Don't Control Them - Lead Them

As a Scoutmaster I had to abandon my initial ideal vision of Scouting for a much broader and successful one.

I never was a Scout. My older brother had a a less than rewarding experience with his brief career as a Scout and my younger brother and myself were never encouraged to join. For some reason, though, we did have a copy of Bill Hillcourt’s Patrol Leader’s handbook that I found endlessly fascinating. When I became a Scoutmaster I still had this handbook and considered its idealized patrol the measure of my success. In its pages fully uniformed Scouts built perfectly regimented campsites, had orderly, inspiring meetings and were never without a smiling, competent leader.

Naturally I frustrated myself and a good many boys in an attempt to achieve this level of perfection. At first I thought that I should ‘crack down’ on my Scouts and demand a nearly unattainable level of order and skill. But I have discovered that Scoutmastership is simply letting them realize their own vision, abilities and the vast stores of potential in every boy.

Scouting is designed to answer the natural enthusiasm of boys for the outdoors, their curiosity, their desire for achievement and recognition and the strong drive for social membership and acceptance. Boys have a natural propensity for leadership and innately understand hierarchic systems. They have a keen sense of respect for those who lead them well and a strong disdain for those that abuse authority. If we accept that they come to us with these powerful characteristics in place we must: Maintain an atmosphere that encourages positive expression of these qualities.

Guard against influences that quash their natural enthusiasm.

These two simple tasks revolutionized my work as a Scoutmaster.

I threw away my own plans and worked to help the Scouts define and achieve theirs.

I abandoned my desire for regimentation, for unattainable perfection, for irritating details that did not serve the promises of Scouting and allowed the Scouts to set and attain expectations.

I am not suggesting a “laissez-faire” policy that consecrates every decision made by the Scouts simply because it was made by the Scouts. Left totally to themselves Scouts will occassionaly make questionable decisons and get off track.

Instead we impress on the Scouts that they must test every decison against the promises of Scouting .

Scouts want to define and acheive success as much as anyone, they come to us with powerful abilities and aspirations. All we need do is lend them some definition, protect them from undue interference and allow them to work.