In this Podcast we talk about some common mistakes Scout leaders make and offer ideas on how to balance your approach to leadership. Email answers to questions about recruiting methods and applying the buddy system while camping; do Scouts have to share tents?
The next ScoutCircle is scheduled for Sunday, March 10 9-10 PM EST and features Frank Maynard, long serving Troop committee chairman and blogger at Bobwhite Blather. Join us to listen to Frank and ask your questions concerning the troop committee. Details at ScoutCircle.org.
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About the Author
I sometimes ask dads on campouts, “Where is your dad?”. They look at me funny and sometimes scowl. “I’m an adult! I don’t need my dad here!”. I then ask them, “Since your dad is not here, how did you get from 11 years old, living at home with mom and dad, to being a dad with your own son? If you got through that and survived, how do you intend to train your son to get to the same result? When do you stop going over to his tent to check and see if he brushed his teeth or organized his gear correctly? How do you decide that? When did it happen to you?” Gets them thinking.
It’s sort of disconcerting, however, when one of the dad’s gets that faraway look in his eye and tells me that basically he was treated like a little kid at home until he left for college or a job. Mom did all of his laundry, organized his underwear drawer, fixed all of his food, ran his schedule, bought all of his stuff, etc. They ended up shocked with real life. I then ask them if that’s how they want it to go for their son? Again, faraway look and then they say, “Probably not.”. Good, because that’s where Scouting can help them.
It’s interesting. Some dads seem to think that what they’ve always done is what they should always do. Does that make sense? In other words, how I treat my 8 year old son is the same as how I should treat him when he is 16. They have trouble switching gears mentally, it seems because they never think about it.
We want our 11 year old boys to become 18 year old men. Is that a switch that goes off or is it a gradual maturing that takes place as we train and raise them? My guys received very gradual loosening of controls until their senior summer. Right after high school graduation, I basically set them loose. They still lived at home all summer but their schedule, time, job, etc. were theirs to manage.
Buddy system, sleeping alone in his own tent? Philmont, have to get someone up to go potty? Good grief!
A two year old needs a buddy when he goes outside (usually mommy or daddy, or maybe grandpa
) But inside the house the kids run around all over, sleep in their own bed and own rooms. A campsite is like a home. There is no buddy system within the normal campsite. At least not the buddy system like the buddy system when swimming. At summer camp, the main camp area is usually treated like home also. The Scouts know that if they leave home, they need to check out and go with a buddy. Most Scouts travel in groups anyway.
Scouts generally gravitate towards having their own tent and their own gear. Basically all of my Scouts have their own gear. New Webelos Scouts sometimes share tents for a while, but when they get their own tent their on their own.