Barking

Ken was the long-time Scoutmaster of a troop 12 here in town who retired when I took over as Scoutmaster for our troop 24 in

1984. The Scouts in Ken’s troop joined ours, and Ken stayed registered as an assistant Scoutmaster with our troop for many years. Ken never sat me down and told me how to do things. He showed me a thing or two, though.

I remember how he showed me the difference between yelling and speaking loudly. At the opening of one meeting the Scouts were milling around as the senior patrol leader tried to get everyone’s attention. Ken watched this for a long while. Then this soft-spoken elderly fire plug of a man barked-“BE QUIET, LINE UP”.

There was instant silence, not one Scout turned around to look at him; they all fell into place quickly.

There was no anger or frustration in his voice, it wasn’t intimidating or frightening. Ken “barked” once. That was enough, and I never heard him raise his voice again. If we yell often we are training Scouts to respond to yelling.

I can be hot-tempered and easily frustrated; but Ken taught me by example that yelling was an ineffective way to deal with Scouts. He showed me that speaking loudly, on very rare occasions and only when absolutely necessary; signals that a boundary had been reached, or passed, and things needed to change.