Simon Sinek on Leadership

A colleague at work sent me a link to a brief article on leadership by Simon Sinek, titled; “When we tell people to do their jobs, we get workers. When we trust people to get the job done, we get leaders.” (click here)

The title sums up the article well, but it made me think about how we inspire leadership from the earliest experiences with patrol living.  In troops I’ve been involved with as a youth participant or adult, I’ve typically seen a similar model (of course there’s room for variations!) where the boys start as recent crossovers or are grouped largely by age/experience.  A patrol leader and “APL” are designated or voted upon, but they get mentoring from a Troop Guide or ASM.  It’s up to the rest of the boys to learn their “jobs” well and acquire skills for their upcoming adventures.

The responsibility of the PL/APL duo is to communicate clearly and effectively with the SPL/ASPL/TroopGuide and assigned ASM – then carry instructions to the patrol for execution.  At first, this process is pretty shaky for several reasons – the patrol is still learning and mastering basic skills. Putting up a tent for the first time (and it the dark, likely) is a much more daunting task than most of us can remember. Following a series of directions is also challenging — rookies tend to focus on the first admonition and forget the chain of directions that followed after step one.

Clearly, leadership is about strong communication skills and patience while repeating instructions as needed until the disciplines become ingrained.

Further, as the patrol matures through experience, it’s inevitably time to rotate responsibilities – grubmaster, patrol cook, clean up duties, tents, quartermaster, and so on. A wise patrol leadership duo (PL/APL) will push the patrol to rotate duties between each trip so that everyone gets experience in all the positions.  That way, if someone is absent, the patrol functions fine without them (while missing them and encouraging them to come back ASAP).

So, its true that we need workers to learn their jobs – and Simon’s article doesn’t dispute that notion.  I think his concern is most clearly summed up in this statement:

…eventually we get promoted to a position where we become responsible for the people who do the job we used to do. But very few companies teach us how to do that. Very few companies teach us how to lead. That’s like putting someone at a machine and demanding results without showing them how the machine works.

How do we overcome that in scouting?  There are a number of ways. There are training programs within the unit, and outside of the unit which discuss leadership, but we also model it through our leadership principles of Primus Inter Pares (first among equals) and “BE-KNOW-DO” which emphasizes character, skill mastery and an urgent sense of engagement — being anxious to jump in and lead as opposed to a sense of passivity (waiting for someone else to step up).

During all that skill mastery on campouts, and job rotation, there were times when the PL/APL duo were out of touch and decisions had to be made.  The team got together and made it happen.  That speaks to engagement and willingness to step up in a vacuum.  Additionally, the PL/APL duo are not sitting back and being serviced by the rest of the patrol – they’ve got their own sleeves rolled up and are pitching in on various duties.  To the extent possible, the leadership duo share their learning and practice with their peers – ultimately paving the way for another duo to step up next season and “formally lead” (when all have been leading informally as they suffered through mistakes and successes together as a team).  The one task that falls on the PL/APL duo is taking responsibility for the patrol.  If one of the team members fails, the leadership team shoulders the fallout and restoration.

This is one of the hardest lessons to learn when we get promoted to a position of leadership—that we are no longer responsible for doing the job, we are now responsible for the people who do the job.

While I am in favor of “teaching” leadership principles (i.e. connecting what we intrinsically understand in our gut with clear definitions and tightly worded concepts) to help in accelerating the leadership process, I also recognize that some people are more comfortable taking the responsibility from day one and others are more hesitant.  Personality will drive some to the forefront, but that enables others to contribute in other ways (i.e. technical proficiency, specialized skill sets, expert status on challenging technical duties, etc.)  All valuable to the team.

How about you? Can we teach effective leadership in a classroom?  Does it have to be learned “on the job”?

Basic Chili Mac for Patrols

Its rumored that just before passing from this world, Kit Carson, a famous frontiersman, is rumored to have said;

I wish I had time for just one more bowl of chili!

Out on the frontier, chili was the basic foundation for a good hot meal that could be made from whatever was readily available or already on hand.  Brown up some local meat from the trail (rabbit, squirrel, etc.) add some re-hydrated beans, spices and water from the nearest creek and let the concoction simmer over the campfire while setting up camp and you’ve got an easy-peasy hot meal to satisfy your team.  Even better, add some fresh cornbread to sop up any leftover juices.

Over the years, I’ve tried a lot of chili recipes only to discover that these variations on a central theme can be improvised very easily once you’ve mastered the basic stew pot combo.  Now, everyone has their own preference about chili depending on their region of the country, family upbringing and such.  Beans versus no-beans; chocolate or currant jelly; cubed stew meat versus ground beef; pasta or plain; with cheese or never with cheese and so on.

