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The penny drops, the light comes on, eureka!, discovery, enlightenment, revelation.
If we watch carefully Scout leaders sometimes get to witness a marvelous happening; when some part of the world opens up for one of our Scouts. Have you seen this happen?
Sometimes it is the sudden realization that they can do something they didn’t think they could. Aha! I got it!
Maybe it’s meeting a challenge that they were unsure about but conquered anyway.
How about the palpable sense of satisfaction a Scout evidences when they’ve achieved a long sought goal?
Have you seen what happens when that band of struggling youth leaders finally get the idea that they are actually in charge and really make things happen?
I’ve had the privilege of witnessing some amazing transformations; almost like a light going on in a dark room.
What’s your favorite story of one of these ‘aha moments?’.
Sometimes the aha can come to both Scouts and Scouters.
Every year before summer camp, the fellow remind each other of important tips for the week. One of those is the importance of keeping food out of tents.
Years ago in the late afternoon one day at camp , two first year Scouts got quite a surprise when they went to their tent. Responding to the commotion, the adults in the site discovered that a raccoon had pawed through one of the fellow’s gear. Surveying the scene of the crime, we saw, under his cot, what looked suspiciously like pieces of hotdog from that day’s lunch.
We asked the Scout about this. Quite innocently he replied “I’m going fishing later. That’s not food, it’s bait.”
We tried really hard not to laugh as we explained that even though he wasn’t going to eat them, leftover hotdogs were still food and should have stayed in the dining hall.
As the realization of what had occurred, and why, settled in this young man became sad and then nearly inconsolable. We kept talking with him and eventually he told us that he was upset because he had made a mistake and felt that he disappointed the adults.
Our attempts at cheering him up didn’t help much but eventually we thought to ask him a question. We asked this first year scout, “Why do adults go to summer camp”?
He thought for a bit and said “You’re here for us” and after thinking some more, through his tears he added, “ And I’m here for you too”.
He was getting a pretty big picture and to help cement the idea we used an analogy. We compared our situation at camp to the little birds in Africa that ride on the backs of rhinos. The bird gets some benefit out of that arrangement and the rhino gets something out of the deal too. Everyone wins.
The analogy just clicked. This young man visibley relaxed and said “Yes, we do have a symbiotic relationship”. Aha for the Scout.
“And”, he added, “Just so you know, the name of that bird is an Ox Pecker”. Aha for the Scouters as we met the Troop’s newest naturalist…
One aha moment that comes to mind is the use of cell phones. As a scout the 80’s I was told that electronic devises were hot allowed and did not belong on scout events. As an adult leader, I agreed with many leaders that phones, IPods and similar devices should be banned. Our troop had an increasing problem with these distractions. I recommended to the Committee that we put cell phone ban into the troop bi-laws. I expected that the parents and committee volunteers would understand our frustrations. Well, it was kind of a shock when the parents came back and said that they wanted the scouts to have access to a phone at meetings and campouts. What?
After the shock wore off, I decided to take another look at this. One really big factor about attitudes regarding cell phone use was the Columbine event. Parents want constant access to their kids and vice versa. The other is the merger of many different tools into today’s smart phones. Camera, web searches, maps, guides, GPS, compass, now even the BSA handbook (This is the only copy I have of the new revision) etc. These are tools. Our job is to ensure that the scouts learn to use these tools properly and responsibly. Aha! This turn in technology can be a learning opportunity.