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What did you call your Scoutmaster?


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In my youth, all of our Scoutmasters were addressed as Mr. (last name). In the troop that I have been with for the last 32 years, all of the Scoutmasters have been addressed as Mr. (first name).

 

I recently had a discussion with one of my 40 year old Eagles about dropping the Mister in front of my name. He told me that it just didn't sound right. That's okay, we can still be friends!

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The SM and ASM's all went by their first names, and the Committee were all Mr. (last name)or "Pop" (last name). The SM and most of the ASM's were troop alumni and being called Mr..... made them feel old.

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Mr. Roseman.

 

ASM was Mr. Mims.

 

The CC preferred to be addressed as Colonel Crawford but he usually got called Mister Crawford. I called him Dad.

 

40 some years later when I became Cubmaster of my old pack (troop had long since folded) I found out that Mr. Mims had just stepped down as Unit Commissioner.

 

All three have left this life but maybe they are sitting around a campfire somewhere.

 

Hal

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In the first two troops I was associated with as an adult scouter, adults were addresses by their first name. In the troop I currently serve, adults are addresses as Mr. or Mrs. I can honestly say that it makes a world of difference in attitude and discipline.

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As a youth and today, all adults were called "Mr. Lastname". (Or Ms, as appropriate). My adult sons (31 and 27) still call their former leaders "Mr. Lastname". Some parents, when talking to their kids, call me "Mr. Firstname"...as though putting "Mr" in front somehow adds respect, while calling my by my firstname. I do not agree.

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Call me anything except late for dinner.

 

In our troop it's Mr. Lastname. Our former scouts who are now ASMs still tend to call me Mr. Crawford but I would not be offended if they called me Hal. In front of scouts they are Mr. Lastname though I think that they find it to be a bit awkard, especially among the scouts who used to be their peers.

 

A quick digression: the new Handbook has instructions for tying a necktie. Some on this forum questioned the necessity of that and I was unsure myself until one of our young ASMs confessed that he never learned how to tie one. I told him that he must learn how and that if I ever heard that he had gone on a job interview or a date wearing a clip-on I would hunt him done and beat him soundly. Here endith the digression.

 

Hal

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Ah, packsaddle, guess you haven't visited Greenwood, SC. I have never liked being addressed as Miss Karen, as the children here are taught to address adults. Very quizzical looks on the faces of new Scouts (and their parents) when they learn to address me as Mrs. Buchanan.

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For a while (About five years) The Troop I led went through a bit of silliness.

A very good pal of mine was /is a very big fellow. His name is Martin. I called him "Big M. He called me big E, after a while I started calling the P/Ls Small "C" for Colin Small S for Stephen and so on.

After a while this died out and I became just Ea (A).

A few of the Sea Scouts still call me Skipper or Skip, even though I'm no longer the Skipper.

I never liked being called Mr. Walsh.

But at work I insist on the inmates calling me Mr. In fact I go out of my way to not allow them to call or even know my first name.

My reasoning for this is that there isn't that many Eamonns in the phone book and I don't want an inmate who I may have had to discipline sending his pals around to my house to pay a visit!

Also, I was talking with an inmate who was in for credit card theft and he was telling me how easy it is to steal someones identity.

At times when I have 20 or 30 inmates in a class I do want to change my name. These guys have never learned what it is to have to wait. They think they know what they want and want it now.

Eamonn

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In my troop EVERYONE is referred to as Mr. _________ youth and adult alike. When a parent is a registered leader he is Mr. ________ 1 and his son is Mr. ________ 2, 3, etc. depending on the number of sons.

 

In my Crew everyone is referred to by their rank in the hobby. I am Capt. _________. I have adults that hold the rank of Private and youth that hold the rank of Sergeant. Depends on their earned rank. The crew officers are not referred to. I.e. Private __________ might be president of the crew and Sergeant _____________ doesn't hold a crew officer position.

 

Stosh

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When I was a Scout in the '70s, our Scoutmaster was "Mac", his last name being McMahon. This was the man I respected most in the world, but I know I never once called him "Mr.". You knew if someone else called him "Mac" they most likely had been one of his Scouts.

 

Today the Scouts in our troop generally call me "Mr. Ken". I'm happy with that and feel more distant when they use my last name. I think the "Mr." part shows an expectation of respect, either for authority or age.

 

But as I think about my old Scoutmaster I wonder about the "Mr." He didn't need it because his actions and habits commanded great love and respect from the boys. I guess somewhere in my heart I wish that someday my boys will have a nickname for me!

 

Ken

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