The other day I went to the high school to pick up my youngest son from Football practice. Practice was running late, so I hung out and watched as the players ran sprints and did up downs. Now, for those of you that have played a little football, you know that after 3 hours of practice the last thing you want to do is wind sprints and up downs. But the team seemed to run and run and run. After each lap and set of up downs the coach would tell them to watch the ball and then they would get in a ready position. The idea was to be disciplined and ready to finish games in the fourth quarter. He asked the players to give more effort.
The longer they ran.. the less effort the coach would see. They were tired and as they got more tired, the less effort they would give.. the less effort they gave, the more mistakes they would make, the more mistakes they would make, the more they ran… and so went the cycle.
It all came down to effort. Who was willing to give more when it counted.
I stood there and watched and thought.. yep, it is about effort. Life is about effort. You can over come many things with more effort. The harder you work, the more you will be rewarded. If you apply the effort to any task you will eventually see results.
In the fourth quarter, weather that is on the football field, in the classroom, or in a Scout troop effort matters.
Here is what I see way to often… a lack of effort. I see this in most things in life. Way to many times we see our young men just try to get by, to “Max the Minimum”. To give the least amount of effort and expect the same results.
We see that a lot in our Scouts.. Way to often do we see them avoid patrol chores, planning, or pitch in when they are needed. Way to often do we see them demonstrate a lack of effort when it comes to finishing tasks like service projects. And then there is advancement. I see a lot of Scouts that expect to be moved along, just like when they were in Cub Scouts, with their peers. Or I see the effort coming from their parents. That lack of effort will not get the work done. I suppose that’s why only 4% become Eagle Scouts.
Now, we won’t make them do wind sprints and up downs.. no we just encourage them to “Do their best”.. well, I guess what I am saying is that maybe “Their best” is not good enough. Maybe they need to apply more effort and make their best better.
This is the game of life and where do we want them to be in the fourth quarter. I want them to be winning.
I want them to be successful. I want them to work hard for what they get, not expect a hand out or to be “moved along” with their peers. No I want to see them give the effort to their lives. It is then that they will appreciate the things that they earn. It is with more effort that they will be great men.
I love these teachable moments they seem to pass in front of us each day. Watching as my son and his team mates ran until they proved that they wanted to be winners made me look at other areas of our life. Wouldn’t it be great if every one in the School gave that much effort, or in the neighborhood and community.
Living the Scout oath and Law takes effort. It’s not easy and it’s not designed to be. People that do not give effort just get by. Those that give extra effort succeed.
Have a Great Scouting Day!
Category Archives: Ideals
What kind of Scoutmaster are you?
In the last post, we got a pretty good feel for the general attitude toward the “Merit Badge Mill” for a lack of a better term. It seems that there is not a lot of support for this style of merit badge earning.
Now, I did receive some emails that found that style the best practice in, as one guy put it “the world we live in”. But those comments were far less than those opposed. In all fairness… I did ‘accept’ any comment that was made on the blog. I did not respond to all of the emails, especially the one that called me “Old fashioned and not in touch with today’s Scouts”.
Which led me to thinking this week… What kind of Scoutmaster are you?
It was brought to my attention that the 1998 Scout Handbook does not make mention of Baden-Powell. I have not checked this out for myself, but if that is the case, it begs the question.. Why?
But back to the subject at hand.. What kind of Scoutmaster are you?
Baden-Powell said in “Aids to Scoutmastership” that we need not be “Know it all’s”
To be a Scoutmaster you need:
- He must have the boy spirit in him; and must be able to place himself on a right plane with his boys as a first step.
- He must realise the needs, outlooks and desires of the different ages of boy life.
- He must deal with the individual boy rather than with the mass.
- He then needs to promote a corporate spirit among his individuals to gain the best results
Now BP goes on to explain all these points in the book and I won’t just copy and paste the whole thing here.. Google search Aids to Scoutmastership and get your own copy and read it. But I will say that if you do as BP says.. you may just be a good Scoutmaster.
Scoutmasters should be a friend to the Scouts. He should remember that these are boys and not adults. We ask a lot from these young men which is all a part of the program, but at the end of the day they are boys. They have issues at home, school, sports teams, and the everyday life of a teen ager. So for the Scoutmaster that places himself on the “right plane” with the Scouts does a better job understanding them and working with them as they grow and develop.
