Information, Observation, and Inspiration for Scouters
The Scout Law: Twelve guiding principles that govern our movement. Twelve points that never change.
Or do they?
In looking up the meaning of A Scout is Kind a few days ago, I found this history of the Scout Law on the excellent Scouting website, The Inquiry Net. It is interesting to see the changes that took place in the codes of honor that evolved into our present-day Scout Law. Continue reading “The Changing Law”
As committee chair, it’s your responsibility to see that the committee supports the troop or pack program by providing those things that the Scoutmaster or Cubmaster needs to be successful. These things can be similar between these two programs (help in arranging activities such as camping or transportation), or they can be very different (“running the show” in Cub Scouts versus training the boys to do so in Boy Scouts).
Of course, you don’t do it alone. You hopefully have a committee full of eager parents willing to help with all the details, and it’s your job to recruit and support them. Continue reading “The one question”
I’m always fiddling with our troop website, adding file downloads, updating news and external links, and revising and expanding our FAQs. Currently, I’m working on a section to be called Adult Scouting to serve as a guide for adults as to what our role is in a boy-led troop. I point out the things the adults are responsible for – safety, training boy leaders, and support. Continue reading “What adults don’t do”
I’m about to date myself. Seriously date myself.
One of my fondest childhood memories was sitting down in front of the Zenith black & white television set in the living room with a glass of milk and a cookie and watching The Mickey Mouse Club. When the theme song would come on, I’d jump up out of my little chair and march around in a circle, just like Mickey Mouse did, and sing along “Who’s the leader of the club that’s made for you and me?” I can still see Jiminy Cricket dealing out the cards that spelled M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E, and Donald Duck trying to steal the limelight. Continue reading “Who’s the leader of the club?”
I came across a really insightful post to the Harvard Business Review faculty blog by Teresa Amabile and Steve Kramer called Declaring Independence in the Workplace. The post deals mainly with problems that ensue when upper management micromanages their teams, and how team professionals deserve a “Declaration of Independence” of their own – independence to do their work without undue interference from above.
I began to draw many Scouting allegories from this, going back to the “Green Bar” Bill Hillcourt advice to train ’em, trust ’em and let ’em lead as we must do with our Scouts. However, one of the comments jumped off the page at me, full of meaning for the adult role in Boy Scouting. Continue reading “The waterline test”