Feel free to disagree with my “basic chili mac for patrols”, but if you’re starting to learn to cook for your patrol, it may save you time at the campsite and keep everyone largely satisfied until you are confident enough to tackle something more challenging.  On the plus side, once you’ve mastered the basic version, you can spin out many variations – testing what you and your pals like.  Remember what Alton Brown (from the Food Network on TV) says; “I know people that could serve me canned tuna and saltine crackers and have me feel more at home at their table than some people who can cook circles around me. The more you try to impress people, generally the less you do.”  Keep it simple, practice, and then you’ll have a bunch of fans raving about your cooking.

BASIC CHILI AND MAC FOR PATROLS

Ingredients:

• Spice kit (make at home in a sealable jar, quart size freezer zipper bag, etc. – combine 1 Tsp of salt, 1 Tsp freshly ground black pepper, 1 Tsp of garlic powder with a half Tsp of chili powder, and a half Tsp Oregano. – feel free to adjust the ratios, amount, and types of seasonings as you practice the recipe to suit your own preferences)
• 1 pound of extra lean (93% lean if possible) ground beef
• 1 small or half of a large onion, diced (prefer yellow, can use white)
• 1 “standard” can (14.5 ounces) of petite diced tomatos (with liquid from can, don’t strain it)
• 1 “standard” can (14.5 ounces) of tomato sauce
• 1 “standard” can (16 ounces) of beef broth
• Half a box (16 ounces) of elbow macaroni (can substitute wagon wheels, mini shells, etc.)
• Cold water, as needed while simmering.

Preparation

1. Dice onion and place it bottom of large camp pot (or dutch oven) over mild heat to begin to sweat the onions.
2. As they slowly become transparent (couple of minutes on the stove or over the coals of the campfire), add the ground beef and break it up as it begins to brown using spatula or cooking spoon.
3. Keep folding the onions and beef together as it browns – do not overcook or burn the meat.
4.  A

   Chili Mac with Elbow Pasta and Corn

   dd spices to taste from your pre-made spice kit (likely dump the whole bag/jar) and stir it in.

5. Add diced tomatos, sauce, and beef broth while stiring.
6. Add uncooked pasta.
7. Bring to a boil, then simmer while stirring from the bottom to keep pasta from sticking to bottom of pot.
8. Once gently simmering, cover to retain moisture. Every three minutes, stir from bottom and check progress of pasta (it will soak up excess liquid as it cooks.)  If the pasta needs more liquid, add a half cup of water at a time (but don’t turn it into soup.)
9. As soon as pasta is cooked (soft, spongy when bitten) – it’s ready to serve.

Serving suggestions:

Patrol members can top the chili with a dollop of sour cream, or a handful of shredded cheddar cheese, or crumbled tortilla chips (or all three!)  If they like spice, chopped green chilies or jalapenos (with or without seeds) could be added.

Variations:

Using your imagination and thinking about other stews and casseroles you’ve tried, you should be able to come up with some interesting variations using the basic recipe as a starting point.

Next to jazz music, there is nothing that lifts the spirit and strengthens the soul more than a good bowl of chili. – Harry James

• BEANS? Instead of pasta, you could substitute two cans of red kidney beans. They add fiber and will help fill up the hungriest of patrol members.  However, like the actor John Goodman said; “Chili represents your three stages of matter: solid, liquid and eventually gas.” This often depends on whether there are beans in the mix, and if they had been thoroughly rinsed before cooking. If you use canned beans, or bring re-hydrated beans, be sure they’ve been well rinsed before adding them to the mix.  I usually rinse them at home, let them soak overnight, and rinse them twice in the morning before packing them in the cooler to bring on the camp out.
• Southwest Spice? Substitute “Ro-Tel” (diced tomatoes and diced green chili peppers) for the normal “petite diced” tomatoes, and try adding mild or hot salsa to the mix.  Change out the elbow mac for wagon wheels, rotini (corkscrews) or small shells (which hold more of the liquid in each bite).  Add frozen corn and black beans.  Serve with shredded cheese and sour cream.
• Shepherd’s Pie? Instead of adding pasta, you could add frozen peas, carrots and corn (or whatever suits your taste) and then once simmering, add a layer of instant mashed potatoes (cooked separately) over the top of the mixture. The mashed potatoes add a cap to keep liquids locked in, and add heft to the final delivery in each patrol member’s mess kit bowl.
• White, Chicken Chili? Instead of ground beef, used shredded chicken (perhaps pre-cooked at home and brought to camp frozen in a container. Use chicken stock in lieu of beef stock and a cup of whole milk in lieu of tomato sauce.  You could stick with pasta or substitute instant rice or two, 15 ounce cans of navy beans (small white beans or small cannellini’s)

