Scout Joke of the Week

10 Reasons Not to be an Eagle Scout:

10. Scout uniform is not a "babe magnet."
9. Outdoor latrines have no walls.
8. Miss the chance to see every facet of Murphy's law in action on a single campout.
7. Avoid flack from your friends for missing whatever goes on during the weekend of your campout.
6. Never get to sleep three guys in the same wet sleeping bag.
5. Miss the opportunity to spend two months of each summer in your teen years applying every antibiotic cream,
lotion and spray offered by the medical world on boils, infections, rashes and poison ivy.
4. Avoid continual advice about leadership from Scoutmasters.
3. You won't have to make a 7 a.m. campout departure the night after prom.
2. Have more time to run with your gang.
1. You'll be like the other 98 percent of Scout

-author unknown

Yours in Scouting Service
Mark W
Junior Assistant Scoutmaster
Troop 1616
Great Alaska COuncil
Eagle Scout OA Brotherhood Member
NSJ '05 WSJ '07 Philmont AA '08

Four Styles of Leadership- Part A

Since lately I have been trying to focus on leadership theroy and its application I figured it woul be appropriate to definite the four main styles of leadership which include the telling style, the coaching style, The persauding style, and the delegating style. In this post I will define the style, then give a example of it being used well, and then finally give a example of the style being used poorly.

Style 1: The Telling Style of Leadership

Definition: The telling style of leadership is used when a person needs to communicate immediately or in a emergency and also when their is a need to give specific instructions when a person is first learning the skill. This style is defined as one-way communication from one person to another and usually involves little discussion.

Used Well: I need you and Jim to go to the comissary to pick up food at exactly 4:30 pm in order to pick up our food for dinner, remember to bring the milk cart wagon with you to haul the food.

Used Poorly: Okay everybody get to the flag gathering area on the double, and I mean everybody. I will tell you way we have to hurry to get there after we get their.

Style 2: The Coaching Style of Leadership

Definition: This style of leadership involves two way communication and is communication that should promote the asking of questions and sharing observations. The leader should offer support, encouragement, instruction, and praise.

Used Well: Joe to tie a square you hold one end of a rope in each hand like this. Pass the right and under the rope in your left hand, and pull it snug. Next pass the rope in your left hand over and under the one now in your right hand and pull it snug. Got it? Now you give it a try.

Used poorly: You want to know how to setup that tent? Come on everybody knows how to setup that it, it is as easy as tying your shoes and we have only practiced it a million times.

Yours in Scouting Service
Mark W
Junior Assistant Scoutmaster
Troop 1616
Great Alaska COuncil
Eagle Scout OA Brotherhood Member
NSJ '05 WSJ '07 Philmont AA '08

Respect

Many scouts in this world think that a person can just demand respect no matter how they act and they will get it. Respect cannot be demanded of a person it must be earned by developing a relationship with the person under you that is trusting and is a two way street. What I mean by two way street is that the leader must respect the subordinate and the subordinate must be willing to respect the leader. Demanding respect will get a person nowhere in life and it definitely not a very effective way for getting information and ideas across to the members of the patrol.

To get respect a person should start with the following tasks:

1. Attitude: Have a positive and appropriate attitude even when their is a problem. A positive attitude can make or break the difference between pulling out of a problem and not pulling out of a problem. As soon as the leader looses their positive attitude, the group will loose their positive attitude which makes it very hard to to accomplish the assigned tasks of the group.
   
2. Behavior: Be a person that is kind and generous. Never assign a task that you would not be willing to do yourself. Being kind is necessary in order to develop a relationship that will lead a person to wanting to be helpful to you.
3. Loyalty: A Be there for you scouts. This does not mean that you have to make every meeting but you must faithfully serve your scouts in every possible manner. A leader cannot make every meeting but the leader must be willing to stay in regular contact with your group members.
4. Listen: A leader must learn to actively listen to the ideas of his superiors and his subordinates. Active listening requires a person to make eye contact and fully pay attention to that person. A leader must first learn to listen before he can learn to communicate.

Yours in Scouting Service
Mark W
Junior Assistant Scoutmaster
Troop 1616
Great Alaska COuncil
Eagle Scout OA Brotherhood Member
NSJ '05 WSJ '07 Philmont AA '08