Scoutmaster Podcast 129

Hello, this is Mike Beck. I am a Scoutmaster with Troop 61 from Valrico, Florida, and you are listening to Cart Green on the Scoutmaster podcast. And now to you- Scoutmaster,

I don't know about you- We get down to camp and the first duty of all of our scouts seems to be to rid the entire area of spiders and what they think our spiders daddy long likes. That's right.

I mean, they mount a pretty concerted hunting expedition in their tents and around the bunks and latrine and things like that. It's really something to watch. Spiders are a powerful motivational tool and quite figured out how to use them. yet If you have any ideas about that, give us a call. Hey, this is podcast number 129..

Well, welcome back to the Scoutmaster podcast. This is Clarke Green. Hey, we had a wonderful week camp. Wow, was it hot. If you're living in the Mid-Atlantic States, wowie, I haven't really paid that much attention the past week to the weather elsewhere, but but man, was it hot, I'll tell you. we muddled through one way or another and we had a stunningly successful week of camp. I got paid a couple of high compliments as a Scoutmaster. I felt We had one evening where the boys are supposed to put together their own program and the patrol leaders council got together and decided I would have a campfire. and me and the other adult leaders were kind of we're sitting around that little adult leader circle that you have a camp and we're talking and everything, and kind of looking at our watches and we say you know, it's about campfire time. I wonder when they're going to start the campfire. and then we hear the sounds of skits and songs and things down at the campfire circle in our campsite and kind of looked at each other and said, well, I guess we can get invited.

And you know I felt that was kind of a compliment: Hey, well, we don't really need them down here, We've got our own thing going on. Then they made a plaque for the dining hall. That's tradition that I know isn't peculiar to our camp. but you know, during the week you can go down to the handicraft and get yourself a piece of wood and some paint and make a plaque and donate to the dining hall where they'll put it up and you can remember your experience down at camp for years to come. And you know the boys were putting the plaque together and they painted it and they designed it and they had a little design competition and they drew it up and everything like that. And then they were all there to sign the plaque. They all signed the plaque and we were waiting expectantly and we once again never invited to sign the plaque. Here's what I take away from that. They had very energized, capable youth leadership and, boy, there really wasn't all that much for us to do during the week and you know they could have really done that whole week of camp on their own. but I'm glad I got to go down, Glad I got to see what went on. So this week it's a brief podcast If you don't mind. you know we're still in recovery mode around here. We've got some unpacking to do, some dirty laundry to take care of and then, you know, getting back on the swing of things. after that long, luxuriant week of sitting around at camp, I was inspired to go back and take a look at 10 ways to work with your senior patrol leader, and that's going to be in Scoutmaster ship in seven minutes or less. Then we got a shout out and that's going to do it for this podcast. Listen, you heard Mike Beck at the top of the podcast and you'll hear him again when it comes shout out time and you can be part of the Scoutmaster podcast by going to scoutmastercgcom. click on the shout out link in the menu and you'll learn how you can join us right here.

That's right, But in the meantime, let's get started. Shall we Scoutmaster ship in seven minutes or less? Senior patrol leader: that's the key leadership position. Now, how do we work out the relationship that we have with our senior patrol? You're the Scoutmaster. You're supposed to be watching what's going on, Supposed to mentor this young man through the process of learning to lead. Well, how does that happen? I got 10 points for you.

One is to let him own the program. I mean, they are responsible for the troop program. They're responsible for meetings and outings, They're responsible for the whole thing.

If he's receiving a written plan and it's not actually responsible for the program, he's responsible for running your idea of what the program should be.

Let him own it. Let him come up with some ideas, Let him put them together. Let him run them. He'll do a lot better than you think. The other one is: never criticize your senior patrol leader publicly. Don't holler at him. Don't criticize him in front of other scouts.

No other action is going to undercut his authority or the relationship that you form with him than doing that. Number three: give him some direction and some boundaries.

Keep them focused on what scouting promises. Show them where the boundaries are, But at the same time you do that, point out the vast possibilities that exist within those boundaries.

Number four: be polite. I'm not polite. sometimes I have to say and ask permission If he's running something, if he's leading the scouts and something. don't just barge in, Ask permission. Hey, can I take a moment to say something?

Ask permission Instead of jumping in and taking over and doing things. hey, do you need any adult support for that? Or what can I do to help you? do this Quietly, not in front of the other scouts.

Be polite. Number five is to encourage him. There's always going to be problems and challenge is good. He's responsible not to prevent the problems but to lead the troop through them And problems, even if he creates them. they're not punishable offenses.

They're good moments to learn. Number six: set the proper tone for leadership. Scouts aren't soldiers. you're not the captain. The SPL is not the drill sergeant.

You're the coach. your senior patrol leader is the team captain and the scouts are the players. Find out where the markings are on the field. Stay on the sidelines. Let the SPL run the game.

Number seven is: use your authority sparingly. First of all, you don't have a whole lot of authority anyway. It's a good idea just to think that We have provisional authority where we can step in and we can prevent unsafe or improper actions.

But the real authority lies in our youth leadership. When circumstances demand, do this quietly. Like I said, go back and ask permission And see if you can quietly ask a lot of questions that will lead to a course correction. Don't grab the wheel out of their hands.

Don't hit the brake unless the wreck is imminent. You know, ask some questions and guide them towards a course correction. Number eight: keep your distance.

Keep your distance, Let the scouts live their own lives. I mean: go fold a tent in the storeroom, Go conduct a Scoutmaster's conference. Go sit down, have a cup of coffee, Watch quietly. Go talk to your fellow leaders, Stay out of their way, Keep your distance, Observe, Observe, But remember it's their place, It's what they get to do, It's their playing field.

And number nine follows up on that, because we guard that playing field. So we're not just coaches, sometimes we're referees And when other adults interfere, we've got to redirect their attention to something else.

Usually, one direct, clear statement about the role of adults is all that you need to do, And don't embarrass them, be polite. But sometimes the ref has to step in and remind a coach that he's on the field now and he needs to. you know, hightail it for the sidelines.

Number 10, always give your senior patrol leader plenty of feedback, And plenty means about two minutes in every hour. Don't wear them out. Don't give him so much that, uh, you know he can't process it.

Give him plenty of feedback about whatever's happening right then, Do it very, very quickly, quietly and politely And then step back let him process it, let him figure it out.

That's 10 little hints that have helped me deal with my senior patrol leaders. And, uh, you know, do I hit all 10 of them? Not always, Nope, But we, we keep pushing ahead and we keep trying, And I think it'll help you sort out how to work out this whole youth leadership puzzle.

Hi, this is Mike Beck, Scoutmaster of Troops 61 in Val Rico, Florida, And I'm going to give a shout out to assistant Scoutmaster Richard Baskway. Richard coordinated three separate crews who conducted three different tracks in the Great Mokigalton National Forest. We had not only a safe time but absolutely awesome experience. Thanks a lot, Richard.