Re: A new tangent on 13 year olds
hunteb (hunteb@SMTPGATE.LDS-AZ.LORAL.COM)
Thu, 22 Sep 1994 08:29:55 MST
Charles Schmidt,
We have all had similar problems, especially in large troops. I don't believe
that not approving a kid for the next rank due to a lack of leadership is
holding him back anymore than a teacher, not having a student earn a passing
grade, holds him back in school. We are responsbile for our own actions, even
kids.
To be fair, however, as adults we are responsbile to confront the scout and the
situation head-on. Tell him he needs to perform to a specified standard
(quantitative) as regards participation. Give him responsibility; he will
learn from his mistakes. When I am uncertain of how well a Scout is performing
leadership, I ask him to get a note from the kids he lead. If they are
satisfied, who am I to say different. Leadership is a very subjective issue.
As to available jobs, he can always be an instructor for the younger Scouts.
If he doesn't know skills well enough, by being in a teaching role, he will be
forced to review and re-learn ( a reason older children in large oriental
families tend to have very superior grades, they teach the younger siblings).
And lastly, don't fix your standard in concrete. IS A VALEDICTORIAN from a
small rural college equal to that of M.I.T., Cal Tech or Harvard? Probably
not...but none the less a valedictorian is a valedictorian. In the same light,
a medical doctor, whether 1st in his class or last in his class, is a medical
doctor, with all the same rights, privileges and responsibilities.
Terry Howerton Sakima Group, Inc. SCOUTER Magazine Kansas City |
