Scoutmaster

Behavior and Program

Thanks to Walter for launching this train of thought (read his comment to yesterday's A Question of Scout Spirit )

Unpredictable sometimes difficult behavior is part of adolescence so it is a part of Scouting. Scouting responds with a program who's intrinsic design is a response to this and the other vagaries of being a Scout-aged boy.

Boys naturally form groups within groups and institute traditions and practices like initiations, pecking orders and all other forms of regimentation. They are more likely to create their own version of 'The Lord of the Flies' than the 'Hardy Boys'. Scouting responds to this instinct with the Patrol System, a uniform and a youth leadership structure.

The leadership has to be vested with real responsibility for this to work. No special oversight of patrols by an Assistant Scoutmaster, no adult doing anything that a Scout can do for himself. Real leadership, real responsibility.

When Scouts are responsible for themselves they behave well. When they are simply an audience for adult leaders their behavior deteriorates. Scouts are continuously striving for autonomy in every area of their life and when it is withheld they soon grow bored and frustrated. This dissatisfaction ends up being expressed in a myriad of negative ways.

I wouldn't say that every single behavior problem in a Troop can be traced back to a problem with the Troop's program but a good many actually can. I would hazard the claim that a Troop based on a good solid Patrol system has very few behavior problems.

For what it is worth - Troops run by adults have some very thick Troop Policy Manuals with extensive entries describing procedures for handling disciplinary problems.

Scouting as Ecopsychotherapy

Things that stand the test of time. like Scouting, begin with instinctive inspirations before they are explained scientifically. A growing field of psychotherapy recognizes the benefits derived from direct contact with the natural world. Traditional therapies look inward for answers while ecopsychotherapy allows answers to be derived from contact with the natural environment.

Scoutmasters have seen the benefits of getting out in nature on their Scouts for many years. Nature calms and focuses, soothes and quiets.

For example Dr. David Busch agrees with a growing number of mental health professionals who believe that many people suffering from mental/emotional issues could be helped by spending more time connecting with nature. Consequently, his private practice, Wind From The Mountain Renewal Center, is located on 55 acres adjoining the Rich Mountain Wilderness Area of the Chattahoochee National Forest. The video shows how he uses nature therapy to help children with ADD and ADHD.

Behavior, Discipline, Consequences

How does one control a group of Scout-aged boys?

Boys are known as experts in mischief, subterfuge and misdirection. Physically they lack the gray matter required to make mature decisions. Rationality often looses out to the influence of hormones.  They cannot calculate or analyze risk reliably.

They will foolishly sacrifice a lot to gain a little approval from their peers. Admirers of conformity and worshipers of non-conformity they struggle to learn just who they really are by trying all kinds of things. Their sometimes coarse behavior is punctuated by moments of extraordinary sensitivity. 

Is the only answer iron handed constant vigilance? Why would anyone risk their tranquility on so high a probability of misbehavior and mayhem?

Because, given the instability of those things that influence their behavior, they are very predictable. Scout aged boys are fiercely loyal and possess a strong sense of fairness. Inwardly they appreciate boundaries even if they complain and resist outwardly. They respect consistency, deplore lecturers, have a lawyerly approach to rules and regulations and value honesty.

Scoutmasters who put themselves in the role of controlling and policing the behavior of his Scouts directly they have already lost the battle. This responsibility one for the Scouts. I am not suggesting that we should be indifferent or permissive. We must familiarize the Scouts responsible for leading their Troop with prescribing and maintaining standards of discipline and behavior. 

Scouting has given us these standards in the Scout Oath and Law. Scouts understand these standards. They will need help in understanding how to enforce them if we are to avoid cruelty reminiscent of the Lord of the Flies. They need an example of compassion, empathy and understanding. They need to be shown that discipline and authority is not a club to beat people with but an opportunity to be helpful; to minimize shortcomings and celebrate achievements.

This sort of discipline does not rely on punishment but on positive reinforcement. Although Scouts will do some truly outrageous things they must be understood in the context of their age. We have to understand that difficult behavior is not directed at us personally and respond with fairness and kindness.

