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Films for Troop JLT Weekends


Kudu

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The following titles are suggested as possible movies for Troop JLT weekends because they embody leadership and/or group problem solving. Given the number of new and old classic films that are released now on DVD every year, does anyone have any additional recommendations?

 

Follow Me, Boys

 

Master & Commander: The Far Side of the World

 

The Emperor's Club

 

October Sky

 

The Cowboys (John Wayne)

 

Lost in the Barrens

 

My review of "Master & Commander" for JLT can be found at:

 

http://www.inquiry.net/patrol/training/movies.htm

 

 

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While I agree with most of the movies on your list, I can't remember much about the Cowboys and don't think I have ever seen Lost in the Barrens !!

I really don't see much value in Follow Me Boy's.

Sure it's a nice fun Disney type movie, but I don't see much that can be learned from it, unless of course you use it as example of how not to do things. Yes I do have the DVD !!

There are some really good parts in the Lord Of The Rings that can be taken out and used as examples of leadership. The entire movies are maybe a little bit too much, but there is some great stuff.

Eamonn.

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Great idea and I like the movies suggested so far.

 

However being a contrarian, two movies I can think of that would provide a good discussion on how leadership may have gone awry might be,

 

Lord of the Flies

 

and

 

Bridge Over the River Kwai.

 

If nothing else Bridge Over the River Kwai will give them a great tune to whistle while they hike.

 

SA

 

 

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I really like Aubrey for his delegation abilities. Also his passing of the knocking wood and spinning tradition. The Royal Navy, our Navy and my alma mater the Marine Corps are so steeped in tradition. From tradition comes "esprit de Corps" which I think is severly lacking in the world, as though it were a bad thing.

 

He has tremendous interest in his young charges as he knows there must still be a well lead Navy long after he is hauled away to the "home for senile sailors". I'd like to think some of the NCO's in my old battalion do some things the same way as we did. In that way they are my "great grandsons" so to speak.

 

The Maine Corps leadership traits are :

judgement

justice

dependability

integrity

decisiveness

bearing

unselfishness

courage

knowledge

loyalty

enthusiasm

tact

initiative

endurance

I think the movie shows Aubrey displaying all those traits.

 

Remeber the Titans had the forming stormingect. concept and was good.

 

Other than the "forming. storming. conforming . performing model what else do you look for in the "Cowboys" movie? It's been a long time but I don't remeber much in the way of leadership there. What did I miss?

 

October Sky was shown at Wood Badge. It was good.

 

A cleaned up version (if it exists) of Private Ryan would be good but it would really have to be edited.

The leader has to stand against the tide when letting the German go free.

 

What about "Glory" with denzel and matthew?

 

What about the submarine movie with hackman and denzel?

 

Miracle on Ice would be very good(i agree with Sandy) and OGE on the "great escape". Loyalty is shown to the blind guy. and all work together.

 

What about Memphis Belle?

 

What about the Kevin Costner cavalry movie where he hunts buffalo with the American Indians and two societies collide? The movie asks the two opposites to look beyond preconceived notions about "the other guy"

 

The Movie "Gettysburg" with Ted Turner is based on the book "Killer Angels" which is required reading for all Marine Corporals.

 

The movie "Clear and Present Danger" has some good loyalty and integrity stuff.

 

Alot of my suggestions are long movies. I'm sorry that I can't remember some of the titles.

 

Please write back about "Cowboys"

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I thought about mentioning Twelve Angry Men (and yes, I mean the original with 12 male jurors, starring Henry Fonda). It's a great example of team dynamics and how to use productive conflict to lead your peers. We used it in a team building exercise (not scouts) and stopped the tape after the issue and the characters had been introduced. Everyone picked the order in which opinions would be swayed. It's interesting to watch from that perspective.

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How about:

The Poseidon Adventure

Chariots of Fire (although I guess it's more about living by principle than leadership)

 

I couldn't help thinking of "The Dirty Dozen," but I guess that wouldn't be age-appropriate.

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Rudy - demonstrates leading by example by someone who is not officially in a leadership position

 

I haven't seen the movie on the Shackleton expedition, but after reading the book Endurance, I was impressed that Shackleton managed to keep his men alive in the Antarctic under unbelievably difficult conditions.

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I would suggest the 1949 release "Twelve O'clock High' starring Gregory Peck. This film was used by the United States Navy in it's LMET course. I believe LMET stood for "leadership management education training". This film showed several different and varied styles of leadership as part of it's story line. While attending this course, I viewed the film with others in the course and after seeing it we were broken down into small groups to evaluate the types of leadership skills we had seen in the film, and to discuss each styles pro's and con's. The film was also entertaining and would hold a boys interest by its content and the subject matter. I also endorse the film "Master and Commander, Far side of the World" as a good film for JLT in-troop training. While I greatly enjoyed the film "Saving Private Ryan", I dont believe its content would properly convey a lesson or example in leadership techniques. Its a good film, but its more of a journal of the harsh reality of war.I would also digress from the suggestion of "Crimson Tide", the Gene Hackman-Denzel Washington film about a US Navy SSBN. This is a great movie showing conflict between two senior officers during a crisis involving a potential nuclear war scenario, but its content is way over the top as potential material for an example of leadership training.

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All the movies mentioned are great examples of movies with leadership roles, but almost all of them are much more suitable for adults - when I think JLT, I think 12-14 year olds - and you want movies that will appeal to them and will hold their interest.

 

What about X-Men and its sequel, X-Men 2? How about one of the Star Trek or Star Wars movies? How about the Steven Spielsberg movie Hook, with an adult Peter Pan as a reluctant leader?

 

CalicoPenn

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