-.-. --- -- -- ..- -. .. -.-. .- - .

.... --- .-- / .-- . / -.-. --- -- -- ..- -. .. -.-. .- - . / -- .- -.- . ... / .- .-.. .-.. / - .... . / -.. .. ..-. ..-. . .-. . -. -.-. . / .. -. / - .... . / .-- --- .-. .-.. -.. .-.-.- / / ... --- -- . - .. -- . ... / .. -- .--. --- .-. - .- -. - / -- . ... ... .- --. . ... / .... .- ...- . / - --- / -.-. --- -- . / .. -. / ..- -. .. --.- ..- . / .- -. -.. / -.. .. ..-. ..-. . .-. . -. - / .-- .- -.-- ... / - --- / .. -- .--. .-. . ... ... / ..- .--. --- -. / - .... --- ... . / .-.. .. ... - . -. .. -. --. / .... --- .-- / .. -- .--. --- .-. - .- -. - / - .... . -.-- / .- .-. . .-.-.- / / ... --- -- . - .. -- . ... / .. -. / .- / .-- --- .-. .-.. -.. / --- ..-. / --- ...- . .-. ... .- - ..- .-. .- - .. --- -. / ..-. .-. --- -- / .- .-.. .-.. / ..-. --- .-. -- ... / --- ..-. / -.-. --- -- -- ..- -. .. -.-. .- - .. --- -. / .-.. .. -.- . / ..-. .- -.-. . -... --- --- -.- --..-- / - . -..- - / -- . ... ... .- --. . ... --..-- / .. -- --..-- / ..--- ....- -....- .... --- ..- .-. / -. . .-- / -.-. -.-- -.-. .-.. . --..-- / . - -.-. .-.-.- / - .... . / ... -- .- .-.. .-.. / .- -. -.. / ... .. -- .--. .-.. . / -- . ... ... .- --. . ... / --. . - ... / .-.. --- ... - .-.-.- / / .- -. / ..- -. .. --.- ..- . / .--. .-. . ... . -. - .- - .. --- -. / .-- .. .-.. .-.. / -.-. .- ..- ... . / - .... --- ... . / .... . .- .-. .. -. --. / - .... . / -- . ... ... .- --. . / - --- / -. . ...- . .-. / ..-. --- .-. --. . - / - .... . / -- . ... ... .- --. . .-.-.-

Homework, sports, band and Scouts

Bryan wrote a great article on homework, Scouting and how to decide between hours of homework and a Scout meeting.  I think the boy and their homework has to be weighed by parents when making that decision.  Putting off homework and doing it last minute, in my opinion, should never be a reason for missing a meeting.  Drives me nuts.  From a Scout leaders perspective, it drives me nuts to plan a personal meeting (keeping each boys needs in mind) and then having them not show up. 

I struggle with this in my own unit.  Band (marching) and sports absolutely kill my program.  Football season suck!  Life Scouts sit at that rank because they are too "busy" with other stuff.  And then seconds before their 18th birthday they become interested in the program again.  (See!  The Eagle/driver's license thing doesn't work!)  I think getting a boy his Eagle by the summer of his freshman year of high school is essential to not allowing him to get distracted.

I have done almost 20 Eagle Board of Reviews and 99% of them have been for LDS units.  Of those LDS Eagle Board of Reviews almost all have been last minute.  Wait to the last minute and issues occur.  Read one of my recent posts to see some of the issues of waiting to the last minute.

Is it about the boy??

Is Scouting about the leaders, the boys or both?  Granted as a leader we should be having fun just like the boys (what is the point of doing stuff with boys if we are going to be such a party-pooper?).  Scouting isn't about the leader.  It isn't about the program.  It is about the boy and his needs.  The great thing about the Varsity Program is flexible enough to adapt to each boys needs.  Without the boy, there would be no program.  There would be no need for the program.  Everything we do, we should be doing for the boys.  I, personally, would be doing things a bit different (at times a TON different) as compared to the boys but this is their training ground.  This is where they will learn to become effective adults.

Something similar is the fact that the other day at a District event it was brought up for the crowd that I had earned my Wood Badge Beads.  Granted it was a huge achievement for me and I am more proud of those beads than my Eagle (no Mom putting a saddle on me and riding me to the finish line of Eagle).  I was so embarrassed when they clapped for me.  I just didn't do it for the applause.  I did it for me and I did it for my boys--so they would have a trained leader.