Re: Respect
Ian Ford (ianford@DIRCON.CO.UK)
Fri, 1 Apr 1994 10:54:28 BST
I think folks are mistaking conventional forms of address for " respect " .
When I ran a Cub Pack in the '70s we followed the usual British tradition of
giving the adults " jungle " names. Thus as an Instructor and then Assistant
I was Rama ( the buffalo) and then took on " Akela " when I became CSL. As
A Scout Leader I was simply Ian to the Scouts , although the Cubs called me
Skip. The current pack I help with does not use jungle names, because the
CSL feels that they are " old hat " with the new programme. So all the
adults are addressed by our Christian names.
I can see nothing wrong with walking into a Pack meeting and being greeting
with a cheery smile and " Helloh Ian ! " by the kids. I have found that a
lot of adults who stand on their dignity do so because they are unsure of
their position, so they try to create a " distance " from the kids. As a
result they may lose out. There is no harm in being on first name terms
<provided> that it is understood that you are still the leader and that in
certain circumstances you have to step back and take charge.
That said, respect is a two-way street. It's no use shouting at kids or
trying to stand on your dignity. As a Scout Leader you are there for one
purpose <only> and that is to facilitate the program. The program is about
helping young people to develop positive social skills and attitudes.
Personally I see my role as an adult friend and advisor, not in terms of
" rank " or positional status. OK, there are occasions when it <is>
necessary to " pull rank " , e.g. if there is some sort of discipline
problem or if the kids decide to do something which is dangerous or out of
line with policies and rules. But even then it's not " because I'm the adult
and I say ... " - it's because <our> organisation requires that <we> ...
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Ian N Ford
Pack Helper, 25th Greenwich ( Our Lady of Grace) Scout Group
London, UK [ PHONE +44 81 244 6717 ]
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