ScouterStan – Covering Topics You Need to Become a Great Scout Leader

My First YouTube Video

I was looking back at my YouTube channel achievements listed by VidIQ and started to think about how it all began. I think it started with the very first video that I put together demonstrating knot tying. I remember sitting on the floor back in 2005 with a piece of black foam core and a white rope while my son held the video camera over my shoulder. I wanted to demonstrate the knots that scouts are required to know from the tires’ POV. This was part of my Wood Badge ticket to create a DVD that could be given out to scout troops in the area. I converted the VHS videotape into a digital file on my computer. Then set about editing for the next two days. By the end of the year, I had a finished DVD that I could give to scout leaders at the next roundtable. DVDs were the latest technology at the time and we’re not cheap. I did make a cheaper CD that just had the video file that could be played on the computer.

In late 2006 Google announced that it was purchasing YouTube for over a billion dollars. At the time I was working for a company that was interested in putting videos up on this service, and they wanted me to try it out. Naturally, I grabbed the only file I had ready at the time and uploaded it to the new Google YouTube service. My thought was that I would learn how to upload videos and it would end up being cheaper because scout leaders only had to log into the link to see them. I didn’t know it, but at the time it was the only knot tying video on YouTube. It took off and almost became full-blown “viral”. A new term at the time describing short videos that were extremely popular.

7 Knots Every Scout Should Know™ became synonymous with knot tires everywhere. The little video became a hit almost immediately. Unfortunately, it also became pirated many times and even republished on YouTube over 16 times losing 170,219 views. Also, the original video had to be moved to a different channel in 2013 and this sacrificed all 413,458 of its views from when it was first published. Even though it has moved and had to restart at zero views it’s now 229,773 views today. So if you add it all up today it’s 813,450 views for a small quick knot tying video. This video has been licensed and used on television shows and movies. It has also caused a resurgence in the knot tying community that no one knew anything about. Today there are hundreds of thousands of videos about knot tying on YouTube, but nothing beats the little original that’s still around. YIS⚜

The Scout Law Around the World

Scouting is a worldwide brotherhood bound by the Scout Oath/Promise and Scout Law. However, the Scout Law is worded differently in many parts of the world. There are 172 organizations of Scouting listed with the World Organization of the Scouting Movement (WOSM). In my research, it was challenging to find English-translated Scout Laws, and had to narrow the list to 47. I quickly discovered that all that I found were profoundly similar. Many of the words were comparable and the order of them varied.

In the United States, the Scout Law is recited as 12 keywords. This is special as most of the Scouts in the world recite as a text phrase or type of mantra. Baden-Powell originally intended the Scout law to be memorized as a short speech. When establishing the Boy Scouts of America Ernest Seton heavily influenced the formation of the Scout Law. Seton had established the Woodcraft Indians organization in 1902. The 12 points outlined in the Birch-Back Rolls are defined as keywords. Using Baden-Powell’s original 9 and adding 3 more (brave, clean, and reverent) we find the American 12 point Scout Law we use today.

Most of the Scout Laws throughout the world are based on the original Baden-Powell Scout Law.

“A Scouts’ honour is to be trusted. A Scout is loyal to The Queen, His Country, His Scouters, His Parents, His Employers and to those under Him. A Scouts’ duty is to be useful (helpful) and help others. A Scout is a friend to all, and a brother to every other Scout, no matter to what Country, Class or Creed the other may belong. A Scout is courteous. A Scout is a friend (kind) to animals. A Scout obeys orders of his parents, Patrol Leader, or Scout Master without question. A Scout smiles and whistles (cheerful) under all difficulties. A Scout is thrifty. A Scout is clean in thought, word and deed.” *

*The last sentence was added back in 1911.

The current day Scouts BSA, Scout Law is;

“A Scout is: Trustworthy, Loyal, Helpful, Friendly, Courteous, Kind, Obedient, Cheerful, Thrifty, Brave, Clean, and Reverent.”

The following is an alphabetical listing of all the countries researched in comparison to the United States 12 point Scout Law which is listed here first for reference. The last line of this spreadsheet is the percentage of how often a keyword or a similar word is used.