The Scoutmaster needs to understand where the Scouts are in life. Once again, they are not men, they are boys and they all grow and develop at different rates. Some 14 year olds are more mature that others. Some 12 year olds mature faster than some 15 year olds. So it is important that the Scoutmaster works with the Scouts individually and not paint broad strokes with his Scoutmaster brush. At the same time, the Scoutmaster needs to build the team up as well as the individual. The team (Troop and Patrol) is an important part of the Scouting program and a huge part in developing young men.
On the other hand. And I know too many Scoutmasters like this, they are ‘roped’ into doing the job, they have no real desire to do the job but they do it because their son is in the troop, and they have no desire to learn the program or assist in running it right.
Now is that a subjective statement. Not so much. In the introduction to being a Scoutmaster in the Scoutmaster training program, the trainers introduce the new Scoutmasters to the 8 methods of Scouting. And with few exceptions the methods have remained the same for 102 years. Those same methods that BP himself outlined.
In both Aids to Scoutmastership and Scouting for Boys, you can find all of the methods that we currently use to achieve the Aims of Scouting.
The Patrol being the foundation for the Scout to start learning. The ideals found in the Scout Oath and Law as well as the motto and slogan take that foundation and apply it to their daily lives and the attitudes that shape the Patrol as a group. Scouting is done and should always be done in the outdoors with a Patrol. The Outdoor program is fundamental in the Scouting program. It is as BP said “our classroom”. Advancement opportunities set challenges and goals for the Scout to meet. The Advancement program tests the Scouts ability to manage his goal setting and give him a measurement of his own success. Not the success of the unit, but himself. The association with adults is a method that is often confused. Confused, because it is a method for the Scout.. not the adult. In associating with adults the Scout learns to manuever through the world. It places the Scout in a position to learn to be comfortable in job settings as well as social settings. The adults role in this method is to be a good example. Personal Growth is perhaps one of the most important methods that is often overlooked by Scoutmasters that do not take a personal care for each of the Scouts in their Troop. The Scoutmaster that does the job for a set amount of time or because no one else would take the job often look at Scouting as a camping club. Merit badges just happen at Summer camp and it really doesn’t matter if there is personal growth in the individual Scouts. I mean, after all you only have to care for them on Monday nights and one weekend a month… right? The uniform is where I see most of the lack of care for methods. Cost is always an excuse, but rarely a solution is given. The uniform has been a part of Scouting since the very beginning and should remain a method as long as Scouting exists. It is not a financial burden if the Scout believes and lives the part of the law that suggests that he is “Thrifty”. Adults create the burden by not enforcing the standard. To many parents fail to see the value in Scouting’s values and would rather take the easy way out and just say that it can’t be done. Hog Wash! And finally, when it comes to methods Leadership development. Now, I do know that I put this one last and that is not how they are listed… but here is where I see a big gap in the ways in which Scoutmastership is practiced.
Leaders are made, not born and sometimes that trial and error called learning is not pretty. The Patrol and Troop are the practice grounds for leadership development. And to be honest.. it’s real ugly sometimes.. that is when the good Scoutmaster needs to allow it to be ugly. Parents don’t like to see that.. but it is the best way for a Scout to learn. Mistakes are opportunities to learn as long as the Scoutmaster is there to teach, coach, train, and mentor the Scout. By applying “Guided Discovery” the Scout will develop into a leader. He may not be the next Patton or [insert your favorite leader here], but the lessons he learns while discovering his leadership potential will serve him later in life.
In short.. What kind of Scoutmaster are you? Are you one that embraces the lessons taught us by Baden-Powell or do we throw it all out the window for “modern thinking” and convenience. “Old fashioned and not in touch with today’s Scout”. I don’t know about you, but can you disagree with the Values of Scouting? How about the methods? These are time-tested and work well when applied by caring Scoutmasters.
If that makes me old-fashioned… so be it.. but if you do as BP suggests.. you can never be out of touch with today’s Scout. They are the same as they always have been… they are boys looking for adventure.
I am curious to hear what you have to say about this. What kind of Scoutmaster are you?
“What the Scoutmaster does, his boys will do. The Scoutmaster is reflected in his scouts. From the self-sacrifice and patriotism of their Scoutmaster, Scouts inherit the practice of voluntary self-sacrifice and patriotic service.” – BP in Aids to Scoutmastership
Have a Great Scouting Day!
