Leading and Learning

Scouting has so many opportunities for adults. You can be as involved as you want to. It’s not necessary, but highly encouraged. It’s a weird thing when I’m looked to as an expert. I’m by no means the expert. I’m simply experienced, or at least I think I am. Then I meet others who are WAY more experienced than I am.

That’s ok. I don’t have to be the smartest person in the room. I don’t want to be either. This coming weekend we have another training session for Cub Scout adults. (I have led a few courses in the past, and now I’ve completely passed the torch to someone else.) As Course Director, my first course only had 8 participants. There were more staff than that, and it was definitely a learning experience on all sides. How to promote a course, run a course, and all of the little details along the way. Fast forward to my last course and we had over 40 participants. Definitely a shift, but the details and the teachings were still the same. Needless to say, the larger course brought it’s own challenges, but the basics I knew.

That last course was definitely the largest group I have organized so far. he little things. (I organize the Pack, but that’s easier because it’s kids. I relate to kids a little easier than I do adults sometimes) Having all those adults looking at me guidance, judging me - at least I think they are - on how I manage things, Answering questions, making sure all of the supplies are together, realizing at the last minute I don’t have everything and making it work. Even with all of that, I’m glad I did it. I’m still not as confident as I could be, but as I lead more, I will become more confident.

Scouting has given me this opportunity. To sit with my peers, share my experiences, and learn about theirs. As it was said over the weekend “We are all here because we have the same heart.” That’s it. Couldn’t say it better. All we (the leaders) do in Scouting is for the youth. Whether it’s little kids or teenagers, boys or girls, we do it for them. We give them the tools they will need later in life - both personally and professionally. At the end of the day, whether they make it to Eagle Scout or not, the goal is for them to:

• make new friends,

• learn a lot of skills (camping, first aid, finances, citizenship, etc)

• get to know themselves

• communicate and listen effectively

• make sure that everyone is heard and their voices counted

• train them, trust them, let them lead.

That’s just a partial list. Really it’s just the tip of the iceberg. So yeah, if you are ever asked, there is A LOT to Scouting. Not to mention all the cool camping trips we go on.

“I have never forgotten my days as an Eagle Scout. I didn’t know it at the time, but what really came out of my Scouting was learning how to lead and serve the community. It has come in handy in my career in government.”

— Lloyd Bentsen

If you have any questions about Scouts, just ask.

When Opportunity Knocks

Sometimes opportunities come when you least expect them. Sometimes they come from where you least expect them. Whatever the source, whenever or however they come, you have to be ready. Ready to accept them, accept the challenge and be ready to possibly get out of your comfort zone. No one ever made it farther in life without embracing opportunities. Sure they might be scary, but it’s worth it if you’re strong enough.

That’s how we moved to Texas almost 7 years ago. There was an opportunity and we took it:

• YES it was out of our comfort zone.

• YES it meant getting into new career fields.

• YES it meant leaving things behind for the unknown.

• YES it meant being open to the possibilities of what was next.

BUT with all of that, we did it. Two small children, two dogs and a full moving truck later, we made it. All jokes aside, I think it has been really good for me. I have grown a lot in the last 7 years both personally and professionally. I can say that because now I am in a profession that has a lot of growth potential. I am no longer aimless in jobs that won’t go anywhere productive long term.

So a move to Texas was the opportunity I needed to jumpstart my non-existent career. Was it the opportunity I needed in other parts of my life? Only time will tell. There are things that I have done here that I would think I would have still done if I was in KC. Obviously though, besides the career, the biggest opportunity has been the friendships and relationships I have made along the way. Now my personal network is bigger and broader than ever.

“Too often, the opportunity knocks, but by the time you push back the chain, push back the bolt, unhook the two locks and shut off the burglar alarm, it’s too late.” — Rita Coolidge

What is Wood Badge?

