Scoutmaster Podcast 297

Opening joke: Clarke's theory that Santa is a Scouter — he has a beard, wears a uniform, drives an ancient vehicle, and his clothes are tarnished with ashes and soot.

Listener mail from Scouter James (4th Chatham Scout Troop, Ontario) on letting Scouts own their own gear and responsibilities; John Ruth (Seneca District, Great Trail Council) on returning after 40 years and the value of Scout-led discovery over adult-led efficiency; Frank Maynard (Ottawa District, Novi MI) on the correlation between adult-to-Scout ratio and program quality. Clarke also announces episode 297 is the last live podcast of 2015 and previews the 300th edition milestone in January.

Clarke argues every Scouter has one aim (shape good character) and one method (the patrol method), arriving at a single-sentence mission: 'Your job as a Scouter is to shape character by applying the patrol method.'