Once established this kind of positive peer pressure tends to perpetuate itself. New Scouts will understand the way things work very quickly and will go on to become leaders within the same system.

Sewing on Scout Patches

I picked up a new centennial uniform shirt this summer and have only just now put together all the patches and started sewing them on.

The new unit numbers and square knots have a slick plastic backing that looks a lot like it could be ironed on. I emailed the folks at our National Supply Division:

I have recently purchased unit numeral and square knot patches - they appear to have an iron on backing. Is this correct? If so how does one iron them on? Are there other patches that have iron-on backing?

They replied

Our emblems are not iron on - the plastic backing is to keep the emblem from rolling up. You will need to sew them on or us badge magic adhesive.

Badge Magic has been around for a few years now and seems to work just fine for most folks. It seems sort of pricey to me ($8.99 for a 8 1/2 x 12 sheet).  TackyFuse looks like a promising alternative.

Hand sewing isn't all that difficult. I use masking tape to hold the patch in place, turn the uniform inside out and sew the patch on by stitching through the raised border not the patch itself.  Unit numbers and square knots don't have raised borders so I'll stitch through them or use a fabric adhesive of some kind.

BSA Insignia guide online

Scout Leader Uniform inspection PDF (shows placement of badges on the centennial uniform)

Other Uniform Inspection forms are here

My updated Square Knot Resume

Linear Versus Interactive Learning

In his essay The Impending Demise of the University Don Tapscott defines linear learning;

In the industrial model of student mass production, the teacher is the broadcaster. A broadcast is by definition the transmission of information from transmitter to receiver in a one-way, linear fashion. The teacher is the transmitter and student is a receptor in the learning process. The formula goes like this: "I'm a professor and I have knowledge. You're a student, you're an empty vessel and you don't. Get ready, here it comes. Your goal is to take this data into your short-term memory and through practice and repetition build deeper cognitive structures so you can recall it to me when I test you."

He asserts that this style of teaching and learning is changing

... students, who have grown up in an interactive digital world, learn differently. Schooled on Google and Wikipedia, they want to inquire, not rely on the professor for a detailed roadmap. They want an animated conversation, not a lecture. They want an interactive education, not a broadcast one.

That you are reading my blog is evidence of how the process of learning is changing from groups of learners gathering around an expert to people looking for information in a highly targeted, individual way.

Scouting is uniquely well positioned to take advantage of this shift because it has always been based on experiential, engaging hands-on learning. In the merit badge program Scouts pursue things that interest them individually, work interactively with a counselor and achieve on a highly individualized scale.

It is important that we understand the intention and unique nature of Scout instruction to apply it without defaulting to the linear model of lecture and test.

Here is some practical advice on how to take full advantage of the unique opportunity aforded us as Scoutmasters.

Instructional Methods for Scouts

1. Introduction
2. Round Robins
3. Guided Discovery
4. Coach and Pupil
5. Kim’s Game and Variations
6. Circle Up!
7. Preparing
8. Who Instructs?

All these posts as a PDF.

The Case For Working With Your Hands
Manual Training - Experiential Learning
Merit Badge Instruction

Einstein's Beast of Prey and the Holy Curiosity of Inquiry

IT IS, IN FACT, NOTHING short of a miracle that the modern methods of education have not yet entirely strangled the holy curiosity of inquiry; for this delicate little plant, aside from stimulation, stands mainly in need of freedom; without this it goes to wrack and ruin without fail. It is a very grave mistake to think that the enjoyment of seeing and searching can be promoted by means of coercion and a sense of duty. To the contrary, I believe that it would be possible to rob even a healthy beast of prey of its voraciousness, if it were possible, with the aid of a whip, to force the beast to devour continuously, even when not hungry, especially if the food, handed out under such coercion, were to be selected accordingly.
--Albert Einstein

The curious mind is voracious so long as it is free to follow its own course of inquiry.

The genius Einstein possessed bridled against the compulsion of formal education but free to follow its own course developed concepts that changed the world.

