Scoutmaster Podcast 293

Hello, I'm Brian Stockton and I'm the committee chair for PAC 38 in Des Moines, Iowa. This edition of the Scoutmaster podcast is sponsored by backers like me. Thanks, Clark, I appreciate everything you do.

And now to you, Scoutmaster. A Scout walks into the room for his Eagle border review. He's introduced. Everybody in the border review sits down at the table.

They're looking through the papers and they look at him and they say, well, what about some personal references? And the Eagle Scout looks at the border review members and says, no, you guys look pretty trustworthy to me, I don't really need any references There you go Right, Clever Eagle Scout.

Hey, this is podcast number 293.. Hey Well, welcome back to the Scoutmaster podcast.

This is Clarke Green And over in the mailbag this week John Clements gave us a five star review of So Far, So Good on Amazon. So Far, So Good is a book, a very simple narrative about a new Scoutmaster who's trying to get his troop a little back more on True North, running the patrol method, youth leadership- pretty familiar story. But over on Amazon John said it's great storyline that covers the transformation from adult to scout led troop. For me the best parts are how to work with adults, which is where the real challenge in this transformation will be found.

Well, that's true, John, And what I did in writing the book was trying to create a narrative that helped think through a lot of issues: working with the Scouts, working with their families, working with some of your fellow Scouters. So thanks very much, John, for that review over on Amazon. I really appreciate it. Matt Thompson is with Troop 216 in Eureka, Kansas, And he said: I listened to podcast 282 about removing problematic volunteers And you're correct: The chartered organization representative is going to be the person who will help you out. There is a small section related to this in the commissioner fieldbook And I've attached the relevant pages for you to share, And I appreciate that, Matt. I will have a link to a PDF version of those pages on the post that contains this podcast.

If you'll keep an eye on our Twitter feed and our Facebook feed, every week we have a couple of live chat sessions, usually Tuesday and Wednesday mornings, And lots of folks show up for the live chat sessions over at scoutmastercgcom. Sometimes we chat about things of major importance And sometimes we just we just chat.

So come on over to scoutmastercgcom, Keep an eye on the Facebook feed and the Twitter feed, Join us in a live chat this week, like Kevin Brew did. He's a scout leader and assistant island commissioner.

Wow, how about that? There's not too many island commissioners out there for scouts on the Isle of Man and that's in the middle of the Irish Sea between Ireland and England. Kevin is on the Isle of Man and he's a part of the UK Scout Association And he joined us for our live chat this week, along with all the other frequent flyers who show up for our live chat sessions.

So come on, you never know who you're going to meet on the live chat Over on Facebook this past week and on the blog, let's see. The big thing was the eight knot contest infographic that we created this week. I'm sure that there are lots of other versions of a similar kind of contest out there, but it's a great individual contest or an inter patrol competition Got a lot of attention over on Facebook this week.

Before we go any further, I want to ask you to do something for me. It's pretty simple. If you're a regular reader and listener and the resources that I've created have helped you, I'm asking you return the favor by becoming a ScoutmasterCGcom backer.

Funds we get from our backers go to cover all the expenses of producing and publishing everything at ScoutmasterCGcom, including the podcast you're listening to right now, And we keep it freely available for everybody all over the world. Here's what you do: Go to ScoutmasterCGcom, click the support link at the top of the page And you can choose from a number of options there, which include autograph copies of my books like so far, so good.

That I mentioned a little bit earlier, And I want to take a moment to personally thank Brian Stockton, Brian Stone and Brad Watts, who all have become backers since our last podcast. Go to ScoutmasterCGcom, click the support link at the top of the page, Become a backer this week and I'll make sure to thank you personally on our next podcast.

One last thing before we get going here I want to mention I'll be spending a week in Kondersteg, Switzerland, at the International Scout Center next July. I'm going to be hosting anyone who'd like to come over and see Switzerland and experience the kind of mini international jamboree over at Kondersteg. Get in touch with me about it. Go to ScoutmasterCGcom. You'll see a link in the menu to Kondersteg 2016.. Come on and join us.

It's going to be great fun. Well, in the remainder of this week's podcast in Scout MasterChip in seven minutes or less.

I want to share with you some thoughts about peace scouting and the kind of opportunities that we have as scouters to promote peace. And this is based on an address that Baden Powell delivered to what would become the World Organization of the Scouting Movement in 1922 in Paris.

And then I have a couple of email questions to answer. So let's get started.

Shall we Scout MasterChip in seven minutes or less?

Since the podcast last week, the world is reeling from the latest episode of terrorism that unfolded in Paris, France, And that all too familiar specter of fear and foreboding is blanketing all of our news coverage. But if you're a scouter, you get to respond to what happened in Paris this week when you go to open the door of the room where your scouts are going to meet, because you have the opportunity to have a profound effect on the collective future of humanity.

Sounds like a big order, doesn't it? But it's actually pretty simple.

