Callay!)

[bigbovine]

Ok, I liked that much better. I hadn't had time to word things my own way, mostly cut and paste and a little rewording to fit to the subject. I made a few changes to reflect a more personal view. Will probably still do some more changes. I think this will serve as an eye opener for some in our group, and a reminder to keep things moving on the Adult end. Lets hear some more.

By the way, is there a way I can put my word document in here so I can show yall how I am printing this up? This is going in a frame to hang on the wall. Here is my revised version of Callooh's,I didn't change much.

 

 

Scouter Truths

1. Humans are more important than Equipment.

Motivated, skilled, knowledgeable Scouters benefit Scouts more than equipment.

 

2. Quality is better than Quantity.

A few motivated, skilled, knowledgeable, and trained Scouters can run a more effective program than a large group of less qualified and less committed volunteers.

 

3. Scouters cannot be developed quickly.

Developing skills and knowledge and acquiring training necessary to run a quality program take time, as does developing necessary trust. Rushing yields inferior results.

 

4. Scouters must train before needed.

If you do not train volunteers until you need them, you are too late. Be Prepared.

 

5. Scouting requires non Scouter assistance.

Scouting needs a variety of skills, talents, and resources on the team. Recognize, appreciate, and grow the circle of volunteers.

 

[bigbovine]

Redo on #5

 

5. Scouting requires assistance.

[CalicoPenn]

If I may be so bold as to suggest an addition - at Number 1:

 

Scouts are our customers: Everything we do, we do for the Scouts. Without them, there is no need for Scouters.

[SSScout]

 

Grammar.

 

I also like the "revised" version. Sometimes we need to be reminded of "obvious truths", in concise, bitsize chunks, but they should still be linquistically correct, and make sense.

 

Scouter Truths

 

1. Humans are more important than Equipment.

The Scouts are our customers. Without them, there is no need for the Scouter.

Motivated, skilled, knowledgeable Scouters benefit Scouts more than equipment.

 

2. Quality is better than Quantity.

A few motivated, skilled, knowledgeable, and trained Scouters can run a more effective program than a large group of less qualified and less committed volunteers.

 

3. Scouters cannot be developed quickly.

Developing skills and knowledge and acquiring training necessary to run a quality program takes time, as does developing necessary trust. Rushing yields inferior results.

 

4. Scouters must train before being needed.

If you are not trained until you are needed, you are too late. Be Prepared.

 

5. Scouting requires assistance.

Scouting needs a variety of skills, talents, and resources on the team. Recognize, appreciate, and grow the circle of volunteers.

 

AND:::

 

6. A Scouter's goal is to be needed the LEAST.

What a boy can do, a Scouter should NEVER do.

 

 

 

 

[Papadaddy]

Addition: Scouts have limited time before they grow up. If we don't capture that time, someone else will.

[bigbovine]

Looking good. I may start a new poster with the new ideas so keep those coming as well. The original 5 are filling the single page perfectly, and the shortened version is making it easier to make the font bigger/easier to read. However, keep in mind that I am doing this one as a reminder to the leadership in the Troop to not become lax in recruiting able bodied volunteers. Remember that I am entering a Troop that has done no recruiting in at least 5 years for boys or adults.

 

These little "Truths" ring solid in my ears. I would say that from what I have seen over the last 2 years is an example of how not to abide by 4 out of 5 of the "Truths". I want this to be a reminder for myself as well as the current and future adults entering the Troop. I know as I am given the position of SM that I may well be there for another 12 years at least( My youngest is 6). I want to make sure within the next 2 years I have found a replacement for myself. Who knows what could happen to a person that would cause a position to need filling. It would be wrong on my part to not have my replacement on standby at all times.

 

So keep that in mind as you give suggestions. As I asked earlier, is there a way to put a word document on here?

[qwazse]

PDaddy: your addition is probably my #1 that I need to keep saying to myself.

 

Bb: i don't think you can add attachments. Your best bet would be to make something like a google doc and share the link.

Besides, text is more important IMHO. Centering and font choice has a lot to do with the room you're hanging it in. You should just ask one of your adults, maybe one with a sense of style, to give you their opinion.

 

With that, I'll leave you with a #7: there are as many ways to write truths as there are people who read them, but there are only a few good ways to apply them.

[Hal_Crawford]

Great list of truths that I plan to share with others in our troop. Thanks.

[Eagle732]

The rule in my unit is that Scouters are expected to live up to the same Scout Oath and Law as our Scouts.

Covers just about everything.

[bigbovine]

I agree with you Eagle732. In fact I would assume that was a given in all Troops. However, I am focusing on the way our Troop views the future as it concerns the volunteers. You have to think ahead (Be Prepared) to ease the bumps that come your way.

This is one way I want to keep that in the forefront of my mind. Kind of like those motivational posters you see around. Kind of like the Leadership Poster with a soaring Eagle that I purchased at a thrift store for $5 with frame (A scout is Thrifty). That poster is now hanging in the Adult room along with posters of the Scout Law, Motto, and Oath. I believe this will make a great addition to that wall. I want the Adults I surround myself with to be thinking ahead and on the same page. This is one way I plan on doing this.

 

[qwazse]

I get what BB's pushing for. Sure, the Oath and Law is useful to anyone, but we expect adults to not merely be oversized scouts. We want them to implement the program from a different perspective. There are some virtues that scouters need that aren't in the law (e.g., patience, vision), this list helps an adult work on those things.

 

For example, everyone wants to be helpful, but if everyone lights the fire the minute they see boys struggling, nobody grows. If you can't stand them being a mile off course on an orienteering hike, nobody will learn how to get unlost. You need someone with patience to coach boys through the process, and a vision of those boys a year or two older coming up to a soaked fire pit at the end of a very rainy hike and knowing exactly what to do.

 

Well we don't want a "scouters law" with more vocab words in it! We just want adults to grasp what it takes to help these boys along. It's a unique privilege to have an "Adult room" for this sort of thing. I'm stuck having to herd adults into the church parlor once or twice a year. I figure I miss one or two things each time, and am afraid that some of the shyer folks don't know how to start the conversation (especially if their kid has recently been making parenting a little rough).

[CalicoPenn]

"1. Humans are more important than Equipment.

The Scouts are our customers. Without them, there is no need for the Scouter.

Motivated, skilled, knowledgeable Scouters benefit Scouts more than equipment."

 

Not what I meant so let me make it clearer:

 

1. The Scouts are our customers. Without them, there is no need for the Scouter.

 

2. People are more important than Equipment.

Motivated, skilled, knowledgeable Scouters benefit Scouts more than equipment.

[Callooh! Callay!1428010939]

2nd (or is it 3rd?) the motion that it may suit as a thought-piece wall hanging for adult area, but that more Oath/Law-ish things would be redundant.

 

The number of items already exceeds Buddhism's five precepts and is fast approaching Judaism's and Christianity's Decalogue. Brevity is the soul of something-or-other. Any new addition should require two deletions.