On average, a Scout Leader spends 2 hours per week, 40 weeks
per year with Scouts at weekly meetings. Add to that, about 8 or so overnight
or weekend activities. Total, less than 400 hours per year or 3% of their time.
Many Scouters spend much more time than this organizing and
planning. We should all be grateful for their time, but the more of us there
are, the less work each of us has to do, and the more adventures we can do.
So why? Why give up all this time? Wouldn't I prefer to do
something else?
Imagine taking a picture of some amazing landscape, the
Grand Canyon for instance. It's beautiful, sure, but your picture is just like
the thousands of other pictures people have taken. What makes your picture
special to you? It's the people in them.
Adventure is great, and you get a certain sense of
accomplishment, but sharing that adventure with others is what makes it
memorable.
I've made some great friends in Scouting, and learned even
more. Where else can you become a camping master?
Misconceptions people have of Scouts:
Scout leaders have to explain themselves and dispel certain
persistent misconceptions pretty often. Here’s a few things I think people
don’t get:
1. We have already heard all of the jokes and impolite
innuendos about Scouting and Scout leaders. We all have a pretty good sense of humor
but think a little more about what you are saying.
We are ALL background checked. We have an extensive Police
Record Check, screening interview, and most importantly, we have RATIO. That's
the two scouter rule. We aren't alone with the youth. Our responsibility isn't
just to watching the youth, but each other. This way, no one is going to harm a
child, or give false allegations. Our policies are more stringent than most
other organizations out there.
2. Scouting is for boys and girls. Men and women. This isn't
the Boy Scouts. Many groups were already allowing girls to join their groups
for years, but officially, Scouts Canada became co-ed in 1998. We have had many
girls in our groups over the years, and they are always treated equally.
Special considerations are made for sleeping quarters. Boys and girls do not
share tents. Some of the most responsible Scouts we have are girls.
3. We don’t get paid to do this work yet, we strive to be as
professional, competent and thorough as possible. Please don't yell at us,
berate, or call us names. Just try to remember that we are all in this
together – We are not your hirelings; We are your partners in trying to help your child
become a decent human being and a leader our world desperately needs.
4. Scouts perform a lot of
service for their communities and we welcome opportunities to serve. We
also appreciate hearing about the opportunities more than a week or two before
they happen. We might not be able to help on short notice.
5. This isn't a military organization. Although we have some
shared history, we aren't preparing your youth for war. We are not Generals,
Drill Sargent's, or even a team captains. Your youth will learn skills and
leadership that will be useful in the event of a natural disaster, but our goal
isn't to create the next Rambo.
6. We are ALL balancing our Scouting work with raising a family and our careers. We can’t fill every volunteer position or take every volunteer
opportunity even though we want to. Scouting is a family organization. Families
can help by supporting during local events and even as an overnight helper. We
WANT families to be involved. That's what makes this organization great.
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