Category Archives: Character

Independence Day

Posted on by • Posted in Character, Citizenship, Leadership • 3 Comments

**CAUTION- THIS MAY COME ACROSS AS A RANT.**
The two subjects that cause the most argument and trouble historically are those of religion and politics.  I try to steer clear of both.  Not because I lack opinions in those matters, just that I believe at the end of the day, your opinion is yours and by and large I can’t change it.
But today is INDEPENDENCE DAY!
The day that we celebrate the birth of the greatest nation on earth, the day that we celebrate the greatest experiment in democracy the world has known.  Today, as we celebrate we need to take a look at this great experiment.  How are we doing?
“I have no fear that the result of our experiment will be that men may be trusted to govern themselves without a master.” – Thomas Jefferson
Well I think that Jefferson would be very disappointed in our “Masters”.  Those men and women that we have elected to govern us.  By and large and both democrats and republican, they have forgotten that they serve the people in a nation For the people and By the people.
“I hope our wisdom will grow with our power, and teach us, that the less we use our power the greater it will be.” – Thomas Jefferson
Nope.. missed that again.  Over and over we see the abuse of the power of our so-called leaders.  They forget the lessons learned though our history and No one party seems to be better than the other.
I do not wish to debate democrat philosophy over republican.  I am an American and love my country.  I look to the past to see the mistakes of our current government.  The great experiment of our Republic I fear is in danger and none of our politicians seem to care.  Their interest is self-serving and not in the interest of America.  Our current administration is moving us to a point of socialism and I will not have it.
“My reading of history convinces me that most bad government results from too much government.”- Thomas Jefferson
Look at our government.  It encourages us to be lazy.  It asks us to trust them and they will provide.  It suggests to us to be dependant on them.  That is not what our founding fathers had in mind in creating our nation.  Our government is bigger than ever.  Why?
Social programs that encourage Americans not to work hard.  The government will provide.
Now I don’t know about you.. but it seems to me that our Constitution only Provides one thing.. and that is for the common defense.  The constitution sets us up for a more “perfect union”.
“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”
Domestic tranquility?  Promoting the general welfare.. not providing.  Blessings of liberty?  I think we need to take a look at what liberty really meant to the founders.. and what it means to us now.  I think we are way off.. or at least our government is.
Like I said at the outset.  I try not to engage in political discussion.  It only serves to upset people and create argument.  We live in a great nation that is not being helped by our government.  This is my opinion.  I love this country and it is days like today that I think are important to reflect on how we got here.
I think that if you listen to the past and learn you can hear the thumping of our founding fathers rolling in their graves.  This nation that they gave everything for is being sold.  The American people have allowed this to happen.. in the name of what?  political parties and corruption have led this country down the wrong path.  Is it to late to turn things around?  Don’t know.  I hope not.
And that is where Scouting comes in.  Teaching our Scouts to be good Citizens of Character.  This is the only way that I think things can change.
Once again.  My opinion.
Not really interesting in debate, but you are welcome to leave a comment.

“Experience hath shewn, that even under the best forms of government those entrusted with power have, in time, and by slow operations, perverted it into tyranny.” – Thomas Jefferson
Yep.. I am a fan of Thomas Jefferson… it’s to bad our current politicians aren’t.
Happy Independence Day!
Have a Great Scouting Day!

Going All in

Posted on by • Posted in Character, Scout Law, Values • 2 Comments

Our Scouts like to play card games.  In their tents.. on picnic tables.. when ever we stop for an extended period of time, it seems that a deck of cards come out.  Now, they are not gambling, no money exchanges hands, and for the most part they are simple games.  But as I watched a recent game I realized that had this been a real hand of poker and they were playing with some skin in the game.. it would be a great metaphor for the Scout Oath and Law and more importantly.. a Life of Character.
You see.. we have the Oath on one hand and we have the Law on the other.  They are the cards that we are dealt and they are the cards we must play.  The cards represent our values, the values that are found in the Scout Law.  The chips we play with represent our character.  As we live the Scout Oath, we promise to live the parts of the Scout Law that shape our character.. and so as we go through the poker game of life, we bet that we are going to keep those promises.  When we have a Royal Flush.. that would be a great hand, we bet it all.  We go all in.
The problem is that ‘going all in’ requires us not to lose.  When we lose this hand, we lose our character.
Now I am willing to go all in.  I have to, and so do you.  You should not pick and choose which parts of the Law are important.  You focus on what needs work and highlight the rest.. but the 12 points of the Scout Law are equally important.
I asked a Scout the other night about values.  I asked him to tell me where he gets some of his values.  The response was immediate.  “Treat other people like you want to be treated” he said.  I asked him if that sounded like the Scout Law.  He did not see it at first, but then I asked if he wanted his friends to trust him.. he said yes.. How about Friendly.. yes.. and courteous.. yes.. we went through each part of the law.  The answer was yes.  So you want people to treat you like they were living the Scout law?  Yes, he said.  Then I told him that he should go all in to. 
We all need to go all in.  See the game with a purpose is a good game.. even when playing cards.
Have a Great Scouting Day!

