The Authority of Youth Leadership.

Compel - Force or oblige someone to do something.

Delegate - To give or commit (duties, powers, etc) to another as agent or representative.

Empowered - Give someone the authority or power to do something. The authority of youth leadership is not based in compelling young people to do something. The authority in youth leadership is not delegated (One abiding myth of Scouting is that the adults are the source of all authority and delegate responsibility to youth leadership.) The authority of youth leadership is built into the fabric of Scouting, they are empowered to lead.

Youth leaders are not servants, employees, or soldiers but volunteer players in the purposeful game of Scouting.

Scouting is something that Scouts do for themselves and adults have the honor of observing, coaching and encouraging.

Adult oversight is cooperative; we are there to aid our youth leaders by doing only the things they, by reason of their age, cannot do Adult authority is provisional; we are there to assure things are safe, and that our youth leaders are playing within the bounds of the game.

Adult leadership is responsive and reciprocal to youth leadership: we provide assistance to developing leaders in the same way we teach someone to ride a bike, by letting go when they are ready to pedal on their own.