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What is authentic Scouting? 52 Scout leaders from 16 countries in the European Scout Region replied to a survey about the retention of young people in Scouting conducted by the World Organization of the Scouting Movement (WOSM) during the World Scout Jamboree in Sweden.
Their responses indicate that Scouting everywhere shares common challenges. Here’s some key thoughts offered in answer to one survey question that I think are particularly important;
In your personal opinion, why do you think that some young people leave Scouting?
- Not “cool” enough in their early teens.
- Leaders do not get the changes between age divisions they cling to traditions and behavior and miss age-appropriate changes.
- If there is no real challenge it gets boring.
- Too much theory and aimless instruction.
- We are trying to become more modernized. Scouts comes to us to live the magic of a tale under a starlit sky midsummer in the forest, not to be between four walls learning things.
- The rules needed by the organization are killing the spirit that keeps the movement alive. There was a time kids were hearing about Scouting, started their own activities and looked for adults to help them on the way. When the organization prepares the activities Scouts are only participants who pay their fee and expect something in return. This is very different from where we started.
- Its not sociably accepted and they believe they have grown out of scouting
- Pressure to achieve at school leads parents to believe that Scouting is less important than school work – which at one level it is, but a good Scout program provides a balance to school life which can be very beneficial, Scouting is not getting that message over very well.
- Outdated, traditional, insular attitudes from leaders.
- Lack of involvement and responsibility in program planning. No adventure.
- Do not like the Uniform.
A common thread in the respondents answers is that organizational concerns; procedures, policies, specifications, programs, and attitudes can overwhelm the spirit of Scouting. Young people join Scouting for the spirit of adventure, find that that spirit is not so strong as they hoped, and leave. That’s the heart of the retention problem.
In August 1936, Baden-Powell wrote,
I fear there is the danger that a kind of synthetic Scouting may creep into our training in place of the natural article described in ‘Scouting for Boys’ …
By “synthetic Scouting” I mean the Scout system obscured by over-clothing the natural form with rules and instructive literature, tending to make what originally was, and should be, an open-air game into a science for the Scouter and a school curriculum for the boy.
With these thoughts in mind I invite you to answer these questions:
What is authentic Scouting?
What can you do to offer an authentic Scouting experience to your Scouts?
What, in your opinion, are we doing that obscures authentic Scouting?
What is authentic Scouting?
The Patrol Method, with adults only there to keep them safe and mentor them through their challenges.
What can you do to offer an authentic Scouting experience to your Scouts?
When we as leaders remember what our mission is and the vision through which we reach it. By truly understanding the aims and methods of scouting, through which we mentor and coach the boys, utilizing the methods as they were meant to be.Train them, mentor them, then stand back, let them loose and get out of their way. Adjust the program only through mentoring, and only to help them achieve THEIR goals. I am not the scoutmaster, but I train the PLC along with the scoutmaster, and I occasionally attend PLCs, only to see that they are deprived of the basic tools they need to run the troop–by their own doing and by the doing of the scoutmaster. A PLC meeting that is devoid of scout handbooks, patrol leader (and senior patrol leader) handbooks, fieldbooks, troop programming features volumes 1-3, guide to safe scouting, etc, is a PLC that has it’s hands tied behind its back, and their collective minds gagged and blind folded. When woods wisdom use to be a common item on the table, the boys often referred to it, usually when they asked a question of the scoutmaster, he’d referred them to woods wisdom (if the question to their answer lied in there).
Encourage them to attend camporees. Maybe the quality of camporees aren’t what they should be, but the experience, especially the socio-scouting experience, gives them a better sense of belonging to a larger community, a movement once called Scouting for Boys. I’ve tried to build the vision of the patrol and its relationship to the troop, the troop’s relationship to the district, the district’s relationship to the council, etc. By isolating the troop (and allowing the boys to continue that isolation), the boys miss out on a lot of experiences, the exchanging of ideas, friendships, and the vision of a movement. They get a taste of it when they attend the rare council event, or the NJ State Police Camporee (which is only held every three years or so). But, we need to apply the patrol methodology to these events, not troop management methodologies.