Bowline

Posted on by • Posted in blog, Character, Ideals, Leadership, Oath and Law, Scoutmaster conference, Scoutmaster minute • 2 Comments

The rabbit comes out of the hole.. goes around the tree.. and back into the hole.. now pull…
It’s a bowline.
Its that simple. That simple to teach, that simple to do. And it’s a knot that every Scout must know.
BUT… how many Scouts will try 50 other ways to tie it?  How many times will it take for them to get it right doing it “Their way”?  It’s called the work around.
Many times we teach our Scouts, our kids, our co workers, something that is simple and effective.  We teach them a method or a skill that is time tested and works just fine the way it was intended to be worked.  And yet many will do their very best to find a “Quicker way” or a “Cooler way” to do it.
I watched this at our last camporee when Scouts from all over our district struggled to come up with new and unique ways of completing a skill.  Now I am all for thinking outside of the box and I certainly am the kind of guy that believes that there are better mouse traps out there.. but when it comes to things that are already as simple as it gets, time tested or a method that is the way it supposed to be.  Then I suggest the energy is spent doing the skill, task or method correctly the first time.  I was amazed at the energy that Scouts put into to negative results.
Another way to look at this is of course the Scout Law.  The other night I sat with a few Scouts for their Scoutmaster conferences.  I always ask them what they think of the Scout law and what particular parts of it mean to them.  The energy that a Scout will put out to miss the mark is something that I really do not understand.  I guess its the fact that simple can be hard to these kids that gets me.
According to Webster the word Trustworthy means ‘worthy of confidence and Dependable’.  I think this is a great application of the meaning when it comes to the Scout Law.  Can we be confident in that Scout to do the right thing, to be a good man?  Can we depend on him to make sound decisions and have good judgement?  Simply put, the word literally means ‘worthy of trust’ and yet our Scouts will look for meanings that have little to do with it.  I had one Scout talk about being Trustworthy like this.  “Well it’s like not robbing a bank.. you know that I won’t rob a bank because my parents give me money. ”  Ok.. not the greatest example, but when I hear answers like that, it means to me that they either don’t get it, or they are having a hard time articulating the answer.  Either way, it’s always a good time for me to talk about keeping things simple and doing things right the first time.
So take a look at your Scouts.  How much energy is wasted in looking for ‘the better or cooler way’ and never tying the bowline?
I’m just saying.

Have a Great Scouting Day!

Honesty the best policy?

Posted on by • Posted in blog, Character, comments, Ideals, Oath and Law, respect, Values • 4 Comments