The Mountain
“Once in a while you find a place on earth that becomes your very own. A place undefined. Waiting for you to bring your color, your self. A place untouched, unspoiled, undeveloped. Raw, honest, and haunting. No one, nothing is telling you how to feel or who to be. Let the mountains have you for a day…” Sundance
The night before we headed out into the back country of Philmont, we sat with our Ranger and talked about the trek. She introduced us to Roses, Thorns, and Buds and we shared our expectations of the trek. I feel that this was a great way to set the tone for the trek as it got our collective minds off the weight of our packs, the miles we would walk, and the challenges we would face. What I really thought touched me the most was how the Scouts in our crew opened up. Now, it is fair to say that for many of the members of our crew opening up may have meant that they had no idea what to expect and that they looked forward to having fun on the trail. But none the less, it was in the context of a nice discussion about what they wanted from Philmont.
When it was my turn to share my thoughts on expectations, hopes, and desires for the trek, I shared a simple thought about hiking. A while ago I either read or heard an old-time backpacker talk about hiking. He said that when you hike or backpack, you are either hiking to something or away from something. People hike for many reasons and deep in our hearts and minds there is a deeper purpose for why we put on a backpack and wander into the wilderness. Sometimes, we are doing both, hiking to find something and hiking to get away from something. That was my Philmont experience.
I was hiking to get away from the hustle of everything that the daily grind has to offer. I was hiking away from stress and drama. I was hiking to find me. Now that is pretty deep, and in all honesty I don’t think that I ever really lost me, but deep inside I wanted to search for some parts of me that I thought were absent. The wilderness of Philmont was my hope in finding an absent spiritual self, an absent happiness, and a test of my physical abilities to push myself with these young men.
On the second day of the trek we were backpacking from Anasazi to Dean Cow. We woke up and broke camp, ate breakfast and hit the trail. The route took us up and over a few canyons. At one point we had been climbing for miles. Our Ranger suggested to the crew leader that at the top of this next ridge would be a great place to stop and take a ‘packs off’ break. So we continued to climb and reached the top of the ridge. Jackie, our Ranger, asked that we all follow her out to this great vista. It over looked the route that we had just traveled and the vast expanse of land looking into the North country of Philmont. The sun was shining bright and the sky was clear. We all took up places among the rocks on the bluff and Jackie began to talk about the Philmont Wilderness pledge. During that discussion she also talked about Philmont and what it meant to her. She shared her personal story about Philmont and to summarize, Philmont is a special place to her and is a part of her. She warned that it would also become a part of us and we would all find a special place in our lives for Philmont.
Then she read a quote from Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid; ”One in a while you find a place on earth that becomes your very own. A place undefined. Waiting for you to bring your color, yourself. A place untouched, unspoiled, undeveloped. Raw, honest, and haunting. No one, nothing is telling you how to feel or who to be. Let the mountains have you for a day” After she shared this quote with us she asked that we separate for 5 minutes. Go to a place where we could not see or hear one another and think about what that meant to us.
After five minutes we returned and shared out thoughts on the quote. It was then that I found what I was hiking for and Philmont took its place in my heart. It was on that bluff that I saw the beauty of Philmont and would later see more. It was at that moment that my Philmont experience started to really take shape.
At the opening camp fire and member of the Philmont Staff got up and talked about Philmont and asked that we try not to ‘define’ it. I got it sitting on the bluff. Philmont can’t be defined because it is something special, beautiful. majestic, challenging, breath-taking, fun, in many ways to everyone. We all see it differently and as the week went on and we shared Roses and Thorns each night the Philmont story for crew 810-N2 took shape in each of us. Each one of us had a shared experience and experienced individual triumphs, challenges, and emotions. Each of us found something spiritual in the mountains, each of us found laughter and fellowship in the crew, each of us found a piece of ourselves that can never be found in the noise of the city. Letting the Mountain have us for a day we found what we were hiking for.
For me and our crew it seemed that our Philmont trek was less about backpacking, but more about letting Philmont have us. After day two on the trail I gave myself to the mountain and as a result the mountain gave back.
I think it is true that when you hike you are either hiking to or away from something, I am glad that I found what I was looking for at Philmont.
And yep.. I wanna go back to Philmont!
Silver on the sage,
Starlit skies above,
Aspen covered hills,
Country that I love.
Philmont Here’s thee,
Scouting Paradise,
Out in God’s country, tonight
Wind in whispering pines,
Eagles soaring high,
Purple mountains rise,
Against an azure sky.
Philmont here’s to the,
Scouting Paradise,
Out in God’s country Tonight.
Have a Great Scouting Day!
Potential
The other night at our weekly Troop meeting we did something really out of the ordinary. The Scouts did their thing.. that was normal.. but we held a parent meeting and then Parent break outs for the Scouts going to Philmont, and the Scouts going to Summer Camp. Out of the ordinary in that we dedicated the entire evening to the Parents.
