Re: Adult Participation on Campouts (was BSA: Women on Campouts)
Christopher L. Rankin (CRANKIN@JCVAXA.JCU.EDU)
Wed, 14 Dec 1994 11:54:16 -0500
Susan:
> Oops, Chris, I know you meant to say "instead of facilitating *the boys*
> running the program". Some of the most successful Scouters I know
> deliberately cultivate the attitude among the adults of relax and let the
> PLC handle it. Thay stand by as 'resources' for the PLC to use if they
You hit the nail right on the head; facilitating the youth leadership run
program is MUCH MUCH closer to what I meant to say (sometimes other people
better understand what I mean to say that I do..... <G>)
> wish, but do NOT try to run the program. The worst problem I have seen
> crop up on a troop outing was caused by a young take-charge type ASM. He
> usurped all of the PLCs prerogatives for running the program and forced
> his decisions on them. He alienated many adults and caused a near
> mutiny by the Scouts. We would have all been better off that day if he
We had a person like this in our troop a little while back (a committee member
who insisted that everything be done his way on campouts, etc...... This guy
even had the gull to push his kid and a few others through the ranks-- his 13
year old son was getting ready for his Eagle BoR......). Fortunately, he's
gone now (and so is his son and a few others who supported them-- they all
transferred out to another troop).
What I meant to say is the previous message was that as adults we are supposed
to be setting examples for the scouts to follow. While I would agree that when
it comes to running the program, the adult leadership team should take a back
seat-- an advisory position, I feel that there are other times when standing
around drinking coffee on a camping trip actually hurts the program. We take
two trips each year (different places) whose main purposes are (1) to do a
service project for one of our state parks and (2) to work on advancement. I
tend to feel that on these types of trips it would be bad to have the adults
stand around and BS while the scouts go out and do the projects all by
themselves. In cases like this (at least on these trips), the adults are
understood to be part of the program, which includes participating in the
service projects (these places have an award recognition system whereby
everyone who goes on the trip and participates in the program gets recognized--
having the adults do nothing and still get recognized would be setting a bad
example and the wrong precedent). While I definitely agree with you that the
program should be youth run, there are times where adult participation is
required-- and it hurts the program to have the adults standing around doing
nothing at these particular moments.
YiS,
Chris
Christopher L. Rankin CRANKIN@JCVAXA.JCU.EDU
Assistant Scoutmaster: Box 1387, John Carroll University
T-7, French Creek Council University Heights, OH 44118
T-620, Greater Cleveland Council (216) 397-5100
|>>-->>| Brotherhood Member, Langundowi Lodge 46
Silver Bronze Palm Eagle Scout, Class of '91
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