This email about one Webelos crossover to a troop needs little introduction or explanation, but one part bears repeating; Meetings don’t cut it, selling the parents on how great a troop is doesn’t cut it, your “reputation” of being a strong troop doesn’t cut it. What does? Read on; Clarke – I recently stumbled across your […]
Scoutmaster Responsibilities
4 Mistakes Scout Leaders Make and How to Correct Them
Sometimes it seems we are doing all the right things but the results we are hoping for never materialize. When Scout leaders grow frustrated with their work it’s usually because they are making one or more of the following mistakes: 1. Scout Leaders Become Over Involved You’ve heard the term ‘helicopter’ applied to parents, teachers and Scout leaders […]
Talking With Scouts About Tragic Events
Talking with Scouts about tragic events is one way we can help relieve some of the anxiety, anger and uncertainty we all feel; lend perspective, and find constructive action in response to tragedy. When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, “Look for the helpers. […]
Scout Leader Business Card
Here’s an easy way to introduce visiting parents or new adult volunteers to the concept of youth leadership – a Scout leader business card that explains things simply, politely yet directly. THANK YOU FOR LENDING A HAND Our Scouts are on the field playing a game. Head Coach = Scoutmaster Team Captains = Youth Leadership Team Members = […]
Three Keys to Scoutmaster Survival
Scoutmaster survival can hinge on these three P’s – proportion, perspective and preparation, every Scoutmaster should know: Proportion You can only do so much, you have limitations and you have a breaking point. Having a sober estimate of these things about ourselves is important. Your Scouts can only do so much, they have limitations and they have a […]
Are You a Safety Net or Nursemaid?
Priceless! Dear Andy, I returned from Scout camp after spending six days with my son and his troop a couple of weeks ago, and I have to say is I’m shocked. I was there with the Scoutmaster, and he never lifted a finger to help the boys. All he did was sit in his lawn […]
A New Scoutmaster Makes Changes
At some point a new Scoutmaster be trained, and will have studied the resources. Once that’s happened a new Scoutmaster will be reasonably confident that some changes need to be made. These may just be changes of style or they may be fairly systemic. Bear in mind that all change can be challenging, Scouts and adults are typically resistant to it and it can […]
Resources for a New Scoutmaster
A new Scoutmaster needs to be trained but that training needs to be supplemented by your own reading and study. Most of the time when Scouting goes awry it’s because adults are ignorant of the program. You’ll learn how the program works fairly quickly and spend as many years as you like perfecting your skills. It’s like […]
A New Scoutmaster Needs Training
You have been asked to take on one of the greatest, most challenging roles in Scouting; you are a new Scoutmaster. What next? Get trained! Here’s the steps; Be prepared for training by being teachable. A new Scoutmaster may have a strong, determined personality. While this is desirable in some respects it can also make us less […]
Ten Skills Scoutmasters Need
Ten skills Scoutmasters need based on The Ten Essentials of Scoutmastership penned by William ‘Green Bar Bill’ Hillcourt were part of the Scoutmaster’s Handbook for many years. 1. A belief in boys that will make you want to invest yourself and your time on their behalf. As Plato said “Of all the animals, the boy is the most unmanageable”. But […]
Scouting Aims and Indicators
How are we doing? Are we hitting Scouting Aims? Scouting has many measures for success; finances, membership, activity, advancement, training, miles hiked, feet climbed, distances paddled, roads biked, all serve to give us different perspectives but only partially and imperfectly answer the question. We may strive to distinguish our efforts by producing impeccably uniformed Scouts who can tie every knot […]
Stay Restless
Tradition is a form of complacency and innovation is a form of restlessness. Complacency resists change: “We’ve always done it that way” “Nobody would like that change” “We don’t get any complaints (well, one or two from people with sour grapes.)” “People will get confused if we change that.” Innovation begins with inquiry: “Why are we doing […]
Do your Scouts Share Your Ambitions?
