"My job is to help boys make ethical decisions, not to make them do want I want them to.

[evmori]

If you read the very 1st post in this thread that stated "My job is to help boys make ethical decisions, not to make them do want I want them to." you will understand my question.

 

Barry,

Good points. Thanks for your perspective.

 

msnowman,

C'mon over! We have room! And I'll even let you take the garbage out.

 

Ed Mori

Troop 1

1 Peter 4:10

[SR540Beaver]

msnowman,

 

You are a good man! God bless you!

[Eamonn]

msnowman

I am really glad that you got something out of this thread.

I enjoy reading the ideas and thoughts of others even when they are different than my own, and even if I disagree with them.

I do feel very strongly that while it is fine and dandy for us to look at what we are doing and at times question why we do it and the way we do it.

We need to be ever mindful that no Lad ever joined Scouts or Scouting to have his character built up. They join because it is supposed to be fun. They stay because it's fun and we can help them help themselves to a program that offers adventure and challenges. They quit or leave because it isn't fun and there isn't enough challenge or adventure.

So while trustworthy,loyal, helpful,courteous, kind,thrifty, brave, clean and reverent are all very important we must never forget that cheerful and friendly are also on the list.

Eamonn.

[Bob White]

hmmmm I wonder if we could just TELL them to be cheerful? Simple, direct, easy.

[msnowman]

Just for clarity sake - the post monster ate my signature....

 

I'm a Michelle...just so there isn't any confusion about my gender.

 

Granted, being called a good man isn't the worst thing in the world and I think Nephew would get a charge out of hearing his Tia referred to as a man....I just didn't want to give a false impression.

 

He's sleeping in the next room right now (we just got home from a late movie). I've already started putting in to practice some of the things I've taken from this thread. Choosing my battles on what I feel need to be done my way as opposed to the things he can have free rein on. Like clothes, I found myself starting to tell him he had to hang his shirts and stopped. Who am I to complain if he looks rumpled? If he is content to look that way, that's his call. So, instead of telling him that he had to hang them I simply told him they needed to be put away, somewhere that wasn't his bed or the floor. If I checked I'd probably find them in a wad in his dresser. But you know what? He insists on hanging his Uniform in his closet and chastises me if I get lazy about ironing it. I'm not ready to let him use the iron yet, the shirt is too expensive. But, when he earns his first Troop neckerchief, he will be ironing that himself.