Every Scout A Leader?

[Hunt]

In another thread, several have expressed the idea that not every Scout is (or should be) a leader. I think this is worth discussing in its own thread.

It seems to me that it's true that some people have more innate leadership talents than others. Some people are "natural" leaders, and others aren't.

But that doesn't mean that even people who aren't natural leaders shouldn't strive to learn leadership skills--and I think this is what Scouting provides. I think a good Scouting program will build the kind of self-confidence and competence that will help anybody learn to lead, even if he isn't naturally inclined to do so. (In this way, I think being a "leader" is kind of like being a "swimmer." Some people will never be great at it, but they can learn to use it to improve their lives.)

For the natural leaders, I think that Scouting can help them learn to use their natural powers for good, rather than for evil.

[KoreaScouter]

An important thing to remember is that while almost every Scout can perform in a leadership position, they all develop at different rates, and have different capabilities at any given time. There's no cookie-cutter formula that develops all Scouts identically.

 

The Tenderfoot patrol grubmaster is learning leadership skills, just as the Life SPL is; just on a different level. The trick is to match the Scout with the right job, so that challenged, but not in over his head.

 

KS

[EagleInKY]

not every Scout is (or should be) a leader.

 

True, at least in the "Green Bar" sense. However, I believe each scout is to lead in his own way. By example, as an active participant, as a cooperating member of his patrol, etc.

 

I agree wholeheartedly with both of you regarding the concept of growing leaders. There are "natural born leaders", but even they have to learn how to harness that power and put it to work. Others have no desire to "lead" in the traditional sense, but learn how to through their scouting experiences.

 

It's been mentioned before that the advancement requirements refer to "responsibility" not "leadership". I believe this is important to remember. Scouting is teaching the boys to be functioning parts of society, not all to be the leader.

 

However, there is a point where a Scout must be a leader. The Eagle Rank requires a "Leadership project". I believe this is a very intentional wording. While a boy may not have been required to serve in a "green bar" leadership role throughout his scouting career, he is still expected - if he is to earn our highest award - to exhibit a level of leadership capable of leading a significant service project. I believe this challenge is daunting for those who are not natural leaders, and especially those who have not served in true leadership positions. But they can still do it, and learn from it, and be better off for doing so. Perhaps this is why the Eagle rank is so highly regarded in our society.

[BPwannabe@137]

The eagle scout rank does require you to take a leadership role in organizing a project.

 

This is were a scout who may not have been a green bar position but still rises to the occassion as a "leader" and takes control of the project.

 

This requirment was added for a reason. It is here that you must show you are a leader.

 

So is every scout a leader?

[evmori]

Is every Scout a leader? No. There are many followers. If every Scout were a leader there would be many many more Eagles.

 

Ed Mori

Troop 1

1 Peter 4:10

[EagleInKY]

So, the point I was getting at...

 

Is every scout a leader? No. That is not a requirement.

 

Is every Eagle Scout a leader? Yes. They should be.

[Eamonn]

I had started my reply in the other thread, when something came up, I didn't see that this new thread had started. My apologies to who the poor person who is getting all the E-mails. If it makes you feel any better one day the system went wild and I got 220 E-mails all the same!!

Just for a minute let's think about the people who are teaching these Lads Leadership. I don't know how many adult leaders we have in the BSA? (I could look it up, but have to eat my supper and go do an Eagle BOR.) I think we can agree that we have a lot of leaders. Most of these adults were not selected because of their Leadership skills, most were selected because they were seen to share the values of both the BSA and the Chartering Organization. The BSA has in a roundabout way said that it's OK , we can train these adults to be leaders. In order to do so there is a continuum of training.When the system works right, we have support people on hand and supplemental training's available. These Leaders come from every walk of life, have different levels of education, and are all individuals.

When people keep on and on about Training and we hear the "Every Boy Deserves A Trained Leader", we do tune them out or think that they are just sounding off.

I don't belong to any other youth organizations, but in my ignorance I think what makes what we do different from other youth organizations is that we really do go out of our way to put the leadership in the hands of our youth members.

The Scoutmaster takes on the job of training the Patrol Leaders. He or She is there to help and support these guys. "Ask Your Patrol Leader" is a really dumb thing to say to a Scout, if you know that the Patrol Leader has never been given the answer in the first place.

This support thing is really hard on the adults. We know that different Lads have different needs, even as leaders. One of the best SPL's our troop ever had was a real tear away, he always seemed to be in hot water, but the Lad was a natural born leader. He however had a hard time with, setting the example, keeping order,and was too busy to slow down and evaluate anything. He was a very likable, cheeky, charismatic fellow. At times this charisma,could be mistaken for leadership. He became a good SPL,when with the support and help of the adults he started setting the example and using evaluation as a tool to help him plan and make decisions. Of course the needs of a 12 year old are different than the needs of a 16 year old, but isn't knowing the characteristics of the people we lead a leadership skill?

I do at times think that some Scoutmasters arm the PLC, with legal pads and pencils, lock themselves in a room saying to the Scouts "You are now a boy lead troop" When the Scouts give that deer in the headlights look, and have no idea what to do they say that they have no leadership skills.

Eamonn.

[Eagle1973]

I believe that if you can't develop the leadership skills desired in a Scout, at least develop his management skills. One does not have to be a good leader to be a good manager.

[Bob White]

Scouting does not promise to make a scout a leader or a manager. It promises him the opportunity to lead, something rare in a the life of a scout aged youth. And Scouting promises that an adult leader will help teach him the skills he needs to lead and the support he needs to be successful at it.

 

It make take years for the Scout to apply and practice these skills before he becomes a leader but what he learned in scouting can offer a great foundation for that learning.