What is Meant by Character on ScoutmasterCG Archive

Atomic Scouting Ideals

Sun, 09 Jul 2017 00:00:00 +0000

Atoms are 99.99% empty space.

Solid objects aren’t actually solid, just tiny bits of matter floating in an electrostatic field.

Scouting is 99.99% values and ideals.

Everything else is window dressing. Take the space out of atoms and things turn into a little pile of dust. Take the ideals out of Scouting and there’s not much left. We can’t literally see the space between atoms; but scientific study provides evidence it is there. We can’t literally see the values and ideals in Scouting. The evidence they are present is the character we buid in our Scouts.

B-P's Blog - A Mountain Dream

Sun, 03 Jul 2016 00:00:00 +0000

During his lifetime Robert Baden-Powell, founder of the worldwide Scouting movement, wrote many books and articles directed to Scouters. Here’s a selection from his writings.

ENFORCED solitary leisure spent among mountain tops is so good for the soul that every man would be the better for such “retreat” if he forced himself to take it occasionally. The quiet meditation, remote from the rush and unrest of ordinary life, cleanses the mind, and gives it ease and inspiration.

B-P's Blog - Faith, Hope, and Love

Sun, 22 Nov 2015 00:00:00 +0000

During his lifetime Robert Baden-Powell, founder of the worldwide Scouting movement, wrote many books and articles directed to Scouters. Here’s a selection from his writings.

IT has been said that youth is fortified by hope and old age is soothed by content.

Youth looks forward with hope, old age looks round with content, and some day, when I grow old, I am going to look round with great content. In the meantime you who are not over eighty-one must go on with the work you are doing; there couldn’t be better work, and you will be earning your old-age pension of content when you will be able to look back with satisfaction on having done a work that was worth while. And to the younger ones I say press forward with Hope; mix it with optimism and temper it with the sense of humor which enables you to face difficulties with a sense of proportion.

The Pith of Sense and Pride of Worth

Wed, 14 Oct 2015 00:00:00 +0000

In 1785, just a year before his death at age 37, Robert Burns enshrined ’the pith of sense and pride of work’ above wealth or aristocratic birth in his poem A Man’s a Man for all That .

Burns knew the privations of poverty from the earliest age yet became a legendary poet and favorite son of Scotland. He deftly strips away the affectations of rank and declares; “The honest man, though ever so poor, Is king of men for all that.

B-P's Blog - Reading

Sun, 20 Sep 2015 00:00:00 +0000

During his lifetime Robert Baden-Powell, founder of the worldwide Scouting movement, wrote many books and articles directed to Scouters. Here’s a selection from his writings.

I HAVE said in Rovering to Success that travel and reading and Nature study are all part of self-education, and as such should be commended to Scouts. Take reading. With your books around you you have a magic power; when others are fussing and losing their hair over political hopes and disappointments, you are sitting content with what you have got. You can at any moment remove yourself and travel through far-off lands, dip into the history of other times, command the wonders of science, amuse yourself with good stories, and see beauty in thought through poetry.

What is a Successful Scout?

Sun, 20 Sep 2015 00:00:00 +0000

If we are to focus on the success of our Scouts what evidence do we have that they have achieved success?

There are a few simple questions in the introduction to the Scout Handbook that serve as excellent benchmarks for success; Are you ready to become an expert hiker and camper, to explore the natural world, and to meet challenges with good judgment and skill? Are you eager to make the most of yourself and succeed in the best ways possible? Do you want to become a leader and do all you can for your family, your neighborhood, and America?

Ideas and Ideals

Sat, 19 Sep 2015 00:00:00 +0000

Ideals are like stars: you will not succeed in touching them with your hands, but like the seafaring man on the ocean desert of waters, you choose them as your guides, and following them, you reach your destiny. – Carl Schurz My work as a scoutmaster is assisting my scouts in proving the ideas, and thus accepting and understanding the ideals, that form the foundation of scouting.

Ideals imposed on us are not as valuable as those we test and accept independently .

