Re: Positions of Responsibility
Ed Thompson (thompson@VAX2.WINONA.MSUS.EDU)
Thu, 29 Jul 1999 16:52:16 -0600
At 01:27 PM 7/29/99 -0400, you wrote:
><Marcie Ward wrote>
>Geoff was assigned in Feb. to serve as an Instructor for his 4 month
>position of responsibility to advance to Star... (and you know the rest)
I don't know about the rest of you, but this whole issue doesn't smell right
to me (maybe I'd better rephrase that: I'm sure "the rest of you" smell just
fine. Oh well, you get the idea ...)
Ms. Ward has given us one side of the story as relayed to her by her son,
but I've learned the hard way that there are always two sides to a story and
I'd sure like to hear the other side from the SPL and/or Scoutmaster. If
her son's position was indeed a formally appointed position, I have trouble
believing that both of these individuals would act so callously and that the
position would just coincidentally fail to be posted in troop records along
with other appointed positions. It sure sounds like there's something that
we're not hearing.
If we asked him, might the SPL say that Geoff misunderstood the
"appointment" and that it was not the official position of "instructor" for
advancement, or perhaps that he asked Geoff to wait a few months before
appointments were made? Might he tell us that for some reason he felt Geoff
was not ready for the position of authority and had him doing something else
to help him get ready with a promise of future appointment (a relatively
common situation in many troops)? Maybe he got in over his head and
couldn't fulfill a promise he had made to Geoff or was overruled by the PLC
or Scoutmaster.
Would the scoutmaster tell us that he was never informed by the SPL that
Geoff had been appointed to an Instructor position? Or perhaps that the SPL
told him is was not a formal appointment? Or perhaps that he did indeed
discuss this position with Geoff and/or his parents but they just didn't
agree with him?
I am bothered by Ms. Ward's comment that "none of the adults took the
position of making sure Geoff and 2 other boys would have the opportunity to
serve DURING THIS PERIOD OF TIME" (emphasis is mine, not hers). It sounds
like she is saying that as soon as a boy says "I'm ready" (typically five
minutes after his Board of Review for 1st Class) the scoutmaster or SPL is
obligated to appoint him to one of the positions which apply toward Star.
Scouting doesn't work that way. Boys often have to wait some time before
they are appointed, either because there are no positions available at the
time that would be a good match for a boy's skills, or the boy is not yet
ready for such a position. Many a troop has ended up in trouble when boys
are appointed to positions before they have the skills and/or attitude to
handle the responsibility. My gut reaction is to cut the SPL and the
Scoutmaster a lot of discretionary slack on this one unless I've heard all
sides of the story.
Just my thoughts.
Ed Thompson
Troop 6 / Pack 6
Winona, Minnesota