View spreadsheet on google Drive

In short, the conclusion is… no matter how it is said the meaning is the same. Every Scout Law from every country is unique and represents cultural focuses. Be proud of your individual beliefs and support others with their beliefs. Live your life by your Scout Oath and Law. YIS⚜

Bad School Nights Do Happen

Recently I participated in a school night that did not have the desired impression. The school had scheduled us to have our parents meeting in a hallway between the cafeteria and library. There were five small tables with three chairs at each. I thought to myself, “That’s OK Scouts can adapt to just about anything.” But when 25 parents show up with their kids to sign up most people are standing and uncomfortable in a small space. To pour salt into the wound the cafeteria and library doors were open and everyone could see that both of them were empty with plenty of seating. Many of the parents remarked that the school felt that Scouting was somehow in competition with their students; which is crazy when you think about it. It doesn’t happen during school! The overall impression was that the parents were somehow being punished and forced into an uncomfortable space by the school just for trying to do something good for their children. I did speak with a few parents that expressed this disappointment in the administration of the school. I assured them that this was just a mistake and we should make do with what we’ve got for now. Later when I got home I wanted to write a thank you letter to the school for allowing us to have a parent’s sign-up night. I also wanted to warn them that the parents “were onto their game” as they put it and we’re probably going to say something. It would be a friendly, courteous, and kind thing to do. I sat for a great deal of time and thought about my feelings. “Allowing us?” I understand that this would be appropriate if it was just the Scouts. What about the taxpaying parents who paid for the school and the salary of all employees in it? To be truthful and not helping others at all times was really sticking to my thoughts. Unfortunately, this was the thank you letter I ended up with…

“I wanted to thank you for the opportunity to have a parents’ night at their school. Although the accommodations were rather unusual being in a hallway with limited seating. Many parents were able to get introductions to Scouting and signed up their children for the adventure that we offer. Despite the space we were meeting in was crowded and uncomfortable, we had wonderful ventilation as the cafeteria and the library doors were completely open and vacant. I’m sure that this made a negative impression on what your administration thinks of the needs of your parents in regards to their children’s extracurricular activities. I just thought you should know that it did not leave a good impression on the parents you are hired to serve. I understand that some administrators can be mistaken in thinking that they’re really in charge when they’re actually accountable to the parents of the children in their charge. I recommend that you take seriously any complaints that may be forthcoming from your employers. Again thank you so much for giving us this opportunity to assist the parents of your school.”

After a great deal of thinking, I decided not to send this note as I know that it would end up being misunderstood. Any anger generated from the text would be taken out in retribution on Scouting the following years. If I had mailed it we would probably have meetings on the sidewalk, outside the gate for years to come. Come to think of it, that’s exactly what they want us to do. Who knows it might be an improvement. Sometimes not warning them and letting them come to it on their own is best. Deep down I know the school principal is not favorable towards Scouting though I’m not sure why. Only tolerating our presence due to School Board pressure. It’s unfortunately gone political. This is only impeding the children from eventually finding the Scouting path. It also makes taxpaying, voting parents angry that they would do this to them and their kids. YIS⚜

Live Show? YES!

If you have been following my channel on YouTube, you know I’ve been talking about doing more live shows. In the midst of all this, a young man from England contacted me. Mark from the “Big Man In The Woods” channel asked if I would be available for a live chat on his channel. Well, one thing led to another and we set the date for this coming Saturday, July 31^st, at 3 PM (EST) this is 8 PM in London. If you have enjoyed Mark’s channel as I have then you know he is passionate about Scouting. I am looking forward to our discussion. Even if you are not going to join in the chat you should at least subscribe to Mark’schannel and check out some of his videos.

SATURDAY JULY 31 @ 3 PM (EST)

I have done a lot of Internet zoom meetings especially the past year with all the lockdown stuff going on. I have become very comfortable with live video. In June I hosted the BSA’s first International Virtual Cub Scout Day Camp. This was about 9 hours a day for two weeks of live video. I was so glad that Mark asked me to just sit and talk about Scouting in the United States. If you’re familiar with Mark’s channel you know that he is based in London England and the Scouting program was founded there before it immigrated to America. There are major differences between the two Scouting programs although the core values are the same.