Scouting Checkpoint

Wed, 16 Sep 2015 00:00:00 +0000

Let’s build a “membership standards” Scouting checkpoint at the gate of our scout camp.

Adult leaders can gain entrance only after they pass inspection on their adherence to the scout oath and law to enter. This way we can be sure to exclude atheists, the divorced, smokers, drug users, alcoholics, tax cheats, people who are overweight, adulterers, fornicators, the envious, homosexuals,the lustful, the prideful, the gluttonous, the dishonest, and the slothful. We can get finally weed out the cheerless, the unclean, the unfriendly, the cowardly, the discourteous, the irreverent, and everyone who does not meet a focused determination of appropriate standards.

Conduct, Character, and Scouting

Fri, 28 Aug 2015 00:00:00 +0000

Remember being young when the ground was constantly shifting under our feet?

Remember wanting to be an adult but not wanting to be like the adults you knew?

Remember how you wanted to change things? What an energizing, exciting, challenging, and sometimes confusing world we lived in! Our growing brains and bodies were in a constant state of change, every day was full of new ideas, new experiences, new people, new challenges. In our search for some stable ground we questioned and challenged authority, changed poses and attitudes. All that uproar came from looking for something and, perhaps, someone we could count on. Our emotions ran faster than our reason. Our conduct was variable, we tried on different personalities and poses searching for ourselves in a vast cultural landscape of choices. We were trying to belong, to win the approval of our peers. We experimented, we tested.

B-P's Blog - Debts and Credits

Tue, 11 Nov 2014 00:00:00 +0000

During his lifetime Robert Baden-Powell, founder of the worldwide Scouting movement, wrote many books and articles directed to Scouters. Here’s a selection from his writings.

I HAVE endeavoured to explain our position in regard to education, on the following lines. The new scheme of National Education, so far as it has been recently fore-shadowed, may be indeed an improvement on the past, but it does not apparently pretend to anything much more than that already employed in America and elsewhere. Hard to beat if you look at it from the theoretical point of view, and if you are convinced by the reports of some of those responsible for it in those countries, but not so satisfactory if you regard its practical effects upon the nation.

Scouting's Ulterior Motive

Thu, 03 Oct 2013 00:00:00 +0000

Keep before your mind in all your teaching that the whole ulterior motive of this scheme is to form character … Baden-Powell Scouting’s ulterior motive, our goal as Scouters, is forming character. The methods of Scouting , (the patrol system, outdoor adventure, etc.), are the tools of character development. We track this development using reflection, counselling, mentoring and coaching. If our work is invested in developing an individual’s mental and moral qualities what milestones indicate we’ve succeeded? What direction do we want to see this formation take? The Scout oath and law define the ideal character we aim to develop; the ability to resolve conflicts, solve problems, empathize with others, persevere through difficulties, control impulses, communicate clearly, make thoughtful decisions, and work cooperatively with others. As we observe our Scouts we are looking for these indicators of character development: A sense of curiosity – the drive to collect information and expand knowledge.

What's Happening Now?

Tue, 18 Sep 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Think for a moment about the way a Scout-aged-boy’s mind develops - He is becoming increasingly able to think abstractly. He may be sharply self-conscious thinking that he is constantly being watched and judged by others; believing no one can relate to his personal experiences. He is beginning to think systematically about morality, friendship, faith, democracy, fairness, and honesty. He is beginning to understand how the thoughts or actions of one person can influence others. He is more likely to question and less likely to accept facts as absolute truths. He understands the difference between rules of common sense—not touching a hot stove—and those that are based on relative standards. His capacity for insight and judgment developed through experience increases. He does assess risk but tends to give more weight to potential rewards than to potential negative consequences. One of his most important aspirations is winning the approval of peers and social acceptance. He is better able to think about the future and to consider multiple possibilities at once. He may make abrupt changes as he chooses or rejects different qualities and behaviors before committing to them. He is concerned with establishing and asserting his independence and defining his relation to authority. He is experiencing rapid changes in his role within his family and challenging his parent’s authority. Is he cognizant of these things? Not really – he ‘s just right there in the moment likely looking for the next meal or snack or place to nap.

