Giving Scouts Authority on ScoutmasterCG Archive

Where is it written that troops are boy-led?

Sun, 22 Oct 2017 00:00:00 +0000

Reader Bill Macfarlane, Scoutmaster of Troop 8 in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, writes: I was at Round Table the other day and overheard a rather heated discussion about “boy-led” troops.

I heard one of the participants ask; “Where is it written that troops are boy-led?”. This got me wondering where this was written in BSA literature so I decided to look. Here’s what I found: “Training boy leaders to run their troop is the Scoutmaster’s most important job.

The Authority of Youth Leadership.

Tue, 03 Nov 2015 00:00:00 +0000

Compel - Force or oblige someone to do something.

Delegate - To give or commit (duties, powers, etc) to another as agent or representative.

Empowered - Give someone the authority or power to do something. The authority of youth leadership is not based in compelling young people to do something. The authority in youth leadership is not delegated (One abiding myth of Scouting is that the adults are the source of all authority and delegate responsibility to youth leadership.) The authority of youth leadership is built into the fabric of Scouting, they are empowered to lead.

Troop Organization Chart

Thu, 29 Oct 2015 00:00:00 +0000

Scout troops are built on patrols, and patrols are built on the natural way boys for a gang of friends, that small group is where Scouting happens. We have categorized and complicated this simple principle with overlays of military discipline, management science, job descriptions and flow charts that put the Scoutmaster at the top and the boys on the bottom; opposite of the order intended.

Turning the troop organization chart upside down better represents the roles of leadership and our central focus; The Scoutmaster is the base of a pyramid of shared responsibility and service to the apex of the pyramid; the Scouts.

Hoop Jumping

Fri, 10 Oct 2014 00:00:00 +0000

Scouts, unlike trained dogs, should not have to jump through hoops.

I have heard repeatedly, and unfortunately advocated for a time, some of these hoops; “Scouts should go over and above the rank requirements, they should really know their stuff.” “Eagle projects should take a minimum of X hours.” “Active membership or leadership means X number of meetings or camp outs” “Troops should police the quality of merit badge instruction through boards of review for merit badge work” Requirements towards ranks and merit badges are written carefully and the overall standard is a Scout’s best effort- nothing more nothing less – no hoops allowed.

What Do Scouts Decide?

Sat, 21 Dec 2013 00:00:00 +0000

There’s a lot of discussion about who makes decisions about what activities Scouts put on their schedule. What do Scouts decide?

Should adults be part of that process, or must we always allow Scouts to make these decisions? Some would argue that who makes these decisions is a good test of whether a troop is youth-led or not. ‘Youth led” is a key component of the patrol system, so the question we ought to be asking is if we are applying the patrol system.

Five Patrol Method Fundamentals

Wed, 30 Oct 2013 00:00:00 +0000

Patrols are much more than a convenient way to divide a large group of Scouts into smaller, more manageable groups.

Patrols are the single unique feature of Scouting and the indispensable method for achieving the aims of Scouting. Most of us became Scouters as Cub Leaders.

During the Cub Scout years the program depends on a lot of adult involvement and leadership in response to the age of the Cubs. We often mistakenly carry these habits and ideas into Scout troops.

How to Inspire Initiative in Scout Youth Leaders

Sat, 12 Oct 2013 00:00:00 +0000

How do we inspire initiative in Scout Youth Leaders? The idea of connecting initiative to authority starts with this post by Dan Rockwell , Ineffective leaders seize and hoard authority; successful leaders give it.

Those who cling to authority lose it.

Those who give authority gain authority.

Authority is permission to act without permission.

Control freaks never inspire initiative. The more they control the less initiative – acting without permission – others take.

Ask for Authority - Take Responsibility

Thu, 18 Jul 2013 00:00:00 +0000

Frustration in organizations begins with someone saying “If I only had the authority to I’d … (fill in the blank)”. When someone says this one of two things are happening ; they are either expressing a strong propensity for leadership, innovation and initiative, or just cloaking a complaint in language that doesn’t make them responsible for change. We understand authority as the power to make things happen. That’s the organizational chart way of looking at things; top down, low-risk, chain of command. What if we turned this on it’s head, stopped looking at the organizational chart, and linked the power to change things to responsibility?

Adultism in Scouting

Sun, 28 Oct 2012 00:00:00 +0000

‘Adultism’ can be a loaded term but I think it would be useful to consider it in the context of our work in Scouting.

Adultism is the broadly defined as valuing the ideas, initiatives and direction of adults over that of youth. If Scouting is to stay true to its foundational principles we ought to make an effort to understand the place of adult influence and guidance. That we commonly call ourselves “adult leaders” is an sign that we are in danger of misunderstanding our role in Scouting.

Scouting’s One Essential Feature

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0000

At our council camporee in December I walked around the entire camp and saw only two troops that had identifiable patrols. Most troops were set up as one unit, with all the tents lined up and no discernible internal division into patrols.

Because our site was so small, our tents were all jumbled up and crammed into the site. Only our senior patrol leader and his patrol leaders really knew where the individual patrol boundaries began and ended. This wasn’t the optimal setup for patrols functioning well and but that’s not really what the campsite inspectors were looking for anyway. Why don’t we value and emphasize patrols as much as our founder indicated we should? The Patrol System is the one essential feature in which Scout training differs from that of all other organizations , and where the System is properly applied, it is absolutely bound to bring success. It cannot help itself! The formation of the boys into Patrols of from six to eight and training them as separate units each under its own responsible leader is the key to a good Troop. The Patrol is the unit of Scouting always, whether for work or for play, for discipline or for duty.

Model Scout Outing

Sun, 17 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0000

“Scouting is Outing” and any lively, active Troop has an out-of-doors overnight experience planned every month of the year. Here’s a model of a typical outing that capitalizes on youth leadership and the Patrol Method.

Preparation After the Patrol Leader’s Council (PLC) has developed a schedule of events for the year Scouts are detailed to set up the particulars of the trip. A few of the logistics are attended to by the adults ( securing campsites, various registrations etc.) but the PLC does the vast majority of planning.