Scoutmaster

What We Want to Hear

Here's a couple of recent things I have heard within the Troop that I found encouraging indications we are on the right track.

Our SPL is working on Camp Staff this summer so the ASPL is required to step up and lead the Troop through our summer meetings and a week at summer camp. We meet outdoors at the local park during the summer months and rain was threatening this week's meeting. I was monitoring the situation and planning to call the ASPL to confer about canceling the meeting (it was going to rain, it had been raining all day) when the phone rang and there he was.

As I carefully (too carefully) explained that two out of three patrol leaders were out of town and just how I would handle getting the word out he said "I'll handle it" and our conversation ended quickly.

That was just what I wanted to hear.

This ASPL knows his stuff, camp is going to be a breeze!

On a spring campout we welcomed several new scouts and one new father on his first outing as an Assistant Scoutmaster. Adults often find it more difficult making the transition from Webelos to a Scout Troop than do boys. Webelos leaders are more directly involved and working with a patrol system and youth leadership represents a big change.

Like most our new ASM's son was used to dad solving some of his problems and giving him direction on campouts. When he came around the adult's campsite (especially at meal time) my time-tested method of putting him back on track is to ask "where is your patrol?". Invariably the scout points to his patrol campsite and says "over there" and I than say "I think they need you". After the second or third time this happens most new scouts get it and they head off to their patrol when I first ask the question.

I had this exchange within earshot of the new ASM three or four times in the course of the weekend. When Sunday breakfast rolled around the new ASM's son found his way over to our part of he campsite again and started inquiring after his fathers breakfast. The new ASM looked at him and asked "where is your patrol?" the boy grimaced a little bit and headed off to join his fellow scouts without a word.

That was just what I wanted to hear.

The new ASM got a hearty handshake and I welcomed him to the troop.

Are We Really That Smart?

Andy the net commissioner asks "Are we really that smart?'

... before we start changing things around to suit ourselves, we’d better be asking ourselves, “Have we really come up with a better way of doing things, or  have we just violated or depleted something that’s fundamental to why  Scouting works in the first place?” 

In other words,  are we really that smart, or have we merely found an easier (for us) way  to do things?  Are we really being sensitive to the emotional needs of  youth, or are we merely being driven by some emotional need (or  shortcoming) of our own?  Do we really have the Chutzpah to think we can  play fast and loose with a program and process that’s worked for a  century, in more than a hundred countries, among tens of millions of  youth?

Andy is right on the mark. Scouting is not about managerial efficiency measures nor protecting Scouts from challenging situations. Scouting is designed to challenge boys by presenting them with real responsibility for their own lives, if we alter the design we end up with something other than Scouting.

Read the full text of Andy's thoughts at Ask Andy

The "Fire Snake"

Some years ago a Scoutmaster, who would become a state senator, invited the camp director to attend his Troop's campfire: "I'm going to show the boys the fire snake!"

Fire snake?

The camp director was more than curious and showed up at the appointed time to listen as the Scoutmaster related the elaborate legend of the fire snake. The particulars of the legend are lost to time chiefly because of what happened next.

Perhaps you have seen, in a western movie, a keg of gunpowder trailed onto the ground forming a rudimentary fuse. Once lit the line of powder burns slowly, tantalizingly and reaches a pile of powder kegs blowing everything to kingdom come. Picturesque but pure fiction. Problem is that old fashioned black powder burns so quickly that it would be more of a flashbulb than a fuse. Modern smokeless powder burns slowly and was probably what we saw in at the movies.

Back to the campfire.

The scouts sat in a circle around the fire and at the proper moment the Scoutmaster bent down and touched the glowing tip of his cigar to the ground at the end of a spiral trough he had so cleverly scratched into the ground at the fire circle, filled with gunpowder, and expertly camouflaged. The trough ended in a carefully laid campfire that would be magically lit by the "fire snake".

The blinding flash, the choking smoke and the blackened faces of a dozen or more scouts knocked backward off their benches demonstrated that the Scoutmaster did not know the difference between black powder and smokeless powder.

The camp director, having kept a respectful distance and seeing that only the Scoutmaster's pride was injured, headed up the trail with yet another tale to tell.

Homesickness

Night falls on the first day at summer camp; the big opening campfire is over, the troop has returned to the campsite, the scouts are preparing for taps. Just after we end the Patrol Leader's Council a young scout, at camp for his first time, is mooning around the edge of a pool of lantern light.

I know exactly why he is there; he and his brethren have been there for twenty plus years - he is a miniature modern-day Odysseus in the throes of heroic ennui.  He is my homesick scout.

