Working with older Scouts between the ages of 14-18 … … is both challenging and rewarding. What interests keep them involved? Simply turning up the ‘wow’ factor doesn’t do much to keep them engaged, because they are looking for much more than fun. Respecting and understanding what older Scouts need takes patient observation and an open dialogue. […]
Working With Scouts
Podcast 365 – Patrol System or Method?
What’s the difference between Patrol system and Patrol method? I have never found any actual difference between those terms in Scouting literature, but I will share acouple of thoughts to differentiate between patrol system and patrol method in a way you may find helpful. Over the next three podcasts we’ll continue our foundations series by […]
Podcast 364 – Playing the Scouting Game
Some aspects of the Scouting game look like flaws… … but they are features we must not alter. Games restrict or constrain play through rules, the laws of physics, or human limitations and Scouting is no exception. We Scouters often expend lot of effort trying to fix things that don’t need to be fixed, or […]
Podcast 363 – Scouts as Players
Thinking of Scouts as players … … fills out the analogy of Scouting as a game. Players volunteer to participate in the game. The most important volunteers in Scouting have more power and influence than the highest official. Without their participation, Scouting would come to a complete halt. They bring endless energy, resources, and real […]
Scoutmaster Podcast 355 When Scouts Misbehave
What do I do now? A Scout misbehaves, makes a mistake, or even consciously does something wrong, and things spin out of control, now what? If you hang around long enough your Scouts misbehave, and you’ll will be confronted by this sort of incident, so what is your plan? I’ll discuss an incident shared with […]
BSA Separate But Equal Plan for Girls
I did not start out as a believer in co-ed Scouting. For most of the last 35 years I’ve been a volunteer with the Boy Scouts of America the status quo worked fine for me, co-ed Scouting was a big unknown, and being unknown it was something to resist. Three Things That Changed My Mind. […]
Scoutmaster Podcast 354 Gender and Scouting
Should gender define Scouting? This week I want to discuss responses to a post I published last week about gender in Scouting: Girls in the BSA. The post garnered lot’s of responses both for and against the idea of the BSA becoming a co-ed organization, and I’ll discuss some of the objections in this podcast. […]
Girls in the BSA?
Yes, girls in the BSA. I want the BSA to be a fully co-ed organization with no limitations on how girls participate. Before you lose it understand I don’t think girls in the BSA should be forced on anyone. More about that later. I think we can and must make this happen for one simple […]
Scoutmaster Podcast 353 Two Key Ideas for Scouters
I’ll be brief, well, kind of… … join me as I talk about two key ideas for Scouters I hope you find helpful . This podcast condenses into one talk the answers I wrote to several common email questions I had this summer. I want to share two key ideas I have talked about many […]
Scoutmaster Podcast 352 Catching Up
Hey! I’m still here, are you? My summer break stretched into the fall a little! Spend some time catching up with me in this briefer edition of the podcast, lots to talk about! We had a great trip to Kandersteg International Scout Center in Switzerland, the troop had a great week at summer camp and […]
Scoutmaster Podcast 351 Nettlesome Scouting Problems
Some Scouting problems are just nettlesome… … they aren’t discipline problems, or particularly disruptive, just nettlesome, irritating, like stinging nettles. Everyone thinks it’s the Scoutmaster’s responsibility to fix nettlesome Scouting problems, truth is it isn’t, at least not directly. Most Scouters run into a situation like this, it bothers them, and then they create a rule […]
Scoutmaster Podcast 321- Brownsea Island Moment
21 boys boarded a boat in Poole Harbor… … they had no way of knowing they were pioneering a movement for millions of young people around the world. Several lived well into old age to vividly recount their experiences decades later. Scouting’s pathways are now worn by travel, but each new Scout today has a “Brownsea […]
Scoutmaster Podcast 302 – A Scout IS…
How would you answer that question? Sure, we have the Scout law but would you add anything? Find out how one Eagle Scout just about to “age out” answered that question in this week’s podcast. In This Podcast Intro Chris M’s Scout Law Email question about Troop treasurer This podcast is brought to you by […]
Scoutmaster Podcast 295 – Apples and Oranges
Apples and oranges – I love a good idiom! A lot of us get caught making “apples and oranges” comparisons between our Scouts. It may be useful to remember there are no comparisons in the Scout oath – only personal pronouns; on my honor I will do my best. Scouts are individuals, and we can only […]
Podcast 291- No Time for Scouts?
A lot of our Scouts are subject to many demands on their time… .. and some are under extreme pressure from their parents. What if one of our Scouts wants to quit because they say they have no time for Scouts? Scouting ought to be challenging, but not impossible, nor should it become something stressful […]
Outside Influences – Podcast 285
What do we do about outside influences in the lives of our Scouts? To begin with let’s figure out what’s “outside” and what is “inside”? Let’s interpret outside influences on our Scouts as something that is beyond our scope of control and inside influences as something within the scope of our control as Scouters. If […]
Podcast 283 – Self Organized Learning
“Camp is… the real school of the out-of-doors, where all the best in the future man’s character can be brought out and developed” B-P This week’s podcast departs from our usual format (it’s a long holiday weekend!) to explore an idea that could revolutionize the way you approach your work as a Scouter. Dr. Sugutra Mitra […]
Conduct, Character, and Scouting
Remember being young when the ground was constantly shifting under our feet? Remember wanting to be an adult but not wanting to be like the adults you knew? Remember how you wanted to change things? What an energizing, exciting, challenging, and sometimes confusing world we lived in! Our growing brains and bodies were in a constant state of change, every day was full […]
Scoutmaster Podcast 281 – Parent and Scouter
Things can get tricky when you are both a Scouter and the parent of a Scout. In this week’s podcast I’ll answer email questions about occupying the role of parent and Scouter, how small troops work, and what qualifies as service for the ranks of Star and Life. The Big Three Resources every Scouter should read. […]
Do We Demand or Earn Attention?
Scouts endure demands for their attention. In a classroom we listen for things that sound like they’ll be on the test, and strain out the rest. If someone asks a question everyone groans, because that makes the lesson longer. We learn not to interrupt, to run out the hour, and let the teacher talk. When it’s “time for instruction” […]
B.P.’s Blog – The Game of Scouting
During his lifetime Robert Baden-Powell, founder of the worldwide Scouting movement, wrote many books and articles directed to Scouters. Each Sunday I’ll publish a selection from his writings in the hope that you’ll draw inspiration and understanding from his timeless ideas. IN the Headquarters Report of one of our Oversea branches it is stated that […]
B.P.’s Blog – Listen
During his lifetime Robert Baden-Powell, founder of the worldwide Scouting movement, wrote many books and articles directed to Scouters. Each Sunday I’ll publish a selection from his writings in the hope that you’ll draw inspiration and understanding from his timeless ideas. A FURTHER way of discovering activities that will appeal to the boys is for […]
Bedwetting and Scouts
Every so often I hear from a Scouter or parent about a Scout who has a problem with bedwetting. It goes without saying that I am not a medical expert, but I did a little research and several sources agree an estimated 3.75 -5.25 million boys (and a smaller number of girls) in the United States have a medical […]
Podcast 252 – Merit Badge Books?
What do you think? In this week’s podcast I’ll answer email questions about anxious Scouts, liability insurance, cell phones and whether we should be using merit badge books or unofficial work sheets and workbooks. The Big Three Resources every Scouter should read BSA statement on liability insurance Article on merit badge workbooks and worksheets. Sponsored By […]