SIDE DISHES

Hands down, the best side dish for chili is (arguably) fresh cornbread made over the fire in a skillet or dutch oven. Our troop had it’s favorite recipe which was largely bomb-proof (we’ve managed to goof up the process, but got good results each time.)  It started as a way to introduce a veggie (very finely chopped broccoli) into the meal by hiding it with a lot of butter and cheddar cheese inside the corn bread, but we’ve found that the plain cornbread or the version with cheese taste just fine without the “green stuff”.  The recipe can be found on our old troop blog site:  https://troop113.wordpress.com/2013/11/24/troop-113-cornbread/ or from its original source – “The Scouts Dutch Oven Cookbook” by Tim and Christine Connors.

Side Salad!  Bring an unscented, plain (no chemical treatment) plastic trash bag to camp.  At camp dice a head of iceberg lettuce, chop up tomatoes (or strain two cans of diced tomatoes), and add other veggies to taste (i.e. shredded carrots, rinsed and drained chick peas, rinsed and drained navy beans, etc.)  Pour in a half bottle of favorite dressing, then grasping the bag halfway down so that there’s a little air space at the bottom, shake vigorously.  Place bag in center of table, roll the edges of the bag down and place tongs or serving utensils.  When everyone is full, all trash can go into the salad bag for quick clean up at the table!  (This trash bag salad can even be used to make a great “taco-salad” by adding precooked, cooled, ground beef, chipotle-ranch or thousand island dressing, and tortillas)

Biscuits!  If your patrol is not a fan of cornbread, we’ve often brought pre-baked grand’s biscuits from home, or cooked them in dutch ovens at the campsite.

Baked Potatoes! If you have a large patrol to feed on a very tight food budget, you could wrap potatoes in heavy duty aluminum foil and bury them in hot coals in the campfire about 60 minutes prior to dinner time.  Using an oven mitt or welding gloves, test the individual potatoes for “done-ness” by gently squeezing them –if they “give” gently they’re ready.  If they’re hard as rock, they’re not done.  Patrol members can scoop out their potatoes in order to serve the chili in the potato skins, or they simply treat the potatoes as a side dish with butter or sour cream and chives.  The potatoes will help fill everyone up and stretch the chili among more people – helping to hold down overall cost per person.

What are some of your favorite variations on chili or side dishes?

Advancement Done Right

Although the various methods of scouting are equally important and equally vital to a balanced and well run program, some capture more attention than others.

The Patrol Leadership Council has an opportunity to work with the adult leaders and the Troop’s Advancement Committee Member to discover “best fit” ways to encourage individual scouts to pursue advancement through rank requirements and merit badge unit studies.

BSA says this about advancement at their web page:

Boy Scouting provides a series of surmountable obstacles and steps in overcoming them through the advancement method. The Boy Scout plans his advancement and progresses at his own pace as he meets each challenge. The Boy Scout is rewarded for each achievement, which helps him gain self-confidence. The steps in the advancement system help a Boy Scout grow in self-reliance and in the ability to help others.

Note the call-out about each scout planning his own advancement and progressing at his own pace to meet each challenge.  If the scout is responsible for planning and executing his own advancement path, what is the troops real role in the method of scouting called “advancement?”  What does a “strong advancement program” look like?

Based on years of observing other troops in action, I think it means making opportunities for each scout to become engaged in the process is very important.  Showing the obvious and less-obvious benefits to advancement help scouts begin to see why it’s an integral part of the program.  Advancement, done right, fosters personal growth and provides healthy interactions with adults who are experts in their field (Merit Badge Counselors).  Further, the planning and logistics of scheduling interviews with MBCs helps develop life-long skills that will translate to college and/or career.

All troops must be careful that a “strong advancement program” can be defined in a lot of ways depending on the audience.  To parents who are eager for their sons to become Eagle Scouts as quickly as possible to benefit college and career placement, a “strong advancement program” may look like a stereotypical merit badge mill – churning out one or two badges per month and a dozen at summer camp.  The downside to this approach is that much of the planning is done for the individual scout and they lose out on the very processes that enable the personal growth and development of self-reliance, self-initiation.  Further, pushing an artificial schedule violates the tenent of allowing the boy to progress at his own pace. It can be emotionally crushing to individual scouts when their patrol completes a badge, but he is left to finish on his own time with no further assistance.  Some boys will respond assertively, but others may languish and become disenfranchised from the program.

