As another year winds down and we look forward to another (assuming the Mayan calendar or a zombie attack doesn’t do us all in), we often take a moment to reflect on how things are going. Much of our thinking goes into evaluating what we’ve done and how we can do better going forward. After reading a post in Recognize This!, a blog written by employee recognition and reward consultant Derek Irvine, I got to thinking about my own experiences in Scouting and why I keep doing it. Continue reading “10 signs you enjoy being a Scouter”
Going, going, gone
A young man, well-liked in his school, just months away from graduation, elected as homecoming king by his classmates, takes his own life.
Another young man, also popular in high school, another homecoming king – valedictorian, accepted at a prestigious university – ends his own life as well.
Another young man fails to awaken one morning. His parents find him groggy and unresponsive. After three days on a ventilator in intensive care, he starts to come out of it. He eventually recovers, but his family is scarred by the incident.
These may be isolated incidents, but they happened in my community – and within the last few months. Continue reading “Going, going, gone”
Who has the keys?
One of the unique properties of the Boy Scout program is that it is boy-led. It’s not a program where adults put together activities that the youth members merely participate in. When properly done, and when adults don’t inappropriately usurp their authority, the Scouts plan and lead their own program within the boundaries of Scouting.
In one of his podcasts, Scoutmaster Clarke Green likened this to a game of basketball. The players play the game but they do so according to the rules of the game. And the coaches cannot step across the line and play the game for them.
Recently, there was a thread on one of the discussion groups where the topic drifted over to whether the boys actually take charge. “We never really give them the keys,” Continue reading “Who has the keys?”
Helping your committee succeed, part 2
Helping your committee succeed goes beyond motivation and instilling confidence. There are a number of actions you should take to move your committee performance forward. These include delegation, empathy, enabling and recognition.
Practice effective delegation
The committee chair should think of himself or herself in much the same light as a circus ringmaster. Continue reading “Helping your committee succeed, part 2”
Helping your committee succeed, part 1
Beyond agendas, meetings and paperwork, the committee chair’s job includes supporting, inspiring and helping your committee members succeed in the jobs you have recruited and selected them for.
Continuing in our series aimed at the new committee chair, this article will go into the many ways you can encourage your committee members and help them enjoy their roles supporting the troop and its Scouts.