'Boys will be boys' was (and still is) and observation made by adults when adolesent males sometimes acted up. It calls to my mine a verbal shrug of the shoulders; a sort of 'Oh well, what can we do?' Well we can do plenty. The subject of this post is behavior of boys in our age group (11-17) and how we can channel that in a useful, constructive way through Scouting.
First, we can separate morality from compliance. As adults charged with the health, education and welfare of our Scouts we need to understand the developmental difference of boys, even within a year of two of each other. An 11 year old behaves very differently from a 13 year old. The behavior of either age is not necessarily 'bad' or 'good'; the behavior of the boys is either within the expected, acceptable guidelines or it is not. It is our responsibility to teach and show by example the kind of behavior that is expected of them and the consequence of non-compliance. A disciplinary policy is a first step (and I encourage each parent to contribute to this effort) but more importantly is the modeling of expected behavior and mentoring of each age group. This is vitally important work.
Second, we need to give the boys options. Part of growing up is learning to make choices and understanding the consequences of those choices. For Scouts, in order to learn and grow, they need to know what is expected and what the results are likely to be. Then the Scout needs to be allowed to make a choice. Here is the most important part of this process; parents and adult leaders need to then be ready with quick, consistant enforcement for non-compliance with the safety of the boys always at the forefront. Conversely, we also need to be ready with quick, consistant praise for beahvior that is within guidelines. If we follow our guidlines (and a little parental common sense) we will find the soon the boys will begin to internalize the expected behaviors and will be better able to focus their engergies on Scouting tasks. The worst thing we can do is make a 'threat' then not follow through once our 'bluff' is called. Just as bad, would be to punish a boy for making an unsafe choice that we (as adults) could have predicted.
Third, we can not have a 'fear of failure'. As long as a Scout is safe and following behavioral guidelines, he needs to be allowed them to struggle or fail from time to time. This is key, failure at a task and poor behavior are not the same and should never be linked. Again our job as adults is to address the behavoir separate from the accomplishment of a task. If a behavior issue is immediately addressed within the established Troop guidelines then it becomes a non-issue and the planning and execution of a task (or lack thereof) can be addressed separately. The most difficult thing we will face as a parent or adult leader is to see a boy who is unprepared, struggle through a task. We must let that learning opportunity take place however. You will find that the next time such a situation arises, the Scout will be prepared.
Finally, we need to realize that as Lord Baden-Powell said, Scouting is a boy lead activity for the benefit and purposes of boys that is over seen by adults. The first Scouts formed their own groups then went looking for adult leaders. The Scouts need to be allowed to have fun and enjoy themselves. Sometimes that may seem to conflict with the behavioral guidelies that we establish but what we need to remember is that the social and physical activities that boys engage in have value. Our biggest task is to apply a little common sense and know when this behavior is OK or when is needs to be addressed. In these instances, 'boys will be boys' might not be a bad thing.
As we move forward, I would like to see a behavior guideline developed. I want the boys to know exactly what to expect before they arrive in the Troop. As Scout Master, I will be emphasisizing these guidelines and expect behavior for the first few meetings. The rest is up to you.
Yours In Scouting
John DeWitt, SM Troop 401
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Monday, January 28, 2008
Little Things Do Matter
Greeting All,
I will try to make regular postings to the space on a weekly basis. I hope to touch on a few different topics and maybe spark some discussion that will help shape the character and direction of our Troop.
With this posting, I want to make a brief comment on Scout appearance and bearing. Now already some of you may be groaning to yourself and wondering whats the big deal. The big deal is that this is the point in our Scouts lives where we will be able to make the biggest, long lasting impression ever. What we teach our sons now with carry through the rest of their lives. Do we want to send a clear positive message or do we want to send conflicting, possibly negative messages? If we do not pay attention now; if we do not care about details at this level then like a stone in a pond the ripples of our indifference with echo throught out their lives.
We can, however, make a big difference now and for comparatively little effort. The title of this post was 'Little Things Do Matter' and here is why. If we can teach our sons the importance and worth of doing small task well, consistantly and correctly, how much easier will it be to teach them the more important tasks which carry eveny great possible outcomes? By insisting on proper uniform wear, attention to detail in the up keep and maintainence of there uniforms and equipment, correctly moving through our ceremonies, we give our boys the foundation to take on larger more important task later in life with relative easy.
