The Methods of Scouting
Introduction
Specifically,
the BSA endeavors to develop American citizens who are physically,
mentally, and emotionally fit; have a high degree of self-reliance as
evidenced in such qualities as initiative, courage, and
resourcefulness; have personal values based on religious concepts; have
the desire and skills to help others; understand the principles of the
American social, economic, and governmental systems; are knowledgeable
about and take pride in their American heritage and understand our
nation's role in the world; have a keen respect for the basic rights of
all people; and are prepared to participate in and give leadership to
American society.
The eight methods of the Scouting movement are the means through which the Aims of Scouting are achieved:
- Scouting Ideals
- Patrols
- Outdoors
- Advancement
- Personal Growth
- Adult Association
- Leadership Development
- Uniform
The
aims of the movement can be attained without these methods, but it
wouldn't be Scouting. Likewise, these methods can produce quality
individuals without the aims. But, again that wouldn't be Scouting.
Scouting is in fact a combination of these aims and these methods.
Lets look at each of these methods in turn for a little more explanation:
Scouting Ideals
The ideals are those outlined in the Scout Oath and Law, the Scout Motto, and Slogan,
and the concept of "Scout Spirit". The ideals define what a Scout
should strive to be: trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous,
kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, reverent, mentally
awake, morally straight, physically fit, always prepared. The Boy Scout
measures himself against these ideals and continually tries to improve.
The goals are high, and, as he reaches for them, he has some control
over what and who he becomes.
This method permeates
everything Scouts do, defining acceptable behavior, challenging the
Scout to do his best, and even to do better than his best. Scout spirit
describes the level of commitment a Scout has toward these ideals, and
challenges him to do what needs to be done.
Patrols
The Patrol Method Participants
Junior Asst. Scoutmaster - Senior Patrol Leader - Asst. Senior Patrol Leader - Patrol Leader - Asst Patrol Leader
Troop Guide - Troop Instructor - Bugler - Chaplains Aide - Den Chief - Historian - Librarian - O. A. Representative
Quartermaster - Scribe
The
patrol method gives Boy Scouts an experience in group living and
participating citizenship. It places responsibility on young shoulders
and teaches boys how to accept it. The patrol method allows Scouts to
interact in small groups where they can easily relate to each other.
These small groups determine troop activities through their elected
representatives.
The Patrol is the basic unit of Scouting. It
is a perfectly sized group of Scouts with a common purpose. When
properly formed, the Patrol is more than a group; it's a team and each
member has a job to do. In a Patrol, the Scout first begins learning
about citizenship, making decisions, and doing things for himself. He
counts on the other members of his Patrol to do their part, just as
they count on him to do his.
Membership in a Patrol leads
to opportunities for leadership, so this method is also important to
other methods in this list. Everything in Scouting can and should be
done using the Patrol method, and Patrols should be more than just a
list of names. The group should be real, and it should have real things
to do. Its leaders should be real leaders, with real authority.
Outdoors
Boy
Scouting is designed to take place outdoors. It is in the outdoor
setting that Scouts share responsibilities and learn to live with one
another. It is here that the skills and activities practiced at troop
meetings come alive with purpose. Being close to nature helps Boy
Scouts gain an appreciation for God's handiwork and humankind's place
in it. The outdoors is the laboratory for Boy Scouts to learn ecology
and practice conservation of nature's resources.
Doing things
outdoors are what Scouting is all about. Putting the "Out" in Scout"!
In the course of doing the things Scouts do, a boy cannot help but go
into the outdoors. In fact, it's impossible to properly conduct a
Scouting program without going outdoors. As much as possible, and as
often as possible, Scouts should get out of buildings. They should
follow the dirt trails, camp in the woods, swim in the lake, and all of
the other things boys have done for millennia.
A Scout
program that doesn't include going into the outdoors is not much of a
program. It can't be much fun either. Scouting is not school. We don't
learn things in Scouting by sitting in a classroom - we learn them by
going out and doing them!
Advancement
Boy
Scouting provides a series of surmountable obstacles and steps in
overcoming them through the advancement method. The Boy Scout plans his
advancement and progresses at his own pace as he meets each challenge.
The Boy Scout is rewarded for each achievement, which helps him gain
self-confidence. The steps in the advancement system help a Boy Scout
grow in self-reliance and in the ability to help others.
The
advancement method is nearly as pervasive as the ideals of Scouting.
Advancement gives the Scout things to do when they go outdoors, and it
gives Patrols something to work together on. Advancement also
contributes to a Scout's personal growth, provides opportunities for
leadership and adult associations, and a reason to go outside.