The idea I want to share with you isn't new And it isn't especially complicated, And because it's neither new or complicated, it's going to sound a little trite, But don't be fooled. This is a profound and inspiring opportunity for every scouter in every part of the world Scouting's founder, Robert Baden Powell, shared this very simple idea in an address to what would become the World Organization of the Scouting Movement in 1922 at the Sorbonne University there in Paris, In the very city that has been just reeling from these acts of terrorism. Many years ago, there was Baden Powell at the world famous Sorbonne University delivering an address about education in love in place of fear. Imagine for a moment 1922 in world history. Humanity is still reeling from the tragedy of World War I. Baden Powell himself, his own personal history, tells us that he has an intimate personal knowledge of war during his long service as a British officer in the Boer Wars.

And in his address he says, quote: I've spent a good part of my life as a soldier And I've seen something of the brutality and horrors incidental to this man-authorized murder of God's creatures, our brother men, together with the ruin of their homes and the sufferings of the innocent women and children. And it is in this historic backdrop, not only of what's happening in world affairs in 1922, but Baden Powell's own personal history, that he steps onto the stage at the Sorbonne University in Paris and shares these thoughts. He begins by stating that fear is what compels mankind and nations to harm each other. And that fear quote- has been the weapon of the powerful in terrorizing the weaker. Unquote. He follows by observing that quote: love is what we all pray for, yet we allow ourselves to live under the yoke of fear.

And he insists that if we imply love in place of fear, we gain peace, mutual trust, honor and goodwill. And it goes on to note something very counterintuitive: The world's just been through World War I, but there's rising militarism amongst the nations of Europe in the wake of that war based on fear. But Baden Powell, in his address, suggests that there is an alternative for militarism. He says there's a way for every nation to have strong, character-driven young people, confident in themselves, resilient, educated, compassionate people who will fix the world.

He continues by saying- quote: this may seem to be a utopian dream, too visionary and too impractical, And he asks: can it ever be brought about in practice? And then he answers his own question: yes, because through scouting it's already happening in every corner of the world. And that's where you and I come in.

We can apply love in the place of fear. Sometime this week We can take part in creating strong, character-driven young people, confident in themselves, resilient, educated and compassionate people who will fix the world. When we turn the key on the meeting room door and our scouts fill the room, we're unlocking an opportunity to apply love in the place of fear. And our dens and patrols and crews, scouts, work together and learn that they can get along, that they can resolve their differences peacefully and they can be of service to the greater circles of their family, their community, their nation and their world.

In the course of the last week there have been some events that make us feel uncertain and fearful, But you know, it's kind of hard to find a time in human history where there wasn't a good excuse to feel uncertain and fearful every single day. But the simple truth is that as scouts, we build our world in comparatively small but incredibly important ways by forming character, compassion and the ideal of service in our scouts. Your opportunity as a scouter is very profound. Take a moment today and think about that, because we join hands with millions of fellow scouts around the world working to educate in love in place of fear.

As I said at the beginning, it's a simple idea, It's nothing new, but it's so very, very important because we all have plenty of work left to do. I need your letter, send it by name Email. That is, folks,

And here's an answer to one of your emails. Ty Williams is the Scoutmaster of Troop 262 in Clarkston Washington. Our troop rechartered last September after it was leaderless for about a year.

So all of the scouts in my troop are pretty young. Many crossed over as Webelos and the oldest is 12.. There are a couple of groups of siblings who argue a lot at troop meetings and campouts and everywhere.

Now, is this just because they're siblings or is there really something I can do In addition to that? I'm not really sure about what I can do to teach my scouts the values that will help them avoid the problems I see in my professional life as a social worker. It all feels a little overwhelming. It feels like I'm trying to fight lots of negative influences in the wider society and I'm really not too sure where to begin.

Well, Ty, it sounds like you have a fantastic opportunity and you're gonna have a fantastic time. I envy you really Having a group of young scouts basically restarting a troop. You're gonna do fine.

So let me offer you some basic advice. First off, just relax a little bit.

Okay, You're gonna be a good scouter and it's challenging. Sure, there's lots of things to do and lots of things to think about, but when you come down to it, it's pretty simple.

Secondly, I want to advise you to meet your scouts where they are and help them find their way forward. And to meet them where they are. You're gonna have to ask them lots of questions and listen carefully to what they have to say. Begin to understand something about them, about what they're thinking about their families and their homes, about the way that they interact in their community.

And then, third, remember what it's like to be their age Now. Who really helped when you were that old and who didn't? And I'm gonna guess that the folks that really helped you. You may not remember exactly what they said or even exactly how they did it, but you remember how they made you feel.

So what you do as a scouter is all about your perspective and your attitude. You're serving your scouts. That's your attitude, and your perspective is understanding something about them and meeting them where they are Now. Fourth, you can't really fight negative influences in the lives of your scouts, and you don't wanna fight them, because you're always gonna lose. What you can do is offer something better in a way that they can understand in a way that's accessible to your scouts, and trust them to make the right decision, because all of us, when we see something better, when we see something that is not negative, that's positive. When we find positive ways to grow and to live and to work with people, we're gonna choose the positive things.

So don't worry about fighting negative influences. You don't have to. What you need to do is emphasize the positive influences in their lives.