To the adults and the PLC of some units, a “strong advancement program” could mean a streamlined path to meeting planning — simply focusing on teaching skills and bringing in MBCs for quick sign-offs — as an alternative to providing thoughtful team/patrol competitions, time spent sharing wisdom from the wild, planning service projects (to aid the community in a genuine spirit of selflessness, not simply check off another “required” activity).

Other scouters have challenged me on this topic, asking “what difference does it make?”  That’s a great question!  It is easy to see the differences during a week at summer camp – various troops line up for morning colors and present very different levels of constrained chaos.  Some require adults to get things in order, others have only moments of confusion before patrol leaders and their SPL get everyone settled and ready.  Summer camp is one place where the evidence of a year’s preparation is put under a spotlight.

B-P did say; “You can only get discipline in the mass by discipline in the individual.” Since advancement ought to inspire discipline within the individual, not the group, there’s a strong test for evidence of how each unit approaches this part of the program.

Is this morning chaos at camp due specifically to differences in “advancement programs” — no, not entirely, but as we talk to the scouters from these troops over the week, we find tell-tale indicators that do differentiate the units.  Often, the troops that are “adult led” or have a strict schedule of completing advancement as part of the weekly troop meeting (group participation instead of individual skill mastery) have a hard time at camp since the individuals have not been prepared to function on their own (they are now hardwired to act as groups).

This translates (unfortunately) into a “herding cats” exercise at the flag post and throughout the week of camp activities.  We see patrols moving from nature hut to rifle range “en masse” and working as a team to complete worksheets at the picnic table back at the campsite.  Johnny doesn’t understand questions 4 thru 6?  No worries, his buddies will fill those out for him to get signed off – even if they don’t explain it to him so that he actually learns about environmental sciences or rifle safety.

It has always been my understanding (perhaps incomplete or flawed) that the general intention of advancement programs in scouting was to provide “a series of surmountable obstacles and steps in overcoming them” so that the boys develop specific traits.

Traits like:

• self reliance (they ought to be in control of their own advancement path, pace, timing),
• initiation of action (as opposed to passivity – they ought to learn to “step up” and initiate the process and own the process as opposed to others pushing them along or directing their detailed steps), and
• urgency of action (once started, get it done quickly – don’t let assignments drag and become stale through inaction).

The reward for each achievement completed is earned and deserved as:

• the requirements were fulfilled,
• the skills were mastered and
• the self-confidence was built through the process.

The goal is to encourage the individual boy to engage in the process as it is the process that works the growth and enrichment of the lad.  A group effort inevitably diminishes the affects of the process.

Oh, the group moves forward and earns many patches, badges and other shiny trinkets along their journey, but is this “badge hunting” the goal of the advancement program or a distraction (when the goal becomes bragging rights, status, or trinket accumulation)?

Don’t get me wrong – that patch or certificate is a fair and appropriate symbol of accomplishment – not for what has been done, but for the newly built capability to serve others as indicated thru that patch. So a badge for first aid is not a trinket at all, but a statement that:

I am now prepared, at a moment’s notice, to respond and react with a measured approach to apply the skills I now possess. I will not shrink from that opportunity to serve others, nor will I laud this skill over others in pride as I should have known these things in order to fulfill my role as protector and guide to my own household – both present and future tense.

Advancement programs can, however, become derailed from this noble purpose and the objectives can become confused as though the earning of medals, patches and such are notches on a gunslingers pistol grip indicating conquests instead of opportunities to serve others through new skills and experiences.

Ultimately that is the telling difference between a hubristic young lad who is full of himself versus those who are better prepared to do a good turn – and are on the look out for those opportunities.

Summary

Advancement has a lot to offer each individual, but if it becomes a group exercise driven by schedules and artificial pace setting, it can fail to achieve it’s best intentions. 

Secondarily, we need to guard against the misinterpretation of the advancement program as a mercenary means to an end (i.e. “I want to be an Eagle to get into College easier, or land that corner office job” instead of to serve others per the Eagle Scout Oath).  Even B-P recognized these concerns and left us the admonishments;

• “In Scouting, a boy is encouraged to educate himself instead of being instructed.”
• “Scoutmasters deal with the individual boy rather than with the mass.”
• “The Scoutmaster must be alert to check badge hunting as compared to badge earning.”
• “Teach Scouts not how to get a living, but how to live.”
• “And then the final and chief test of the scout is the doing of a good turn to somebody every day, quietly and without boasting. This is the proof of the scout. It is practical religion, and a boy honors God best when he helps others most. A boy may wear all the scout uniforms made, all the scout badges ever manufactured, know all the woodcraft, campcraft, scoutcraft and other activities of boy scouts, and yet never be a real boy scout. To be a real boy scout means the doing of a good turn every day with the proper motive and if this be done, the boy has a right to be classed with the great scouts that have been of such service to their country.”

