In order to keep a Scout Troop established along the lines of the Patrol Method and being Boy-led, it is important that new Scouts in the Troop are taught about the Patrol Method and know its importance and the responsibilities it requires of each Scout.
Unfortunately, it isn’t as simple as having an “Introduction to the Patrol Method” Class every year. The truth is, maintaining a Boy-led, Patrol-Method Troop is a lot of work, and that’s why some Scoutmasters have given up trying. However, I’ve always been glad it wasn’t that easy. The Patrol System isn’t easy, but neither is Scouting, for that matter. And that’s what makes it worth doing.
A properly functioning boy-led Troop is self-sustaining. Through the constant care and attention of the Scoutmaster and the boy leaders, new Scouts who enter the Troop learn by both emulating the older Scouts and being directly taught about the Scout method by them. There are five areas of the Patrol Method that are especially important when it comes to teaching it new Scouts: Continue reading →
“In the old days the Knights were the real Scouts and their rules were very much like the Scout Law which we have now. The Knights considered their honor their most sacred possession. They would not do a dishonorable thing, such as telling a lie or stealing. They would rather die than do it. They were always ready to fight and to be killed in upholding their king, or their religion, or their honor. Each Knight had a small following of a squire and some men-at-arms, just as our Patrol Leader has his Second (or Assistant) and four or five Scouts. … You Scouts cannot do better than follow the example of the Knights.”
So said Robert Baden-Powell in the book that started the Scouting Movement, Scouting for Boys.In this book the Knights are held up as the ideal of Chivalry that Scouts should strive for. Chivalry was given very high importance by the founder of the Scouting Movement. In essence, Baden-Powell said that us Scouts should be modern-day Knights.
But that was one hundred years ago. These days, not only are many declaring that Chivalry is dead, histories are being written that many times portray the Knights in a much darker light than that in which our forefathers saw them. If you read some ‘histories’, you would think that Knights were in reality nothing but robbers and bullies. And you will hear that the chivalrous attitude of our forefathers was ‘unenlightened’ and degrading to women.
So where does that leave us Scouts now? Are we leftovers from the evolution of society who are destined to be eventually forgotten? Or should we continue to adapt with the times and call chivalry a thing of the past? I profoundly disagree. I believe that chivalry isn’t just a part of the history of Scouting, I believe that chivalry is integral to the ideal of Scouting and is, in fact, a Scout Keystone. What does this look like? Continue reading →
Here is yet another excellent quote from John Thurman, who was an influential British Scouter. I am just blown away by this quote as John Thurman is able to put in one paragraph what I’ve been trying to put into words for years. Sometimes simpler is better.
This is what Scouting is all about. We are Scouts; we are Pioneers; we are Explorers. Sure, lashing together small bridges and practicing First Aid doesn’t seem like much, but all great journeys start by taking the first step. As Scouts, we are committed to taking that first step when oftentimes no one else is willing to risk the commitment.
Yet sometimes we forget. Sometimes we don’t remember the big picture of why we do what we do. Sometimes, when we recite the words of the Scout Oath, they are only words.
No more! Let’s Rediscover Scouting for what it has always stood for! Take this quote from John Thurman and read it aloud at your next Troop Meeting. Post it on Facebook, Tweet it to your friends, share it with every Scout you know. Sometimes, it’s up to us to make sure that True Scouting isn’t forgotten. Sometimes, Scouting needs to be Rediscovered!
In 1985, a TV show was aired which was not only unique, but eventually became very popular. The title character of this series, MacGyver, was more-or-less a secret agent. However, instead of using all kinds of cool gadgets like the famous fictional spy James Bond, MacGyver used his wits to solve all kinds of complex problems and help people out with everyday materials that were on hand.
Ever since I discovered the series, I’ve been a big fan. More recently, as I dug deeper into the principles and ideals of the Scouting movement, I discovered that the spirit MacGyver embodied, Ingenuity, was the same spirit that can be found all throughout the history and literature of the Scouting Movement. So important has Ingenuity been held in Scouting, that I have come to esteem this as one of the Keystones of the character of a Scout. “What is Ingenuity?” “What does this look like in Scouting?” These are the questions I am going to answer in this post as I continue the series, Keystones of a Scout: The 10 Virtues that Make a Scout, which I introduced: here. Previously in this series, I talked about Endurance, Self-Discipline, Exploration, Observation, Initiative, and Deduction. Each of these are traits or virtues that I have shown to have been with Scouting from the beginning, and each of these traits are necessary for a Scout to do what he should do and to carry out his Oath that he swore as a Scout.
