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Re: SCOUTS-L Digest - 30 Jun 1998 to 1 Jul 1998
Joseph Alessi (JosephAlessi@COMPUSERVE.COM)
Thu, 2 Jul 1998 09:36:08 -0400
Stephen Hoar wrote:
>> Do you always slavishly follow the regs? Do you fail to
give yourself the credit for being smart enough to know when
to follow the rules and when it is better to set them aside?
=
The bottom line, never use the regulations as a replacement
for thinking! <<
Your second post bothered me more than your first.
I agree with your basic premise that we should apply the
rules intelligently. However, your first post didn't give
any "reason" for not following policy - you just justified
it by stating that your unit was the best (my paraphrasing).
It's my position that we should follow the rules whenever
possible, and only violate them when we have a compelling
reason. Now I'm not a member of the "uniform police", in
that I'll never walk up to you and criticize your uniform.
I'll even admit that I have an unauthorized district patch
on my troop uniform shirt. However, I don't try to justify
it by saying that it's ok because I'm somehow a better
leader, or my scouts are somehow better, than the rest of
BSA. If I were SM, I'd change the troop policy, but I'm not.
I don't wear the district patch on my other uniforms.
I agree that giving a patch to a boy is good, if it helps
him become a better scout. However, if you give it to
every scout in the unit, it simply becomes another part
of the uniform to them. I would hope that you are not
giving your scouts the message that they can wear this
and no one else can because they are "better" than the
rest of the scouts.
I guess what I'm saying is that I'm troubled by your
assertion that you are the best interpreter of the rules
because your unit is somehow better than my unit, and
not the issue that generated this thread in the first
place. I agree with Russ that you should think twice,
and then one more time about the possible messages you
are sending to your scouts.
YIS
Joseph A. Alessi in Ozwin 2.20
JosephAlessi@Compuserve.com
Vice Chair - Program, Lafayette District
ASM Troop 313
I used to be an Owl
Terry Howerton Sakima Group, Inc. SCOUTER Magazine Kansas City |
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