ScoutingRediscovered

I think you are right. In itself, honor is neither "good" or "bad". Honor points toward and drives a person toward the values of whatever group it is in. We associate honor so much with morally right things because in the culture that we are a part of, honor points to the values summarized in the Scout Oath and Law.

Great point, but honor can't simply be a man of character, right? It must have something to do with not just having great character, but a reputation of great character. When you're pledging to do something "on your honor" then it means that staking any reputation you have as a man of character on the result of what you pledge to do. Because of that, I think it is helpful to explain honor in terms of honor groups like I tried to do in my blog post. When a Scout takes the Scout Oath, he is voluntarily joining an honor group with the standards codified in the Scout Oath and Law. After he doe

A lot of what you say about BP's conception of the Scout is true according to my research. Also, in his early life before the military, being in the wilderness was important to him for personal and religious reasons as well. Are you saying that the way the Scout Program has changed is positive or negative?

It seems to be the thought of some today that the outdoors was included in Scouting simply because it was a popular boys' activity of the time because it played up to the heroes of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. That would relegate it to being simply a "fad" of the time. I disagree. I believe the wilderness aspect of Scouting has timeless value. My study of the writings of Scouting's founders has also led me to think that they believed this as well. I wrote a blog post on the importance of the Wilderness in Scouting not too long ago. Here it is for anyone interested: ht

Thank you all for your thoughts. @jblake47 "honor being the value of one's word and how well it can be trusted" I think that's a good way to look at honor. @everyone All Scouts will make mistakes in keeping the Scout Oath and Law. Where do you think the line should be drawn in the Troop's responsibility to hold a Scout accountable? In your experience, is the the accountability usually too strict or too lax?

I recently wrote a post on my blog "Scouting Rediscovered" on Honor and what it means to a Scout. It is the last post in a series on what I call Keystones of a Scout; the 10 qualities I believe help define what the Scout Spirit is. In it I also describe why I believe Scouting needs to be Rediscovered. If anyone would like to read it and let me know what you think, I'd appreciate it. http://scoutingrediscovered.com/scoutcraft/keystones-of-a-scout-the-10-virtues-that-make-a-scout-honor/ I would also love to hear everyone's thoughts on what Honor really means, why our founders considere

@Kudu, I see you are a fan of William Hillcourt; I am too! Baden-Powell, John Thurman, Dan Beard, and William Hillcourt are the top men in Scouting that I wish I could have met before they died. If you read through other posts on my blog, you will see many references and quotes from these great men. I think, perhaps you are a bit unfair in making your distinction between the Patrol Method and the Patrol System, although I see where you are coming from. I know that many have called something the "Patrol Method" which is nothing of the kind. But just because the term can be misused doe

Thank you all for commenting! Sorry I haven't replied sooner; I've been really busy with a new redesign and upgrade to ScoutingRediscovered.com @Sentinel947: Thanks for the encouragement! @qwazse: > Interesting that you did not mention Introduction to Leadership Skills for Troops. While I think the BSA's "Introduction to Leadership Skills for Troops" has some great information in it, I think it should only be used as a supplement to Leadership development in the Troop, not relied upon to be complete training. First of all, it is too much of a structured cla

I was recently asked to do a post on my blog, 'Scouting Rediscovered' on the subject of how new Scouts can be taught the Patrol System. So I just published it today and would love to get some feedback on the post from you guys. Do you think I answered the questions accurately? Do you agree with what I said on the Patrol Method? Any feedback would be appreciated! http://scoutingrediscovered.com/2012/09/29/new-scouts-and-the-patrol-method/ Thanks!

@TwocubDad I haven't had experience as a Scoutmaster, just as a Senior Patrol Leader, but I thought I'd throw this out there. I know from reading and from personal experience that it is better when the Patrols consist of Boys roughly the same age. That way, the Patrol can grow together, and they are at the same general skill level so they can keep togther much better during activities rather than diverse ages wanting to do different levels of activities. It will be a little tougher at first as the younger Patrols go through the storming phase, but it will be better in the long run. L

I agree with EagleDad. Baden-Powell didn't intend for the Patrols to be split up every so often. Developing Patrol Spirit takes time, especially when some of the Scouts in a Patrol seem to be disagreeing a lot. While I was Senior Patrol Leader of my Troop, one Patrol in particular was having a lot of difficulty in getting along. This led to a handful of the adult leaders strongly suggesting that the Patrols be reorganized. However, it is my belief that part of the opportunity to grow in Scouting is through the difficulties faced. If the difficulties are simply avoided, then no progress will be

Hello! I am a 17 year old Boy Scout and have a passion for Scouting and for the Boy Scouts of America. I am right now writing a book called: Scouting Rediscovered. My Mission: To help the world rediscover Scouting in its timeless principles, values, and adventures. In keeping with this, I keep up a daily blog on Scouting with subjects ranging from different Scout skills to my favorite quotes from Scouting's founders to information on the principles behind Scouting. I'm passionate about Scouting, and I want to spread my mission of Scouting Rediscovered to as many Scouts as I can!