Scouts find inventive ways to overcome obstacles others would be stopped by.
What is Ingenuity?
Ingenuity is resourcefulness. It is the ability to invent a solution to a problem on the spot. It is the ability to think outside the box and use whatever you have on hand to solve a problem. In short, Ingenuity is the way obstacles are met with and overcome. These could be any obstacles, any time in life. The spirit of Ingenuity can shine in a life-or-death survival situation as MacGyver portrayed; it can shine in simple matters you deal with in everyday life; and it can shine in stuff like leadership, organization, and interpersonal disagreements.
Anywhere there are difficulties to be overcome in life, Ingenuity can be used. How does this work? Well, in most difficulties there is a common, accepted way of dealing with it. Often times this is the best way. On the other hand, each situation is different, and things often can’t be handled “according to plan”. Oftentimes the most obvious solution to the problem cannot be implemented because of a lack of time, resources, etc.
In addition to the most obvious and common way to solve a problem, there are innumerable other ways to approach it. Many of them may not work at all; others may only be temporary; and some may be just as good or better than the most common way. This is where Ingenuity comes into play. Ingenuity takes a step back, observes the problem from a “10,000 foot view”, and looks at all the options. A lot of times the best solution, if not the only solution, may not be the most obvious one. Ingenuity finds the best solution
with the resources at hand, however unusual it might be, and sets about to implement it.
MacGyver is cool, but what’s that got to do with Scouting?
Aside from the fact that the character of Macgyver actually was a Boy Scout (see episode 4), the Ingenuity that MacGyver shows is very much inline with the principles behind Scouting. The fact is, because of who Scouts are, they must exercise Ingenuity.
Scouting doesn’t happen in a laboratory. The realm of Scouts is in the real world, and in the real world, things rarely go according to plan. This is especially true for Scouts because they don’t confine themselves to ‘Civilization’, they go out and do things that haven’t been done before; they explore the frontiers of what is possible. Scouts hold themselves to a higher standard and show the rest of the world what can be done.
With such a mission as this, Scouts are always doing hard and unusual things, whether it be camping and exploring in the back-country, saving lives, or doing great community service. Sometimes there are no ‘common’ solutions to the problems Scouts run into, and this is where Scouts must exercise Ingenuity.
There is one field in Scout training that requires a lot of Ingenuity and is particularly useful in training one’s Ingenuity. This is the field of Pioneering, that is, the construction of useful structures out of rope and poles. John Thurman, an influential British Scouter, put a lot of emphasis on pioneering and the role of Ingenuity in it. Here are some quotes on the subject from a few of books on pioneering:
Pioneering requires constant practice in Ingenuity. The limit is your imagination!
“I was showing a Managing Director of a large civil engineering firm round Gilwell [a Scout Camp] when a Wood Badge Course was pioneering near the Bomb Hole. He displayed very great interest in the Pioneering and looked closely at all that was happening. From our point of view there was nothing unusual going on; this was a usual routine exercise with two or three bridges being built, a couple of towers, and a raft. As we walked away my civil engineering friend said, ‘I am delighted that the Scout Movement is still doing this: it is tremendously important. Despite the fact that modern machinery and equipment is magnificent there often comes a time when a man has to use ingenuity and improvise in order to move the job forward and the engineer who has the spirit that your kind of training produces is the man we want in our business.'”
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“A great many valuable commercial discoveries have emanated from the thought of how to use something for a purpose for which it was not intended. Something is invented for one purpose and then ingenuity finds a different use for it.”
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“In Scouting we have always prided ourselves on our ability to improvise, but improvising does not mean doing without. It is much more attractive to think of improvisation as putting something (in this case, junk) to an unexpected use, a use its original designers had no conception of. Again to the cynic. I would say that somewhere along this road we are pointing in the direction of new discoveries. A great deal of mechanical ingenuity has been achieved by what I would call “stepping out of line”; deliberately trying to be original and using an article, a substance, or a material for a use for which it was never intended.”
