The Rules

From an (anonymous) list of Troop Rules posted on the web:

Troop Chairs chairs are a privilege, not a right. Bringing chairs to a campout will be decided at the discretion of the Scoutmaster. Abuse of this privilege results in forfeiture of a camp chair. Camp chairs are defined as a bag chair, or folding chair. Not a lounge chair with foot rests, recliner, or rocking chair.

I would be curious to know what set of circumstances precipitated this particular 'rule'. Perhaps the Scoutmaster didn't have a rocking lounge chair with foot rests and just couldn't conscience that others did?

When I came across this I had to smile wryly to myself and recall that I once thought that most of my problems could be solved by writing rules or developing forms and procedures.

Most of the problems turned out to be what I call 'the price of doing business'. Scouts are boys, and as Plato said: "Of all the animals, the boy is the most unmanageable."

Rules require enforcement, and enforcement is an unpleasant and un-soutmasterlike task. The Scout oath and law are as close as I would like to come to rules - if everyone strives to achieve those ideals we need nothing else. Except perhaps a rocking lounge camp chair with footrests.

Comments

[Rich H]

Sounds like this troop needs to start camping farther from the parking lot. That might solve the issue of camp chair size.

[Mr. Whitebread]

The troop I work with has rules, some imposed by me.
1. No slurping directly from the spigot on the cooler.
2. No throwing anything.
3. Do not touch the other Scouts' caps.

[scouter573]

SM wrote "I once thought that most of my problems could be solved by writing rules or developing forms and procedures."

Yeah, I'm still in this phase but I'm being disabused of the notion case by case. I recently finished an Eagle SM Conference for a candidate at 10pm, two hours before his 18th birthday. I wrestled with this - will the next one finish two minutes before midnight? I thought about applying some rule about completing requirements earlier, but I ran into two problems. First, BSA doesn't say that - they say only "before the 18th birthday". Second, the scouts would only push up against the new rule by hours, then minutes, then seconds, then get forgiveness because they're still before their 18th birthday. The cost of doing business with teen-aged boys would be...

Last night I attended a cross-over to receive four Webelos II cubs with a Boy Scout honor guard. Their enthusiasm helps me remember why I stay up past my bedtime to complete SM conferences.

I do have a key rule: no surprises, no mysteries; with one exception: birthdays excluded. And I have another key rule: when in doubt, ask your scouts.

-scouter573