Homesickness can be light and passing or dark and difficult. When separated from familiar surroundings or people for an extended period scout aged-boys may become homesick. Homesickness manifests as a sense of dread or helplessness manifesting in depression, sadness, frustration, anger or hopelessness. Extreme cases may even cause physical symptoms like stomach pain, indigestion, headaches, nausea and tears.

A smart scoutmaster understands that homesickness, while relatively easy to cure in a vast a majority of cases, is a very real problem and it should not be trivialized. I must admit that I have been guilty of less than sensitive ways of handling homesickness; here are some more successful strategies-

Alleviating Homesickness
Have a discussion with parents that lays out your expectations for camp. I include this paragraph in our pre-camp flier:

Parents are expected to support their Scout’s commitment to spend a full week at camp. There is a full schedule of shared responsibilities that begins on the Sunday we arrive and continues unbroken until we leave a week later. If a Scout must arrive late, leave early or spend time out of camp during the week please let us know as early as possible so the corresponding arrangements can be made. That being said arriving late, leaving early or spending time away from camp during the week is actively discouraged as it tends to compromise the experience not only for the individual Scout but for the rest of his Troop.

A week at camp is often the longest time our first year Scouts have spent away from home and family. It is natural that some Scouts find this experience difficult to endure (as do their parents). Our experience with hundreds of Scouts (and parents) of all temperaments assures us that they not only endure, but flourish and return home having gained a great deal from the experience.

Experts recommend bringing a couple of mementos from home such as photos serve as transitional objects  that will help relieve uncomfortable feelings.

Treating Homesickness

• Talking - Homesickness involves feelings of dread and helplessness that often dissolve simply by talking them out.
• Stay Active - Staying active and involved is important. Homesick scouts are often reluctant to participate in much of anything.  Every effort should be made to keep them active.
• Stay Engaged - Loneliness feeds homesickness. Encourage lots of group activities and responsibilities. I often ask an older scout to see that the homesick scout is actively engaged.
• Writing or Calling Home - Writing home can be helpful, but actually speaking to someone can be better. Before any calls are made, though, I speak to parents first explaining the situation and making sure they support the idea the scout staying at camp.

College counselors and chaplains report that some freshmen students experience homesickness serious enough to effect their studies. If scouts overcome homesickness at an early age they will be better prepared for these experiences.

Related Posts
Scoutmaster Summer Camp Dos and Don'ts
Summer Camp Week

National President's Scoutmaster Award of Merit

The National Eagle Scout Association offers a Scoutmaster Award of Merit. The nominee need not be an Eagle Scout but must:
1. Be a currently registered Scoutmaster who has served in that position for at least 18 months
2. Have achieved the Quality Unit Award at least once during his period of service
3. Have completed Boy Scout Leader Fast Start and Scoutmastership Fundamentals or equivalent
4. Have a record of proper use of the Boy Scout advancement program, resulting in a majority of his Boy Scouts attaining the First Class rank.
5. Have a record of:
·  Development of boy leadership through the patrol method
·  Positive relations with the troop's chartered organization
·  An extensive outdoor program including strong summer camp attendance
·  A positive image of Scouting in the community
·  A troop operation that attracts and retains Boy Scouts

The chairman of the troop committee has the responsibility of nominating the Scoutmaster on behalf of the patrol leaders' council and the troop committee. The nomination is certified by the unit commissioner and forwarded to the local council service center. Approval authority lies with the Scout executive and either the council NESA chairman or the council commissioner.
A PDF file of the Nomination Form

One Minute Scoutmaster

In 1981 Kenneth Blanchard and Spencer Johnson published their book "The One Minute Manager" that became a bestseller. One minute management concentrates on brief, focused management through goal setting, encouragement and correction.

One minute methods work well for Scoutmasters: (adapted from an essay by Winston R. Davis)

There was a bright young man looking for a really good Scoutmaster. He wanted to work for one.  He wanted to become one.
He found some  who said: "I keep my boys in line! If you let up on them, they just get in trouble. We make 'em shape up!" Their troops were usually impressive:  good uniforming, behavior and skills. But the boys in their troops didn't seem to be having much fun.  The only ones having a good time were just like their Scoutmasters. They said: "We know how to make these kids behave. We don't let 'em get away with a thing!"

  There were others he found who  were easygoing and likable, friendly and quiet.  Many said,  "Oh, life is too short to hassle these kids. I let them pretty much decide what they want to do. That's the patrol method. They know what they need." The boys in their Troops didn't appear doing anything that was in their Scout books.  Hardly any complete uniforms. Lots of goofing around and having a great time. Troop activities were noisy and looked like fun, but not everybody could participate. Younger boys seemed confused and unable to get any help.

