Learning Your Duty to God and Scouting are ETERNALLY Connected

When parents of LDS Scouts Church wide finally learn that Scouting and learning your Duty to God are ETERNALLY connected, our Scouting program will angelically change for the better.  Parents will get more involved.  Better leaders will be asked to serve.  Scouts will take it more seriously while realizing that Scouting is also fun.

Below is a conversation on Facebook after sharing this video with one of my parents who has two sons one of which is an Eagle Scout.  I totally understand that being a parent can be overwhelming.  The amount of CRAP kids have to do these days makes my head spin.  My daughter this year after rededicating herself to her grades spends countless hours studying.  I get it.  Parenting doesn't pay enough.  We just have to find the Good, Better, Best and make sure we are getting and making the most bang for our buck!  Learning our personally duty to God is on of those ways.

• • Parent of Scout and Eagle Scout:  So Fishgutts .... how do you do this? I know your family is as busy as anyone else. What specifically, nuts and bolts, do you do in order to make --- Scouts - Duty to God - Football - Grades - Family - Misc. all happen? All are equally important. I just struggle to get it ALL in.
  • Fishgutts:  I share your frustration as a leader AND as a parent who has busy kids. I think the answer is out right teaching our kids to learn their Duty to God (not the actual book and program) and teaching a boy how to personally ask the Lord what his personal duty to Him is. And then by learning that duty, that boy can set about it while at Scouts, by doing the actual Duty to God program, while being an example on a football team, while studying, while actively being a member of his family and all the other crap that tries to distract us. This wasn't mean as a stab at my Scout's parents. It is hard to balance life and I know from first hand experience. Life has us busy. But the minute we learn our Duty to God and see the vision He has for us, the easier it is to serve Him in all the things we do.

What advice do you have for this parent?

Fulfilling Your Duty to God through Scouting, New Era, Sept 2013, page 36

Obviously the LDS Church believes that Scouting will prepare a young man for his mission, his career, his wife and his children.  Otherwise we would be using another program.  So what makes the Scouting program so great as to fulfill this purpose of preparation?  In my opinion, the program(s) are extremely versatile and a boy can do anything he is interested in from merit badges to writing and performing his own Varsity Program.  I also believe that the programs of the Scouting program at times asks a boy to take huge steps outside of his comfort zone to accomplish things he normally would think he could not accomplish.  Learning to be comfortable with the uncomfortable is a huge badge of courage in my eyes.
The LDS Church is coming up on their 100th year of using Scouting as one of our programs.

The above listed article includes these ideas as ways Scouts can encourage others to join them in Scouting:

• Talk about your Scouting activities with friends, classmates, and neighbors.
• When you’re studying a particular merit badge, share your excitement with your friends and ask if they’re interested in learning about that topic with you.
• Help plan quality troop and patrol activities so that other youth will want to attend. Have a calendar of upcoming activities to share.
• Invite other young men to attend unit meetings, activities, and courts of honor with you.
• Look for ways to expand your Scouting activities to include others.
• Use Scouting as a tool to involve less-active young men who may not be interested in attending Sunday meetings.

So this creates an interesting issue with units who have good Scouts but bad Scout leaders.  I always think like Ask Andy that boys, whether LDS or not, should be able to decide how a unit is doing through their feet - if the program stinks, walk away and find another one.  This also creates an interesting issue for Bishops (COR) to make sure that these units are up to speed and are able to "capture" these boys and keep them in the program.  This capturing mainly has to do with having good leaders who know how to run a true BSA program.

In a discussion with a gentleman that I went to IOLS so many years ago, I brought up the fact that I wonder what would happen if an LDS Stake were to create a super Troop, Team and Crew and ask current GOOD leaders to come and volunteer.  His comment was that he thought the local units within the Stake would wither and die.  Probably true but those boys who were to join a super Troop, Team and Crew would have the experience of a life time with dedicated leaders and activities that rival some non-LDS groups.  

So I celebrate with the Church our 100 years in Scouting but I also know we have a long way to go before we are where we probably should have already been.

Duty to God

Please read this article by Presiding Bishop Gary E. Stevenson on the morning of the BSA's big decision.  It is not about the decision though.  I have read it twice in 24 hours and I feel like I am reminded why I Scout - to do my Duty to God (no book required **wink to Eric Voluntold**)

Duty to God Month

The Varsity Captain and Co-Captains decided back in November to make February Duty to God month.  We would spend every Sunday meeting and every Wednesday (activity night) working their religious award.  Last night was the first meeting.  I watched the boys set up their chairs pointing to where I would normally sit (classroom style) and I sat somewhere else hoping that they would lead.  Soon they had rearranged their chairs into a version of a circle with the adults on the outside of the circle (AWESOME!!!).  And then they led.  It was ugly..........I mean UGLY at first but by the time our hour plus was over, it was AWESOME!  Not everyone paid attention.  Not everyone got every point they discussed.  One boy wouldn't shut up and I waited for the group to "correct" him but they showed a lot of patience.  The Captain had to have help from the Co-Captain a few times but it was exactly what I wanted it to be.

