One Can Learn From The Elders or One May Not Become An Elder....

[SSScout 1615]

Scoutmaster Minutes....   Are they still a "thing" ?  Are pithy bon mots  worthy of a Scoutmaster's possible embarrassment?  Does one deal with actualities or what ifs or ideals ? 

Case in point:::   Some years ago,  our camporee was  interrupted by police being called because some unfortunate vandalism occurred to our host's  headquarter's building. This occurred during the Saturday night.  Since Scouts were "officially" the only folks on the property, it was strongly implied that a Scout person(s) had done it.  No one ever came forward and admitted, no one was ever accused, but....

Our Camporee SM, a very long term,  Scouter's Scouter,  took the assembly the next Sunday morning  for lowering the flag to close the camporee to give a talk.  Everyone there knew what had happened, the rumor mill being alive and well.   He mainly spoke in general terms,  never mentioned the actual event . I remember the period was very somber, serious, instead of being happy and glad to have had the challenge and games of the previous days.  I wish I could remember the definite things he said, but even in my adult hood, I was impressed with the way he said it.  Scout ideals, Scout behavior, Scout responsibility for decisions and actions and their results...

Do you, does your SM take that time at the end of the Meeting to send the Scouts back to "the Real World"  with something to consider?  

Edited February 9 by SSScout

[Eagledad 2779]

I always did a SM Minute, mostly because it was the only time I usually spoke in front of the group. Doing a SM Minute that would hold their attention took some time to develop. I learned that 2 minutes is the extreme limit most scouts can hold their attention. So, I would choose stories or subjects that I could make a point in two minutes. And I learned that boys will listen to anything that involves humor or some type of adventure. They like stories of real-life heroes.

I used to wonder if a scout was affected to actually change some part of themself from a SM minute. Not too many years ago, I ran into one of my past scouts at Walmart. He had two kids in school by this time. We talked about a lot of things, but he made sure to tell me that one of my SM Minutes inspired him to always put other people first in everything he did. He said it changed his life. I remember thinking Wow, that must have come from someone higher than me because I wasn't that good.

So yes, if the SM Minute can hold their attention for two minutes, I'm told they can make a difference.

Barry

 

[mrjohns2 582]

Yes, and at Roundtable, we try to include something similar related to the topics covered.