Out In the open

[Eamonn]

I think that I may have not been playing this game right!!

40 years in the program and I have just seen the light.

I thought it was all fine and dandy that I knew the mission of Scouting and the BSA. I had this information and was vane enough and smug enough to think that I had / have a good understanding of it.

I did share this with other adults at Wood Badge and other training's. But I never shared it with the Scouts. Somehow someway I never thought that they needed to know what they were doing. It was OK for me to steer them toward making ethical choices and decisions but they didn't need to know that was what we were doing. How dumb can I get??

What a really stupid way to do things. I could kick myself. How is a Lad to know if he is doing it right if we don't tell him what we are trying to do? How could I ever recognize a Lad for making an ethical choice if he didn't tell me?

I have spent a lot of time making something that is so easy - so darn hard. Something that was right under my nose so hard to find.

I really think that we all need to spread the word this is what Scouting is all about. We need to stat asking our Scouts what have they done to help fulfill the mission and more importantly what are they going to do.

We have the Law and Oath in big letters in our meeting places we also need to have the mission up there in big neon lights. Our Scouts need to know what they are working at.

Eamonn

[KA6BSA]

Don't agonize over it too much, the boys know more about it than you think they do, and forcing anything on them, even after "you have seen the light" is not the way to go. Our troop's adults "share the secret" of BSA's mission with the boys at recruiting time so they can tell the Webelos what Scouting is all about. By teaching the Cubs the boys actually learn it for themselves. That leads to better understanding when they apply themselves to the responsibilities of a truly boy-led troop.(This message has been edited by KA6BSA)

[SR540Beaver]

Eamonn,

 

You've hit on something that does bother me about Scouting. Just as I explain things about our faith to my son, I talk to him a lot about what the purpose of Scouting is. I don't think it gets explained to parents or the boys enough. I think there are those out there that think if you just follow the program and recite the oath and law, it eventually seeps into the boy. I'm sure it does. However, if you want to build a rocket to go to the moon, shouldn't everyone working on it know what the destination is? Do we just tell someone to build a rocket motor and hope they build one big enough to lift a heavy rocket into outerspace? What about fuel requirements? We all need to be pulling in the same direction and that requires that parents and boys know what the purpose and mission of Scouting is so they understand fully what the oath and law means. Why do it by osmosis?

[Bob White]

Hi Eamonn,

 

I think you raise a good point. I also think the program allows for what you say, but through use of a different method.

 

All of scouting is a progressive flow. everything happens at the best time for the scout based on his growth. I think you would agree that a cubscout joiuns for fun and friends and perhaps hopes of becoming a Boy Scout.

 

Boy Scouts join for the adventure of scouting and perhaps to achieve the goal of Eagle. Neither is immediately ready to be jolted in to saying "hey, it's all a front, we are actually here to make something of you!"

 

But the program allows for personal growth, heart to heart talks between the scout and the scoutmaster where slowly over the course of years we reveal the real treasure that scouting offers a boy. We share a path to adulthood where the scout gains the tools and the character he needs to make a difference in his life as well as in the lives of others.

 

So rather than post the mission on the wall, whisper into their ears by making real use of scoutmaster conferences and board of reviews so that rather than focus on his ability to tie knots we focus on his ability to use the elements of the oath and law in his everyday life.

 

Hope this helps to calm your demons,

Bob White

[Eamonn]

Bob, I think that you and I share the same view point on a lot of things related to Scouts and Scouting. I really am looking forward to meeting you at the Jamboree.

I may have overstated my idea in this posting. I of course agree that boys become Scouts in most cases for the fun and adventure. As adults we need to read and re-read the Scout Handbook and make sure that we are doing everything to deliver what Scouting promises the Lads that join. At times I think that we "Old People" forget that Scouting has made a promise to each and every Lad that joins.

As I look around our District and Council I don't need to be overly clever to see the units that are delivering the promise. These are the units that have the membership and balanced advancement as well in most cases the smart turn out and participation in events.

I am 100% for using the methods of Scouting because they work. In fact we have a wonderful program for the youth in programs if we follow the program and use the methods.

I fail to see that making the youth in the program aware of what the mission of Scouting is can be viewed as "Forcing anything on them".

While I at this time have no way of backing this up but I wonder if I was to ask a group of parents what the mission was? How many would even come close? I'm not saying word for word just the general direction.

Many of us have allowed the Scout Law and Oath to become a code that we try to live by. Sad as it may be I can rattle of the Scout Laws and Oaths from two countries far better then I can the ten commandments. (I can do the commandments but have to think!!) The Oath and Law are the very heart of Scouting and to my way of thinking nothing should be done to distract from them. They are the pathway to making the mission work. I just happen to think that we have this very fine set of words that could become a tool in itself and we are treating it as if it was some sort of secret.