The young man wasn't happy with what he had seen. He knew a good Scoutmaster would run his troop so that the boys would have a good time and learn some things. There wouldn't be a lot of time wasted on noisy confusion. They could get right down to the business of doing exciting and interesting things. Scouts would earn a lot of badges, win a lot of contests and have fun doing it.

He began hearing wonderful things about a Scoutmaster who lived not far from him; he found the One-Minute Scoutmaster. The OMSM believes that boys who feel good about themselves do good things.  He knows that "Goals begin behavior; consequences maintain behavior."  For that reason, he uses one-minute goal setting, one minute praising and one minute reprimands. 

Scout-age boys thrive on the one minute concept: they are not fond of too much abstract thinking, lengthy goal making or evaluation. They know when they mess up, and expect to be corrected, but they can do without a lecture. They like goals that are succinct, understandable, reachable and measurable. If they don't buy into the goals, they won't be too excited about making them happen.

Naturally there will be mistakes. The one minute reprimand is only given for a significant mistake. It  is short, unemotional, specific. It emphasizes that the leader realizes the boy is a good person capable of better things. The behavior is criticized, not the boy.

  The OMSM actively looks for opportunities to make one minute praisings. As with the reprimand, a boy is told specifically what it was that he did to earn the praise, and how really good that makes the OMSM feel. Both praising and reprimanding are "up close and personal," looking the boy directly in the eye.

  The young man attends one of the OMSM's Troop meetings. He finds lots of boys in Scout uniform engaged in some fun preopening activities. There are adults around, but they don't seem to be involved in the action. A sharp-looking sixteen year old introduces himself as Rob, the Senior Patrol Leader. "So, you've met the Old Man," he says.

"Yeah, the One-Minute Scoutmaster.  That's a lotta bunk, isn't it?"

"No way," Rob replies.  "Everybody thinks that at first, though!"

"Well," responds the young man, "I guess you guys will have to prove it. What happens when the adults take charge of the meeting?"

"They don't, the patrol leaders and I, along with some of the other guys run the meeting. Except in emergencies the adults never step in unless we ask or for one-minute praisings. He'll have a time at the end of the meeting to leave the guys with a final thought. It's . . . "

  "Don't tell me it's a One-Minute Scoutmaster's Minute!"

"You got it!  He never takes more than about ninety seconds to speak his piece.  He says if you can't say it in two or three minutes, you haven't thought enough about what you want to say,"  was the boy's reply.

  "Yeah, but he must have a lot to say to the boy leaders after the meeting, right?" the young man suggested.

  "Not really," Rob said.  "There is a Patrol Leader's Council meeting after every meeting. A short one. But we do almost all the talking. We review the meeting, note any foul-ups and check plans for the next meeting or activity. The Old Man only talks if he needs to give a One-Minute praising."

  "Aha!" said the young man.  "Or, no doubt, a One-Minute reprimand?"

"Those happen only in private.  He never reprimands us in front of each other because it makes you feel humiliated and resentful. The only reason for the reprimand is to get us to behave differently in the future.  He only criticizes the thing we did and not us  and, since the reprimand ends with a praising . . . "

  "Just a minute.  He reprimands and praises you?  How does that work?"  The young man saw he still had a long way to go.

" After he finishes telling you exactly what you did wrong, and how it makes him feel, and giving you a moment to feel how it feels, he tells you what a great guy you are and how much he likes you, and you know it's over." Rob's admiration for the man showed in his face. "I only wish we could get the Old Man to teach all our teachers to do the same thing. A lot of them use what he calls the 'gunny sack' approach. They save up a lot of frustration--and boy do they get a lot of frustration--until they have enough to fill a sack! Then they just dump it all over everybody. The guilty and the innocent get punished or yelled at all together.

  The young man was still puzzled. "Okay, let's go back a minute. If you guys do everything without the SM's guidance, how do you know what to do at meetings and activities?"

"I thought you'd want to know that." Rob grinned. "It's really simple. We know because we all sit down together and plan everything. We mostly come up with the program plan, but he provides the materials and some suggestions. But everybody has to agree on what we're going to do, and everything we agree to gets written down. Everybody keeps a copy so that there's no doubt later of who agreed to do what. It takes a lot of work for us, but we get to do what we want to do, not what a bunch of adults think we should."

  "But you don't get to do just anything do you?"

  "Definitely not! Whatever we do  we have to convince the Old Man that it could be done without compromising health and safety standards, is consistent with the goals we have set and  that it was what the boys in the troop wanted and not just us." Rob looked thoughtful. "I don't think there's any idea we couldn't at least talk about. And when the talking was over, we would know whether it was a good idea and exactly why it was or wasn't."

These methods will go a long way towards maintaining a dynamic, happy Troop.