So the other day I posted about LEGACY. I mentioned that the word has been on my mind lately since I came back from Philmont Leadership Challenge (PLC). I will tell you more about that but first I have to mention the precursor to PLC: Wood Badge. What is Wood Badge? It’s so many things wrapped together in a straight forward, easy to digest way. There is nothing that you can’t get from reading a few books. HA. If you know anything about Wood Badge, I bet you smiled at that statement.

Wood Badge is so many things it’s difficult to explain. I might as well try. Wood Badge is corporate level leadership training through the guise of Scouting. It not only addresses challenges in Scouting, but in life as well. It teaches you about yourself, how to communicate with others, how to motivate others and how to delegate, for starters.

WOOD BADGE TEACHINGS: (just to name a few)

• Drive, Vision, Mission and Values

• Know Yourself

• Communicate Effectively

• Manage Conversations

• Coach and Mentor

• Inspire the Heart

See, just those topics alone: aren’t those worthwhile skills for everyone? Knowing your Drive, Vision, Mission and Values. Sound familiar? Knowing Yourself. Isn’t that a good skill for everyone? Communicate Effectively. Tell me that couldn’t be usefull in whatever position you hold. See, those things are just the tip of the iceberg. I can’t explain it all, you just have to do it. It’s worth the price of admission, and then some, but only if you’re strong enough and ready for it.

“Invest in yourself. You get OUT what you put IN.” — Emily Ley

That quote couldn’t be more true. If you go into Wood Badge with an open mind, you will get so much more out of it. I went because a few people told me I should. (One of those legacy people. One that I can’t say no to, who has shaped my life in so many ways. One of those people that everything I do in Scouting now has her hands all over it.) I really had no idea what I was getting into. An extra few nights camping? I’m in.

Really though, one of the few experiences I’ve had that I can say is life changing. How I interact with people, how I see things, all changed because of not only this class, but the people as well. It’s hard to make friends when you become an adult, but Scouting helps makes that a little easier.

Do yourself a favor. If you are in Scouts, sign up for Wood Badge. If you aren’t in Scouts, sign up for someething similar. You, and those you interact with, will be glad you did.

Legacy

Some time ago I was on a Scouting Leadership trip (PLC) and we were discussing the term of legacy, among other things. I went into the week not really knowing much about what we were going to be doing. The agenda of the week was purposely kept a secret. Not in a bad way, but just to make sure that we went in with an open mind. That I did. I went in thinking one thing, and came out thinking an entirely different thing (or two).

LEGACY is defined by Merriam-Webster as: something transmitted by or received from an ancestor or predecessor or from the past.

That definintion has new meaning to me now. While at PLC I realized what legacy really is. It means that we ALL have been helped by someone along the way. Whether it’s a parent, a coach, a mentor, a teacher, etc. As the Beatles once said: “Oh, I get by with a little help from my friends”. (With a Little Help from My Friends) None of us have gotten where we are without a little help from our friends. In some cases, it has been a lot of help. That’s ok.

Being at Philmont, away from my friends (making new ones along the way) it hit me. I have been helped along the way, particularly in my Scouting journey. There have been people who have really influnced the path I have taken. Some of them are still influencing my decisions today. I have a hard time saying no when they “suggest” that I should do something. They know who they are and they know how important they are to me. There are also people who have come into my life, who are no longer here. It’s those people that I really started thinking about at PLC. Some of them, never got the chance to do things that I have done. Yeah, realizing that hit me hard. It came crashing down on me like a ton of bricks. I broke down in front of complete strangers. I’d known them for a few days and we had bonded a bit, but trust me, they were strangers and it was weird to be that vulnerable. That’s why they say PLC is “changing lives”.

My legacy is building on the legacy of those who helped me. My legacy is not what I can teach others and pass on to them. It’s what we can teach them. It’s what we can pass along? It’s our collective experiences that will shape and mold the next generation. We can only do our best to teach them that everyone is connected: the past, the present and the future. Everything we do, particularly in Scouting but in life as well, is for us, them, and everyone.

"The power of youth is the common wealth for the entire world. The faces of young people are the faces of our past, our present and our future. No segment in the society can match with the power, idealism, enthusiasm and courage of the young people.” — Kailash Satyarthi