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Our Troop
We
are Troop 38, based
in Sugar Land,
Texas. Located
twenty minutes from
downtown Houston, we
are a Boy Scout
troop that is proud
to have over 70
active scouts. We
are working toward a
"boy led" program
with ample trained
adult leadership and
guidance (and always
on the look out for
more help). Our
goal is to offer the
hands-on experience
of leadership
training and
scouting skills by
using the outdoor as
a venue. Started up
in February of 2000,
we all share great
pride in our
teaching of
leadership and
lifelong skills to
our scouts. Our
first four Eagle
Scouts share this
pride with us!
If you are
interested in
exposing your son to
one of the finest
leadership programs
for youth in America
please read on!
Diversity
Sponsored by Parkway
United Methodist
Church, our Troop
welcomes people of
all faiths,
nationalities and
cultures. In fact,
we would like to
reflect the world
community and the
Houston’s “melting
pot” of which we are
a part. Since
Scouting is about
developing strength
of character as well
as learning how to
work with others,
our diversity offers
members the
opportunity to
become comfortable
with and appreciate
people who may in
some way be
different.
Skills
Scouting is a game
with a purpose, the
object of which is
to have hands-on
learning experiences
that will offer a
lifetime of
benefits. The boys
look at it as a way
to do a lot of "neat
stuff" like camping,
hiking, canoeing,
etc…. When the
Scouts plan the
year, they treat
themselves like
tourists and arrange
outings for maximum
entertainment. Our
younger scouts learn
the lifelong skills
such as first aids,
knots, cooking,
camping, etc. Our
older Scouts (14 and
older) will have an
opportunity to get
into High Adventure
trips such as Summer
Camp High Adventure
program, Sea Base
Expeditions,
Philmont Fifty-Mile
Hikes, Canoe Trips
and the likes. All
activities teach an
appreciation for our
environment and
create some great
memories! But it is
not just another way
to keep kids busy...
Scouting is about
learning
leadership. Each
Scout will learn 1)
how to lead himself,
2) how to cooperate
with others and
contribute to the
team, and 3) how to
use vision and
initiative to set
worthwhile goals.
There is a list of
eleven leadership
skills that each
Eagle Candidate must
demonstrate a
command of. At our
meetings and
outings, we will
teach and apply
these skills. When
we talk about
leadership, we focus
on getting the right
results in the right
way. This is where
the game of Scouting
becomes a challenge
and a learning
experience. The
bottom line is that
leadership involves
some work. One of
our Scouts' first
learning experiences
is that leadership
is not about being
the boss and not
about issuing
commands. The
Scouts who are in
leadership positions
will soon realize
that they cannot
depend upon
authority - the
parent model - but
have instead to
elicit the voluntary
cooperation of their
peers. As the
Scouts progress,
they become skilled
at getting the
results, both
through their own
efforts and through
the cooperation of
others. Do you know
why Eagle Scouts
have such a
reputation for
having their act
together? It is
because after four
or five years of
Scouting they do!
They are recognized
for their ability to
get things done!
Parents
The job of the
parents is to create
the opportunity, to
provide the
environment and to
guide the kids
through the learning
process. Sometimes
the most difficult
job of new (and
sometimes current)
parents is to keep
their own teeth
together. That's
right; allow
mistakes to be made
and use them as a
learning
opportunity, not a
criticism
opportunity. You
leave your parental
role behind when you
join a Scout meeting
or outing and you
become either an
"Adult Leader" or a
silent observer. If
we Adult Outing
Leaders rescue a
patrol that showed
up to a campout
unprepared to cook
we are simply
reinforcing the idea
that Scouts do not
have to think, or
plan ahead, and the
Law of Natural
Consequences is not
in effect. As yet,
we have not had a
single case of fatal
starvation due to
missed or burnt
meals on a weekend
outing in our
Troop. We know of
no Scout who has
ever drowned (a
little wet, yes)
during a downpour
because his tent was
crooked or fell
down. Adult Outing
Leaders and guests
are not in the
business of cooking
for or feeding
Scouts! We are not
in the business of
pitching tents for
Scouts or standing
around and telling
them how to do it.
(You can do that
with your "kids" but
not with your
"Scouts") Most all
of those questions
and requests for
assistance are
referred back to the
patrol. Whining is
frowned upon if not
ignored, and it is
up to the Scout and
the Patrol to solve
"maintenance"
issues. The problem
that a Scout "has
nothing to do"
translates to
"entertain me", is
not a concern for
our Adult Outing
Leaders. On the
other hand, if the
Adult Leaders
observe that a Scout
is asking his fellow
Scouts for help and
is being ignored,
then it is entirely
appropriate for the
Adult Leader (not
the adult guest) to
"remind" the Troop
or Patrol leadership
to support the
individual members
of the team. Scouts
who hang around the
adult area on
camp-outs are
encouraged to go
somewhere else! For
the adults who
succumb to the
bleats and
supplications of
bored, hungry, or
lonely, children
will find themselves
coached by the other
Adult Leaders.
Similarly, adults
who revert too often
to the
instruct-and-command
mode that most of us
use at home to get
the garbage taken
out will be peer
counseled. The
Scouting Trail is
not always easy on
the Scouts or the
Adult Leaders who
choose to take it.
It was never
intended to be.
Having said all of
that, we depend upon
our adult members to
support and provide
logistics for our
organization. A
number of job slots
have to be filled by
adult volunteers in
order to produce the
Scouting program.
Every adult member
is expected to make
his or herself
available to help
and to provide
leadership. Please
don't feel put-upon
if you are asked to
help, and please do
not expect sympathy
for the fact that
you are too busy.
Boy Led
Every Boy Scout
Troop is supposed to
run by "Boy Led.”