And then, last but not least, look, do not attempt to teach them anything, because you're not a teacher. Don't do anything the teachers do, because if you do, they're gonna put up their defensive shield that they have perfected in long years of schooling. Instead of trying to teach them anything, make opportunities for them to teach themselves, Ask questions and follow up with more questions.

Soon they're gonna learn to ask questions of themselves and really start learning how to learn, which is the greatest gift we can give any of our scouts. And oh, you talked about siblings arguing, and you know what. You're not gonna be able to do too much about that by coming at it as a problem.

Okay, What you're gonna find is is that your scouts are going to do whatever gets your attention If you pay a lot of attention to arguing, they're gonna continue to argue. If you point out and celebrate even the smallest indication of these siblings getting along and expressing courtesy and friendship and kindness, they're going to outdo each other in those things.

So, Ty, once again I envy you. It sounds like a great time. And keep it really simple. It's all about your attitude and your perspective. And listen carefully to what your scouts have to say.

The next email: well, it's another younger scout question and the person who sent me the email asked to remain anonymous- Says: I have a lot of newer scouts. I have 10 or so newer scouts and of those scouts, three are just straight up troublemakers. They're basically very undisciplined. They run all around, They don't listen to our youth leadership, They're loud and they're literally ruining the meetings for the other scouts that want to be there. I looked at your site for some help.

I found a lot of things undisciplined, but I wanna give my senior patrol leader and the patrol leaders council a couple of articles or a podcast so they can get some good ideas to rein these boys in. The older scouts have some ideas about disciplining these guys and we have spoken to their parents.

And now I wanna discuss proper conduct in a troop meeting setting. So any help or advice you have would be appreciated.

Well, when it comes down to difficult behavior in scouts, I have a pretty simple formula. First off, you don't want youth leaders disciplining scouts or having to deal with all but the most garden variety kinds of difficult behavior. There is a base expectation for participating in scouts and that is that you conduct yourself in a way consistent with the scout oath and law.

Now, garden variety misbehavior is gonna be somebody having a bad day and getting a little stroppy, or somebody making a bad choice about something, and a lot of those things. Yes, our youth leadership can deal with them, but when it is a repeated pattern of difficult behavior- that's one of the reasons that scouts are there. Scouts who can't behave or follow directions from youth leaders are gonna get referred to you as the Scoutmaster and you establish some very simple things in a very brief and simple conversation. You tell them individually: don't do this with groups of scouts, only with individual scouts. You tell them that they will follow the directions of their youth leaders and conduct themselves as scouts according to the oath and law.

That's the expectation you have and then ask them to tell you what that means and listen carefully while they explain it to you. Now you may have to ask a few more questions and focus in on a couple of points of the scout oath and law, but once they have told you what they understand about what your expectations of behavior is, then you say okay.

So we both understand what's expected of you. And let me explain what happens if you and I end up having to discuss this again because you aren't keeping up your end of the bargain and conducting yourself as a scout.

If you can't behave, what'll happen is you'll have to come and sit over here quietly until your parents come to pick you up, and then you and I and your parents are gonna have a talk. I will tell them that they have to keep you home from scouts until they can tell me that you will behave and follow directions and conduct yourself according to the scout oath and law, because none of our youth leaders discipline or punish scouts. None of our scouts, myself included, discipline or punish scouts. That is your family's job.

So if you can't behave, I will tell them that they have to fix the problem at home before you can come back. So it's a pretty matter of fact, discussion and we make sure the scout understands exactly what we've said.

And there you go A lot of times the idea that their parents are gonna get involved or that they're going to have to miss out on scouts because their behavior problem will fix the behavior. Sometimes it won't, and you have to be open to having discussions with the scout, with his parents, and simply drawing the line at the idea that you are going to engage in any kind of discipline or punishment.

Now, having a scout correct anything that is the result of his misbehavior in proportionate consequences, now that's not punishment, right? So what I'm saying is: let's say a scout makes a mess of something, right?

Well, he cleans up the mess. That's proportionate consequences, but it's not punishment.

So you draw the line at punishment. If a scout has a continuous pattern and misbehavior, then he's referred to you by the youth leadership and you refer him to his parents and you say: look, we have a very high expectation of behavior here and this isn't just simply one mistake or two mistakes or three mistakes.

This is a pretty much a pattern and we can't have it. So here's our plan: You're gonna take him home and you as a family have to solve the behavior problem before he's able to come back here. And it's really simple: mom and dad, you just tell me that you've corrected the problem and he's welcome back to scouts. But we draw the line: We don't punish scouts, we don't discipline scouts, because we believe that's family's responsibility. And I know I've mentioned all this before and we've talked about conduct and rules and things like that. And if you go to scoutmastercgcom and you go to the index and you look at the articles and podcasts we've done on discipline before, that kind of help answer some of the questions that this particular answer might create for you.

But it's actually pretty simple. The real breakthrough for me on this was figuring out that scouts and youth leaders do not punish or discipline scouts and that there was no acceptable level of absolute misbehavior or a pattern of misbehavior that we needed to put up with and that it was the job of their families to take care of those issues. Hey, if you have a question for me, you can get in touch. It's pretty easy to do And I'm gonna tell you how to make that happen in just a moment.