May I also recommend this article – https://traillife113.wordpress.com/…/the-mystery…/

Meeting Recap 2/8/2016

Tripods are useful camp gadgets by themselves, but they’re also the basis of many other helpful structures. It’s amazing how the finished effort is so much greater than the simple sum of the individual parts (three walking sticks and some cordage). When a patrol of, say, six young men work together, they can accomplish things that six individuals (working alone) could not do.

CSB #1803

Had another great club night.  After some dodgeball, we broke into small groups and the boys practiced clove hitches and lashing together tripods.

Tripods are an easy introduction into building wilderness gadgets and camping equipment from sticks, branches and some cordage brought from home.

Tripods can be used to construct wash racks, hammock hangers, slingshots, signal towers and camp entrance gates.

Tripod have a high utility for a number of reasons – they’re sturdy, lightweight, easy to assemble and can be adapted to a wide range of uses.

I like the fact that they have a parallel to verses in the Bible, too:

Ecclesiastes 4:12 – “And if one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart.”

Where the tripod gets strength and balance from having three poles to support weight and keep steady, a group of three…

View original post 414 more words

Building Strong Patrols

Patrols by any other name, work just as well. Teamwork, loyalty, bonding, shared experiences, fulfilling responsibility to the others in your group all help build young men into initiators instead of passive couch potatoes.

Trail Life Troop 113

When it comes to building a strong unit with lively, engaged patrols, it’s important to remember that William “Green Bar Bill” Hillcourt got it right when he said “…a Troop is not divided into Patrols. A Troop is the sum total of its Patrols” Put another way, a troop doesn’t really exist to build patrols (although logistically it may appear that way at times), but instead, the groups of boys who form patrols make up a troop.

As adults we can guide, instruct, demonstrate and enable, but patrol spirit isn’t something built from a set of directions or poured out of a can. To be certain, our job as adults is to provide opportunities for the boys in patrols to bond over fair competitions, nominal awards, healthy recognition and surviving shared circumstances (both good and bad).

The consistent use of patrol leadership gives boys an experience in group living and…

View original post 1,122 more words

Paradoxical MB Development?

A recent article titled “Boy Scout Merit Badges and the Paradoxical Digital Future of Being Prepared” appeared online which made the bold statement;

So, for all the talk about getting kids away from computers, BSA isn’t committed to making digital detox its core mission. Fundamentally, the organization craves relevance.

The article takes a blunt look at the apparent paradox of an outdoor adventure program that is pouring much of it’s time and effort into being relevant in a modern world by developing new curriculum that brings the boys inside to work with technology.

Where the organization got it’s start over 100 years ago by stating;

There was once a boy who…wanted to learn to camp out, to live again the life of his hunter grandfather who knew all the tricks of winning comfort from the relentless wilderness the foster-mother so rude to those who fear her, so kind to the stout of heart. (1911 BSA Handbook)

It is now proffering “Animation,” “Digital Technology,” “Programming,” “Robotics,” “Game Design” and soon to be released “Advanced Computing,” “Biometrics,” “Computer Aided Design (CAD),” and “Multi Media” merit badge unit studies to captivate its youth members imaginations.

There is nothing wrong with enabling boys to learn relevant skills to explore potential hobbies or occupations — in fact, that’s a great aspect to most youth leadership programs.  However, is the continued development of tech-oriented curriculum a way to popularize the program at the expense of the underlying mission

…to prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Law?

Perhaps this is nothing more than a tempest in a teacup – the addition of popular badges doesn’t change underlying requirements for personal growth and advancement.  It merely adds options, choices and customization to the program.

On the other hand, why not add some glamor to wilderness survival, pioneering, and backpacking the way Bear Grylls does in his TV show “Man Vs. Wild”?

One of the troop’s most favored camporee events was the “Buckskin Games” where everything was a throwback to the most basic and fun scouting skills.  Most boys were completely fascinated by the blacksmith demonstration — beating the living daylights out of glowing iron rod to fashion a coat hook had them lined up for hours waiting their turn.