This image if from Disney. They own it.Well?
It appears that I am the one that loves to stir up the hornet’s nest on occasion.
This week I posted on a subject that has received mixed feelings.  Most agree with what I said, some did not.  I can live with that.  I have since talked with parents and Scouters alike and got feedback on the “Skinny” issue.
Here is what I know for sure.
Honest is the best policy.  If you are not good with that.  Stop reading my blog today.  I will not lie to you.
If the truth hurts your feelings.  Stop reading my blog today.  I will not sugar coat the issues.
As a Scoutmaster it is my duty to prepare young men for the world that is ahead of them.  A partner with parents, clergy, teachers, sages, mentors, counselors, and yeah.. even the government.  Life is tough and we only make it tougher when we don’t tell the truth to these young men.
Lets be honest.  In my “Get skinny” post did I write anything untrue?  Did I call anyone a name or abuse a Scout in any way, shape, or form?  Nope.  I simply pointed out that young people today are fat and its our fault.
Go ahead.. argue that point.  They are not born fat.  They are conditioned to be that way by the way they are raised.  Eating habits, excercise habits etc.
But to some of the readers out there.. Honesty is not the best policy.  They would rather keep their collective heads in the sand and the awful spinning of the world will just go away.
It is so much easier to take the easy way out, but then what do you accomplish?  This rule applies in every part of your life.
When I was a kid.. OH NO!  “When I was a Kid again!!!
Yes.. when I was a kid my Dad tought me that anything worth doing was worth doing right the first time.  Yep, Dad had all the “Dadisms” down.  But the truth is… they all work in life.
He also taught us that honest was the best policy and we grew up in a manner that we could not tolerate dishonesty.  And to this day I can not tolerate it.  I will never accept it.  I will not accept those that think it is the best way to teach, train, coach, and mentor either.  It is my business.  And yep.. I am qualified to tell the truth.  Who says so.. The Scout Oath and Law.. and that’s all I need to back me up.
So is Honesty your best policy? 
Sometimes I am criticised because of my honest approach.  At times, when I tell it like it is, people confuse that with me trying to be hurtful or rude.  Not the case at all.  When you break it down, it’s always just about the truth.  The problem comes when we are talking with people who are not used to what we used to call Candor.
When they here the words come and it hits home or is not “PC” they cringe and find a good size hole to stick their heads in to.  They come back with, “You can’t say that”.  Why not?
I am not racist, sexist, or homophobic.  I believe in live and let live and to each his own.  But just do it honestly.  I don’t have to agree with certain life styles, ways of life, political beliefs, religious convictions, or weird hair styles.  Tolerance is all one can ask.  Living the Golden Rule is the guide that should be applied.  If I offer advice or coaching, then it is because I think that you need it.  If you don’t, then move on.  It was free and did not waste to much of your time.  If it helped, you are welcome, the price is the same and I am glad I can help.
I am not an expert in much, but I know what I know and am a constant learner.  I try to be the best man that I can be to my wife, my kids, the rest of my family, my Scouts, and the people who I make contact with daily.
Honesty is the best policy.  For me, and for you.
I consider myself a good person.  I consider my life one of service.  I love to serve and I love to see Scouts learn and grow.  I love to watch as they master tasks, develop into good citizens, and see their character shine.
They can not do that if we are not honest with them.  When they fail.. we need to tell them they failed.  When they have success, we need to pat them on the back and tell them they are a success.  Not everyone wins, and life does not hand out participation ribbons.  Life is hard and they need to be ready.
OR-
You can take a stand offish role in their lives, be a once a week Scoutmaster and a chaperone on the next outing.  To me that’s not enough and if you spent a weekend with my troop, you would see that this is the prevailing mind-set.  The Assistant Scoutmasters and I all believe in delivering the promise and that means giving 100% to these young men.
I do not apologize for having passion for Scouting and understanding my role in it.
Once again.  You have the option to stop reading the blog if Honesty is not the best policy.
I would love to know what you think.  Leave a comment here on the blog or shoot me an email.  Those of you that do know that I return the mail and love the discussion.. honestly.
Have a Great Scouting Day!

Memorial Day 2012

Posted on by • Posted in Character, Citizenship, Memorial Day • Leave a comment

Back in the 90′s when I was a First Sergeant in the Army, I was asked to start writing some Non Commissioned Officer Development classes and leadership subjects.  I wrote a few articles and even had one on leadership published in the NCO Journal the Army’s Magazine for Non Commissioned Officer news, issues, and discussion.  While I was on my way to a promising writing career (which never happened) I dabbled in some poetry also.  A Retired Command Sergeant Major and author of “the Three Meter Zone” saw some of my writing and asked if he could publish some of it on his website.  Of course I was game.
A few years back (2008) I posted this poem here on the blog.  It is a poem I wrote in honor of Memorial Day.  It is still fitting now.  As I re read it tonight I could not help but notice that since the poem was written we have been a few more campaigns.  The post in 2008 also made mention of our Scout Troop placing the flags up at Willamette National Cemetery.   That year we (the Thunderbird District) placed 133,000 flags.  This year we placed 140,000.
So here is my poem for Memorial Day.
Have a Great Scouting Day!

