Age Limits

[JerseyScout 10]

I came back to Scouting at age 21 after hearing that "things weren't going well" with the old troop. I became an Assistant Scoutmaster because I figured that the Scouts needed help more than the adults. The fellow who trained me, another Assistant Scoutmaster, simplified my job to this: "Keep them (the adults) away from them (the Scouts)."

 

I split time between the Scouts and adults (spending my Scout time at their invitation), but managed for the most part to keep from telling anyone what to do. You handle it situation by situation, use common sense and, when in doubt, ask. It works itself out.

 

The Scouts, most of who either were in the troop when I left, or were brothers/cousins of kids I had come through with, never had a problem with me, and listened when they needed to. They called me by my first name and there was never a problem with lack of respect or anything else. Seven years later, I'm a Scoutmaster, they still call me by my first name, and there is still no problem. This is not unusual in my troop, my own Scoutmaster was called by his first name by every Scout for his entire twenty year tenure in the troop, and I never saw anyone give him a problem.

 

Age wise the only place that I had a problem was with the adults, but it was still only a few bad eggs, most of the adults (especially ones that had been there when I was a Scout) were thrilled to death that someone had come back. The Scoutmaster at the time (the cousin of my Scoutmaster), who was new since I had left, was happy to have any of the old Scouts back to lend a hand.

 

My current committee chair, who is only 25 and came through Scouts with me sometimes gets mistaken for a Scout by new parents, which amuses us to no end.

[JerseyScout 10]

Apologies, computer went on the fritz there and posted three times.

[Eagle92 110]

I admit I was one of the sensitive ones about age, not b/c people thought I was a scout and not an adult, I actually laughed at those situations, but by the lack of courtesy from some adults. When I became a DE at the ripe old age of 23, I refused to mention my age when asked, only saying "To old to be a Scout, to young to retire."

 

Best age confusion and uniform story. I am at the council banquet as OA chapter adviser. I'm in uniform with silver loops, no unit numbers, and wearing my Eagle, and Scouter's Training Award medals. Council secretary thinks I am part of the Eagle class and tries to direct me to those tables.

[Stosh 3452]

A lot of times young adults do not get mistaken because of how mature they act. Fortunately for me at age 60 my physical appearance has finally taken precedent over my maturity. It's taken a while, but I'm finally there.

 

All in all, I have found that treating scouts as if they are adults, addressing them by Mr. A____, for example, does reduce a lot of the problems in the patrols. Giving them adult expectations also goes a long way as well. I did notice that at the Roundtable last night that myself, my 18 year old ASM and two of my boys (one there for OA the other is taking lead on the Popcorn promotion this year) were all sitting together at the table while the DE passed out the Popcorn packets. He came up to our table and seeing the troop number on the two boys and knowing we have been pushing boy-led for 3 years now, looked at the two boys and asked which of the two of them was going to be doing the Popcorn sales. The one boy said he was and the packet was handed to him. Nothing was said throughout the evening by anyone as to why two scouts were at the Popcorn Kick-Off Roundtable. The other boy stirred the waters a bit when he asked where the OA boys were and OA advisor weren't there at the Roundtable.

 

On the other hand, my 18 year old ASM was told that now that he's 18 and an ASM he can call me by my first name. He smiled and said, "No, I can't." And BTW, no one calls me Stosh.

 

Stosh

[UCEagle72 10]

40 years later, I still call my Scoutmaster "Mr. B" -- while I have cohorts who call him by his first name, I just can't bring myself to do that.