Knot tying and leadership---thoughts???

[SeattlePioneer 144]

My understanding is that the BSA teaches that leadership is a learned skill.

 

The usual pattern of providing leadership involves:

 

1) identifying what needs to be done

 

2) identifying the best person to do the job

 

3) asking/convincing that person to do the job.

 

4) proividing that person with the skills and information they need to do the job

 

5) checking up to make sure they are doing the job, and assisting them by providing any additional skills or information they need to do it

 

6) thanking them and recognizing their work when the task is completed.

 

 

The Patrol Leaders and Senior Patrol Leaders should be the natural leaders within a Scout Troop. One of the main tasks of the Scoutmaster is to train these junior leaders in the leadership skills described above and to assist these Scouts in using those skills.

 

So if your Troop lacks leaders, the person responsible is the Scoutmaster, who should be using the PLC meetings as a vehicle for training junior leaders. Of course, age and native talent affects how much boys can do. In general, I like to lard responsibilities on boys until they discover that they can't do it all themselves and need to start delegating leadership to younger Scouts, and to begin training those boys and giving them responsibilities.

 

The Patrol Leader then becomes the trainer for the younger Scouts in the Patrol, just as the Scoutmaster helps train the SPL and Patrol Leaders.

 

I have a PLC meeting in 90 minutes. I've prepared the agenda since our Patrol Leader hasn't learned that method of controlling meetings yet. The agenda includes reviewing how our recent troop meetings, winter outing and Veteran's Day activities went, then planning for the upcoming two Troop Meetings, snowshoe hike, Christmas Party, Court of Honor in January and Winter Camp in early February.

The aim here is to get the Patrol Leader (one Patrol Troop, here) to take as much responsibility for planning activities as possible.

 

This is a new Patrol Leader as of the first of October. From pretty much a standing start in terms of leadership experience, he's been learning a lot and accepting increasing responsibility ---hye still needs to figure out how to delegate more responsibility to other Scouts, though. With all the stuff he needs to do this month, perhaps he'll discover for himself that he has to start doing that, even though it involves work and training the younger boys.

 

That's my method of leadership training, anyway.

 

 

 

Seattle Pioneer

 

 

[John-in-KC 311]

This goes back to the ULTIMATE PURPOSE OF SCOUTING:

 

We are here to provide the AIMS OF SCOUTING across our major programs to American young people:

 

Character Development

Citizenship Training

Personal Fitness

 

The outdoor program is the TOOL WE USE to deliver the training. It's a METHOD, no more, no less.

 

From my perspective, leadership is a skill that is fundamental to two of our three Aims, and supportive of the third.

 

John

A good old Owl (C-40-05)