Rise up
Rise up O’ men of Valor,
A Nation in debt to thee
For the freedom of this Republic,
You fought and died for me.

Rise up O’ men of Honor,
The fields of battle did you go
From Lexington and Concord,
To the Bulge and all its snow.
Gettysburg to Normandy Vietnam and Somalia
You gave it all for me.

So Rise up O’ men of Courage,
For without you we do not share
The freedom of this nation,
Is ours because you were there.Freedoms blood soaked on foreign lands
A soldier’s cry with outstretched hands
Do not forget the price they paid,
They gave it all for Freedoms sake.

Rise up O’ men of Valor
Your Honor and Courage reign.
For the price of Freedom you understood
But paid it just the same.

Memorial Day 2000
© Gerald J. Schleining Jr-US ARMY

The Duke

Posted on by • Posted in blog, Character, Citizenship, Ideals, Just fun, Oath and Law, respect, Scout Law, Values • Leave a comment

Most, if not all of us have hero’s, idols, or sports figures that we are fans of.  Now, I am not one to oogle over celebrities or go out of my way to get an autograph.  In fact I am quite the opposite and continuously preach that we need to be careful of who we “worship” in regards to being fans.
Having said that…
Today is one of my favorite actors birthday’s.  Marion Robert Morrison, also know as John Wayne was born this day in 1907.  Now it can be debated that John Wayne may not be the best role model, but as an actor he always played the hero.  He was an enduring American icon, he epitomized rugged masculinity and is famous for his demeanor, including his distinctive calm voice, walk, and height.  He played Football at USC (not my favorite school… but at least it was Football).
John Wayne as a character and man symbolized American values and ideals.  By the middle of his career, Wayne had developed a larger-than-life image, and as his career progressed, he selected roles that would not compromise his off-screen image. In his last film, the Shootist, he refused to allow his character to shoot a man in the back as was originally scripted, saying “I’ve made over 250 pictures and have never shot a guy in the back. Change it.”
John Wayne was and will always be a character that we can look to as a man!  He treated women with respect, he understood the value of service, he lived through his characters a sense of duty.  In his “real” life he believed in these things also.  He raised his family that way and even toward the end of his life, he publically supported conservative causes and promoted a life of ideals and Values.
Now I know that you have all heard or seen this before, but I am going to post it here on my blog just in case you want to use it or be reminded of the great man who was John Wayne.. yep.. one of my hero’s.
So here is how it went.  John Wayne was invited to speak at a fund-raising dinner for a Scout ranch.  The ranch was to honor Mr. Wayne by naming the ranch the ‘John Wayne Outpost camp’.
At the dinner, John Wayne spoke reciting the Scout Law.  He said during his speech that the” twelve points of the Scout Law are “nice words”. “Trouble is” he continued, “we learn them so young we sometimes don’t get all the understanding that goes with them. I take care of that in my family. As each boy reaches Scout age, I make sure he learns the Scout Law. Then I break it down for him, with a few things I have picked up in more than half a century since I learned it.”
Then be broke down the law like this:
“TRUSTWORTHY  The badge of honesty. Having it lets you look at any man in the eye. Lacking it, he won’t look back. Keep this one at the top of your list.
LOYAL The very word is life itself; for without loyalty we have no love of person or country
HELPFUL Part sharing, part caring. By helping each other, we help ourselves; not to mention mankind.  Be always full of help — the dying man’s last words.
FRIENDLY Brotherhood is part of that word. You can take it in a lot of directions – and do – but make sure and start with brotherhood.
COURTEOUS Allow each person his human dignity; which means a lot more than saying, “Yes, ma’am” and “Thank you, sir.” It reflects an attitude that later in life you wish you had honored more… earlier in life.  Save yourself that problem. Do it now.
KIND This one word would stop wars and erase hatreds. But it’s like your bicycle, it’s just no good unless you get out and use it.
OBEDIENT Starts at home. Practice it in your family. Enlarge it in your friends. Share it with humanity.
CHEERFUL Anyone can put on a happy face when the going is good. The secret is to wear it as a mask for your problems. It might surprise you how many others do the same thing.
THRIFTY Means a lot more than putting pennies away; and it is the opposite of cheap. Common sense covers it just about as well as anything.
BRAVE You don’t have to fight to be brave. Millions of good, fine, decent folks show more bravery than heavyweight champs just by getting out of bed every morning, going out to do a good day’s work, and living the best life they know how against the law of odds. Keep the word handy every day of your life.
CLEAN Soap and water helps a lot on the outside. But it is the inside that counts, and don’t ever forget it.
REVERENT Believe in anything that you want to believe in, but keep God at the top of it. With Him, life can be a beautiful experience. Without Him, you are just biding time.”

