The main purpose of Scouting is to learn. This does not mean only
about Scouts, but about life. Scouting also serves to develop character and leadership. Without leaders, the troop
would be nothing, and without the troop, leaders would be nothing. You do not need to be scoutmaster to be a leader,
you only need to show the determination and maturity to set a precedence or example for the younger, and less experienced
scouts. Everyone starts from the same place, and I'm sure that you can remember being that new Scout, and looking at
the older boys thinking "I wish I knew as much as he did." Now you ARE that person who is being looked up to, and as
such, you need to set an example of how to be a good person. Wether you know it or not, you are helping to shape the
minds and the futures of these new Scouts. On the same token, we all can remember that leader who was abusive and would
always assign tasks but never demonstrate how to do it. Or the leader who would sit by the fire and yell at you when
you wouldnt get enough firewood. Think about what kind of leader you want to be, the one who LEADS, or the one who ORDERS.
From Wikipedia, one of the points of the Scout Method:
Example of the leader. An important part of Scouting
education is the personal example of the leader. The Scout is impressed by the leader because of his age, his knowledge, his
position as a leader and if he does it right, the leader will be popular. For the Scout the leader will be an attractive goal
to reach for, so he will follow his example. The Scoutmaster living the Scout law will therefore have more influence than
talking about it. In the boys' eyes it is what a man does that counts not what he says.
Think about this while at camp or in meetings. It matters what you
do, not what you say. Telling a scout that you want him to clean the basement while you talk in a corner with the other
patrol leaders does NOTHING. Instead, you should go with the scouts and show them what to do. This doesn't mean
that you have to do the work, but showing them once and talking with them about HOW to do it is important. After all,
how did you learn to do whatever task is at hand? I will bet that the senior patrol leader showed you how to do it and
explained what to do. This is leading by example and is the proper way to do things. Remember, you will get to
just 'hang out' at the end of the day by the fire, when the younger scouts are sleeping from a fun day of learning, not slave
labor.
Dealing with problems
A quote from Star Wars "With great power comes great responsibility".
As I stated above, you are shaping the minds of these young scouts. There will come a time when they will test your
patience and refuse to listen. There will be times when a scout is off in a corner, crying because Scout X hit him or
Scout Y wont let him do something. This is where your leadership skills will be put to the test.
Steps for Problem Solving:
- Identify the problem: One of the major problems that
I have seen in scouting is that the leaders mistake what the problem is. The way to avoid this altogether is to
TALK to the scout(s) that is having the problem. Take them aside and talk gently to them. They might already be
upset, so don't add fuel to the fire by yelling at them to shut up and stop crying etc. Once you find out what the problem
is, move on to step two.
- Do you have the resources/ability to handle this?: This
is the question that you have to ask yourself every time that there is an issue. Nine out of ten times, you can handle
it without scoutmaster intervention, but that one time, you NEED to realize that you do not have the ability to handle it
and you must take it to a leader to deal with. We have special training in dealing with delicate situations. If
you can resolve it, move on to step three.
- Talk with the scout(s) about what they WANT you to do: Ask
the scouts what they think needs to be done. This will indicate how important the problem is and what course of action
to take. Make sure you put yourself in their shoes and understand where they are coming from. The fact that Scout
X took their flashlight might seem unimportant to you, but when you were that age, it would have been the end of the world.
This is often the hardest part to remember because you have the ability to solve the problem for yourself but they don't know
what to do. Don't wait for them to come to you, go and talk to them since they might be too embarassed to ask for help.
- Deal with the situation: Always use tact when approaching
a 'bully'. Don't accuse them without getting their side of the story. Sometimes, scouts tend to exaggerate problems
and the matter gets blown out of proportion. Use your experiences and how you would handle it to resolve the problem.
If you need help, come find a Scoutmaster. We are always ready to help you learn to be a better leader. Experience
is truly your best teacher
- Follow up: In an hour or so, go back to the scout having
the problem and find out how they are feeling and if they need to talk some more or if they're still having problems.
This will show that you truly care and that you are there for them. If you skip this step, you might appear cold or
standoffish to the scouts, making for bad communication in the future.
An important note: Always keep personal feelings
that a scout tells you in confidence. Don't make fun of or belittle anyone, or tell the any other scouts what the
scout in need told you. If the scouts can trust you, they will come to you more readily and problems will be solved
much quicker.
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