I feel that we do a pretty good job communicating, but with the move to the new church (meeting place) and the high pay off events just around the corner, it was a great time to get all the parents in one room together and talk about some of the issues that are currently being addressed by the Troop.
I did most of the talking.. duh… but I thought it was important for me to personally communicate certain topics to the parents.
Some of the things I talked about was the fact that all of a sudden the Scouts are getting a bit “relaxed” in their uniforming. Many of the younger Scouts are deciding for themselves that the uniform is not important while the Troop does feel it is important. The PLC addressed this issue a month ago and was having a hard time getting some Scouts motivated to comply with the Troop uniform policy (as outlined by the PLC). So I explained why the uniform was important to our team to the parents and asked for their help in getting little Tommy Tenderfoot to wear his uniform.
We also talked about bang for your Scouting buck.. simply put the dues are not pro rated based on your attendance.. so you should attend everything and get the most out of your Scouting dollar.
Now, I know that asking to be at everything is unrealistic, but in recent months we have seen a drop in our attendance for camp outs. Some of the younger Scouts have had ‘other plans’ on some of the fun camp out weekends and then I hear them complain that the guys that went on the camp out got lots of stuff signed off in their books, while they did not.
The point to the parents was this; if you participate you will get a lot out of Scouting. If you Scout ala cart.. you don’t get the full meal. You get out of Scouting exactly what you put into it.
I was challenged by a parent saying I should do a better job encouraging the boys to go. And I do.. but I won’t beg a Scout and I certainly won’t beg a parent. They all have a calendar, they all know when we meet, they all know a year in advance when the camp outs are. Part of Scouting’s lesson is self-reliance. If Scouting is not that important to the Scout and/or their family, well then they simply will miss out. I have said it many times. I want them all to attend.. but at the end of the day, I would rather have 15 Scouts that are motivated and having fun then 45 that I have to drag along fighting their attitude. Is that to say that I give up on them.. certainly not.. But once again, I asked the parents to be excited about Scouting and encourage their boy to hit the trail with us instead of staying home.
So I will continue to encourage.. but not beg.|
This subject of participation led to me telling the parents that our Scouts have a ton of potential. Some of the older Scouts have expressed that I have been “riding them”. And yes, I suppose that is true, but then again, I guess it depends on how you define “Riding”. You see, I see lots of potential in these Scouts, in particular the current leaders of the Troop. Yep, I said potential… not performance. They have the necessary skills, tools, and knowledge. What they lack is want to.
So when they say I am riding them what it really means is that expect a lot out of them and will not settle for them being lazy, I will not settle for them to not do their job, and I will not settle for them to set this example to the younger Scouts.
Now it should be clear. I never belittle them, I never yell at them, I never make them feel like they are failing. I just stay on them and expect them to perform their position of responsibility.
Does it get old for them? Sure does. Do they do well when pushed? Sure do. So I define “riding” this way…
I am extracting performance from their potential.
Once they start performing it becomes a habit and then they are moving the troop along with a full head of steam.
They get it. They just need a gentle push from time to time.
I felt the need to communicate this stuff to our parents. They have a big influence on the participation level, the attitude level, and the support that we as Scout leaders get from the Scouts and Scouting families.
Coming out of the meeting I felt that the parents were once again on our team. They were encouraged with our program, and they all gave me a great feeling of support.
I closed by expressing my love for Scouting and the Scouts in our Troop. They will all be developed, protected, and loved in our Troop.
Have a Great Scouting Day!
Messengers of Peace
Timely.
As some of you may know, but now you all will… My oldest son, John, the Eagle Scout made a huge decision recently to put college on hold and follow in his Dad’s footsteps and join the Army. Not just join the Army, but do exactly what I did in the Army. Airborne Ranger.
While I am proud of him and excited for the adventures that await him, and know that there will be many. My heart, like that of any father wants him to be safe. I have served my time in combat and know what it is like. And as much as I loved my time in the Army and know that he will do well, I don’t want him to get hurt.
Having said that, it causes me to reflect on Baden Powell’s intent for Scouting. A World organization for peace. It is with that thought that this morning I stumbled on the BSA’s “Messenger for Peace” Site and thought to myself.. if only this works. My son (and your son’s and daughters) would not have to go to war.
I am on board with this. Check it out and see what you can do to be a messenger of peace.