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“One of the great joys of Scouting is improvisation, so that what this question really means is “What do we need?” for the first part, and “What have we got?” for the second part, which brings us back to the first part “What do we still need?” and there you may have to improvise, you may have to borrow, you may have to alter, or join up because you are short of a block or are minus the right length of rope. A little determination, a lot of imagination, and a great deal of ingenuity will overcome most shortages.”
Conclusion
So, in summary, Ingenuity is the ability to invent a solution to a problem on the spot. It is the ability to think outside the box and use whatever you have on hand to solve a problem. Anywhere in life that difficulties are met with, Ingenuity can be exercised. Sometimes the obvious solution will not be the best one. Sometimes there will be no obvious solution.
If the Scout is not prepared to meet and overcome difficulties with Ingenuity, then he cannot lead the way and take initiative in life as Scouts are supposed to do. In short, he cannot properly fulfill the oath he took as a Scout. Like many other things, Ingenuity isn’t a trophy that can be won, it is a skill that needs to be practice and exercised throughout your life.
Scouts can practice Ingenuity in all areas of their lives, but Pioneering is a particularly helpful exercise in developing this.
Thanks for reading this post! Do you have any comments, thoughts, or questions? I’d love to hear them! Do you have any cool stories of times you invented an unorthodox solution to a problem? Please share it!
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Thanks again! Scout on, my friends!
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“I think if you try hard enough and make the best of a situation, the situation won’t get the best of you.” – MacGyver
Though MacGyver is a completely fictional character and most of what he does is impractical, it think the show is really fun to watch and has been an inspiration to me to improve my Ingenuity. To end this post, I thought you’d appreciate a couple of short clips from the series.
Today’s edition of The Scout’s Scrapbook is a quotation from John Thurman on the relationship between the Patrol and the Troop:
The picture that John Thurman gives here is quite different from the one that I have seen in many Troops. He paints the Patrols as small, almost independent units. Scouting, he says, is not Troop centered, but Patrol centered. This doesn’t mean that the Troop isn’t important, far from it! But nevertheless, this is a different paradigm than many of us may be used to. Continue reading →
One of the very first times, if not the first time that the Japanese Square lashing appeared in print was in John Thurman’s Pioneering Principles in 1962. John Thurman was an influential British Scouter who discovered the lashing while on a tour of Japan, hence the name.
This lashing deserves rediscovering! It can shave minutes of time off your normal square lashing tying time. It is easy to to tie, easy to learn, and very secure. In fact, although I still practice and use the traditional square lashing, I have found myself using the Japanese square lashing more and more in place of it.
This is just a fantastic and robust lashing, and I am excited to share it with you today. The pictures and instructions come out of John Thurman’s book.
In order to follow the directions and learn this lashing, you will need to know how to tie the traditional square lashing first and know what the terms ‘wrapping’, ‘frapping’, and etc. mean. So, without further ado, the Japanese Square Lashing! Continue reading →
“To meet their spirit of adventure I held up for their ideal the doings of backwoodsmen and knights, adventurers and explorers, as the heroes for them to follow.” ~ Baden-Powell
I have particularly enjoyed doing the research for this third installment of the Keystones of a Scout series: Exploration.
“Very few fellows learn these things when they are living in civilized places, because they have comfortable houses, and soft beds to sleep in. Their food is prepared for them, and when they want to know the way, they just ask a policeman.
Well, when those fellows try to go scouting or exploring, they find themselves quite helpless. Take even your sports “hero” and put him down in the wilderness, alongside a fellow trained in camping, and see which can look after himself. High batting averages are not much good to him there. He is only a “tenderfoot”.” ~ Baden-Powell
You don’t need to dig far into the history of Scouting to see how much pioneers, adventurers, and explorers have influenced the Scouting movement. This is perhaps the real reason that most of us joined the Scouting movement, is it not? Scouting promised us adventure. Scouting promised us camping trips, canoe trips, hiking, rafting. Scouting promised us the exploration of the wilderness. Continue reading →
Today’s edition of The Scout’s Scrapbook comes from The Patrol Leaders’ Handbook by John Thurman, a very influential British Scout Leader:
I know that myself and many others habitually take Scouting as a movement and institution for granted. It was there before we were born, and we assume it will just continue on strong after we are gone. But after digging into Scouting a little deeper and reading from its past, I’ve come to know that this is not true. The truth is, Scouting as we know it could completely disappear in 7 years: one generation of Scouts.
