Webelos dens as patrols and more older Scout issues … Catching up on email questions this week I’ll talk about Webelos dens working the patrol method and discuss the causes of at least some older Scout problems. (If you listen very carefully you may detect a rant this week). Over thirty years ago I had 18 Webelos in my Webelos den. I survived that year (as did many of the Webelos)....
So Far, So Good! Lot’s of catching up to do! It’s nice to be back after a two week hiatus! In this podcast I’ll tell you about my new book, So Far, So Good! and answer email questions about how to keep a vision for all age divisions of Scouting, the program changes coming this year, sorting out how to bring older Scouts and younger Scouts together, and how to keep up with an ambitious senior patrol leader, and a great way for setting up patrols....
*During his lifetime Robert Baden-Powell, founder of the worldwide Scouting movement, wrote many books and articles directed to Scouters.*Each Sunday I’ll publish a selection from his writings in the hope that you’ll draw inspiration and understanding from his timeless ideas. A CERTAIN slackness has crept in during the war in some Troops, as regards wearing shorts, which suggests a possible deficiency in the Scout spirit. It would be an interesting study to find out why each boy who is a Scout first joined the Scouts....
*During his lifetime Robert Baden-Powell, founder of the worldwide Scouting movement, wrote many books and articles directed to Scouters.*Each Sunday I’ll publish a selection from his writings in the hope that you’ll draw inspiration and understanding from his timeless ideas. At the age of fourteen out boys finish their schooling in three R’s, and are then supposed to be sufficiently grounded educationally to specialize for a particular line in life and, after making their choices, to take up the required form of training in the continuation or the technical school....
Saw this comment today: “He’s got a bunch of older Scouts who run his troop for him, he’s lucky!” Lucky? Not at all, that’s how Scouting works. “He’s got a bunch of older Scouts…” Yes, we have a bunch of older Scouts, when I think “older” I think about any Scout over thirteen. Younger Scouts are often just as capable, they just need someone to believe in them. “… who run his troop for him …” There’s a couple of problems with that....
The way I see it there are two ways to react to the consequences of mistakes we’ve made: Deny, blame others, cover up, and hope nobody finds out. Own up and take responsibility for the consequences. Which is the right way? If you are reading this, there’s a pretty good chance you are a Scout, and I know that you know the right answer. When I first joined my Scout Troop, I was impressed by a Patrol Leader who had a cool, laid-back personality…...
Podcast Episode (00:32:19): Listen on Apple Podcasts In this podcast we discuss a Webelos troop visit and keeping older Scouts engaged, we answer email questions about the patrol method, replacing a Scout handbook and who signs merit badge cards – all this and your messages in the mailbag. | Past editions of the show are available at the PODCAST ARCHIVE
Keeping older Scouts active and involved is a perennial concern. Scoutmasters wring their hands over losing older Scouts and many troops do have a problem keeping them around. The standard response is amping up the ‘wow’ factor of the program but I have never been very fond of the “bread and circuses” approach to Scouting. (If you aren’t familiar with the metaphor ‘bread and circuses’ refers to placating real concerns with superficial means of appeasement like diversions or distractions without getting to the heart of the matter....
Scoutmaster Podcast 17 In This Podcast Retaining Older Scouts [2:51] Brick Mason [10:33] Adult Patrols? [13:20] Podcast Notes Podcast: Play in new window | Download Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS
A reader asks about the pace of Scout advancement: “Our troop seems to think we should hold off the scouts until they are older (ie end of Junior Year) to do their Eagle Projects and try to control the pace of advancement in the troop because they want the scouts to be more “mature” and stick around to lead the younger guys. I see some value in this, however, if a scout is motivated and fulfills the requirements needed, shouldn’t he be allowed to advance at his own pace?...
During a visit from a Webelos Den at our last Troop meeting one of my Scouts was available to speak with the parents of the visiting boys. We were in our second week of disabilities awareness merit badge; the older scouts were leading a discussion with our younger scouts about the badge. One of the parents was impressed that the older boys were leading discussions on the subject and asked the older scout: “How do you get the older Scouts to lead a discussion with the younger ones on such an important subject?...