This isn’t school.
During a recent Scout trip I was talking to a youth, who was the Senior Patrol Leader of his troop. He told me how the youth leadership in his troop would plan an outing and not tell the adults until 1 week before the trip. The scoutmaster and a few other adults were invited to these outings, but usually camped in a different campsite, close enough for safety, but far enough away that the youth were not bothered. I asked the Scout why he ran the troop this way. He told me “adults should not be in the organization to go camping and have fun. We have too many adults who just want to camp.” While Scouting is just as much fun for youth as it is for adults. Fun should not be the main concern for adults in Scouting.
I believe adults are responsible for three things: mentorship, safety, and administrative tasks. The ideals of Scouting should be taught through actions. They are something youth see in how an adult lives. Morals are not something for classroom lectures. The Millennials are lectured to all day in school and Scouting should never be on par with the current American education system. Not only are the teachings of Scouting vastly different, but they should be communicated differently. Wood Badge teaches the Explain, Show, and Enable method of teaching. This method works well when done correctly. The correct way is to have an older youth explain the task. Then have the same youth with 1 or 2 others demonstrate the proper technique. Once everyone understands, all the youth should plan an outing where the task is practiced. This is all done with the mentorship of the leaders. If none of the youth know the proper technique, then an expert in the field should be asked to help out. No adult leader should also be the teacher, unless they are also an expert in the field. Keeping the adult out of the primary teaching role moves the adult out of the authority figure and into a mentorship role.
The second adult responsibility is safety. All too often youth and adults are injured or killed on Scout outings. These stories make headlines and place doubt in the public’s eyes as to the integrity of Scouting. Adults should be willing and required to invest the time to be properly trained. This includes those week long courses such as Wood Badge, Powder Horn, and Philmont Training Center classes. How can an adult be willing to take a week off to go hiking when they are not willing to take a week off to become a better leader? Scouting needs to be more strict on training for the safety of our youth and the quality of the program.
Lastly, adults are responsible for administrative tasks. Collecting medical forms, registration, rechartering, and advancement should be tasks left to adults. I specifically left out keeping financial books, creating itineraries, and maintaining communication trees. These tasks should be the responsibilities of the youth leadership with the mentorship of adults. We have Scribes and Treasurers for a reason.
When the adults are removed from the “oldest Scout” role and placed behind the scenes Scouting will be more fun for the youth. They will not feel as if Scouting is yet another class in school. They will feel empowered and in charge of their troop. The will decide what they learn and what they do. They will feel this way because they truly will be in charge, and the adults will be supporting them and mentoring them.
So what is in it for the adults if they have to sit back and get trained and let the youth run the show? Where does the fun come into play for them? The fun and reward is enabling youth to control their organization and watching them grow into true leaders.
In the Scouting Spirit,
Patrick Claytor
