Scoutmaster

I get lots of email questions about… … troop conflicts. It may be volunteers arguing with each other, parents arguing with Scouters, volunteers arguing with Scouts, they all have a common thread, and most have a common answer. I also offer my simple advice for welcoming girls into troops, so simple you may not like […] The post Podcast 374 – What’s Next, Email Questions appeared first on Scoutmastercg.com.

Create shared expectations and you’ll have a happy troop. In this week’s podcast I answer an email question about a behavior problem. A problem that would never happen if those involved shared expectations. Ask Scouts to analyze their behavior in light of the Scout oath and law. Listen carefully, ask questions, listen more, share your […] The post Podcast 373 – Create Shared Expectations appeared first on Scoutmastercg.com.

When thinking about Eagle Scout advancement … .. we ought to ask “what is an Eagle Scout?” rather than “who deserves to be an Eagle Scout?” The answer to the question “who deserves to be an Eagle Scout?” is easy; any Scout who completes the requirements. That’s it. No more and no less. There’s no […] The post Podcast 372 – Eagle Scout Advancement appeared first on Scoutmastercg.com.

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 […] The post Podcast 371 – Webelos Patrols and Older Scout Issues appeared first on Scoutmastercg.com.

Working with older Scouts between the ages of 14-18 … … is both challenging and rewarding. What interests keep them involved? Simply turning up the ‘wow’ factor doesn’t do much to keep them engaged, because they are looking for much more than fun. Respecting and understanding what older Scouts need takes patient observation and an open dialogue.  […] The post Podcast 370 – Working With Older Scouts appeared first on Scoutmastercg.com.

Email questions! I’ll answer email questions concerning patrols and planning in this week’s podcast. I think what most of us want is patrols with long storied histories, stable membership, and high functioning Scouts. It’s my suspicion these kinds of patrols only exist in the pages of handbook. I had a dog eared copy the 1940’s […] The post Podcast 369- Patrols and Planning appeared first on Scoutmastercg.com.

Scouting discipline is constructive…  … because it builds character through applying the Scout oath and law. When we think of discipline we often think of  systems of rules and punishments. These things are more familiar to our Scouts than open-ended situation where they follow principles. Asking them to judge themselves rather than issuing judgments may be […] The post Podcast 368- Constructive Discipline appeared first on Scoutmastercg.com.

Why is Scouting designed around youth leadership? Most Scouters think a youth led troop is the brass ring of Scouting. What exactly do we mean when we talk about youth leadership? There’s much confusion and misunderstanding of this than nearly any other aspect of Scouting. Our perspective is often narrowly focused on things that aren’t […] The post Podcast 367- Developing Youth Leadership appeared first on Scoutmastercg.com.

How does Scout advancement achieve the main aim of Scouting? Todays talk about advancement continues our foundations series. I’ve written extensively in detail about many aspects of Scout advancement, but this is different. In this podcast I ask how Scout advancement fits into the overall game of Scouting. You’ll hear me read from Baden-Powell’s Aids […] The post Podcast 366 – Scout Advancement appeared first on Scoutmastercg.com.

What’s the difference between Patrol system and Patrol method? I have never found any actual difference between those terms in Scouting literature, but I will share acouple of thoughts to differentiate between patrol system and patrol method in a way you may find helpful. Over the next three podcasts we’ll continue our foundations series by […] The post Podcast 365 – Patrol System or Method? appeared first on Scoutmastercg.com.

Some aspects of the Scouting game look like flaws… … but they are features we must not alter. Games restrict or constrain play through rules, the laws of physics, or human limitations and Scouting is no exception. We Scouters often expend  lot of effort trying to fix things that don’t need to be fixed, or […] The post Podcast 364 – Playing the Scouting Game appeared first on Scoutmastercg.com.

Thinking of Scouts as players … … fills out the analogy of Scouting as a game. Players volunteer to participate in the game. The most important volunteers in Scouting have more power and influence than the highest official. Without their participation, Scouting would come to a complete halt. They bring endless energy, resources, and real […] The post Podcast 363 – Scouts as Players appeared first on Scoutmastercg.com.

Thinking of Scouters as coaches … … can help us understand our role in the game. These are just analogies – we aren’t actually coaches, and Scouting isn’t actually a game.  Analogies are not exact copies, they only resemble what they represent. What a Scouter does may be similar to coaching, but Scouters hold an unique role in […] The post Podcast 362 – Scouters as Coaches appeared first on Scoutmastercg.com.

We’ve heard this before, right? Baden-Powell employed the “Scouting is a game” analogy long before anyone else, and it is the best analogy I’ve found for explaining the wonderfully complex, intriguing, idea that is Scouting. We have to be careful because analogies break down at some point. While Scouting is a game in many ways, it’s […] The post Podcast 361 – Scouting is a Game appeared first on Scoutmastercg.com.

Thank you for being a Scouter! Today I have a short story to share (with apologies to Clement Clarke Moore) I first read on Podcast 248 to wish readers and listeners happy holidays. The story includes Scouters in neckerchiefs, silence imploring, settling ourselves for a long winter’s snoring. Next week is Christmas and the following is new […] The post Podcast 360 – Happy Holidays! appeared first on Scoutmastercg.com.

Imagine two Scout troops, troop A and troop B. Both troops have “average” Scouts (whatever that means) who do what average Scouts do. Both have a well defined procedural approach to discipline and misbehavior. Troop A publishes a guide that defines the rules, how they are enforced, and penalties for breaking them. Troop B has […] The post Podcast 359 – A Tale of Two Scout Troops appeared first on Scoutmastercg.com.

Scout advancement is not adults judging Scouts… … it’s Scouts meeting requirements with the support of adult volunteers – in Scout advancement we are all on the same side. We did not write the requirements. We don’t personally embroider patches to present to them. It’s tiresome and self-defeating to devise our own hoops for Scouts […] The post Scoutmaster Podcast 358 – Scout Advancement Judgement calls appeared first on Scoutmastercg.com.

Kevin Callan is here, it’s time to go winter camping! Canada’s Happy Camper, our friend Kevin Callan, author of the new Complete Guide to Winter Camping joins us on this podcast with his welcoming way of sharing his knowledge of the woods in winter. You’ll see right away how Kevin has earned the name “happy […] The post Scoutmaster Podcast 357 Kevin Callan and Winter Camping appeared first on Scoutmastercg.com.

Expertise and experience are overrated Scouts need Scouters with energy and vision more than Scouters with expertise and experience. Scouts don’t care what you know, they respond to who you are. In this podcast I answer three email questions. The first (begins at [1:05]) comes from a new Scouter contemplating becoming a Scoutmaster, but is […] The post Scoutmaster Podcast 356 Energy and Vision appeared first on Scoutmastercg.com.

What do I do now? A Scout misbehaves, makes a mistake, or even consciously does something wrong, and things spin out of control, now what? If you hang around long enough your Scouts misbehave, and you’ll will be confronted by this sort of incident, so what is your plan? I’ll discuss an incident shared with […] The post Scoutmaster Podcast 355 When Scouts Misbehave appeared first on Scoutmastercg.com.