It was great to hear boys discuss their beliefs and religion together without having a teacher to force them to talk.  At one point they were told to read a section from For the Strength of the Youth and I have never heard it so quiet in one of our classes.........EVER..........in 5 years of Scouting.

So after the end of the class I congratulated them.  Told them what they had done right, told them I was proud of them and told they they have set a wonderful model for Sunday's discussion.  I can't wait!!

American Spirit Award - Spencer Zimmerman

This kid is awesome!  And not only is he a great kid but he has that Varsity Orange a blazing!  Great job Spencer.  There is something to be said for those who serve those with special needs ~ they will receive sainthood.  Service like this is so inspiring.

BSA article on Spencer.  Additional article here.
LDS New Era article on Spencer.

I would LOVE to interview this young man!!!

New Beginnings

I attended New Beginnings last Wednesday.  New Beginnings is like "cross over" for Weblos' coming into a Troop for the Young Women's Program of our Church.  One of my daughters is already in Young Women and the other one just started.  I feel like a girl completing the Personal Progress Program is just as important as a boy earning his Eagle.  My daughters are very motivated to earn it and I don't have to do much reminding especially since my wife is also working on the program too.  I have a daughter who wants to camp bad and my promise to her is that she can join a Venturing Crew at a near by Church when she finishes her Personal Progress.

New Beginnings had a sports theme and they all hammed it up for the theme including wearing jerseys and crowd cheers.  One of the talks really touched me and I think it was very applicable to Scouting and Duty to God (thanks KJ for sharing!!).  Here it is:

Coaches of sports teams often provide players with a notebook full of x’s and o’s made into diagrams or plays of how to succeed.  It is called a playbook.  Team members study it and look to it for a plan of action. 

A football player’s goal is to make it in the end zone and ultimately win the game.  If the football players study the playbook faithfully, train and exercise their minds and bodies to make them strong, work hard, follow the rules of the game, are team players and listen to their coaches they will ultimately achieve their goal.            

Much like football players our YW have a playbook.  It’s their PP book.  They are part of a team.  You parents are their coaches.  The YW leaders are their cheerleaders.  On this team, we have some rookies….these are our new beehives.  Our team captains are our class presidencies.  We also have some all-stars: these girls have already completed their PP and earned their YW recognition award.  We also have MVP’s…these are the girls who are working hard trying to achieve the goals they have set for themselves.  We even have a rule book which we use side by side with our playbook and that is the FTSOY pamphlet.            

 If our YW study their playbook faithfully, train and exercise their minds and bodies by completing value experiences to make them strong and courageous, work hard, follow the standards within their “rule books”, are team players and listen to their coaches they will ultimately achieve their goal…which is hopefully the temple. While most playbooks are kept secret from rival teams our playbook teaches our YW to share the gospel with others, invite their non-member friends to church activities, and to serve.               

Our playbook uses the 8 YW values which are Faith, DN, IW, Knowledge, C&A, GW, Integrity, and Virtue to help our YW more fully understand who they are, why they are here, and what they should be doing as a daughter of God to prepare to go to the temple. 

If a football player was to go on to the field for a game without having practiced or preparing themselves they would not perform well.  Practices are held usually on a regular basis so that players can learn to apply instructions coaches have introduced for the upcoming game.  Just as with any athlete or sports team they must practice in order to become better. 

Our playbook has set a forth a program that not only will help our YW become better but it will help them become excellent.  In order to complete this program they must:

• Attend sacrament meeting on a regularly 

• Live the standards within the For the Strength of the Youth pamphlet 

• Keep a journal 

• Record your testimony of the Savior 

• Complete 6 value experiences and 1 ten hour value project for each of the first    seven values.  And then for Virtue each YW will complete 4 value experiences and read the Book of Mormon.

As the YW set and achieve goals they are preparing for their future roles as women, wives, mothers and leaders.  Participating in PP on a regular basis and applying the instruction within this book will help you establish habits such as scripture study, prayer, service, and journal keeping.  These habits will strengthen your testimony and help you learn and improve throughout your life. 

Imagine the confusion or frustration players would feel on the field if they never or rarely practiced.  What would happen if they never cracked open their playbook, if they never heeded the instruction from the coaches, if they weren’t team players, and if they didn’t follow the rules?  I would think that they would be upset with themselves and disappointed…maybe even angry and they definitely wouldn’t win the game.                  

Our playbook…our PP book is filled with experiences for your growth and learning. The PP program was a program put in to place to help you to prepare you for game situations that you will face during life’s journey as you strive to reach your goal of going to the temple and ultimately coming unto Christ. 

