Tag: Youth Leadership

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Leadership? Yeah, we do that.

torch_200Last weekend my son was inducted into the National Society of Collegiate Scholars, an honor society for students with high grade-point averages and in the top 20 percent of their class. NSCS is notable in that inductees are freshmen and sophomores, recognizing early achievement and acclimation to the rigors of college academics.

At the induction ceremony, the chapter leadership explained that NSCS emphasizes three pillars: scholarship, leadership and service. Among the service the society engages in is a program where students in middle schools are mentored by society members, and are invited to come to the college campus for a day to experience a glimpse of what higher education is all about. NSCS members are also encouraged to develop leadership skills through serving as officers of the society chapter and attending development events.

These concepts – leadership and service to others – are new to most college students, but not to Scouts. Continue reading “Leadership? Yeah, we do that.”

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Placing process before results

checklist_200A smooth-running troop is the dream of every Scoutmaster. Every Scout doing what he should do, youth leaders firmly in charge, and the senior patrol leader taking direction from the Scoutmaster and leading the other youth.

Most troops don’t fit that image, however. Patrols seem to vary from adequately prepared to barely functioning. It can be frustrating for a Scoutmaster to not see the Scouts getting anything done.

The same can apply to the troop committee. You see committee members not doing things the way you’d do them. You’re tempted to micromanage or just do things yourself.

When this happens, it’s time to step back and understand the real aim and the best approach to let the process take its course, rather than trying to fret about the end result. Continue reading “Placing process before results”

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This is not a cliché

camping_250You’ve undoubtedly heard the clever saying Scouting is three-fourths Outing or something similar to that. You’ve also thought “yeah, sure… we go outside and go camping but that’s a bit of an exaggeration.”

Well, it’s not a cliché, and in fact, there is a lot of truth to it.

Scouting was intended to be conducted in the outdoors. Sir Robert Baden-Powell based Scouting on his military experience leading British troops in the Boer War. He helped to bring the strategic skills of observation of the enemy into civilian life by turning it toward nature, along with the survival skills needed to live in the outdoors without proper shelter and indoor comforts.

Today, the program largely consists of weekly meetings, giving rise to the thought that the outdoor aspect is overrated. But it’s not Continue reading “This is not a cliché”

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Can Cubs go ziplining, and other questions

concord-zip-lineOver the last couple weeks I’ve received questions on various issues from readers. Since they’re probably subjects that others may have questions about, I’ll discuss them here. (And as Joe Friday would say, the names have been changed to protect the innocent.)

Can Cub Scouts go ziplining?

A local nature center is sponsoring a Cub Scout activity day. They’ll be running nature activities for Wolf and Bear advancement as well as some of the Webelos activity badges. Our pack is going to sign up. They’re also offering an opportunity, for an additional fee, for the boys to go on the zipline. Is it OK for them to go on the zipline, and what’s involved in getting the parents’ OK? Continue reading “Can Cubs go ziplining, and other questions”

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The adult role at summer camp

campflagsSoon our troop heads off to summer camp, as does just about every troop. This week I sent out the following advice to our troop parents:

Summer camp is coming up in just a couple weeks. Summer camp is a critical time for our youth leaders to put the leadership they’ve been practicing into action. It’s what they’ve been working toward all year and looking forward to.

If you are planning to attend summer camp, please keep in mind that this is a time that the boys can manage their own affairs during the week. Continue reading “The adult role at summer camp”