By taking care of the little things now, we teach our sons how to take care of the bigger things later. That is why as Scout Master I will enforce proper uniform wear. I will expect the Scout to take pride in themselves as Scouts and in to be attentive to tasks throughout their Scouting experience. Little things do matter and the sooner they learn the value of a small job done well, the easier it will be for them to tackle a larger job with great success.
I will leave you with this one story from my past. As a soldier (in another life many years ago), I was required to shine my shoes and boots on a regular basis. My superior expect to literally be able to see there reflections in the leather. This meant hours of (what I thought at the time) boring, tedious, mind numbing labor. And I could see no tangible reward for this effort just not getting yelled at or written up. It took me many years to realize that this was not just a stupid ritual but a simple and effect means of teaching me a very basic concept...A man that can be depended on to do a simple, even mindless job to the highest standards can also be depended on to take pride in his work in other arenas and be trust to do his best in any job.
This is what I hope to pass on to your sons. I hope you can help me in this effort. So please take a moment if you can and let me know if you agree or disagree and why. I look forward to hearing or reading from you soon.
Take care,
YIS
jdd
I will try to make regular postings to the space on a weekly basis. I hope to touch on a few different topics and maybe spark some discussion that will help shape the character and direction of our Troop.
With this posting, I want to make a brief comment on Scout appearance and bearing. Now already some of you may be groaning to yourself and wondering whats the big deal. The big deal is that this is the point in our Scouts lives where we will be able to make the biggest, long lasting impression ever. What we teach our sons now with carry through the rest of their lives. Do we want to send a clear positive message or do we want to send conflicting, possibly negative messages? If we do not pay attention now; if we do not care about details at this level then like a stone in a pond the ripples of our indifference with echo throught out their lives.
We can, however, make a big difference now and for comparatively little effort. The title of this post was 'Little Things Do Matter' and here is why. If we can teach our sons the importance and worth of doing small task well, consistantly and correctly, how much easier will it be to teach them the more important tasks which carry eveny great possible outcomes? By insisting on proper uniform wear, attention to detail in the up keep and maintainence of there uniforms and equipment, correctly moving through our ceremonies, we give our boys the foundation to take on larger more important task later in life with relative easy.
By taking care of the little things now, we teach our sons how to take care of the bigger things later. That is why as Scout Master I will enforce proper uniform wear. I will expect the Scout to take pride in themselves as Scouts and in to be attentive to tasks throughout their Scouting experience. Little things do matter and the sooner they learn the value of a small job done well, the easier it will be for them to tackle a larger job with great success.
I will leave you with this one story from my past. As a soldier (in another life many years ago), I was required to shine my shoes and boots on a regular basis. My superior expect to literally be able to see there reflections in the leather. This meant hours of (what I thought at the time) boring, tedious, mind numbing labor. And I could see no tangible reward for this effort just not getting yelled at or written up. It took me many years to realize that this was not just a stupid ritual but a simple and effect means of teaching me a very basic concept...A man that can be depended on to do a simple, even mindless job to the highest standards can also be depended on to take pride in his work in other arenas and be trust to do his best in any job.
This is what I hope to pass on to your sons. I hope you can help me in this effort. So please take a moment if you can and let me know if you agree or disagree and why. I look forward to hearing or reading from you soon.