Do your Scouts share your ambitions? You may be pulling in different directions if they don’t. How can we align the ambitions of our Scouts, our adult leadership and those of the Scouting program? One way to find out is to make three lists: List number one; adult leader ambitions Sit down and make a list of […]
Recognizing Effort
Badges and awards are results; but Scouters understand the importance of recognizing effort. In his book Shine: Using Brain Science to Get the Best from Your People Psychiatrist Ned Hallowell concludes that acknowledgment of effort provides vital encouragement, motivation and inspires greater confidence, but also promotes moral behavior; “When a person feels recognized and connected to the larger […]
Hand-Brain Connection
This post on Doug Stowe’s The Wisdom of the Hands blog discusses the hand-brain connection: “The way to the brain, goes through the hand” This isn’t a new thought, but it is particularly relevant to Scouting. (If you take the time to look at Doug’s writings you’ll soon discover that this isn’t just a saying; […]
Decision making in a Scout Troop
Decision making in a Scout Troop is in the hands of the youth leadership; admittedly not the ‘rightest’, ‘smartest’, or ‘most qualified’ decision makers at times. Every decision in the world is made by the person who has the power to make that decision—not the “right” person, or the “smartest” person, or the “most qualified” person, and […]
Scoutmaster Podcast 6 – The Boy led Troop 1
Scoutmaster Podcast 6 Moving from Adult to Youth Leadership In This Podcast What is a Scoutmaster? Humor – Moccasin Telegraph Moving from Adult to Youth Leadership Scoutmaster’s Minute – A Scout is Cheerful Podcast Notes The Inquiry Net Ask Andy Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS Listen to this episode (00:25:24) […]
Scoutmaster Podcast 2 – Make the Most of Being a Scouter
Scoutmaster Podcast 2 Make the Most of Being a Scouter In This Podcast 5 Things to Make the Most of Your Opportunity as a Scout Leader Humor – Father Fred 2nd in the series Instructional Methods for Scouts Scoutmaster Minute; Cliff Young Podcast Notes Download Instructional Methods for Scouts.pdf (65.6K) Podcast: Play in new window | […]
Looking Ahead – Leadership Transitions
Third in a series of thoughts about looking ahead: Who are our key unit leaders for the next five years? Typical Scout units change key leaders every three to five years. Anyone in a leadership position, especially key positions, should have their eye on suitable replacements. Responsible outgoing leaders should see that there is a […]
Looking Ahead – Recruiting and Membership.
Second in a series of thoughts about looking ahead. What’s your recruiting goal, the minimum annual number of new members (youth and adult) to maintain your unit? Our Troop has hovered around thirty to thirty five Scouts for many years now. We maintain an active contingent of five or six uniformed adult leaders (ones that we […]
Looking Ahead
Scouting programs falter and sometimes fold because they don’t answer these questions: 1. What is the minimum annual number of new members (youth and adult) to maintain our unit? 2. Who are our key unit leaders for the next five years? 3. How will we reach and or maintain financial stability? 4. Do we meet […]
Five Ways to Succeed as a Scouter
Here’s five ways to Succeed as a Scouter Trust the Program Rely on 100 years of proven results Embrace changes when they are announced – stay current No short-cuts When you make things easier for adults you usually diminish the experience for Scouts Conduct activities that are age appropriate Understand how the Scouting program responds to […]
What is a Successful Scout?
If we are to focus on the success of our Scouts what evidence do we have that they have achieved success? There are a few simple questions in the introduction to the Scout Handbook that serve as excellent benchmarks for success; Are you ready to become an expert hiker and camper, to explore the natural world, […]
Focus on the Success of Scouts
Scouting shares that paradoxical combination of simplicity and complexity found in a round of golf or a game of baseball. The goal is simple, the means direct, yet the process is complex. Scoutmastership, like properly swinging a golf club or baseball bat, takes a few minutes to learn and a lifetime to master. Skilled Scoutmasters […]