From the BSA Website:
Fellow Scouters,
In 1920, just two years after the most terrible war the world had ever known, 8,000 Scouts from 34 countries came together for the first world jamboree. At the closing ceremony, Scouting founder Robert Baden-Powell called on participants to carry the spirit of the jamboree home “so that we may help to develop peace and happiness in the world and goodwill among all Scouts.”
The Scouts of the world have been answering that call for more than 90 years.Today, Scouts in dozens of countries are working for peace by solving conflicts in their schools, building links between divided communities, teaching their peers about health and wellness, and repairing environmental damage. To recognize their efforts—and to inspire more young men and women to help Scouting create a better world—the World Scout Committee has launched the Messengers of Peace initiative. The Boy Scouts of America is proud to join this effort in 2012.
How can BSA units participate? All they have to do is go online and register the MOP-related community service projects (including Eagle Scout projects) they undertake. Doing so adds pins to a global Messengers of Peace map, which Scouts from around the world can click on to learn how their fellow Scouts are making a difference.
Scouts who complete MOP projects will be eligible for a special recognition: a ring patch that goes around the World Crest. That patch will symbolize their participation in an ever-widening circle of Scouts who are not just visualizing world peace but are helping to make it a reality.
The Scouts of the world have always been a powerful force for good. This initiative lets us celebrate what our Scouts have already accomplished and inspire them to accomplish even more. Please join us as we work together to create a better world.
There is a cool recognition for this program also. You can read more about it on the Byan on Scouting Blog.
Have a Great Scouting Day!
Prepared. For Life
As everyone that reads this blog knows, the BSA’s new(er) slogan is as the title reads… “Prepared. For Life”. I have often stayed away from advertising gimmicks and jingles.. “An Army of One”, and “Be all that you can Be” come to mind. But this one hit home as I thought about how Scouting does impact our lives. Yesterday was my first day back from vacation and so I spent a little time catching up on emails, reading my favorite blogs, and cleaning camping gear. My good buddy Adam posted a piece about his vacation last week. It is a great article and illustrated just how Scouting is Preparing us for life.
I was and I suppose still am reluctant to tell this story in light of Adams blog post, but once again I find myself in need of sharing this wonderful thing called Scouting.
Last week we spent at Glacier National Park. If you have never been.. GO! It is truly an amazing place. So as you can imagine when I go camping I go prepared. We are ready to sustain for a week in comfort and have a good time out in the woods. This time was no exception. Since it was family time, I went a lot heavier than I am used to, the big cabin tent, the big stove, the coolers etc. But I still had my day pack which had my 10 essentials in it and since we were in Glacier NP, a canister of Bear spray.
One afternoon as we sat in camp, a scream came from the road in front of our camp site. The boys were throwing a football around and one fell. HE ran straight into our site crying. Why our site and not to his parents.. I don’t know. Maybe instinct told him that I had just completed the Wilderness First Aid course, or that I was a Scoutmaster, or he had no idea where he was.. either way.. here he ran into our site bleeding from the hand.
I had him sit down and told him to look me in the eyes. Josh, my youngest son, had already got to my day pack and retrieved the first aid kit. I told this youngster to relax and that he was going to be fine. His alligator tears started to dry and I just kept talking to him. Found out that in three days he would be turning 9 years old and that he was from Canada.
All the while I gloved up and started treating his cut. He had fallen on his hand and took a good layer or two of skin off his palm. Cleaning the area and bandaging with non stick pads I was done with the bleeding part. Then I started looking for possible fracture. He asked why I was poking and pressing on his wrist and hand.. I told him I wanted to make sure he was ok. He was. Right about that time, his dad came into our camp. He said he had heard the scream and started heading in this direction. I told what I had done and that I think everything is going to be ok, keep it clean and if he needed I would change the dressing the next day.
He saw the Scouting stickers on the back of my truck and made a comment about them stating that his son had run to the right place. “Who else would be ready to anything”, he said referring to the stickers.
So all of this got me to thinking about just how we Prepare our Scouts for life.
It’s not just first aid and camping skills, but as the mission statement states, Making ethical choice throughout their lives.
I often talk in this blog about character and making choices. Being fit and healthy, being of service to others, and of course skills that will help them get through life.
Scouting is a great platform for this learning, discovery, and practice of the life skills that these young men will need as they go through it. Being Prepared for as Baden Powell said.. Anything.
So it’s not just about camping and fun. It truly is a game with a purpose and all of us should remember what that purpose it. This new(er) slogan.. Prepared. For Life. Is the Boy Scouts of America mission statement in three words. It is our call to action as Scouters. It is what we are here for.
Have a Great Scouting Day!
Bowline
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?
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!
The Duke
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
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!
