Here are some tips from Scouters to help you out:
Working With Parents and Other Adults
- Encourage parents to be leaders, not parents. — Ramsay Ellis
- Once you are trained and feel comfortable, find and train the next person. Then you always have a backup. — Adam Wehrman
- You can’t be a lone ranger. Your effectiveness will suffer, as will your program. — George Nolley
- Always find a job (however small) for parents who offer to help for the first time. — Lisa Rampage Joerin
Working With Scouts
- If the Scouts aren’t listening, be calm enough to put your Scout sign up and wait — for as long as it takes. They will catch on fast, and putting up a Scout sign will become magical! — Shelly Joyce
- Give the Scouts a chance to taste success. They will find out it suits them. — Ray Ferguson
- Stand back and let the Scouts do it. Just don’t let them set each other on fire! — Keith Hastedt
- Before your Scouts care how much you know, they must know how much you care. — Mark Walters
Measuring Success
- Patches, pins and medals are great, but I measure our success by the size of a Scout’s smile. — Steve Williams
- Always do what’s in the best interest of the Scouts. It’s not about you; it’s about them. — David St. Louis
- Just when you think you aren’t getting through, you find out you are! And there is nothing like it! — Michelle Gala
- Enjoy the times you make their eyes light up. Makes everything else worth it. — Greg Heisler
Creating a Great Program
- Your Scouts want and need to do stuff. They don’t just want you to talk to them about stuff. Learned this one the hard way. — Thomas Becker
- Always try the activity/craft yourself before trying to do it with the Scouts. Dream catchers are a lot trickier than you might think. — Beverly W. LeVine
- Always have a Plan B. And a Plan C. And a Plan D doesn’t hurt. — Michele Shelly Kierman-Karver
- In all that you do, make time for fun. — Kevin Martin
- Both work and play will build strong bonds between Scouts; encourage both and have fun! — Jeff Long
Improving Yourself
- Never stop asking questions. Take every opportunity to learn to be a leader. Don’t be afraid to go outside your own council for training. — Mickey K. Thompson
- Listen to the advice of others, but don’t be afraid to find your own path. There is no one-size-fits-all solution to Scouting. — Adam Lemcke
- Get trained. Then get a mentor. — Jay Lash
- Learn the Scout Oath and Law. Live the Scout Oath and Law. — Joe Wolsey
Miscellaneous Tips
- Maintain absolutely rigid flexibility. — Keith Bobbitt
- Your children will stay motivated if you get involved. They will get out what you put in. — Mike Shay
- Your pack is only as strong as your dens. Your troop is only as strong as your campouts/activities. — Kevin Wellborn
- Always be the leader who says, “Of course I have duct tape!” — Lyn Bair
They Said It
On Facebook, real Scouters have been talking about their Scouting experience.
“I have six girls in my pack! It’s such a nice opportunity for my single mothers and mothers with special-needs children to bring them all to one group, instead of having to try and work and support themselves and run around to various meetings all week long so that their kids can all be involved in something positive.” –Kristina McNutt
“Regardless of your beliefs, there’s a little 7-year-old girl somewhere who already has her uniform and is counting down the days. … That little girl probably knows the Scout Oath and Law, too. If you don’t think she belongs, you might want to take another look at them yourself.” –Corey Doiron
“I am the committee chair for a very successful family pack, and I have to say that the big difference I’ve seen since we became a family pack is … nothing. Nothing at all. We have eight new Cub Scouts in two dens. That’s it. We don’t treat them any differently nor do we act any differently. Perhaps that’s why we’ve been so successful.” –Dave Bussiere
“There weren’t any Life or Eagle Scouts in 1910 — just a bunch of kids and a few adults trying something new and great. Are our girls any less than those Scouts? We’re being responsible leaders and freaking out over paperwork, but the basics are covered. Scouts improvise, adapt and overcome. We got this.” –Robert Landrigan
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