Getting the point

One of my favorite parts of working with Scouts as an adult is seeing promise in a Scout and helping them to see it and achieve it. In my job it's not something I can do often short of working with my Order of the Arrow chapter members. This weekend I was able to work with some of the chapter members and members of some of the troops. For a couple of the guys it seemed like it was the first time any leader had taken the time to ask them what they thought and treated them like an adult in considering their point of view and they responds by being very helpful and doing what I asked them to do. To some extent it was gratifying to have a posse following me around wanting to help out and just chat although a couple of them got a little trying at times.

Tonight I tried a new tack in tackling our challenge in recruiting Boy Scouts by visiting a troop and using the same technique to get their Scouts' input. Some of them seemed confused by being asked at all, others weren't particularly forthcoming, but several weren't shy about their opinion. Mostly they expressed that Boy Scouts was considered "dorky" by other guys at school, that the uniforms sucked, that advancement was tough, and on through the litany of complaints that I recall from being a Scout.

The question that struck me the most was "Why does it matter to business and community leaders that someone was an Eagle Scout?...What does knot tying and first aid have to do with being a good banker or businessman?" I was a little disappointed that we didn't have the time to discuss this more, but it certainly is a very good question from a middle school kid and strikes right to the core of Scouting. How do you explain that it isn't the skills that you learn that count, but what you learn in that process that makes the difference without diminishing that process? In answering the question I wonder if it would be like quantum physics where the act of observation changes the properties of what is being observed defeating the whole purpose. The scouts that asked are three brothers who happen to be nephews of seven Eagle Scout brothers that include our State Senator and a bank president that I know. I sent that question on to them as it seemed like they really wanted to know. I got the impression from the leaders in the unit, youth and adult, that these guys tried their patience, which I could see, but I hope they stay in because they have a lot to gain from the program.

Anyways, I am rambling, but I thought it worth mentioning one of the reasons I like my job. I'll probably add a couple of troop visits to my schedule in October to ask the same question about recruiting and see what I hear.