Being Mentally Awake

“I cannot teach anybody anything. I can only make them think” ― Socrates

On a long November night our group of eight was crossing Indian Pass in the Adirondacks when all but one of our flashlights quit in the cold and rain. We leapfrogged our way slowly by shining our one working light on the trail, hiking twenty yards or so, moving the light to the front of the group, and covering another twenty yards. Over the next few hours we picked our way along several miles of rocky, steep, trail and creek crossings. It was quite an ordeal but we made it.

Scouters illuminate the trail ahead by asking questions that encourage Scouts to be mentally awake, to find answers, a few steps forward at a time. Some answers are in within ourselves, some are beyond ourselves. But if we continuously inspire their thinking by asking questions rather than making pronouncements Scouts learn how to find answers to a variety of challenges – to be mentally awake; a crucial life skill.

Practice not knowing, see if you can inspire your Scouts learn to find answers without telling or instructing, watch them start to catch on.

Scouts who are mentally awake seek out answers, and knowing how to find answers is more important than knowing answers because someone told you what they were.