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Conflict management and unit parents

We’ve recently discussed some situations you might run into on your troop or pack committee where members have a difference of opinion and you, the committee chair, need to step in and help resolve it. What happens when one or more of your parents blindsides you with a gripe?

Parents who aren’t as involved in Scouting as you are sometimes don’t understand the program as well, and can see a unit working normally as being dysfunctional. Friction can also develop among parents, or even between boys, and the people “in charge” are looked to for a solution.

Frequently, these problems arise as the result of an incomplete understanding of Scouting’s mission, aims and methods. Continue reading “Conflict management and unit parents”

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Scouting’s dividends

In the same way as money in a good investment pays dividends down the road, the Scouting program and our work as volunteers in laying the foundation for the future of our youth produce dividends as well.

As I was driving my son back to college after a recent visit home, we got to talking about Scouting, and he mentioned how he thought his time in Scouting has helped him in the post-secondary environment.

I had a few thoughts in mind: how you learn to take care of yourself on campouts, cook your own food, pack a backpack, stay hydrated, get along with a bunkmate – that sort of thing. Having been in Scouting improves one’s chances of admission into selective universities, and often there are scholarships for Eagle Scouts.

He had other things in mind, though. Continue reading “Scouting’s dividends”

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Conflict management and the unit committee

Anytime two or more people come together, there is potential for conflict. This is true of all organizations, including Scouting units. Everyone is likely to have a different idea of how things are supposed to work, and when personalities clash, decorum can go out the window and we can lose our focus on why we are Scouting volunteers: to help the boys have a successful program. Continue reading “Conflict management and the unit committee”

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Is Scouting invisible?

When perfectly-engaged and enthusiastic Cub Scouts just don’t make the transition to Boy Scouts, opting for heavier involvement in sports or other activities instead, you have to wonder why.

Is it because of something they didn’t get out of Scouting? That’s probably not the case, because they stuck with Cub Scouts all the way through.

Do they lose interest? That may be part of it, because either they or their parents can’t see doing another six or seven years of field trips to the fire station or overnight sleepovers at the science center. Continue reading “Is Scouting invisible?”