John Wayne then thanked those at the dinner for putting his name on the outpost camp and said, “I would rather see it here than on all the theater marquees the world over.”

John Wayne is an American icon.  I have been a fan for as long as I can remember.
I will close with my favorite quote from John Wayne:
“Tomorrow is the most important thing in life. Comes into us at midnight very clean. It’s perfect when it arrives and it puts itself in our hands. It hopes we’ve learned something from yesterday.”
Have a Great Scouting Day!

Selfless Service

Posted on by • Posted in blog, Character, Citizenship, Good Turn Daily, Ideals, Memorial Day, Oath and Law, Service, Values • Leave a comment

Selfless Service has been a main stay of the Scouting movement.  It is the desire to serve others.  It is the motivation to “So unto others…”  It is essentially the Scouting way.
The value of Selfless service is important more than ever in our society.  Today the world revolves around “Me”.  Everything for “Me”.  Self gratification, the need to be served, the entitlement that most people feel they deserve.  Last week as I helped teach at the High School I saw this in many of the students.  “What is the world going to do for me when I walk out of High School?”  Instead of looking forward and seeing the opportunities to serve.
Service need not be in the military, it does not have to come in the form of social work or police and fire.  Service comes from within each and every one of us to do good.
Volunteerism is a big thing right now in our country.  Most major corporations have some sort of “Volunteer” opportunities to get out into the community and do good.  UPS, the company I work for has a program called ‘Neighbor to Neighbor’.  It is a program that goes out and does work on people’s houses, yards, and cleans up neighborhoods that are in dire need of a good scrubbing.  UPS also asks that employees that do volunteer work on their own log those volunteer hours with the company.  It probably gets the company an award or something at the end of the year, but the point is that the push is there to get out and do good.  We see it on TV all the time, campaigns that call us to “Give an hour” or “Live United”.
In Scouting we just make a promise to “Help other people at all times”  That’s all.
Yesterday as we placed all those flags I could not help but think of the great opportunity and habit that we are forming in our Scouts.  Habits of service.  To be selfless in the act of serving.  The meaning rings true when placing a flag on the grave of a soldier.  Not to get to overly dramatic, but that is the ultimate call to selflessly serve.  The knowledge that one day you could pay in full for some one else.
At the top of the hill at Willamette National Cemetery is 4 head stones, much like the rest, but these are inlaid in gold and have a special marker above the name.  These are the 4 individuals that understood selfless service above and beyond that of the average soldier.  They may have just been in the wrong or right place at the wrong or right time, but either way, these for men were awarded the Medal of Honor.  The act which earned them the highest award in our Nation comes down to this.  They were in a situation that when faced with a choice, they chose to serve their buddy.  It always comes down to this.  Citation after citation for the Medal of Honor, it always reads the same.  They stood out above and at the end of the day it was to help one of their own get out of a sticky situation, rescue their comrade, hold of the enemy till help could arrive, move fallen soldiers in the midst of hostile action.  SELFLESS SERVICE.
Now I am sure that not one of the recipients of the Medal of Honor would tell you he wants it or tried to earn it.  They will all tell you that they were just doing their job… they were just serving their buddy or doing their duty.  And I am not suggesting that we strive to earn the Medal of Honor.
Building in our young people a love for service is what I am suggesting.  The need to be of service is a great one and we need to instill in our young people a willingness to go above and beyond what the TV asks and corporations suggest as levels of service.  To truly serve our neighbor, our community, our country.
Selfless Service is a must in our world today.
Have a Great Scouting Day!

