If you’ve been reading for a while, you’ve picked up on our monthly summary of things the committee chair needs to give attention to for the following month. We finished up the year last month with the March version, so we’ll take one last look at the committee chair’s job with our list of details that need to be looked at each month. Continue reading “Committee chair timeline: Every month”
Who’s driving the car?
There are a lot of ways to visualize how Boy Scouting works. We can look in the handbooks and training literature and read all about the patrol method, how elected patrol leaders make the decisions and how the Scoutmaster and other adult leaders guide and support the Scouts. We can also try to compare Scouting to other youth organizations, or to school or church, but the comparisons start to fall apart when we find adults largely in charge of these other activities.
One comparison I’ve found to be valuable is to imagine that you’re going on a cross-country driving trip. Continue reading “Who’s driving the car?”
A warm Scouting handshake
Last week we discussed some of the ways we can overcome the hesitation that Scouts and families may have at joining a troop. After as much as five years in Cub Scouts, preparing to become Boy Scouts, most boys will be looking forward to joining the adventure, and their parents will be coming with them.
The next challenge for new Scouts joining your troop is keeping them engaged and involved. Continue reading “A warm Scouting handshake”
“And,” not “or”
We’re into the time when our Webelos brethren have made or are making the decision about continuing on in Boy Scouting. There’s always a range of interest levels among our incoming Scouts. In my experience, about half are coming over with great enthusiasm and are looking forward to the adventures ahead, earning ranks, going on campouts, and having fun with their friends. The other half approach with some level of trepidation – not knowing what lies ahead, apprehensive about the outdoor experience, wondering just what they’re getting into or being befuddled by the changes the Boy Scout program brings. Continue reading ““And,” not “or””
How to be a better Scouter
It goes without saying that every Scouter is in on the mission of Scouting to provide and support an excellent program for our boys. We’re looking for ways to better relate to the Scouts and our fellow Scouters. In what’s known as the 80/20 rule, in general 80 percent of the results comes from 20 percent of the effort in just about any undertaking.
In a recent Fast Company blog post Six Painless Ways to Become a Better Boss, developer and CEOÂ Brendon Schenecker explains several relatively simple steps one can take to improve their relationship with the people they oversee and support. Continue reading “How to be a better Scouter”