Many of us respond well to the discipline of education, many do not. I have had many Scouts who struggle with their grades but excel in other fields of inquiry. They may be expert in the intricacies of video gaming, skateboarding or fly fishing spending every waking moment engaged in thoughtful pursuit of goals we see as distractions. But these intense occupations bear witness to their considerable abilities of critical thinking, analysis and an endless capacity to learn.

Scouting capitalizes on this powerful instinct by opening a wide field of opportunity to study, to achieve and inquire, to seek out compelling experiences. Scouting best achieves its goals when it preserves free inquiry rather than a sense of coercion.

Like Einstein's beast of prey Scouts best advance on a timetable dictated by their own interest rather than one set by their leaders. Give them the resources and the latitude to set their own agenda and Scouts will exceed our expectations every time.

Green Hour

The National Wildlife Federation website Green Hour advocates

"...giving our children a "Green Hour" a day -- a bit of time for unstructured play and interaction with the natural world -- we can set them on the path toward physical, mental, and emotional well-being. .. Each week we publish a fresh issue full of activities and information to help guide the exploration and focus on fun."

I like the idea (however planning an hour of 'unstructured play' seems a contradiction in terms) of intentional nature study.

Here's a couple of examples that, with a little adaptation, can become part of a hike or camp out or Troop program:

Issue #91: Nature Table

What is it about kids and collecting things? Baseball cards, action figures, rocks. You name it, and they seem to collect it. Giving in to this natural drive to collect, I've let the kids start a small nature table in the family room. We started out with a shoe box, but delicate items like dried leaves and seed pods were getting crushed, so a table seemed to be a better solution.

We have a few rules. No more than 10 items each on the table at one time. If you collect an 11th, you have to take one of your other items back outside for someone else to find and treasure. Items larger than Dad's hand count as two. This system seemed fair to all, and the kids loved tracing his hand as the official measurement tool for our little museum.

Rocks, Leaves. Seed pods. A piece of bark. Pine cones. Simple things that are safe and easy to collect and have in the house. My daughter has made labels for each of the items, and a "Nature Museum" sign proudly hangs on the wall. They both delight in showing their friends what they have collected, and are always anxious to go out and find more "inventory."

A drawer in the table is now the home for our nature journal. We keep a couple of magnifying glasses and our binoculars and field guides there as well. It's become a one-stop-shop for all our nature discovery needs, and is fast becoming this mom's favorite part of the family room.

Hands-On Fun

No room for a Nature Table? No problem. You can make a nature shelf, tackle box, or even use a hanging cosmetic or shoe organizer to save space. Limit the size of your child's collectibles. Rotate out the inventory so it does not grow beyond your space.

Issue #54: Treasure Hunt

X marks the spot, and today the whole family is out looking for treasure! After reading a book about buried treasure to the kids, my husband got the bright idea that we should go on a family treasure hunt. Arrgghh -- a family of pirates are we, matey!

So, that’s exactly what we’re doing today. Each of the kids has made a colorful map -- featuring different nature paths at our favorite local park -- as the basis for our treasure hunt. They've also made a bunch of clues, written on slips of paper, to be hidden.

At the local dollar store, I’d purchased some stickers, magnifying glasses, and a few other trinkets to serve as the treasure, all of which fits neatly into some small boxes I had lying around the house. Instant treasure chests.

We've divided into teams and have hidden our treasures in the leaf litter alongside the trails, and have left clues under rocks and tied to tree branches along the way. Next, the kids will swap maps (and parents, so we can't tell them where to find the clues we’ve just helped to hide) and the true adventure can begin.

Oh, the fun we all will have! The kids are so excited that they’re already asking when the next treasure hunt will be and if they can bring their friends.

Patrol Outings

I would guess that one Troop in twenty schedules actual, independent Patrol outings. More likely than not the Patrols all go camping at once - AKA a Troop outing (like my Troop).

