Mushroom syndrome

[scoutldr 739]

Nor sure what else to call this thread, except that sometimes when I read these posts or read my latest issue of BL or Scouting magazine, I feel like a mushroom...kept in the dark. Eammon's post about "leader podcasts" got me thinking...am I the only one in the nation who didn't get the memo (or e-mail?) announcing this new resource?

 

From the latest Scouting magazine...things like

 

Race to Cub Scouting recruiting program

Trail's End Support our Troops program

New Cub Scout Den Leader Kit to be provided by COuncils to all new Cub Leaders

Den Meeting in a Box

ScoutParents.org program

ScoutParents Quick Start Backpack

 

Before reading this forum, I'd never heard of the "Tribe of Micosay", even though I'd been in the movement over 30 years. And in other areas of the country, Scouters have little or no knowledge of the OA, even though it's THE official BSA honor camper program. Now I admit, I've been out of the CS program for a while, but I would think that I would have heard at least a mention of these initiatives at District meetings, Roundtables, Council e-newsletters, Council website, or from my Unit Commish. Maybe local council SE's are free to decide, "we aren't going to do that."...or maybe I'm just a mushroom. (kept in the dark and fed BS)...

[John-in-KC 311]

I'll help with one:

 

The Tribe of Mic-O-Say is local to the Heart of America and the Pony Express Councils (KC and St Joe).

 

 

[ScoutNut 147]

That is why I like to browse over at http://www.scouting.org/ every once in a while.

 

It is amazing the things you can learn.

 

For instance, in this month's Cub podcast they talk about the new Leader Training Modules.

 

http://www.scouting.org/cubscouts/podcast/2007-09.mp3

 

Might want to ask you District Training Chair about them.

 

 

 

 

[Eamonn 61]

scoutldr

Suffering from the Mushroom syndrome isn't all bad.

At least you get a good nights sleep.

At the other end of the spectrum we seem at times to have the movers and grovers who seem to know the latest news about anything and everything.

Some of these seem to suffer from "Rub Your Nose In It Syndrome". They come off as being and acting way too smug for my liking.

Worse still are the RYNITS members who while knowing all this stuff either don't understand it or decide to go out and preach what they think it means. As a rule they do have a grain of truth in what they preach, the rest is just their take on what they want it to mean.

The areas that seem to attract a lot of RYNITS are:

Youth Protection .

Cub Scout Camping.

Uniform and of course advancement.

Members of the RYNIT Club also seem to "Know" a lot about what is going on with just about everyone in the Council.

In the past few years according to them.

Her Who Must Be Obeyed has had a tummy tuck (Not True)

I was buying a local golf course. (Not True)

I had a big fight with the old SE and thats when he decided to move. (Not true.)

I resigned from the Area Committee, because I had a falling out with the Area President. (Half true -I did resign but because I wanted to not leave HWMBO to attend meetings that always seemed 150 mile drive.)

At times these people who strive to be in the know can be a real pain in the neck.

Ea.

 

[emb021 16]

"I'd never heard of the "Tribe of Micosay", even though I'd been in the movement over 30 years."

 

As noted, MOS only exists in 2 councils, so that is not surprising.

 

"And in other areas of the country, Scouters have little or no knowledge of the OA, even though it's THE official BSA honor camper program. Now I admit, I've been out of the CS program for a while, but I would think that I would have heard at least a mention of these initiatives at District meetings, Roundtables, Council e-newsletters, Council website, or from my Unit Commish. Maybe local council SE's are free to decide, "we aren't going to do that."...or maybe I'm just a mushroom. (kept in the dark and fed BS)... "

 

First off, there are two elements to this.

 

Yes, there is the "mushroom syndrone", where scouters to DO attend Roundtable, read council newsletters, websites, etc, don't hear about things because someone, somewhere, decided 'they didn't need to know about'.

 

But there is also the "ostrich syndrone" (you know how the ostrich sticks their head in the sand), where scouters DON'T attend roundtabled, read council newsletters, websites, etc. And ALSO don't read Scouter, read the national websites, attend program kickoffs, etc.

 

If a scouter who has been in the program for awhile (a couple of years) and has NOT heard of OA, Venturing, Jamborees, etc, I think it more likely the ostrich syndrone then the mushroom.

 

For instance, I attended a council-wide training event in my Sea Scout white uniform, and had a couple of scouters ask me if the program still exists. This within a month of Scouting magazine running a cover-article on Sea Scouting!!! How could they ask me this question if they had atleast skimmed thru Scouting magazine???

 

You can defeat the "mushroom syndrome" by widening the range of information sources you make use of. If anyone knows of a cure for the "ostrich syndrome", let me know.

 

 

[Gunny2862 11]

Actually, the Tribe of the Mic-o-Say also has members in the Ozark Trails council. One of my Life Scouts just did his Hardway(sp?) Warrior this summer, joining his Eagle brother in that esteemed fellowship.

 

Ostrich vs. Mushroom - the information IS out there. It is not readily available to those who do not know where to look. But this forum has been an invaluable resource to me because people will help out by not just telling you what but where also.

 

It has also helped me be aware that I need to feed information to my Scouting Parents and Scouters rather than having them just sit in the dark not knowing what is going on and feeling like I am feeding them the B/S. We former military types call this information push(sending the information to anyone who might need to know) rather than information pull(waiting to tell someone until asked).

Scouting does try to push through Roundtables, Training and the Magazines, but in my opinion only by contact with other Scouters do you find out about "What's happening NOW". And that - combined with my general inexperience in Scouting - is why you see me around. Good Scouting!

[eisely 13]

There have been and still are numerous local honor societies within scouting. Check out this link.

 

http://usscouts.org/honorsociety/honorscout.asp