Re: An interesting challenge

Just a thought, but if this <young man> is going to accept the
responsibilities of his family, leadership in ther troop etc. he needs to
be treated as an adult, and expected to conform to that role.

Regarding the neckhold on the younger Scout - first and foremost I think
I would go over the youth protection guidelines, and point out that a
sixteen or seventeen year-old using physical sanctions against a young
Scout is a total no-no, not only because there are certain standards one
expects from youth members in this regard, but because this could,
rightly, be construed as abuse, with all the attendant consequences.

Next I think I would to look closely at his motivation for returning - is
his father behind it ? Is it a case of " Get your Eagle, Son, so you
can put it on your resume " ? Is he a potential adult leader in a few
years after he has settled down ? Is he prepared to <give> to the troop
as well as to take ? The attitude of his wife is important too - is she
prepared to support him ? ( A question I used to ask all potential
Leaders coming to our Appointments Committee was how their partner felt
about them giving time to look after other peoples' kids ... )

I wonder whether seeking to involve this young man's father as a Leader
in the troop is the answer ... (a) because there may be family conflicts
below the surface which could make thebsituation worse, and (b) because
if you are trying to get this lad involved as a young adult, accepting
responsibility, being part of the leadership team etc. having " Daddy "
around may well just reinforce the " big kid " role, both in the eyes of
the lad himself and of the other adult leaders. Finally, if the whole
thing is about getting Eagle for the sake of looking good, will Father
really be an asset to the troop (however experienced a Scouter he WAS)
or might he just be another pushy parent out to sign off requirements on
the cheap ?

Sorry - I've got plenty of questions but no answers. However, if I were
counselling the Leaders of this unit those are the sort of questions I
would suggest they asked themselves.

Hope that helps a little ...

Regards,

Ian Ford

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