The Power of Leading By Example

[LeCastor 641]

I had an experience yesterday that almost brought me to tears and it was as simple as watching Scouts follow the lead of adults.

 

Yesterday, after a Troop outing to a minor league baseball game, I was walking back to the car through a local city park with my wife and two Scouts. Up ahead I saw an empty ice cream bucket lying in the grass. As we got to it, the Scout I was talking to stepped over it without making an attempt to pick it up. So I grabbed it and made it obvious to both Scouts (without words) that it should have been collected. My wife then began picking up smaller bits of trash and putting them in the bucket. Then, still without any words, both Scouts, in turn, starting picking up pieces of trash and following the lead of the two adults. It was one of the coolest experiences I've had yet as a Scouter.

 

When we finally got back to the car, the Scout who stepped over the bucket initially said, "you know we should have the Troop come out here and do a service project to clean up all this trash." I never had to say a word and he got the point of my simply picking up that plastic bucket.

 

That was so cool!

[AvidSM 11]

Great story LeCastor!

 

Leading by example is a very powerful method of teaching. To be an effective scouter, you must be able to "walk the walk" and not just "talk the talk". You can never forget that the youth are always watching what you do.

[pchadbo 60]

This reminded me of my tagline on my e-mails. I found this quote a few months ago and has been sent on every e-mail from me since.

 

There is no teaching to compare with example.

Robert Baden-Powell

 

 

 

 

[Eamonn 61]

I attended a work related training last week.

We were talking about the games inmates play on staff in a correctional setting

Of course inmates in jail have all the time in the world to study staff members and look for chinks in their armor.

They pick up on just about anything and everything we staff members do.

Often using what they find for no good.

Still just like our Scouts they see the good that we do.

While very few come out and say anything, every now and then it will slip out.

Sometimes them knowing that someone is going to play things by the book prevents them from trying to do something that they ought not be trying.

Sometimes there is a connection and even hardened criminals will follow a good example.

It's not easy being in the spotlight all the time and there are of course times when the example isn't always as good as it should or might be.

But rather than beat yourself up about this, I find the best thing to do is just put it down to trying to do your best and maybe doing better next time.

Ea.

[LeCastor 641]

Thanks, everyone, for the kind words!

 

I recognized both Scouts last night publicly at the Troop meeting and had them present their idea for a trash clean-up service project at the park. This went over very well with all present.

 

As I got up in front of our two patrols and began the short introduction, I could see smiles forming on the faces of the two Scouts in question. It was very warming.