Steve Roberts August 20, 2007
You’ve heard the expression that “it takes a village to raise a child.” An appropriate phrase for Boy Scouts is that “it takes a troop to raise an Eagle.” The keys to having a successful troop are:
- Being a Boy Run Troop
- Following the tenets laid out by the Boy Scouts of America in the Troop Committee Handbook
- Following the words and instruction given by Lord Baden Powell
- The role that adult leaders provide by supporting the Scouts and other adults in the troop.
The first three points have been discussed in other things I’ve written as well as articles and books by other authors. Let’s focus on the role of the adult leader and learn what it takes to be a great leader in our troop.
Our role as adults
The role of adults in a Boy Run Troop are different than other roles that you will play at work, other volunteer organizations, sporting teams, or even in your own family. What is the role of an adult in a Boy Run Troop?
First: Be a resource for our Scouts.
Second: Be an example for our Scouts.
Third: Have fun and make sure our Scouts have fun!
Our role as adults in this troop is to provide the support that it takes for all of the Scouts to advance in rank – we need to be a resource for the Scouts. Our goal is to be a resource for the success of the troop, not just the success of our own son. When we find ourselves thinking about how the troop needs to change for the benefit of our own Scout, or worse, for our own personal benefit, then we have failed our sons, failed the troop, and failed the entire Boy Scouts of America. When we understand that our role as adults is to support and benefit every boy in the troop and help him succeed then we have truly begun the path to becoming a successful adult leader.
Emergence of an adult leader
How does an adult leader emerge? We all see things that go well and other things than can be improved. Many times we find ourselves complaining among ourselves, to our spouses, or even to our own sons about “what’s wrong with the troop.” Let’s point out that complaining to our sons is absolutely wrong and is not setting a good example – it’s fine if they complain to us but we shouldn’t complain to them. Complaining to our sons about the troop lessens their experience and dampens their enthusiasm for Scouting and for the troop. Yes, we do find ourselves complaining to one another or our spouses and that’s OK- to a point. If the complaining continues with no resolution on our part – then we are part of the problem.
We want to be part of the solution. That’s how leaders emerge. Leaders emerge by seeing a problem and then working with the system to find a solution to make the program better.
Demonstrating teamwork and maturity
If the problem is openly discussed and solutions are explored then we are acting as mature adults. When we volunteer to help implement the solution then we are acting like the kind of leaders we want our Scouts to be! Sometimes your fellow leaders will not agree with you. Sometimes the group decision will be to maintain the status quo or adopt a solution with which you don’t agree. Accepting the decision in the spirit of compromise will reinforce your role as an active and important member of the troop.
The best thing we can do as a leader is to support the decisions of the group as if they are our own decisions - even when we don’t agree. By doing so, we teach our own Scouts to be team players and recognize that they can’t always have it their way. We also show them our own maturity and how they can mature themselves as leaders.
Assuming responsibility & authority in the absence of …
What do we do when we see a need and other adult leaders have not taken responsibility or we don’t know who has the authority? In small everyday decisions we assume authority and responsibility. There are many times you are asked a question or are asked for help by a parent, another leader, or a senior boy leader. If you know that no one has assumed responsibility and aren’t sure who has the authority – assume it! You don’t want to make a decision or take an action that flies in the face of the troop’s normal operations because that violates the principle of ethical decision making. Rather than say “I don’t know” or passing the buck onto someone else, take it on yourself. If immediate action is required and you are unsure if it is the right decision or action, inform one of the seasoned adult leaders in your troop, the Scoutmaster, or the Committee Chair. At best, you have made their life easier by taking the burden off of their shoulders. At worst, they will provide you a coaching moment to explain how they would have handled it or how it’s been handled in the past.
On larger matters that don’t need an immediate answer, take it to the Scoutmaster for things that should be done by the Scouts or take it to the Committee Chair for discussion at the committee level. You’ll be recognized for being a team player and also for your emerging leadership. The troop will run better and we’ll have a better experience for the Scouts.
Recognize that not all problems can be solved immediately. Another earmark of a successful adult leader is patience. Allow the decision to be made in the normal committee process. If the issue is not addressed in a timely manner, bring it back to the Scoutmaster or Committee Chair and ask for a status.
Qualities of an adult leader
The most important quality is passion: passion to support the troop, passion to help boys earn their rank advancements all the way to Eagle, passion to grow in leadership, and passion to display ethical decision making. You may not have all of the Scouting skills that others have nor may you have the extensive leadership you see in some of the adults in the troop. In the absence of skills you will find that passion goes a long way to being successful in anything you do.
Use your passion to become a great example. As adult leaders, we set examples every time we are engaged in Scouting by wearing our uniforms, attending meetings and campouts, providing a boy run program that teaches the values of the Scout Oath and Scout Law, and by displaying ethical decision making.
Along with passion is a commitment to give the time and energy to be successful. Get as much training as you can. If you don’t know what training you need, ask the Committee Chair. You will find that much of the training offered by the district and council will help you as a Boy Scout leader but it will also help you in your professional career and in your family life.
Speaking from personal experience, Woodbadge had as much of an impact on my management style at work as it did in my philosophy regarding a Boy Run Troop. Yes, it takes time to attend the training, but you will benefit in so many ways that there isn’t time for me to list all of the advantages. You will also find that the network of friends you develop from other troops will help you grow as an adult leader. You will also learn just how special our own Boy Run Troop is and why we are viewed as the standard in the Northstar District for how a Boy Scout Troop should run.
To fuel your passion and strengthen your commitment you need to attend Scout meetings and campouts. Attend committee meetings. Volunteer for adult leadership positions. Support your troop and you will find that the troop supports you.
Have Fun
Having fun may seem simple to some and pointless to others. What you need to know is that young boys make this their highest priority and will avoid activities that aren’t fun! Lord Baden Powell said:
Scouting is a jolly game in the out of doors, where boy-men and boys can go adventuring together as older and younger brothers, picking up health and happiness, handicraft and helpfulness.
Lord Baden Powell of Gilwell, “Aids To Scoutmastership, A Guide For Scoutmasters on the Theory of Scout Training”, http://www.pinetreeweb.com/aidstosm-4.htm.
Part of the “game of Scouting” is to make sure that the Scouts are learning but in a way that is both fun and educational. Sometimes we forget that teaching our Scouts doesn’t have to be hard, demanding work. If we treat it as a game, the Scouts will enjoy what they are doing and learn more. Part of the “game of Scouting” is to let the boys run the troop and part of the Scoutmaster’s game-plan should be to have a Boy Run Troop.
If you or your son feels that going to meetings and campouts are a chore then ask, “What can we do to have more fun?” Putting the element of fun into the game of Scouting means that some things will get done faster while others take longer and seem less efficient. That’s OK – if that’s what the boys want and they are having fun then let them do it!
Scouts are learning timeless values and skills by playing the game of Scouting and having fun! What better way to be learning and doing anything? Your job as a leader is to make sure that you don’t treat your role in the troop as a “job” and that you don’t make the boys think that Scouting is “work.” When you both view Scouting as fun, the system works the way that Lord Baden Powell designed it to work.
