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Scoutmaster job description


Bob White

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Now that our virtual hands have shaken, here goes ...

 

Serve the troop by living the Scout Oath and Law to the best of your ability and follow the Scouting program. Grow every Scout's leadership abilities. Keep yourself in the background until the Scoutmaster's Minute.

 

 

35 words. Less if you use the type setter's rule of 5 characters to a word.

 

DS

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I believe there is a by the book answer, actually it is a book. My definition has changed over time and as my Scouting positions have changed.

 

As a CM A SM is the Guy who has all the fun.

 

As a Troop MC A SM is a pain in the butt.

 

As a Troop MC after Woodbadge A SM is the trainer of boy leaders.

 

As a SM A SM is the Guy who has the privilege to train boys to be leaders and has most of the fun.

 

Ooops, Sorry, I read description and my mind registered definition. Oh well!

 

SM406

 

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How about this,

 

A Scoutmaster trains boys to be leaders, makes available to them the resources and guidance they need to lead well, and then steps into the background to let them do their jobs.

 

To me this is what being a Scoutmaster is all about. The problem that I see most often, and that is apparent in many of the posts on this forum, is that the scoutmasters are not stepping back.

 

If you believe that you have done your job then stepping back should hold no trepidation for you.

 

If you think you have done your job, how will you know until you step back?

 

If you can't step back because you haven't done your job then maybe you need to change what you are doing, or step aside rather than back.

 

So can you accept and agree with the definition?

 

Bob White

 

 

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RE: Bob's description

 

It sounds good to me. I might change 'boys' to 'a boy'. And, instead of stepping back, I would step on to the next boy moving up the ranks and start training him using the current leader as an example. That is not to mean training only one scout at time, but treating each one as a separate 'project'.

 

Each scout trains at his own speed, some needing more time and guidance than others. The SM role as trainer never ends, a continual new stream of trainees is always in the queue.

 

I do agree that 'stepping back' and having the scouts complete successful adventures by themselves is critical.

 

Paul

 

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I'm still working on it!!

Bob with all due respect.

I think that what you have said is true.

I do however think that it sounds a little cold and maybe clinical.

I think one of the most important characteristics of a Scoutmaster is that he likes Boys of Scout age.

In order to do this he needs to understand the boys as well as the program.

You might have covered this in the line ".. Resources and guidance they need.

I am with you 100% about "Stepping Back."

Some wise person said to me that the most important thing we can give our own children is "Roots and Wings."

I think that much the same can be said about Scouts and Patrols.

You also fail to mention the Oath and Law.

I have a hard time with a job description for a Scoutmaster that doesn't mention the core belief of our program.

But as I say you are ahead of me - I'm still working on it.

Eamonn

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