So here is the connection I go from this talk.  Parents play the key role to a young man earning his Duty to God award and him earning his Eagle (the book Trials to Testimony confirms this).  They are their son's Coach.  Us, as leaders, are the cheer leaders and at times watch from the side lines.  Sometimes we watch a boy sitting on the bench from the side lines.  We can cheer all we want but the Coach is in charge.  How weird would it be for a cheerleader to come over to the Coach and ask for his clip board and his headset?  The Coach might go all Bobby Knight on the cheerleaders..........  On the other hand, the Coach may not care what is happening to his players OR not know what to do with his players.  That is where we, as leaders, can help train them and cheer them on.

Boys need to be actually practicing the things they learn.  It isn't just a homework assignment but it should be viewed as a way to change ones life.  Scouting fulfills the purposed of the Aaronic Priesthood.  Aaronic Priesthood duties fulfill the purposes of Scouting.  Boys need to be taking every experience they have and using it to learn and to grow.  Classes and instruction shouldn't be a class to just sit through.

How grateful I am for my daughters leaders.  At times I have been frustrated with them but I know they have my daughter's interests at heart.  I want my daughters to be learning and growing every minute they spend with their leaders and I will be there to help council them, coach them and yes, even cheer for them!!

Duty to God - Too hard?

As Scouts, boys can further learn their duty to God by completing the LDS Church's requirements for "Duty to God".

There is a great article called "Duty to God with Dad" in the New Era (the LDS Church's youth magazine) about sons sitting down with their fathers and doing the program together stimulating conversation between father and son and building a stronger relationship between the two.  I suggest for those who don't have Dads in their lives, using their Home Teachers or their Young Men leaders or even their Moms!

I am shocked by the lack of participation in this program in my own unit.  It works hand in hand with each boy's Church duties and is so simple.  Without sounding boastful but showing how completely easy it is, my son has almost completed his Deacon portion of the program in 4 months.  I only have him every 1st, 3rd and 5th Sunday.  Each Sunday I have him, I remind him that I want him to work on the program before Church and he goes to work.  After family prayers are done on Sunday night and the other kids go to bed, he stays up for a few minutes with my wife and I and we review exactly what he has done.  We correlate when he will be teaching Family Home Evening on the things he learned.  We discuss what he has learned as he has studied the scriptures and we discuss application to his personal life.  We discuss how he can magnify his Church duties in addition to his family duties and Scout duties.  We also discuss how things are going at his other home and how he can better deal with issues and set a better example.

My wife is also completing the Young Women version of the Duty to God program called Personal Progress.  I now have two daughters in the Young Women program and my wife was just recently called into the YW program as a leader.  So they have devised a "Personal Progress Meeting" with a Personal Progress "jar" where they pull requirements out of the jar and the three of them work together passing off the requirements.  My wife even has me sign off the requirements in her book.

Does helping your kids learn their Duty to God take time?  Yes.
Does it take up some of your own personal time?  Yes.
Sometimes does it feel like you are pulling your kids by the ear to get it done?  Yes.
Is it worth it?  Heavens YES!

Training - Milk before Meat

Tonight we held a Church/Scout Training meeting for the Scouts and the Team for our Duty to God night.  We had everyone attend as I am sure at some point they will each be some form of a leader. I wrote the manual.  Six sections; 10 minutes a section.  We were done in less than an hour. 

Granted, we probably should start with BSA youth standard leadership training but our unit needs milk before meat.  So here is what we used.  The videos were a HUGE help.  One of the only problems is the Church's firewall and filter wouldn't let us use Youtube to show videos so we had to be creative.

It went well.  The boys got distracted a time or few but throw a few candies at them and the lion quieted down.

Duty to God Program

Tonight my wife and I had a PPI with my daughter.  She has been struggling.  She is a sweet girl but has issues just like every other teenager out there.  In discussing her goals with her, she brought something to my attention.

We were discussing her long range Personal Progress goals with her and she wants to finish her Virtue Value Project by a year.  When she told me that this project was reading the whole Book of Mormon (and that it was a "set" project ~ she didn't get to pick this project), I was shocked.  I went back quickly and thought about the Duty to God program.  No where could I find this goal.  Did I miss it?  Help me out if I did.

I thought to myself, what better missionary preparation would it be for a boy than to read the Book of Mormon by themselves prior to their mission?  How come this isn't a goal of the Duty to God program?  How can we encourage Young Men to prepare for their missions if they are not reading the Book of Mormon?  Ideas?  Thoughts?

PS - My wife ran this meeting with my daughter.  (I ran this mornings meeting where we discovered "the error of her ways".)  She knew she was struggling and had 4 pages of notes on things to ask, share and discuss with her.  She also set short term, medium term and long range goals with her (1 month, 3-6 month and 1 year goals).  It was like..............she was a Scout leader.  She is freaking amazing!  How did I get a girl like that to marry me??