We still need to know how to survive following a hurricane, tornado, or other natural disaster.  These skills are far from outdated — just lose power for more than a day and most people start to go crazy.

Let us hope that the powers to be won’t merely take the easy way, but instead reinvigorate the core of the scouting movement to build character, wisdom and true scout-craft.

Epilog

Can I learn more about other youth program’s advancement criteria?

Trail Life USA

Royal Rangers

Christian Service Brigade

Federation North American Explorers

 

5 Tips for Buying Cheap Gear – Backpacker

Basic tips, but helpful reminders as getting a new boy started in outdoor adventuring can become very expensive quickly if everything is bought new and all at once. Staggering out purchases, leveraging “birthday gifts” from extended family and shopping in a thrifty manner can make a big difference. Many outdoor gear shops have “quietly advertised” deals for scouters when they qualify for the discounts (i.e. purchase items as a group, show up in store wearing full uniform, etc.).

Enjoy your travels this Fall and be safe!

Trail Life Troop 113

Buying outdoor gear doesn’t have to empty your bank account. Here are some great tips on applying thrifty strategies to gear up for outdoor adventures (from Backpacker.com)

Source: 5 Tips for Buying Cheap Gear – Backpacker

Of course, there may be group discounts available from some camping supply stores for troops that are part of a non-profit organization.  It’s always worth asking about, and at worst case scenario, you may have to submit a group order — which just takes a little coordination among the families to research what gear they want and submit the individual orders together.

One example that my troop has used in the past is provided by Campmor, here in New Jersey.  http://www.campmor.com/CustomerServiceContent_____nonprofit We even had Campmor send us a product specialist to do a gear review and how to care for demonstration during a troop meeting!  Thank you, Campmor!

View original post

Who or what is your rock?

The Hawkeye Area Council, Boy Scouts of America posted this picture to Facebook and asked the question; “What do you think? Do you agree with this statement?”

Matthew 7:24-27 “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.

“But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”

I suppose that if you do not call yourself a Christian (and it’s ok to be a good scout without being a Christian) then I suppose the Scout Law (and associated ideals) make a pretty good foundation for living this life, here on Earth. After all, most of these ideals are found (coincidentally or not) within scriptures and are good ways to practice selfless-ness and fair minded reasoning. (See also – https://troop113.wordpress.com/2014/10/17/devotional-simple-truths-shine-through/)

However, if you call yourself a Christian, I would have to wonder if this bold statement (in the well intentioned image supplied by the BSA Council) could be misunderstood in its application. Do we really believe that all you need to do is follow the Scout Law and you’re set for all of eternity? Of course, I’m over-reaching their intent, but it’s easy to lock onto “cute sayings” and hold them as a satisfactory “cliffs notes” version of the complete message when there’s much more to the story.

The Methods of Scouting build into an excellent program (regardless of brand name), but being a great man is more than being a great scout, and for those who make the choice to live as a Christian, that decision requires identifying our rock or foundation clearly (perspective) so that we can weather the storms, and have a base of operation enabling us to do good works out of love and care for all other people at all times (disciplined execution of our calling).

As our Lord stated in Matthew’s gospel, we need to hear His sayings, do them and then we may be likened as one who has successfully built his house on the rock to weather the storm. He further adds that those who do not hear or act on His sayings will be like a foolish man suffering a great fall when the storms come.

Who or what is your genuine rock – scouting ideals, or Christ’s complete teachings?

I know I struggle to dive into the Bible daily, and make time to understand the message. I find that its far easier to make assumptions and try to validate them with the Bible than to really listen and then act. How about you? Do you struggle to follow through daily? Are you satisfied with holding open a door for someone to walk through, or are we growing the depth of commitment in our good turns over time?

Once and done, or a commitment to a lifestyle of never being satisfied that we’ve grown and served enough?

https://troop113.wordpress.com/2013/10/25/acting-on-our-duty-to-god-as-scouters/

National Paintball Tournament & Summer Adventure

Trail Life Troop 113

Our National Paintball Tournament and Summer Adventure is coming up June 21-26 in West Virginia.

The ACE High Adventure Center in West Virginia will be home to TRAIL LIFE USA’s 2015 National Paintball Tournament and Summer Adventure. ACE has a lot to offer, from whitewater rafting to rappelling to mountain biking to a custom paintball course —  built just for TLUSA — all to offer a fun, challenging, and exciting program.

The 2015 National Paintball Tournament and Summer Adventure begins on Sunday, June 21 and runs through Friday morning, June 26 at the ACE High Adventure Center. Sunday night during the Opening Ceremony a Christian Group will conduct a Praise & Worship Time at the Festival Stage.  Trailmen are encourage to bring their bibles for daily devotionals.

