Life Leadership Project

[Heidi]

My son is a Scout working on his life rank. He is ready to move up but needs to fulfill his leadership role. He has not held a leadership posiiton in the past 6 months (all were taken). He would like to do a leadership project but no one has done one in our troop. Does anyone know an examples of leadership projects they can share?

[ScoutNut]

How about putting together and running a skills workshop for the new scouts. First aid is always good, or knots.

 

 

[Bob White]

Its really a decision left to the Scoutmaster. It should be less about the taske and selected more based on the development needs of the individual scout.

 

The idea is not to give him busy-work since he doesn't have a leadership role, but to give him a task that will help to utilize an existing strength or to strengthen a leadership weakness of that particular scout. So with knowing your sons needs and characteristics it would be dificult to determine what project would serve his development the best.

 

BW

[mk9750]

Scoutnut and Bob both make excellent points. I'd like to add a additional perspective.

 

A Scout who is not elected or selected for a position of responsiblity could be the subject of a popularity contest. When this happens it is sad, and someone (the Scoutmaster) should be doing something to teach his young men the value of selecting leaders based on something more than popularity.

 

It is also possible that the Troop is electing and selecting leaders based on good judgement, and not just popularity. If that is the case, then I would suggest that your son make an effort during this current term of office to provide a reason for his Troop and Patrol mates to want him to serve. My personal believe is that your son will most likely learn more from fulfilling his responsiblity in a regular position than one that is created for him.

 

Certainly, there is a place for the option you suggest. I do not mean to be critical of that plan. But I'd strongly suggest that your son try to work through the "normal" process before trying to go a different route.

 

Good luck to your son. He deserves the best we have to offer, and I wish for him that he gets nothing less.

 

Mark

[Bob White]

(sorry it was late, let me try again without typos:))

 

Its really a decision left to the Scoutmaster. It should be less about the task, and selected based on the development needs of the individual Scout.

 

The idea is not to give him busy-work because he doesn't have a leadership role, but to give him a task that will help to utilize an existing strength or to strengthen a leadership weakness of that particular Scout. So without knowing your son's needs and characteristics it would be difficult for us to determine what project would serve his development the best.

 

BW

[NJCubScouter]

The fact that your son has been told that he does not have a position of responsibility (por) because they are all "taken" is somewhat troubling, in light of the fact that there are at least two por's that a troop can have more than one of. Those are Assistant Senior Patrol Leader and Instructor. (Actually there are 3, the third one being Junior Assistant Scoutmaster, but I'm not counting that one in this case. And I'm counting PL as a non-multiple position because it is one per patrol. I'm also leaving aside the fact that some troops have more than one of some other positions (my son's troop has two and at times three Quartermasters), and count the multiples for advancement, because I'm pretty sure they aren't supposed to do that.)

 

I do not mean to suggest that your son should necessarily be ASPL or Instructor, or any other particular position or project. I agree with what BobWhite said, "without knowing your son's needs and characteristics it would be difficult for us to determine what project would serve his development the best." This is something for him to explore with his SPL, and if that does not produce a reasonable result, with the Scoutmaster.

 

My point is that what you really know in this case is that your son has not had a por while a Star scout because he has not been selected for one, not necessarily because they were "all taken." (By the way, he already has had at least one por, hasn't he? If he is working on Life, that means he is Star now, and that means he must have already held a por for at least 4 months while he was First Class.)

 

[NJCubScouter]

If I could edit my posts I would take this sentence and delete the part that is underlined:

 

I'm also leaving aside the fact that some troops have more than one of some other positions (my son's troop has two and at times three Quartermasters), and count the multiples for advancement, because I'm pretty sure they aren't supposed to do that.)

 

and replace that part with:

 

"under the heading of a 'Scoutmaster-assigned leadership project."

 

I really was not trying to get into that issue. I do think it might not necessarily be appropriate to do this in every troop. But it is up to each Scoutmaster, not me.

 

[acco40]

How big is your troop?

 

With senior patrol leader, assistant senior patrol leader(s), patrol leader, den chief, OA representative, bugler, instructor(s), troop guide(s), chaplain aide, scribe, librarian, historian, jr. assistant scoutmaster(s), and a scoutmaster assigned position can you honestly say that "all were taken"?

 

 

[scoutldr]

Every scout can be a den chief. All he has to do is ask.

[EagleInKY]

Mark and the Man from Jersey had some good points. First, I agree with Mark that there is likely one of two potential scenarios. Either, it's a populatity contest, and your son isn't winning it. Or, there's been an issue with his performance in the past. I've seen examples of both in some troops. I was really proud of our SPL this year. He carefully thought out the position assignments and tried to match ability, interest and the will to do the work. Those who didn't get positions are ones who have shirked responsibility in the past. Hopefully, this "passing over" will motivate these lads to dedicate themselves the job a little more when their next opportunity comes around.

 

Jersey and the others who mentioned the many (almost unlimited) opportunities are also correct. Instructors, ASPLs, Den Chiefs, etc. There are many positions where there can be multiple serving. Even the troop positions, if your troop is large enough.

[acco40]

Every Scout can be a den chief? I disagree.

 

He should be an older experienced Boy Scout selected by the Scoutmaster and get this - the Senior Patrol Leader and requested by an adult Cub Scout leader. The qualifications that are highly desired include 1st Class rank and former participation as a Cub Scout.

 

If a boy came up to me (a SM) and expressed an interest in becoming a den chief I would consult with the SPL and think long and hard about the qualifications of that individual. Too many SMs look at the DC position as a training ground for their (the troops) future junior leaders. The Packs of course want the best junior leaders in the troop as DC, typically the SM "saves" them for the SPL and DL positions.

[acco40]

As a friend tactfully pointed out (and it is too late to edit) DL should be PL and DC is den chief in this regard althoughthe "official" acronym for district commissioner is DC. Thanks NJ.

 

[Bob White]

Is any election NOT a popularity contest?

 

Has anyone ever voted for someone they didn't like???

[evmori]

Bob White is 100% correct in his assessment of who's decision this is!

 

As far as his voting comment that's another story!

 

Ed Mori

Troop 1

1 Peter 4:10

[NJCubScouter]

Mark said:

 

A Scout who is not elected or selected for a position of responsiblity could be the subject of a popularity contest.

 

And Bob responded (apparently, because there is no other reference to a popularity contest in this thread, so it must be in response to Bob):

 

Is any election NOT a popularity contest?

 

Bob's statement is true, but it only pertains to elected positions (SPL, PL), while Mark was referring to all positions both "elected" and "selected." Mark is talking about the problem of a boy whose "unpopularity" causes him not to be appointed to any position. There is no requirement that an SPL "like" someone in order to appoint them Quartermaster, Scribe or whatever. In real life it often works that way. But I think in most (hopefully all) troops, some position or leadership project will be found for every boy First Class and above who needs one for advancement. If the boys (meaning the SPL) are not giving every boy this opportunity, the SM needs to "step in." (This is not contrary to the idea of "boy-led" -- the "job descriptions" for all the positions appointed by the SPL give the SM a "say" in the matter, I do not recall the exact terminology. Additionally there is at least one position appointed by the SM, but it is difficult to think of JASM as a "consolation prize" for someone who is not elected or appointed to something else, to the contrary, in my experience every JASM has held several previous positions, usually SPL or ASPL. And of course JASM also is age-restricted, so its usefulness in this situation is limited. I'm making a wild guess that neither Heidi's son nor the examples Mark is thinking of have reached the age of 16 yet.)