Flags

Posted on by • Posted in Character, Citizenship, Good Turn Daily, Ideals, Memorial Day, Patriotism, Values • Leave a comment

On a rainy Thursday evening the Thunderbird District of the Cascade Pacific Council converged on Willamette National Cemetery.  If they didn’t come the 140,000 grave markers would go without a flag this Memorial Day.  For 44 years the Thunderbird District has placed flags on the graves at Willamette.  Over those 44 years the Scouts of the District have seen the number of flags increase.  In 1968 when the District started placing the flags our Nation was burying young men killed in action in Vietnam.  They were serving our community by honoring World War I veterans that were being interned at this hallowed ground.   Then the Cold War saw routine burials of World War II Veterans followed by Korean War Veterans. 
Today the grounds have swelled and expanded from 201 acres to 301 acres.  A new section is filling with Veterans from the Vietnam era and new grave markers host men and women from Iraq and Afghanistan.  I hope we will not have to expand the cemetery further.
This evening in a steady rain my Troop placed flags in section F.  That is our section, the area we place flags in every year.  Each year, as the Troop grows, we cover the area a little faster, but not without reverence and a sense of thankfulness for the reason these men and women are buried at Willamette National Cemetery.  They all served and so we in turn will continue to serve.
As a Veteran and Scoutmaster, I am so very proud of the Scouts of not only my Troop, but the Packs, Troops, and Crews from our District.   The dedication of these Scouts and Scouters to place these flags is special to me and to the families that will be paying their respects, the visitors to loved ones, the children of a Veteran, and the passer-by that stops into Willamette to see what this is all about.
Tonight our Scouts practiced a very important part of being a citizen.  Love for our Country and our fellow Countrymen.
Watching the Scouts tonight renewed my belief in our young people.  Thank you Scouts!
Have a Great Scouting Day!

NOS

Posted on by • Posted in Backpacking, blog, camp skills, Camping, Character, Citizenship, Competition, gear, Journey to Excellence, Leadership, Order of the Arrow, Patrol Method, respect, Skills, teamwork • Leave a comment

NOS means “Not otherwise specified” in Military lingo.  It essentially means that we can’t find a category for it.. and so it is with this post.
It has been a while since I posted last, so here is some catching up and thoughts.
I’ll start with the drama.  Last week I volunteered as a ‘Guest Instructor’ for the JROTC class at our High School.  I learned a lot while teaching the 6 classes a day about accountability, military customs and courtesies, and shared life lessons that will (if listened to) help these young men and women.  What I learned about JROTC was that it has very little to do with the military.  Rather, the National syllabus for instruction focuses on Character, Citizenship, Leadership, and fitness… now where I have I seen that before?
Now I understand that there is an Army component to the class.  They structure the class around an Army Battalion, wear uniforms once a week, and use Army language, but beyond that the curriculum is very generic in its content regarding character, citizenship and leadership.  This was a surprise to me not really knowing what to think about JROTC and knowing how the ROTC at the University level works.
I was also surprised to see that very little attention is payed to recruiting or pushing a career in the military to these Cadets.  It was rarely talked about.  Now, of course there were graduating Seniors that are currently making plans for a career in the military, but the JROTC program is not a pool for recruiting. 
I enjoyed teaching the class for the week and had the pleasure of meeting some outstanding students.  I also met my share of students that frankly I fear will not make it in life.  They are lazy, unmotivated, can’t seem to develop study habits, and generally could care less about their school, community, home, or one another.  This shocked me.  All of my kids currently attend this high school and for the last 4 years we have had a very positive experience.  Our daughter has been active with the Marching Band, Symphonic and Concert bands, and has made great friends at the High School.  Both of our sons have been athletes and members of various school clubs and also have made lasting friendships.  All three of the kids have maintained good if not excellent grades over their high school careers and so our view of the school has been shaped by the athletes, friends, and social activities that my wife and I have been fortunate to participate in and get to know.  Our house is always full of kids, mostly football players, and I have gotten to know them and their families and I can honestly say that they are good kids.  So to be at the School and see the apathy that I saw this week, well, it shocked me.
NOW, having said all of that, the School District is in a world of mess right now, the teachers are minutes away from going on strike, the School District Board is not budging and neither is the teachers union.  It has become very ugly in our little neck of the woods.  The climate at the School is very apathetic and so I can see where some of the students have got it.
I hope this resolves quickly.. from the Scoutmaster perspective.  Most of my older Scouts attend this School and it is effecting them.  This close to the end of School, with the impending strike, the students have been forced to scramble to get things done in order to maintain decent GPA’s to round out the year.  The uncertainty has left them questioning the dedication of both the teachers and the school district to their education.
Enough of that… I just hope it gets over quickly.
How this affects Scouting however is clear.  When things are weird in Scouts lives.. it gets weird in their Scouting life.  I had about half the Troop missing from this weekends Camporee.  All high school age students, and students that needed to get much need assignments completed to increase their final GPA.  They called me up and we talked about what was more important.  The least I could do for them is support them. 
Now Camporee… 28 went to Camporee this weekend, a good portion were the younger (First year) Scouts.  They did fantastic!  They proved that they are mastering Scout craft and basic skills.  They were motivated and showed the district that our Troop was there to compete.  We didn’t win the District Camporee Top Troop award, but each patrol came home with ribbons for winning Scout craft events.  They did not win the best camp site, it seems we were missing Patrol boxes and a trailer.  To that, the SPL suggested that we would never win.. and it’s ok.. we are backpackers and if they don’t like our style.. so be it.  I was proud of him and his attitude.
This morning as we packed up and loaded the truck with our packs I overheard a Scoutmaster from a neighboring Troop yell at his Troop this; “Look at them.. while you are struggling with your boxes.. they are playing frisbee!”
We could not help but high five each other.. the Scout leadership had done an exceptional job this morning and ultimately got the Troop and hour and half ahead of schedule.  They ate breakfast, cleaned up and packed in an hour and half.  Made it to the camp wide flag ceremony and awards and departed about an hour before the rest of the district had their camps taken down.  Our boys pride themselves in this style of camping.  One day the district will come around and have a backpacking score sheet for the camp inspection.
On the way home one of the Scouts said to me that when he first started in the Troop, he thought I talked just to hear my voice… but as he grew in the Troop he realized that I was really saying something.  After 4 years of being passed over for election in the Order of the Arrow, he was finally called out Saturday night.  Finally, he is learning to lead, take responsibility, and his peers felt him to be worthy of membership in Scouting’s honor society.  He thanked me for teaching him.  My response was simple.  You are welcome, now… continue to earn the right to be there.
I think this principle can be applied everywhere in our lives.
Well.. it’s going to be an interesting week here.  I hope yours is great!
Have a Great Scouting Day!