Both pre- and post-tours of the area can include visiting:

• The National New River Gorge Park and overlook
• The Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine
• Bridge Walk

View original post 152 more words

Duty to God, but Closet Your Faith?

A new push by BSA to increase the visibility and value of “duty to God” (http://blog.scoutingmagazine.org/2014/10/03/belief-in-god-scouting/) has inspired a lot of spirited discussion on various internet forums.

One such discussion was titled; “Why is Duty to God such a weak program area?” and that caught my eye as I expected a series of interesting comments and some suggestions on ways that scouting units could incorporate faith related elements into their ongoing program (i.e. saying grace at camp meals, etc.).

In actuality, the discussion focused on several key themes (with actual comments copied below):

1. Duty to God is an outmoded idea that is merely a quaint legacy of a century-old program.
   1. “I would say that the reason it is going by the wayside is our society. If you look at church attendance, it has declined for many years. If the Leaders are not attending church, and the youth are not attending church, they are going to be unlikely to say Grace, or do other “religious” things. We have also driven religion out of schools and anything having to do with public events.“
   2. “Many parents of this generation of Scouts are not affiliated with any church and are most kindly described as secular humanists. Might Scouting lose them and their kids if we push Duty to God too far beyond their comfort levels, and thereby cost the kids (and Scouting) more than would be gained?“
   3. “I saw a Barna research article (but did not read further than the headline) that said that 43% of Americans are unchurched…In this environment passionate belief is not modeled well in any portion of our culture and is often discouraged…And I don’t blame them. With attitudes like ‘all faiths are equally valid’, it is easy to come to the conclusion that it does not matter…So the problem seems to come from a general disinterest in society. So is there a way for scout leaders to show religious passion while necessarily making it generic so no one will be offended?”
   4. “…may I add that the disinterest is probably caused by various issues with several belief systems. For example, terrorists who are acting in the name of Islam or several Christian denominations who seem to believe that their way is the only way and does everything they can to make sure that no one forgets that. Folks are very turned off by those attitudes and the use of a religion by those who would subvert it.”
2. Pursuit of faith within scouting is problematic unless it is something so generic that it becomes meaningless, and it’s hard to present faith without it becoming perceived as unwarranted proselytization.
   1. “I don’t need a santa-like god looking over my shoulders, taking notes on whether I’m naughty or nice to know what is the right thing and how to treat people. There’s one simple commandment: Love your neighbor as yourself. If we all did this, the world would be a better place.“
   2. “I would simply caution that Scouts are Reverant, NOT Religious. My concern here is that by increasing the importance of Creator in Scouting, that some folks are going to over-reach the intent…I’d not think much of seeing a Catholic Scoutmaster start to push being Catholic (however unintentional it may be) over a Scout being his own person. There is a lot to be said about finding yourself when you surround yourself with the bounty of sounds from Mother Earth“
   3. “This is one of the reasons I have elected to separate myself from formal membership in BSA – the expression of religiosity without identifying who we are worshiping runs counter to my personal faith.“
3. No practical experience in presenting scouting ideals (Oath, Law, Motto, Slogan, Outdoor Code) – preferring for scouts to “pick it up” by example of leaders lifestyle, etc.
   1. “I have found that there is some anecdotal evidence that some units may prefer to focus on other methods (outdoor program, advancement, etc.) and let “ideals” take a distant backseat or be merely experiential (follow moral example) as opposed to an active discussion. Contributing factors: unease in communicating about ideals, uncertainty how to incorporate ideals in practical ways, shifts in family backgrounds away from “churchy” environments (i.e. little league, public school, etc.)“
   2. “I think the biggest reason why Duty to God is so weak and misunderstood as a program area is that activity leadership and youth do not find it fun and interesting.“

I think that each of the people making these remarks felt very strongly about their position and I appreciate them for contributing to the conversation in a respectful and constructive manner.

On of the positive contributions that I found interesting included:

“Suggest inviting your pastors to events. Suggest inviting your pastors to take an active role in the religious awards program. If they are too busy, perhaps delegating the educational coordinators to assist.“

In this case, there may be an underlying assumption that the unit may be chartered to a church or faith-based organization which could supply a specially trained faith leader to help coordinate “duty to God” activities and discussions in a tactful manner.  For units chartered to secular organizations, it would not be too difficult to make a few phone calls to find folks who could participate in a constructive manner.