What, in your opinion, are we doing that obscures authentic Scouting?
Not truly understanding scouting, and constantly throwing rules at them. Didn’t B-P say at one point, “damn the rules”? He also stated a scoutmaster should be a man-child (but most of use unfortunately had to mature and grow up). I find that most scouters in my district really have no clue of what scouting truly is. That includes the scouters in my troop. Yes, that generates friction, especially when the boys are taught in their TLT session(s) that it is their troop to run. If you ask the average scoutmaster in my district if they utilize the patrol method, they will say yes! Because they have patrols, with elected patrol leaders and an elected senior patrol leader. OK, that is a step in the right direction. But, when the scoutmaster runs the troop through this hierarchy, you don’t have the patrol method. You have only put in place a top-down organization. Scouting starts at the bottom, at patrols, and works up. Hillcourt stated in one of his essays that you do not look at the troop as a bunch of boys that are divided up into patrols; rather, a troop is made up of patrols, and those patrols together make up the troop. Sounds like semantics, but really it isn’t [in practice]. Then the scoutmaster sees advancement as a method, and well, they have to advance and that becomes a large part of their program. Uniforms are also a method, so they have to where uniforms…and they just keep getting things wrong and implementing them wrong, and councils care less, so long as their numbers look good.
Here is the answer that I should have started off with (and ended with), rather than rambling on: We do too much, we do everything we can to get in their way. Our mere existence can stifle the authenticity of Scouting, so we need to learn to step back, be quiet and be invisible. But if we don’t give them the resources and the training, they will never realize authentic Scouting.
Thomas
Yes. The exact point. No patrols, no Scouting.
That’s why I disagree with the guys on Sam’s link. They never mention patrols. In my opinion, that means that they aren’t getting it. Advancements come and go. Merit Badges come and go. Paperwork comes and goes. Patrols are for always.
The folks who wrote the review (I’ll be posting about that sometime soon) obviously missed several things, but there’s some valuable insights.
One of the key problems is that a lot of Scouters, let alone outside observers, miss the fact that the patrol is the basis for everything, the essential feature that defines Scouting. Once you get that things start to work, without patrols functioning as intended nothing works.
Interesting comments on a good topic, I was not a Scout as a kid (unless you count 3 months in Cubs) but as an adult when my oldest son was young I decided to sign him up as a Tiger Scout thinking that WE could enjoy Cub Scouting together and hopefully he might learn something from it. Well I was lucky and got involved with a Pack that had a great Cubmaster and Den Leaders and I quickly got very much involved with the Pack as well as the whole experience. I have many many fond memories of our times together during Scouting and the one aspect I found most satisfying was being able to watch him grow from a young boy in Cubs to an independent young man in Scouts in a Troop that was boy-led. The adults in his Troop acted strictly in an advisory manner and let the young men plan and work together to accomplish what they wanted to get done. It is not surprising to me that many of the boys he was in Cubs with later earned Eagle, but that was not the goal of their endeavors or meetings, it was the outcome. They were there to have fun and learn new things. Am I proud of my son? yes very. Do I hope my younger son will get as much from Scouting as he did? Yes. Am I as involved with Cubs now as much as I was then? Yes. For the same reasons? NO. Then I was somewhat looking at Scouting as a way for me to have a better relationship with my oldest (not that it was in any way bad). But I soon changed my view to wanting others to be able to have the same opportunity I did in watching their boys grow into men. So what is authentic Scouting? It is a process, when the boys are young and in Cubs, it requires providing them the ability to have exciting fun experiences with their families that gradually change as they enter Webelos, become more independent and cross-over into Boy Scouts. In my mind it is critical that they learn early on the Character of what a Scout is and then see that THEY have the power to apply that not only in Boy Scouts but also throughout their lives. THEY need to be running the show. I agree with Larry, but feel that his comments are only directed at the Boy Scouts. Cubs are also Scouts and are where many of our Scouts start their journeys. We have to make sure that the “authentic” Scout experience begins with the Cubs and transitions to the Boy Scouts.
