Scoutmaster Training
Olan Watkins (o.watkins@GENIE.GEIS.COM)
Sat, 29 Apr 1995 19:17:00 UTC
The recent discussion about Scoutmasters that will not attend the
Scoutmaster Basic Leaders Training got me to thinking about one Troop that I
know of and fits this description. The leaders from this troop have never
attended training, they very seldom take part in District events such as
Camporees. They use about a 1940 version of the Australian Scout Handbook
and Scoutmaster Handbook as their training manual and operating manual for
the Troop. The leaders never attend District Roundtable, unless they have an
Eagle application to turn in or something like that.
However, on the other side, they have a Troop of 60 boys and have a waiting
list of other kids that want to join. They have a very active program and
it is completely boy run, the adults only try make happen what the boys want
to do. They may send the younger kids to in council summer camp, but for the
most part they go out of state, some time for a second time during the
summer, for the most part to Arkansas, Colo, or New Mexico. Most years, they
go to Philmont over the Christmas holidays for sking and winter camping.
They are doing fund raising to send the Troop to Europe in 1996. They have a
high percentage of their kids go on to leadership positions in the Order of
the Arrow and to leadership positions in the community as adults. Their drop
out rate is almost zero.
In general, they are doing Scouting the way it was done some 30 or 40 years
ago before all of the risk management and cover your a** over came all of
the rest of us. I assume the parents that are on their waiting list know
that there are some risks involved in the activities that they take part in,
but are willing to accept that as a part of life.
Sometimes when I run into them on campouts and see their boys in action, it
makes me wonder at time, who should be training who. I can't help but envy
them a little bit.
YIS, Olan Watkins
Terry Howerton Sakima Group, Inc. SCOUTER Magazine Kansas City |
