By Clarke Green
Inspiration, Information and Ideas for Scout Leaders
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Scouting is something Scouts do for themselves … … rather than a program of activities presented for them. This week I’ll discuss the way Scouts should be engaged in leading one another, in making decisions affecting what they do and...
21 boys boarded a boat in Poole Harbor… … they had no way of knowing they were pioneering a movement for millions of young people around the world. Several lived well into old age to vividly recount their experiences decades later....
Scouting needs gardeners more than managers or officers. Scouting isn’t the science of management or military discipline, it’s much more like a garden. Gardeners prepare the ground, plant the seed, keep the weeds away, make sure there is plenty of water...
Are Scoutmaster’s Conferences a retest? Can assistant Scoutmasters do them? This week we’ll catch up on listener email by answering these questions and more. When it comes to Scoutmaster conferences they are explained unambiguously in teh Guide to Advancement, so none of this...
No 11-year-old boy joins Scouting to get his character developed… … and few boys join to attend troop meetings, wear the Scout uniform, or sit before boards of review. Instead, they sign up for fun and adventure. Last month Walter Underwood joined me...
What is the ninth method of Scouting? Author Mark Ray begins the second volume of the Troop Leader Guidebook with these words; Back when you first attended Scout leader training, you learned that Boy Scouting has eight methods: adult association, advancement, ideals, leadership...
What has a Mesoamerican Step Pyramid got to do with this? Today I want to talk about leadership, but I want to see if I can get you to come along with me and really examine what this means in Scouting. ...
I want to share a great source for developing your skills! Outdoor leadership is different. What works at a Troop meeting or in the boardroom does not always translate well on a week-long backpacking or canoeing trip. Scouting offers great administrative training and...
Lots of answers that you may find useful! It’s been a little while since I answered some email questions, so this is catch-up week. Listen as I talk about several different questions listeners have sent in over the past couple...
Have you seen the first volume of the Troop Leader Guidebook? Join Walter Underwood and myself as we review the first volume of the Troop Leader Guidebook. Like Walter I accumulated a collection of Scoutmaster Handbooks. From the very first edition to the last they...
How about your Scouts? How about their parents? This podcast features advice for Scouters attending summer camp and parents who are staying home. I’ll discuss ten things that will make life at summer camp smooth sailing for you and your...
What constitutes a night of Scout camping? You’ll find the qualifier “under the auspices of Scouting” or something similar in advancement requirements that describe nights of camping. What, exactly, does this mean? I’ll give you my best answer to this...
We work with our Scouts as they come to us…. I’ll discuss two different parent-related issues in this third (and final) in a series of podcasts about Scout parents – First we’ll acknowledge getting parents to understand the way advancement...
The single most important thing a Scout parents need to know is … This is the second of three podcasts about Scout parents. Scouting is not simply another activity on the schedule, it is a process. Once Scout parents understand the process they...
What should Scout parents do if a child want’s to quit Scouts?… This is the first of three podcasts about Scout parents. Just about every child will reach some impasse along the way that will make them reluctant or downright adamant about participating....
I am not thinking about the nature of Scouting activities… When Scouting is happening, when it’s really popping and sizzling along, Scouts are doing things that few, if any of their peers are doing. I am not thinking about the nature...
It’s all about asking the right question… When it comes to Scouts planning activities there are two major threads of observations I hear about: They don’t plan at all, they are incapable OR they plan the same things over and...
What Did John Thurman say to Patrol leaders? Richard Francis “John” Thurman (4 April 1911 – April 1985) became the third Camp Chief at Gilwell Park in 1943 and ably developed Gilwell Park and leader training for 26 years. Author...
What do you know about Scouting’s founder? February 22nd is founder’s day, the birthday of Scouting’s founder, born in 1857, 159 years ago, in Paddington, London, England World Thinking Day is celebrated annually on 22 February by all Girl Guides and...
How do you decide who ends up in what patrol? Patrols are not about managing Scouts, they are not an artificial construct. If you look at patrols from the perspective of your Scouts there’s the only thing that’s actually important – and...
How would you answer that question? Sure, we have the Scout law but would you add anything? Find out how one Eagle Scout just about to “age out” answered that question in this week’s podcast. In This Podcast Intro Chris...
What’s your vision for Scouting? Have you ever taken the time to really examine your Scouting vision, how you picture where you are headed as a Scouter? When I first became a Scoutmaster my vision was defined by what I knew...
What works, what doesn’t and what’s new? The Scoutmaster blog started with it’s first post in October of 2005, just over ten years ago (it’s titled “Why Scouting?”) The first podcast was published on January 25th 2010 – exactly five years...
Are you reactive (like me)? In this podcast I discuss patience and fortitude, two important character traits of successful Scouters. I’ll also answer email questions concerning wearing more than one hat as a volunteer, job descriptions for Scouts, and how...
Do I need to get a new Scout Handbook? When do the new handbooks come out? Do we have to get them? When do we start using the new rank requirements, do they apply to every Scout? Answers to these...
Brick Mason, Scoutmaster, Superhero Please enjoy this encore edition while the podcast is on vacation right along with you as you enjoy the holidays with your friends and family. I’ll be back on January 11th with podcast 298. You can listen to our...
Please enjoy this encore edition while the podcast is on vacation right along with you as you enjoy the holidays with your friends and family. I’ll be back on January 11th with podcast 298. You can listen to our archived podcasts here Get...
Wait just a darn minute, one aim one method, I thought there were more? Well, yes, we commonly hear about multiple aims and methods employed in Scouting, but I think you can reduce them to one each. Understand I am...
How do you decide who is right for the job? I think it’s a mistake to select a new Scoutmaster as you would hire an employee with interviews, applications, etc. This is something very, very different. I wouldn’t choose a new Scoutmaster based...
Apples and oranges – I love a good idiom! A lot of us get caught making “apples and oranges” comparisons between our Scouts. It may be useful to remember there are no comparisons in the Scout oath – only personal pronouns;...
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If you are wondering what to do next, the answer is always “do what Scouts do”. Can it be that simple? Actually, yes! It’s just that simple! When Scouts do things Scouts do they develop character as an after-effect. Don’t get sidetracked by...
A lot of our Scouts are subject to many demands on their time… .. and some are under extreme pressure from their parents. What if one of our Scouts wants to quit because they say they have no time for...