Aims and Methods of Scouting
Mission Statement of the Boy Scouts of America:
“To Prepare young people to make ethical choices over their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Law”
Aims & Methods:
Boy Scouting works towards three aims. One is growth in moral strength and character. He may define this as what the boy is himself; his personal qualities, his values, his outlook. A second is participating citizenship. Used broadly, citizenship means the boy’s relationship to others. He comes to learn obligations to other people, to the society he lives in, and to the government that presides over that society. A third aim of Boy Scouting is development of physical, mental and emotional fitness. Fitness includes the body (well tuned and healthy), the mind (able to think and solve problems), and the emotions(self-control, courage, and self respect).
*Growth in moral strength and character
*Development in physical, mental, and emotional fitness
The methods are designed to accomplish these aims. Thus it is important that you know and use the methods of Boy scouting. Other methods are good, but may bring different results--results quite different than we are seeking.
*Ideals - Oath - Law - Motto - Slogan
*Patrols - Peer groups - activities
*Outdoors - All outdoor programs
*Adult Association - Image - role model – example
*Personal Growth - Good Turn - service projects - religious emblems
*Leadership Development - Leadership skills and practice - citizenship
*Uniform - Commitment to aims – identity
*Advancement - Self-reliance-ability to help others-challenge
Ideals: The Ideals of Scouting are spelled out in the Scout Oath, Law, motto, and slogan. The Scout measures himself against these ideals and continually tries to improve. The goals are high, and as he reaches for them he has some control over what he becomes.
Patrols: The patrol method gives Scouts an experience in group living and participating citizenship. It places a certain amount of responsibility on young shoulders and teaches boys how to accept it. The patrol method allows Scouts to act in small groups where they can easily relate to each other. The “patrol method” teaches Scouts to achieve goals through teamwork while teaching scout skills. The Patrol Leader assigns and rotates jobs such as grubmaster, quartermaster, and fireman for each outing. Scouts experience group living and participating citizenship – care and responsibility for each other, and sharing the workload. This places a certain amount of responsibility on young shoulders and teaches boys how to accept it. The patrol method allows Scouts to act in small groups where they can easily relate to each other and quickly develop pride in their patrol – a competitive scout spirit. Patrols determine troop activities through their Patrol Leader interacting with the SPL and other Patrol Leaders.
Outdoors: Boy Scouting is designed to take place outdoors. It is in the outdoors that Scouts share responsibilities and learn to live with each other. It is here that the skills and activities practiced at troop meetings come alive with purpose. Being close to nature helps Scouts gain an appreciation for God’s handiwork and mankind’s place in it. The outdoors is the laboratory for Scout’s to learn ecology and practice conservation of nature’s resources.
Adult Association: Boys learn from the examples set a variety of adult leaders. Troop leadership may be male or female, and association with adults of high character, different backgrounds and leadership styles is encouraged at this stage of a young man’s development.
Personal Growth: As Scouts plan their activities, and progress towards their goals, they experience personal growth. The Good Turn concept is a major part of the personal growth method of Scouting. Boys grow as they participate in community service projects and do Good Turns for others. There probably is no device so successful in developing a basis for personal growth as the daily Good Turn. The religious emblems program is also a large part of the personal growth method. Frequent conferences with his Scoutmaster help each Scout to determine his growth towards Scouting’s Aims.
Leadership Development: Boy Scouting encourages boys to learn and practice leadership skills. Every Scout has the opportunity to participate in both shared and total leadership situations. Understanding the concepts of leadership helps a boy accept the leadership roles of others and guides him towards the citizenship of Scouting. Boy Scouting teaches leadership skills and encourages scouts to practice and develop those skills. Every Scout has the opportunity to participate in both shared and total leadership situations. Understanding the concepts of leadership helps a boy accept the leadership roles of others and guides him towards the citizenship of Scouting.