What is authentic Scouting?
—-Boys doing things that boys like to do with other boys in the spirit of scouting
What can you do to offer an authentic Scouting experience to your Scouts?
—-Stay out of the way , guide, advise, and facilitate what they want to do.
What, in your opinion, are we doing that obscures authentic Scouting?
—-Trying to relive our scouting days by being the SPL/PL/Instructor scouts rather than being an advisor.
What is the “essential” aspect of Boy Scouting? BP and Bill agreed that it is The Patrol Method.
Where can one find in current B.S.A. literature (paper or on-line) a clear statement of what The Patrol Method consists of? It is not set out in the eight official “methods,” only referred to. It is not in any handbook. It is certainly not in the syllabus of position-specific training for Scoutmasters, those most likely to get in the way.
Oh, the piece-parts are here and there, sometimes expressed well – even eloquently. but there is simple statement, no clarion call to what our founders agreed was essential.
Could it be that so many “important” topics are occupying us that the essential is being lost?
If we are going to fail, let us fail at least trying Boy Scouting. After all, it is possible that youth experiencing The Patrol Method might like it. I did. Millions did.
Then we can move on to “lockins” as meeting the “Outdoor Program” aspect of The Journey to “Excellence.”
I think that these B-P words are going to ring in my head for a few days. We have parents and leaders that think that we need to do more and more merit badges in scout meetings so that all the scouts can move up in rank together. That means that the boys do more and more classroom training. Ugg!
Yup, I would spend time with parents and Scouts explaining that Merit Badges are an independent effort. I compare it to when your at work and you need help, you seek out an expert to guide you to accomplish your goal. Sometimes they get it. Sometimes they didn’t.
The link below, I think, outlines perfectly why scouting is on the decline…
http://www.artofmanliness.com/2013/04/15/the-boy-scouts-of-america-then-and-now-a-comparison-of-the-1911-and-modern-handbooks-and-merit-badges/
Authentic Scouting is when the boys are in charge.
1. In charge of their own experience, particularly on outings.
2. As leaders, in charge of their group.
3. In charge of all things Scouting within their purview.
Synthetic Scouting is when adults are in charge.
1. Parents.
2. Scout Leaders.
3. Scouting Organizations.
It’s interesting to me that when people talk about Baden-Powell’s quote about Scouting is a game that they often bring up sports. In my case I think more of things like Monopoly, Clue and cards.
When I was growing up we had a Scout Patrol on my front porch in the warm, Florida summers. Almost every day, some time between 1:00pm and 4:00pm, it would rain. It usually rained for about 45 minutes to an hour. If it rained early, then everything would be wet and we would stay on the porch longer.
During summer vacation we were banished out of the house to the porch or outside. My mom did not want to see us until dinner time. We played outside the house all day long. I have recent visits to the dermatologist to prove it.
When it rained we played games on the porch. We would study the rules, change some rules, and play for hours. There were no adults around to referee. There were no adults around to teach or supervise. We made it up as we went. My mom didn’t care whether we played fair or had a good time, just so long as we were outside the house.
We often had disagreements, especially when one of us figured out a way to cheat and then got caught. We worked through all of these issues, generally without violence. We were on our own, but we knew that if we picked up a lawn chair and broke our brother’s arm we would be in deep trouble. There was always law enforcement close by. But mostly, we dealt with our disagreements in our own way.
Sometimes we got creative and combined games by merging play boards and mixing game pieces. We would practice changing rules and then figure out that the original rules were probably the best ones.
We acted as adults in or own realm. It was a fairly prescribed realm, but it was totally ours. For three months. Whether in the back yard, or on the porch, we invented everything. We chose our schedule of events, we invented our own games, we decided who would be on which team, we decided where the bounds would be and we decided who would be in our group. No girls allowed. Period. Ever.
Well, actually, the two neighbor girls would show up and impinge on our activities. We had ways to subtly discourage them and they quickly lost interest in whatever important thing we were doing and would leave. Fortunately they did not like the rain or our porch so they did not bother us during game time.