Eagle Scout at age 79

An interesting story from Salisbury N.C.:

Harry McCora waited more than 60 years to finally get his Eagle Scout badge, a distinction he earned just before he was sent off to serve during World War II.

McCora, 79, got the award after sending information about the merit badges he had earned to the national Boy Scout headquarters. He kept the badges - signs of his proficiency in bird study, dog care, painting, plumbing and business, among other things - in a cedar chest in his closet.

McCora is not the oldest scout to finally get his Eagle award. One man was 93 when he received the badge,

Distraction from the Mission

David Yount, critically acclaimed author and columnist on the subjects of religion and spirituality, in an article Mainline churches attempt to find compromises on gays:

... denominations part sharply on the question of whether to accept active homosexuals in their ordained ministry... They  mirror the concerns of organizations such as the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts that gay clergy may sway teens who are unsure of their sexuality.

Child abuse scandals suffered by the Catholic Church have complicated the issue, suggesting that gays are, ipso facto, pedophiles, which is untrue. (my emphasis) Still, conservatives on the issue are prone to lean toward "better safe than sorry."

In candor, many church officials admit that there have always been gays in the Christian ministry, but they most often followed the principle of "don't ask, don't tell" so long as gay clergy were silent about their orientation and were not active sexually. What has changed is that gay clergy are now open about their sexuality, and some are active sexually, living with same-sex partners ...

... The gay clergy debate distracts from the churches' mission to bring God to people and people to God. Just as Christians choose a doctor or lawyer for his or her effectiveness as a professional, we should apply the same test to the clergy who serve us.

Yount's observations ring true for the Scouting as well. The chief difference between denominations and the BSA is that the churches actually have open debates over such matters.

As we witness these debates unfold people of good conscience align their policies to accommodate the what honest debate reveals, and as Yount concludes, that the exclusion of people based on their sexuality is a 'distraction from the mission'.

Scouting risks increasing cultural irrelevance based on the refusal to open this question to it's membership. Scout councils are forced to thread the issue by issuing convoluted statements that satisfy some funding agencies but fall short of inclusion and are ultimately pointless.

In the end we are distracted from the mission, we see our relevance dissolve in a hypocrisy to our own values of inclusion.  We have already passed the point where the majority of families simply will not conscience organizations that fail to realize  sexual orientation is irrelevant to the effectiveness of a teacher, a coach, or a youth group leader.

New Merit Badges?

Worth 1000, a site that sponsors Photoshop contests, challenged contestants to 'Create a merit badge for any noteworthy real life accomplishment. '. Here are some of my favorites:

Keeping the toilet seat down.

Photoshop Merit Badge, naturally!

Copyright Breaking merit badge.

Firefox Merit Badge

Climbing the Mountain

Here's a Scoumaster's Minute  from Ernest Thompson Seaton found at: The Inquiry Net:

Afar in our dry Southwestern country is an Indian village, and in the offing is a high mountain towering up out of the desert. It was considered a great feat to climb this mountain, so that all the boys of the village were eager to attempt it. One day the Chief said, "Now, boys, you may all go to-day and try to climb the mountain. Start right after breakfast and go each of you as far as you can. Then when you are tired, come back, but let each one bring me a twig from the place where he turned."

Away they went, full of hope, each feeling that he surely could reach the top.

But soon a fat, pudgy boy came slowly back and in his hand he held out to the Chief a leaf of cactus.

The Chief smiled and said, "My boy, you did not reach the foot of the mountain; you did not even get across the desert."

Later a second boy returned. He carried a twig of sagebrush.

"Well," said the Chief, "you reached the mountain's foot, but you did not climb upwards."

The next had a cottonwood spray.

"Good," said the Chief, "you got up as far as the springs."

Another came later with some buckthorn. The Chief smiled when he saw it, and spoke: "You were climbing; you were up to the first slide rock."

Later in the afternoon one arrived with a cedar spray, and the old man said, "Well done. You went half-way up."

An hour afterwards, one came with a sprig of pine. To him the Chief said, "Good; you went to the third belt, you made three-quarters of the climb."

The sun was low when the last returned. He was a tall, splendid boy of noble character. His hand was empty as he approached the Chief, but his countenance was radiant, and he said, "My father, there were no trees where I got to--I saw no twigs, but I saw the Shining Sea."

Now the old man's face glowed, too, as he said aloud and almost sang.

"I knew it! When I looked at your face, I knew it. You have been to the top. You need no twigs for token. It is written in your eyes, and rings in your voice. My boy, you have felt the uplift, you have seen the glory of the mountain."

Oh, ye Woodcrafters, keep this in mind, then--the badges we offer for attainment are not "prizes"--they are merely tokens of what you have done, of where you have been. They are mere twigs from the trail to show how far you got in climbing up the mountain.