Throughout the last 100 years, Scouting has been responsible for an inestimable amount of good in America. Generations after generations of leaders have been trained through Scouting. Scouts have accomplish an uncountable number of community service hours. Through wars and through peace times Scouts have supported their nation and did all in their power to help it continue strong.
How did Scouting last for so long? How did it continue generation after generation? The culture in America has changed drastically since 1910, how is it that Scouts still pledge themselves to the same Oath that they did one hundred years ago? The answer is simple: the Scouts themselves have passed on the Spirit of Scouting to those who came after them. From the Patrol Leader welcoming the new Tenderfoot into the Troop to the Scoutmaster who teaches the Scouts in his Troop what he learned as a Scout, the torch of Scouting has been passed along one Scout at a time.
This is why I say that Scouting could disappear in 7 years. All it takes is one generation of Scouts who fail to pass on what they’ve learned to wipe away all that Scouting has stood for since its founding. I believe that this is what John Thurman was trying to communicate in this quote. And that is why I believe we should never forget this or take Scouting for granted.
Let’s not be that generation! Every Scout, every Scouter, makes a difference, a huge difference. If you value what Scouting is, you will pass on what you have learned so that the next generation will value it as well. It is only through this way that Scouting survived in the past, and it is only through this way that Scouting will live on in the future!
Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed this edition of The Scout’s Scrapbook and that it gave you something to think about. If you have any questions or comments, I’d love to hear them! If you like this post, please pass it along!
In today’s edition of the Scout’s Scrapbook, John Thurman, a distinguished historical British Scouter, gives what I believe is the best advice ever given to a Patrol Leader:
There is something very important that we can learn from this quote. This advice is applicable for not only Patrol Leaders, but also for anyone in a position with leadership and responsibility.
To start off, John Thurman points out a saying that had just started coming into widespread use when he wrote this, and is still heard much today. He believed this saying illustrated a very dangerous attitude that makes Patrol Leaders unworthy to hold their position if they say it and mean it. The saying is: “I couldn’t care less”, why is this such a big deal? Well, it is impossible to be a good leader unless one has himself personally invested in the group that he is leading.
What do I mean by “personally invested”? Well, when people ask me for advice on how to be a good leader, I tell them that the absolutely most important thing is for them to truly care about those who are following them. They’ve got to want what’s best for their group so bad that they can taste it! All other little aspects of leadership; such as motivation, communication, and etc.; will fall into place if the leader cares about his group this much.
I see a lot of young men that I believe could be excellent and effective leaders… if only they would care about it. If one cares about his group so much that he tries to do everything that he can to help them be better, even if it costs him much, then that person is truly a leader.
If you’re disappointed with how the group you are involved with is doing, and how they are responding to your leadership, the first thing you need to do is examine yourself and your attitude. Being a good leader will take everything that you’ve got, that is why good leaders are so scarce. You’ve got to have genuine passion; when that happens, everything else will start to click into place.
So far, I’ve never heard anything that says this better or more succinctly than John Thurman’s quote, and that is why I have included it in today’s Scout Scrapbook. If you take this advice to heart and put it into practice, than you will go places you’ve never dreamed of!
Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed this edition of The Scout’s Scrapbook. If you have any questions or comments, I’d love to hear them!
Today I’m going to start a new series of blog posts that I will continue on and off. This series is called the Scout’s Scrapbook, and it will contain little snapshots of great quotes and/or photos from Scouting’s past. These will either be informative, inspiring, or just plain awesome!
Feel free to leave any comments/suggestions in the comment box below. If you have some quotes/pictures that you would like to suggest for the Scout’s Scrapbook, please let me know.
Scouting Rediscovered 