Bob you make a very good point about using it wisely at Scoutmaster Conferences and BOR. However I think that it has more potential then that. Yes, we need to keep our eyes open and ensure that any activities we do around it or with it are age appropriate. There was and I'm not sure if it is still there an Ethics In Action segment in the Cub Scout How To Book.

The new requirements for the Arrow Of Light are along these lines. I think they are titled "Character Connection."

Maybe the neon light is a bit much, still the odd nudge and frank and honest discussion around the fading embers of the campfire might be in order.

Eamonn

[Laurie]

Character Connections is now part of each handbook: Tiger, Wolf, Bear, Webelos. I love this addition!

 

As for telling the boys what Scouting is: I accomplish that through the CM Minute at every pack meeting. I never miss an opportunity to say "good job" and then follow with "this is super not just because it was well done but also because Cub Scouts is all about learning to be a better citizen" ... or "is about building character" ... etc. See what I mean? Slip it in. It's not hard to do, does not take away from the fun, and manages to cheer a boy on in two ways: he met immediate AND on-going goals.

 

In Cubs I know every family, youth and at least one parent and often the siblings. When things come up as they often do, should a boy talk to me, I will listen, then I ask him how his Cub Scout Promise and Law of the Pack can help him in working through something. I have earned the trust of these young boys, and I handle it with care. After reminding them that these words are actually a help to them, we talk a little about the boy might apply them, and I then encourage him to talk with his family (who is usually not far off) too. Every time I have met a family, and as I continue to, I tell them what we are hoping to help them accomplish by telling them what Cubs is and why we do what we do. Of course I ask for their help too.

 

Now as for a troop, I can't speak to that. I am fortunate to know many of the boys I serve in the troop, and though I'm pretty much behind the scenes, I encourage them all I can. I ask them their goals, ask them what they like about Scouting, ask what they find challenging, and I am always able to find something to commend them on that directly relates to the purpose of Scouting. Very much like the CM Minute, but this is more personal and these times are pretty neat. Its moments like these that make me envy the job of the SM (This message has been edited by Laurie)

[acco40]

Come on people! I explain to the parents of new Scouts what the aims of Scoutings are. I tell them (half joking, half serious) that knots, knives, cooking and camping is all a ruse to teach character, citizenship and mental and physical fitness.

 

Parents and I think many Scouters fall into the trap of trying to explain to much to our youth. Teaching them leadership skills can be done without explaining to them "that I am now teaching you leadership skills." After a long 12 mile hike last fall the boys were starting to drag and their spirits started to sink. One of the ASMs "challenged" one of the boys to race him to the next way point (about 150 yds). The interest of the boys really perked up, they all ran as fast as they could and at the end their spirits were lifted and morale was sky high. No need to explain to them that "hey, I am now going to show you a leadership trick and by the way increase your physical fitness in the process."

 

The boys don't join Scouting to become better citizens. They become better citizens because they joined Scouting. That is a BIG difference. One may possibly begin to share these revelations with the older JASMs and or 18-21 ASMs but I see no real benefit to share it with the majority with the boys. (No real reason to hide it from them either by the way.)

[Eamonn]

As yet I have not seen the new syalabuss that will replace the JLTC syalabuss that is now in use. If as I think it will?? It goes the same way as the new Wood Badge course has I think that we will see a lot more about Vision, Mission, Values and Goal setting. This is just my opinion and I have no way of backing it up. I could and might be totally wrong.

So we have our adults spending time looking at all these things and if I'm right soon we will have the Lads returning from JLTC having spent time looking at all this. Are we going to ignore it?

The example given about the hike is a good one. However without spending time looking at what happened was anything learned? How much better would it have been if there had been some sort of a reflection? What points of the Scout Law came into play? Sad to say if I was a Scout I would have just thought that the leader was just horsing around - What a shame!! A great opportunity lost.

It is a sad fact that very often we don't see the forest for the trees. For many years I owned and ran a couple of restaurants. My goal was to serve the best food possible. We struggled for the first couple of years until one day I met with my accountant and he said to me that there is one thing that every restaurant should make and make well. I was curious and asked what this was his reply was money. Once the focus moved from food to money we found that could do a better job with the food. We had money to invest in equipment and staff. At the start of each shift I would or the manager would gather the staff for a two minute meeting to cover the menu and that sort of thing. We would end the meeting by asking why are we here? The answer was always the same - "To make money."

So I fail to see why telling our Scouts why we are doing what we are doing is in any way information overload.

Eamonn