Entry into the true adult world happened when you learned how to play Bridge. Once past Hearts and Spades, you would graduate to Bridge and begin truly mixing with the adults. No one cared how big or small you were or how old you were. If you could play decently and keep your mouth shut (no stupid kid blather), you were welcome at the table. This could happen as early as 13 or 14 years old.
We had natural leaders. Usually the older boys, but sometimes a younger guy would take over an activity. There were always leaders. Some one would moderate, call on people to talk, pick the next game, draw boundaries on the ground, remind the group what was and what was not out of line, and communicate with Mom.
The fridge was out of bounds and only Moms could access the Kool Aid. The defacto leader was the one who was delegated to respectfully enter the lair and approach the lioness. We had to be careful. If she was standing in the 95% humidity and 95 degree heat ironing Dad’s shirts, then Kool Aid could wait. We would go back and get some rainwater dripping off of the eaves or turn on the hose out back.
In the mornings, before the daily rain, we would assemble in packs with our bicycles, choose a destination, and head out for the day. If a thunderstorm did not build up, we would stay gone until dinner time. The leader would be the strongest biker. Course corrections were made by stopping, dropping our bikes in the grass by the road or sidewalk, lying down in the grass and contemplating the clouds overhead. Some pattern in the sky or clouds would eventually penetrate our little pea brains and off we would go again.
When we got into Scouting we continued along the same path. My patrol would campout in back yards and nearby wooded areas. Our fund raisers were distributing flyers for local businesses. The printer would drop off a pile of flyers at the Patrol Leaders house and we would assemble with our wagons and cover the neighborhood. It was all great fun.
Scoutmasters were good for taking us places we couldn’t ride our bike to. Especially places with springs, lakes and rivers to swim in. The culmination being our Appalachian Trail hike in North Carolina.
So where am I going with all of this. I’m not sure. Those guys whose parents that think Scouting is ADVANCEMENT will probably get what they want. I’ll have more fun.
In my experience no matter how hard we try we cannot make “authentic” scouting happen. If we do everything right sometimes it happens. If many things go wrong sometimes it still happens. At our troop meeting last night I looked over and saw our ASPL on bended knee providing instruction to new scouts regarding our upcoming fishing trip. It looked like the scouts were hanging on every word. It was a regular Rockwell moment so I snapped a photo.
The trick is to get parents and scouts to understand the true benefits of scouting. Even as an adult leader it took a while for me to see the bigger picture.
I agree with Tracy. Advancemtn is a method, but too many people determine the success of a Troop by how many Eagles they have and not the program they offer.
When I was a Scoutmaster years ago I spent a good deal of the meeting dealing with uniform issues. Not what I wanted to do, but what was asked of me by tha parents and the Committee. This sucked the fun right out of Scouting.
I’m gald I’m involved with Venturing now. Those issues are not as import in the minds of the parents.
What do you do when the parents are extremely supportive of Scouting – for all of the wrong reasons. For many years, we have had parents come into the troop, interested only in the Eagle. Their son is less interested, sometimes angry at being forced into another achievement activity. Since the rank of Eagle implies that the young man who earns it is worthy, there are “perks” to the badge – consideration in college applications, and even advancement in law enforcement and the military. The parents of these Scouts care nothing for the program, they are not interested in outings, Scout spirit or the amazing Scouting experience. If the troop does not pull their son to Eagle fast enough, they leave, seeking the rank with another troop – they usually get the badge eventually, but not with our troop. Do we try to educate these parents, even though they’re not interested, or do we continue on with the program, and let that Scout leave, never having even tasted how incredible Scouting is?
Some people will not be satisfied and they will leave to find what they want somewhere else – this is not a ‘loss’ for your Troop, it’s just the way of things.
Too much pressure and emphasis on advancement for advancement’s sake has always been one of the things that obscure authentic Scouting (BP saw it in 1936, so it’s safe to say it’s always been there).
We can do our best to point families at authentic Scouting but sometimes it doesn’t interest them as much as the whole weird Eagle fixation. Don’t let this distract you – just focus on enabling your Scouts to do Scouting.