Unfortunately, some of the comments were troublesome to me.  I understand that my own biases may be interfering in understanding the full intent of the persons making the comment, and I’m hoping to be fair in explaining why their comments pricked my conscience.

One scouter said “No matter what, when it comes to a camporee, we are Scouters first. After that I become a Catholic Scouter only in the right situation.”  Contextually, he was discussing the use of interfaith services to convey a generic moral tale to highlight a point of the Scout law as preferable to faith-specific services where boys could actually worship in the context of their own faith practice (i.e. a protestant service, catholic service, jewish service, etc.)  When I was a youth in scouting, the norm was to offer faith-specific services at different times at the chapel during summer camp or camporees.  Now the push is for “interfaith” gatherings.

A response from another scouter appeared shortly after this post:

“Also, as a Catholic, I know what a part time one is. But it’s not “I’m not one at a camporee” but I am one “once in a while.” You’re always Catholic and supposed to be.“

A Scout is Loyal to whom loyalty is due.  For me, part of my duty to God is to be loyal to Him throughout my day to day experience – not merely when it may be convenient to avoid offending others.  Now, as a Scout, I’m also called to be friendly, courteous, kind, cheerful and reverent (including the respect of other people to believe as they wish).  Balancing these concepts isn’t difficult (nor need it be).  As a Christian, I don’t aim to hurt people’s feelings, but I also won’t “hide my faith in a closet” in order make people more comfortable in normal social situations like participating in a scouting program – especially as long as BSA promotes the active practice of faith in its aims for character building:

• In little league, faith wasn’t brought up during practices or games.
• Conversely, at BSA, (for example) there’s a First Class rank requirement to “Lead your patrol in saying grace at the meals” (4e).

BSA is at or nearing a critical crossroads in its history.  Will it stay true to it’s original course of promoting faith practice as critical to participating citizenship, or will it change course to de-emphasize faith, closet adults from commenting on their own faith practice, or move slowly to eliminate faith from the program — to become a truly secular program?

BSA’s own president has been quoted as saying “In Scouting, there’s a secular emphasis on values and virtue that is not found anyplace else” (http://www.esquire.com/features/boy-scouts-1014) which at face value seems to contradict the notion that moral and ethical values are derived or delivered from a Higher Being called “God”.

If our values (as scouts) come from mankind, how can we (as individuals) agree on the common definition of each point of the scout law? The foundation shifts from personal view to personal view or from time to time as society redefines the rules of acceptable behavior. Is that where tolerance comes into play? What if I think that lying doesn’t really hurt anyone so I can tell “white lies” without being untrustworthy? Who are you to tell me I’m wrong?

As another blogger indicated;

“The god of Scouting is much like the god of Alcoholics Anonymous, a “higher power” that is whatever one wants it to be. Sure, you have to believe in god to be a Scout, you just don’t have to be too specific about it.This brings us to the basis for morals. How can an organization that will not take a stand on the identity of God be expected to take a stand on specific moral issues? There is a direct connection between the law and the Law Giver. If you’re not really sure who the Law Giver is, how can you be sure whether [any] specific behavior is “morally straight” or not?”

On another linked in forum dedicated to scouting, another scouter summed it up this way;

“Bottom line – nothing is perfect. You do the best you can to include all and offend none. If you want perfection – then Scouting is probably not the organization for you.”

This comment was “liked” by many others as seeming to settle the discussion. The concern is that by telling folks to “like it or leave”, we are asking people of faith to “closet” their beliefs while participating in scouting or find another organization that is more tolerant. It seems a double standard for an organization to encourage youth to be “out of the closet” about their preference in potential sexual partners, but “in the closet” about their choice of who they name as “God” while still prohibiting youth of “no-faith” from the many benefits of scouting. I thought we were supposed to help ALL other people at ALL times, not just when it was convenient to our individual, personal ideology. Telling people that they ought to be quiet, hide their beliefs or be shown the door seems counter to actually helping anyone except ourselves to feel better about our own perspective by removing all challengers.

Websters dictionary says that tolerance means we can get along while disagreeing, not that we have to share the same ideology in order to work together as “first among equals”. Asking people to be in the closet or leave (or not be welcome) for faith issues (creed) is just as objectionable as for sexual preference, color, race, etc.

Is it scouting for all, or scouting for some (that think exactly like us)?

The 1911 Handbook states; “And then the final and chief test of the scout is the doing of a good turn to somebody every day, quietly and without boasting. This is the proof of the scout. It is practical religion, and a boy honors God best when he helps others most.”  In the context of scouting (not church), why can’t duty to God be this simple?