Just what does that
mean? The boys call
the shots? The kids
tell the parents
what to do, what not
to do, and how much
to spend when? Not
really! The term
“Boy Led” has many
interpretations
depending whom you
are talking to, but
for our Troop it
means that the
Scouts shoulder as
much responsibility
for the program as
they can whether he
is a Tenderfoot or
an Eagle Scout.
Younger Scouts have
more to learn about
“how to” things, and
older Scouts have
more the
responsibilities of
“helping the younger
Scouts.” The
adults’ role is to
support, advise,
counsel, coach and
importantly to
remain vigilant with
respect to safety
issues at all
times. The goal,
remember, is to
offer the hands-on
experience of
leadership.
Sometimes leaders
fail. Most leaders
get used to that
fact early on and
learn:
a)
To take
responsibility for a
mistake,
b)
That leaders do not
fear failure,
c)
And look at Scouting
as a practical
leadership
laboratory that we
can all learn from.
Scoutmasters
Our Troop has a
Scoutmaster and a
few Assistant
Scoutmasters. Our
troop also solicits
parents to become
Merit Badge
Counselors. You
need to be familiar
with these job
opportunities!
These volunteers
work with the Scouts
on a regular basis
to encourage
progress on the
Scouting Trail, and
to interact with the
boys as teachers of
leadership skills.
The Scoutmaster is
not the leader, not
the department head,
not the boss. His
job description is
not to be a leader
of boys but to
"Train Boy
Leaders.” The job
of the Scoutmaster
and Assistant
Scoutmaster is most
demanding and
difficult. These
selfless people have
a direct impact on
the future of each
boy who participates
in Scouting and they
commit time and
energy far beyond
the normal call of
parent duty. Even
though they know
that you appreciate
what they are doing
for the kids in our
community it never
hurts to say "Thank
You."
Chaos
What you see at the
Troop Meeting or
Outing is not
chaos. It is more
like nuclear
fusion! Kids who
are "calm" are
either sick or
asleep! If you
visit a Troop that
seems to be "under
control" then that
is exactly what is
happening - plenty
of adult control.
The sense of chaos
and high energy
takes a bit of
getting used to for
most of us, but the
exuberance and the
noise are the result
of kids having a
good time with each
other. That's what
we want. We have to
be a little tolerant
in our watchfulness
and not be tempted
to suppress,
micromanage, or
over-manage the guys
as long as they
respect each other
and their
surroundings, if not
our ears! The
bottom line is the
group energy has a
predictable curve
and eventually they
run out of steam.
They even sleep
sometimes.
You read the part
about tolerance and
chaos, but there is
a limit to what we
will tolerate with
regard to foul
language, hazing,
rough horseplay,
dangerous or unsafe
activities or any
form or disrespect.
Part of the Adult
Leader's job is to
manage discipline.
In our Troop we do
not delegate
discipline to boys
and we do not punish
other peoples' boys.
Our discipline job
is limited to:
-
Stopping bad
behavior,
-
Coaching and
counseling
-
Referring the
problem to the boys'
parents.
Every adult Leader
or Guest present at
any Scout meeting or
Outing is expected
to observe and stop
inappropriate
behavior at the
moment it occurs.
Do not look the
other way!
Intervene and stop
it first, talk about
it later. Error to
the side of safety
and respect. If
there is a
difficulty that
exceeds our Adult
Leaders' ability to
affect the necessary
change or if the
behavior is serious
in some way, then we
get the parents
involved. That is
the ultimate
fallback position.
If we are on an
outing and a problem
arises that needs to
be referred to a
boy's parent then it
is the
responsibility of
the Outing Leader to
decide what will
happen. The Outing
Leader may require
that the boy have a
telephone
conversation with
his parents, or the
Outing Leader may
require that the
parent come pick up
the boy. It is The
Outing Leader's
decision. That is
our guideline. The
Troop or individual
Outing Leader may
also require the
presence of any
boy's parent as a
precondition of
participation. This
same holds true for
Troop meetings. We
can't ask our Adult
Leaders to put
themselves between a
boy and his parent(s)
where behavior is
concerned, and it is
no fun to have to
deal with a serious
behavior situation.
So that is our
pressure valve and
hopefully our Adult
Outing Leaders have
such a good time
they will be willing
to lead again. By
the way, it is not
the end of the world
to have to come pick
up your kid and most
kids are able to
learn from their
mistakes.
Democracy
The Troop has a
Committee composed
of any adult members
who wish to
contribute and
participate. The
adults decide who
will assume the
various positions
and the Committee
Chairman runs the
meetings. The
Committee sets the
policy of the Troop
and the members of
the Troop including
the Scoutmaster and
Assistant
Scoutmasters must
follow those
policies. The
Committee also makes
all financial
decisions. The
ultimate authority
in our Troop is
vested in our
Committee. Every
parent of a Troop 38
Scout is encouraged
to attend Committee
meetings that happen
on the third Tuesday
of each month at
7:00 PM at Parkway
United Methodist
Church.
Meeting Information
Our troop meeting is
held at Parkway
United Methodist
Church from 6:30 to
8:00 PM.
Committee Meetings
are held at Parkway
United Methodist
Church third Tuesday
of the month at 7:00
PM. Parents are
always welcome at
the Committee
meetings. For more
information contact
our Committee
Chairman.
Troop Web Site
We invite all
members of Troop 38
to contribute
articles and
pictures to this
site. Articles,
stories, and
information of any
kind are accepted in
hardcopy or on-line
format. Pictures can
be hardcopy for
scanning or digital.
Each Patrol is
encouraged to create
a patrol web page.
Technical assistance
is available.
Contact Information
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