I haven't pursued independent Patrol outings for a couple of reasons;
Logistics - Planning, supplying and launching three or four separate outings is more difficult than planning one Troop outing.
Leadership - Maintaining prescribed levels of adult leadership would be a problem. Two adults with six or eight Scouts makes adult interference with Scout leadership almost inevitable

Our next outing will be a hybrid Troop/Patrol outing at our Scout Camp. Friday evening will be pretty routine. We have some activities planned for Saturday morning and afternoon. Late Saturday afternoon the Scouts will pack up their patrol and head out to separate campsites for the night. They'll be within a mile of our Friday Night spot and will function on their own - no adults, no senior Scouts. We'll find some excuse to drop by the campsites periodically and each patrol leader will have a two way radio. I am not concerned about their safety.

The Troop will reassemble the next morning and I'll be anxious to hear about the different patrol adventures.

UPDATE

The outing was a great success. Of course the Scouts enjoyed the independence and challenge of operating as a Patrol. They experienced a great snse of adventure and we look forward to building this kind of Patrol-based element into furture outings.

Program - Canned or Fresh?

Canned programs for Scouts are attractive because they are easy. They are also poor excuses for a Scout activity. Canned experiences require little preparation, skill development or leadership. In our part of the world there are whitewater rafting trips, ski weekends, museum lock-ins and similar activities that only require Scouts show up and be led by the hand through an activity or presentation.

Scoutmasters should be adamant that activities are aimed at fulfilling the promises of Scouting and not simply entertainment. Activities that Scouts plan and present for themselves, as imperfect or halting as they may be, are always preferable to a canned program.

All of our Scouts want to 'have fun'. Canned programs can be 'fun' but are simply an end in themselves. Fun is not an aim of Scouting but Scouting is fun. Scouts get a real sense of satisfaction from creating their own program. Scouting demands that Scouts be more than participants - they must be the planners, the leaders the developers.

A Scout-made program surpasses any canned program. When the Scouts have invested themselves in building a challenging, ambitious activity they benefit from something they have done for themselves.

Build Your Own High Adventure

High Adventure trips are generally thought of as long-term camping experiences in remote or otherwise remarkable areas for experienced Scouts and Scouters.

There are three heavily promoted National High Adventure Bases - Florida Sea Base, Northern Tier (Minnesota), and Philmont Scout Ranch (New Mexico). In addition many Councils have established High Adventure Programs. The other option is developing and leading your own high adventure trips.

Inspired by other 'home brewed' high adventure trips our Troop is planning it's fifth annual trip this summer. We will take eighteen Scouts and Leaders on an eight day canoe trip to Algonquin Provincial Park in Ontario, Canada.

There are several factors that make developing our own trips attractive;

• Cost - our trip is just about half of the current fee for our Council-led contingents to the BSA bases.
• Planning and Preparing - building your own high adventure program is more involved than the somewhat canned experiences available at the BSA Bases. This calls for crew members to be much more involved with the process and therefore makes the trip all that much more worthwhile. Scouts derive great satisfaction and valuable experience when they do it for themselves.
• Flexibility - We can schedule trips in a much more flexible time frame and suit the challenge to the participants. We can also plan our pre-trip shakedowns and meetings to suit our schedules.
• Crew Dynamics - Council contingents fill predetermined crew sizes. The good news is that you may get to spend a week or so with Scouts or leaders you don't know. This may be a chance to make new friends or a real ordeal. Filling a crew from a single Troop where everyone is familiar with one another makes the outcome more predictable.

The necessary specialized skills, knowledge and experience are not that difficult to develop. Consulting with other Scouters, searching the web and reading up on the place and activity your Troop chooses is half the fun.

Here are some resources to get you started:
Selden's High Adventure Resources - Some of the links are dated but this collection of information is bound to be useful. There is a great collection trip logs  on the web from Troops and Crews that  have designed their own high adventure experiences.
AMC Guide to Outdoor Leadership - A solidly well-written and thorough guide that merits close study by anyone leading groups in the outdoors.
Expedition Canoeing - No other book was more helpful in making our canoe adventures a success.