Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Scoutcraft - Best Definition of Boy-Man

I will be sharing more from Robert Baden-Powell's book Aids to Scoutmastership as I come across them but this one really hit me this morning.
The Boy-Man 
He has simply to be a boy-man, that is:-- 
1.  He must have the boy spirit in him and must be able to place himself on the right plane with his pupils as a first step.
2.  He must realize the psychology of the different ages of boy life.
3.  He must deal with the individual pupil rather than with the mass.
4.  He then needs to promote a corporate spirit his individuals to gain the best results.
..........With regards to the first point, the Scoutmaster has to be neither Schoolmaster nor Commanding Officer, nor pastor, nor instructor.  All that is needed is the capacity to enjoy the out-of-doors, to enter into the boys' ambitions and to find other men who will give them instruction in the desired directions, whether it be boxing or flute playing, nature study or engineering.  
He has got to put himself on the level of the older brother, that is to see things from the boy's point of view and to lead and guide and give enthusiasm in the right directions.  That is all.  
.......Thirdly, the business of the Scoutmaster--and a very interesting one it is--is to draw out each boy and find out what is in him and then to catch hold of the good and develop it to the exclusion of the bad.  There is five percent of good even in the worst of character.  The sport is to find it and then to develop it on to an 80 or 80 percent basis.  This is education instead of instruction of the young mind, which you will find more fully dealt with in Scouting for Boys or Girl Guiding.   
Except from Aids to Scoutmastership, page 11
By Robert Baden-Powell
If this isn't a good list of qualities for a good Scoutleader, I don't know what would be better.  How important our role is to these young men!!!

2 comments:

Evenspor said...

That is so perfect. That list fits well with some things I have been thinking about - some things I have learned. I could pretty much match my "why I enjoy being a den leader so much more this time" list up to that one-to-one. Although I would add "knowing what I'm doing" to the end.

Fishgutts said...

Evenspor - the training quote is coming. :)