Advancement
in Scouting is specifically designed to present every boy with a big
challenge, broken up into smaller and smaller challenges. A Scout
learns to set goals, develop plans for meeting those goals, to motivate
himself to do what needs to be done, to always try his best and keep
trying, and even that his perception of what he can do is often wrong.
The Scout learns about his personal abilities and limitations, and ways
to overcome those limitations and take advantage of those abilities.
Personal Growth
As
Boy Scouts plan their activities and progress toward their goals, they
experience personal growth. The Good Turn concept is a major part of
the personal growth method of Boy Scouting. Boys grow as they
participate in community service projects and do Good Turns for others.
Probably no device is so successful in developing a basis for personal
growth as the daily Good Turn. The religious emblems program also is a
large part of the personal growth method. Frequent personal conferences
with his Scoutmaster help each Boy Scout to determine his growth toward
Scouting's aims.
Much of what we do in Scouting involves boys
facing unfamiliar territory and learning to cope with it. This is what
we call personal growth. Every Scout develops greater confidence
through experience and advancement. He learns to have confidence in
himself; to challenge himself, and to learn from his failures.
Every
step along the way, a Scout is faced with a challenge that has to be
overcome. In the process, he learns to look at himself differently. He
stops saying "I can't" and begins to look for ways to say, "I can." As
his confidence grows he looks for greater responsibilities and
challenges. He learns to make real decisions.
Adult Association
From
time immemorial youth have looked to adults for guidance. Sons look to
parents for an example to live by. Students look to teachers for
knowledge. In Scouting, this tradition continues. Adults provide the
living example to Scouts of the ideals of Scouting. More importantly,
adults provide the impetus for a Scout's personal growth and
self-confidence.
Adults also provide the safety net that
allows Scouting to work. Through guidance and support adults in
Scouting create the environment the Scouts need to take advantage of
these methods. The Scout learns to work with other adults and develops
the skills needed to navigate the adult world.
Leadership Development
The
Boy Scout program encourages boys to learn and practice leadership
skills. Every Boy Scout has the opportunity to participate in both
shared and total leadership situations. Understanding the concepts of
leadership helps a boy accept the leadership role of others and guides
him toward the citizenship aim of Scouting.
Scouts learn to
lead themselves. In Scouting, adults aren't there to lead the youth.
They are there to guide the youth through the process of leading
themselves. This process begins in the Patrol where Scouts have their
first opportunity to choose their own leaders. As the Scout's
experience grows, his opportunities for leadership increase.
Leadership
in Scouting includes making decisions and guiding the troop and Patrol,
planning the program, and conducting meetings. Scouts learn to lead by
leading, and they develop leadership skills by learning to follow their
chosen leaders.
Uniform
The
uniform makes the Boy Scout troop visible as a force for good and
creates a positive youth image in the community. Boy Scouting is an
action program, and wearing the uniform is an action that shows each
Boy Scout's commitment to the aims and purposes of Scouting. The
uniform gives the Boy Scout identity in a world brotherhood of youth
who believe in the same ideals. The uniform is practical attire for Boy
Scout activities and provides a way for Boy Scouts to wear the badges
that show what they have accomplished. People seeing a boy in a Scout
uniform expect someone of good character who is prepared to the best of
his ability to help those around him.
The uniform has always
been an important part of being a Scout. In this day and age, many
would have you believe that the uniform really isn't all that
important; that a Scout is as much a Scout in T-shirt and jeans as he
is in khaki and green. That's partly true, but the uniform is more than
a set of clothes. It's more than simply a place to display
achievements. It is a symbol of the boy's commitment to Scouting - his
acceptance of Scouting's ideals and willingness to live by them.
Scouts
who do not wear a uniform usually do not have a complete understanding
of Scouting or the commitment they have been asked to make. Many Scouts
will tell you that the uniform doesn't look good, it doesn't fit well,
or it isn't very good for outdoor activities. In some respects, this is
true, but they are superficial concerns. Perhaps they don't understand
that the uniform is a symbol of their commitment and, not wearing the
uniform is a sign that they lack that commitment.
The Right Method For The Job
Scouting's
methods represent the tools we use, the path we take in reaching for
our goals. In every Scouting activity, some element of each of these
methods will be evident. Sometimes this will be obvious; often it will
not. But the methods are where we concentrate our attention and effort.
A balanced combination of these will lead us to the aims.
Some
would say that the methods really aren't that important, that it
doesn't matter what methods you use as long as you have the same aims
and concentrate on those. That's not necessarily true. In any effort,
if you concentrate all of your attention and effort on the goal you
want to achieve, you can't be paying much attention to how you're
getting there and whether the path you're taking will lead to success.
Imagine trying to navigate a maze by maintaining your focus on the
exit. No matter what you do, you'll soon find yourself lost in the maze.