Take care,
YIS
jdd
Friday, January 25, 2008
Boy Scout Advancement
I have thought a lot lately about BS advancement. Some of us are laissez-faire about our son’s advancement; and some of us really goad them and encourage them. Perhaps I have thought a lot about it because my own son has only advanced to Tenderfoot after almost two years in Boy Scouts. Is this a big deal? We don’t push him that much, and he never seems overly concerned about advancement. The other events in Scouts seem to be enough for him. I read an internet response on this topic recently. A gentleman named A.J. Mako of the Old Portage District, Great Trail Council in Ohio, responded to a remark (on their newsgroup in 2005) about certain adult leaders who act as gatekeepers in their Troops. Gatekeepers in a “bad” way, that is. He says: “There have always been Gatekeepers in Boy Scout advancement. Whether in the troop, or the district, there have always been those who set the standard impossibly high, or insist on judging the book by the cover.” And then we also have heard of Troop leaders who abuse the system and just shuffle their boys through every rank up to Eagle Scout. I hope Troop 401 can find the perfect medium, the right mix. But, continuing along the topic, Mako avers: “As long as we put up with, or even go along with, the idea that everything in Scouting revolves around advancement, or that advancement is ‘the most important part of Scouting,’ we will have people who WANT that top award more than they want the rest of Scouting.” Maybe in the back of my mind I have always felt that advancement shouldn’t be the central part of Scouting. The BS advancement program encourages scouts to be progressive in their character development, leadership, and many other skills. It doesn’t seem to be BSA’s intention that scouts just go along for the ride. Mako sums it up nicely, stating, “Almost every other argument or difference of opinion in the world of scouting boils down to this simple difference of perspective. In both perspectives, advancement is the end result of everything. The difference is that in one, advancement becomes the motivation for everything, while in the other, everything becomes the motivation for advancement.”
Monday, January 14, 2008
Posts (Atom)
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Blogging Etiquette
Extracted from How to use blog etiquette
Don't Write Anything You Wouldn't Want the Whole World to Know:
Before you open your closet to let the skeletons out, think about what you're doing. While confession is good for the soul, in the heat of the moment you might not feel so good about what you wrote months later. You might be able to erase your own blog entries, but comments on other blogs and forums don't go away so easy. Think before you type.
Always Get Permission:
If you're going to be reprinting an article, do get permission. It's not only bad etiquette to reprint someone else's words on your blog, it's a copyright violation. If you'll be using more than a paragraph, get permission.
Quote with Attribution:
If you find information on another blog and would like to discuss it with your readers, be sure to link back to the original source. If you're quoting the original source, offer a link with attribution.
Be Sure of Your Facts:
Opinion is one thing, but never post something as fact unless you're absolutely sure. If you made a mistake or misquoted someone, do offer an apology. Bloggers are forgiving people, if you own up to a mistake you'll be seen as a better person.
Be Kind:
Anonymity gives people keyboard courage. If you're responding to a post, do keep it civil. Whether you're anonymous or using your name it's still good manners to respond in a grownup manner.
Don't Write Anything You Wouldn't Want the Whole World to Know:
Before you open your closet to let the skeletons out, think about what you're doing. While confession is good for the soul, in the heat of the moment you might not feel so good about what you wrote months later. You might be able to erase your own blog entries, but comments on other blogs and forums don't go away so easy. Think before you type.
Always Get Permission:
If you're going to be reprinting an article, do get permission. It's not only bad etiquette to reprint someone else's words on your blog, it's a copyright violation. If you'll be using more than a paragraph, get permission.
Quote with Attribution:
If you find information on another blog and would like to discuss it with your readers, be sure to link back to the original source. If you're quoting the original source, offer a link with attribution.
Be Sure of Your Facts:
Opinion is one thing, but never post something as fact unless you're absolutely sure. If you made a mistake or misquoted someone, do offer an apology. Bloggers are forgiving people, if you own up to a mistake you'll be seen as a better person.
Be Kind:
Anonymity gives people keyboard courage. If you're responding to a post, do keep it civil. Whether you're anonymous or using your name it's still good manners to respond in a grownup manner.
It Begins
And so it begins. Thank you all for attending the meeting on Saturday. I was pleased by the turn out and excited by the ideas. Thank you all also for you points and suggestions. As soon as we get all the Committe positions filled we will be off and running.
This is your Troop. I started this process for the purpose of offering our sons a Scouting opportunity within our own community. In the end, however, it will be up to you parents and your Scouts to determine the strength and direction of our Troop.
I hope to be able to take advantage of this blog, the Troop email and the document storage to keep everybody informed and involved. The newer technology may proved to be a great help.
That's all for now, more later. Drive on!
YIS
jdd
:)
How-To Label Your Posts
We'll be adding a blog etiquette statement, but for now, just educate yourself on this site and don't forget to add labels to your blog entry so that we can categorize our posts.
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