Methods- Leadership Development

Posted on by • Posted in Advancement, blog, Character, Citizenship, fitness, Leadership, Methods • 1 Comment

Besides backpacking and teaching skills for the outdoors, my favorite subject in Scouting is leadership.  I know that leadership is but a small part of Scouting, but leadership when done correctly requires the leader to be of good character.  Leadership asks of the Scout to develop good citizenship, and of course being a good leader encourages a Scout to be physically fit.
Leadership is tested in Scouting.  It is a requirement for rank, a Scout must demonstrate his ability to lead others culminating with the Eagle project.  To be an effective leader, the Scout must first learn to be a follower.  Leadership starts early in a Scouts life with following.  The implication is that the Scouts needs to see other Scouts leading.  This is where leadership develop starts to take root.
Scouts that develop strong leadership habits and skills work wonders in a Scout led Troop.  They show what “right looks like” and are examples for others to follow.
Leadership does not require a patch.  Every Scout can start leading.  Being a great example is the best leadership tool.  Every Scout will have an opportunity to develop leadership through active participation in shared and total leadership situations.
Through the leadership development method a Scout see’s how leaders effect the over all good.  Understanding the concepts of leadership helps a boy accept the leadership roles of others and guides him toward the citizenship aim of Scouting.  This is why leadership development is important.  It takes time and energy to become a leader.  Leaders are not born, they are made and Scouting helps get them moving as an effective leader.  He will have skills and tools that will continue to be practiced and tested throughout his life.
Units should provide opportunities to develop Junior leaders.  Troop Junior Leader training, sending Scouts to the National Youth Leadership Training, the Eagle Scout service project, The Order of the Arrow, and various High Adventure base opportunities give the Scout a wide variety of leadership training.  Along with holding positions of leadership in the unit the Scout can find many ways to develop his skill sets and leadership tool box.  Aside from holding unit positions of leadership staffing at Summer camp is one of the greatest experiences that a Scout can have to demonstrate and practice leadership.  Unit leaders should encourage Scouts to take advantage of all of the leadership opportunities that Scouting has to offer.
Have a Great Scouting Day!