What Scouting Does

Scouting’s policies and procedures, the rules that create the Game of Scouting, are not intended to check the ardor, interest or inventiveness of Scouts but to guide their efforts towards the aims of Scouting and to keep them safe A common problem arises when we misunderstand the place of a specific Scouting procedure or policy.

During his lifetime Robert Baden-Powell, founder of the worldwide Scouting movement, wrote many books and articles directed to Scouters.

Imagine, for a moment, there is nothing called “Scouting”, no program, no troops, no councils, no districts, no uniforms, no badges.

During his lifetime Robert Baden-Powell, founder of the worldwide Scouting movement, wrote many books and articles directed to Scouters.

It is healthy to test and question even the most elemental forces, ideals and influences in our lives: Question with boldness even the existence of a God; because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason, than that of blind-folded fear.

During his lifetime Robert Baden-Powell, founder of the worldwide Scouting movement, wrote many books and articles directed to Scouters.

Scouting has long been a positive, constructive influence in the lives of young people.

I often hear from Scouters and parents who ask me to help them resolve Scouting problems involving a personality conflict, a disappointment, or other difficulty.

During his lifetime Robert Baden-Powell, founder of the worldwide Scouting movement, wrote many books and articles directed to Scouters.

During his lifetime Robert Baden-Powell, founder of the worldwide Scouting movement, wrote many books and articles directed to Scouters.

During his lifetime Robert Baden-Powell, founder of the worldwide Scouting movement, wrote many books and articles directed to Scouters.

Scouting begins with an individual commitment expressed in the life of the Patrol and Troop.

During his lifetime Robert Baden-Powell, founder of the worldwide Scouting movement, wrote many books and articles directed to Scouters.

There is too much “management science” in Scouting.

At some point a new Scoutmaster be trained, and will have studied the resources.

Scout leader training tends to focus on the practical and, I fear, often misses the big picture.

Asking “what is an Eagle Scout?” sparks interesting conversations among Scouters.

If you’re a regular reader, you already know about the tyrants and tin gods, renegades and recalcitrants, bullies and belligerents, dictators, martinets, and “world’s oldest Patrol Leaders” masquerading as Scoutmasters.

More than once, out hiking or paddling, I followed my instincts (the campsite is right over there!) rather than my map and ended up off course.

Measuring tapes are an essential tool for a carpenter; eight feet will always be ninety six inches.

In answer to a remark that Troops should maintain attendance standards Andy at Ask Andy replies: Scouting isn’t school, or sports, or church, or a team, or anything else but Scouting.

Jargon is an Old French word meaning “the chatter of birds”.

Whenever two or three Scouters get together talk eventually turns to the relevance of Scouting in ‘modern society’.

Boys ever delight in being occupied in something for the youthful blood does not allow them to be at rest.

Compasses point at magnetic north.

Scouting is not an organization.

The steps in training have become so absorbing and important that in many cases the aim has come to be lost sight of.

Organizations that do nothing but measure the numbers rarely create breakthroughs.

What, precisely, is the promise of Scouting? No one would know better than William Hillcourt: Your Life as a Scout You are an American boy.

Scouting Traditions are, for the most part, wonderful things, they connect us to the past and provide a bridge into the future.

In one sense it’s easy.

What if? Two very powerful words.

Make Me a Boat If I communicate the love of the sea to my people, Soon you will see them diversifying according to their thousand particular qualities: One will weave the fabrics, Another will cut the tree in the forest, Another still will forge nails Someone will observe the stars to learn how to navigate, All will work as one.

‘Aim’ is a particularly well chosen word to describe our focus as adult volunteers in Scouting.

It is a movement, because it moves forward.

that causes all the trouble in this world.

Scouting is replete with different measures for success.

Tradition is a form of complacency and innovation is a form of restlessness.

Published in 1928 “Principles of Scoutmastership In Relation To Boy Development” begins by defining the development we seek for our Scouts, how Scouts think, how they develop, what Scouting does to effect that development and what the Scoutmaster can do to further the process.

Scouting programs falter and sometimes fold because they don’t answer these questions: What is the minimum annual number of new members (youth and adult) to maintain our unit? Who are our key unit leaders for the next five years? How will we reach and or maintain financial stability? Do we meet key indicators of effectively presenting our program? The tenure of most adult leaders in Scouting lasts as long as their children’s participation.

Scoutmasters need to understand what makes Scouting different from everything else – why young men and women have been Scouts all over the world for the past century.

Selected for it’s 10X zoom my digital camera has recorded many Scout outings over the past several years.

Scouting’s progressive program is built on the idea of developmental stages.

The 1913 edition of the Handbook for Scout Masters is available on the net archive.

Don’t be afraid, deconstruction is not demolition, it is examination.

Our educational system is heavily influenced by the industrial revolution.