Your Kids Aren't All That Bad

Sun, 12 Aug 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Certainly one of the tasks of parenthood is challenging our children to realize their full potential yet we shouldn’t judge our children, nor or Scouts by comparing their achievements with those of others. We are individuals, we have their own strengths and weaknesses. When tempers rise, when the inevitable conflicts and disappointments land on our doorstep it can be useful to step back and gain a sense of proportion and perspective. If you are reading this it’s likely your child is among the most privileged and prosperous on the face of the earth. They have three meals a day, they are able to go to school, they live in a stable society, they have all they need materially and more. Our children survive childhood diseases in numbers much of the rest of the world can only wish for. If you are reading this your child may be in the top percentile of the most privileged and prosperous. They are good (if not great) students; they have incredible technological resources at their fingertips (yes they are texting with those fingertips and that confuses a lot of us), they are Scouts – and have the all the advantages that implies.

Solitude and Leadership

Fri, 23 Mar 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Essayist and Critic William Deresiewicz delivered a lecture to the plebe class at the United States Military Academy at West Point in October 2009 concerning Solitude and Leadership . What follows is my condensed version of his key ideas: … Solitude is one of the most important necessities of true leadership. … (Generally when we) talk about training leaders (we mean) educating people who make a big name for themselves in the world, people with impressive titles,… People who make it to the top.

The Natural Genius of Children

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

Thomas Armstrong, Ph.D. has more than thirty years of teaching experience from the primary through the doctoral level. He has authored many books related to learning and human development. His writing on the natural genius of children is an excellent endorsement of Scouting; Essentially, the real meaning of genius is to “give birth to the joy” that is within each child.

Every child is born with that capacity. Each child comes into life with wonder, curiosity, awe, spontaneity, vitality, flexibility, and many other characteristics of a joyous being… These youthful traits are highly valued from an evolutionary perspective: the more species evolve, the more they carry youthful traits into adulthood (a process called “neotony” or “holding youth”). It is imperative that we, as educators and parents, help preserve these genius characteristics of children as they mature into adulthood, so those capacities can be made available to the broader culture at a time of incredible change.

Scout's Study Concludes Youth are Doing Well

Wed, 17 Jan 2007 00:00:00 +0000

A study released by Scout Association in the United Kingdom concludes that young people: Just want to have fun and family and friends… and make a difference Regard family members as the most positive influences in their lives Feel that members of youth/sports clubs are better citizens Want to be listened to Who are members of clubs feel valued and valuable Generally feel good about themselves Feel they are in control of their lives and feel resilient Trust their intuition and instincts to decide right from wrong The study reports: We do not pretend that the results of this research demonstrate anything revolutionary.

Seton's Fire Within

Thu, 23 Feb 2006 00:00:00 +0000

One of the B.S.A.’s founders, Ernest Thompson-Seton, was visiting a camp he founded near his New Jersey home.

Seton had invited several important local businessmen to join him on this particular visit to interest them in supporting the camp.

During their stay they watched with great interest as some of the boys tried to light a fire by friction using the ancient bow and drill.

Their efforts were great and the resulting fire was a victory won over may attempts. As they turned from the scene one of the guests turned to Seton and said; “Mr. Seton, why, in a world of matches, do you ask the boys to struggle with these primitive methods?”

Why Scouting?

Tue, 01 Nov 2005 00:00:00 +0000

Observe a community or classroom anywhere in the world and you will conclude that boys instinctively form groups, adopt uniforms, establish standards, develop a credo and create initiatory challenges.

While most educational systems battle these instincts scouting gives them a means of positive expression. Boys yearn to belong, to gain acceptance and approval outside the confines of their family.

Their imperfect search for guidance and understanding is often met with suspicion and misapprehension. In adolescence they try on lots of attitudes and poses paradoxically seeking approval from the adult world in their very rebellion against it. It can be a tough time for everybody. We all more or less hammered our way through adolescence in whatever way we could. Some had it easier than others.