November, 2005

Building Good Scouts

Well here it is November and I have not written a Scoutmasters Corner since July. It is hard to believe the winter is here and we will be sleeping on the cold ground again. The good news is no bugs and no allergies. -This month we are going to the Red River Gorge, a troop favorite. I look so forward to hitting the trail.

Being November most of the troop is approaching the end of their first year in boy scouting. It has been a very successful year and has exceeded my expectations. We have a great troop of scouts. The summer was very busy at various camps and the fall was exciting too with canoe rides, pioneering, fund raising, and our recent Junior Leader Training. That is what I want to talk to you about today, the development of your boy in the scouting techniques. We train your son to have a better character through the patrol method and BE, KNOW, & DO. The BE part is the values and attributes that form the foundation for responsible behavior. These values are memorialized in the scout oath, law, and outdoor code which he repeats every meeting. After a couple of years even the most difficult begin to get the picture. Since learning to be trustworthy or loyal is not exactly exciting stuff, we use the study of the outdoors as the hook to keep boys interested. Learning outdoor skills is the KNOW part along with the planning process used to develop the leader's will. The DO part is the action and execution of the plans made either by the individual boy in his hiking activities or by the leader in his patrol responsibilities.

By now you are probably getting to know our schedule, community service on the 1st weekend and camping on the 3rd weekend of the month with a weekly meeting every Wednesday. Your son should be getting ready during the days or weeks before the different events. Is he packing himself? Is he prepared? Does he have the things he needs to go into the woods or is he waiting to the last second to get ready? Does he know what to take? Is he reading the emails sent out by the Patrol Leader's Council? Does he report in to his patrol leader when he can not make an event or do you do it for him? Does he let you know what is going on in a timely manner or are you doing these things for him? If you are responding for his schedules and packing his pack then I am disappointed. We work very hard to get him independent and to act on his own. If you are doing things for him then he does not have to do it for himself. The point of all of the things we do is the development of his character, not yours. Give him support, reminders, encouragement, and hold him accountable but DO NOT do it for him. This is his scout troop and when I am in the woods with him, far from any support, I need to know that he is prepared and ready for the mental and physical challenges ahead. That knowledge is safe scouting and allows us to do the things we do. Soon we will get new boys to the troop and once again the emphasis will switch to their development. Your boy will be expected to set the example. Is your son ready? Talk to him and see.

See you on the trail,

David Dierken, Scoutmaster
BSA Troop 315
Scoutmaster@Troop315.org

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