I encourage you to set a reminder NOW to join us this coming Saturday. I will try to ask Mark some questions about living so close to Gilwell Park for us Wood Badgers. YIS⚜

Happy New Year from ScouterStan

Hey, I’m still on vacation! You should be celebrating the new year. 2020 has been very challenging and we need to celebrate all of the successes and lessons learned from last year. Let’s make 2021 better than ever. Now go have some fun, because leaders who don’t know when it’s time to have fun tend to be no fun to be around… Happy New Year!

Christmas Message form ScouterStan

To say that 2020 had its challenges is a severe understatement. As adult leaders in this Scouting movement, we need to continue to prepare our youth for the challenging future. There are many unforeseen circumstances that we may not be aware of. Scouting is going through trying times and we believe that living up to the Scout Oath and Law will see us through. Charitable contributions to your Council are down nationwide over the previous years. This has a very real effect on the program & staff. One of the forgotten is your Scout Camp. Almost unused this past year because of the pandemic. However, maintenance costs and utility bills are just the same. A charitable contribution at this point would go a long way in preventing a Council from making hard decisions. Also, let’s not forget the professional staff of Scouting and remember them in our Christmas prayers. Let’s not just right off 2020 negatively because a lot of great things happened in the year. Scouting was finally pushed into the 21st century with the introduction of Girl Troops and Online/Virtual Scouting. I firmly believe that Scouting must evolve or go extinct. If you think about it scouting has gone through many changes over time and has always been there for young people. Let us never forget the core values of the Scout Oath and Law.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

⚜️ Note: If you would like to make a charitable contribution click on the appropriate link below. If you would like to have your link here please let ScouterStan know in the comments.

🌐 Central Florida BSA: https://www.cflscouting.org/gifts/
🌐 National Donations BSA: https://donations.scouting.org/#/national

Pandemic Scouting

COVID-19 has been quite challenging this past year. Scouting has met the pandemic head-on worldwide. Scout leaders have had to adapt to a virtual environment to keep Scouts involved. Often the adult leadership has difficulties keeping up with the youth in this regard. For many years to come, we will need to work on safety elements in regards to infectious disease. The “Heinz 57” series Is designed to help you get all caught up (ketchup) with critical subjects in scout leadership.

🔗LINKS:
🎬 Special Report on Pandemic Scouting https://youtu.be/5FBp-RT27wc
🎬 Scouting’s New Path… Post-Pandemic? https://youtu.be/VLeNVIfaGog
🌐 Old Fashion Handshake? http://www.scouterstan.com/?p=291
🎬 BSA Scouting At Home: https://youtu.be/chnOUp2QzLY
🎬 Scouts get creative during a pandemic: https://youtu.be/I4wWXrZ3EIM
🎬 Boy Scout troops stay connected amid pandemic: https://youtu.be/p_DVxN5qkFE
🎬 Post-Pandemic Summer Camp? https://youtu.be/UPV72SgbrXg
🌐 Guide to Safe Scouting: https://www.scouting.org/health-and-safety/gss/
🌐 Camp Director Resource Page: https://www.scouting.org/outdoor-programs/cd-resources/
🌐 Scouts BSA National Statement on COVID-19: https://www.scouting.org/coronavirus/
📄 Pre-Event Medical Screening Checklist: https://filestore.scouting.org/filestore/HealthSafety/pdf/680-057.pdf
📄 A-B-C Medical Forms PDF: https://filestore.scouting.org/filestore/HealthSafety/pdf/680-001_ABC.pdf
📄 Annual Health and Medical Record FAQ – PDF: https://filestore.scouting.org/filestore/HealthSafety/pdf/680-001_instruction.pdf

⚠️ Important: ScouterStan makes no medical claims in any of these videos. It is recommended that you follow your local health guidelines to determine appropriate safety actions.

Camping

Camping is one of the most rewarding of all Scouting activities. It can also be challenging in many ways. The next three videos are concentrated around summer & winter camping, and the inevitable homesickness that leaders must deal with. The “Heinz 57” series Is designed to help you get all caught up (ketchup) with critical subjects in Scout leadership.

🔗LINKS:
🎬 Summer Camp for Scout Leaders: https://youtu.be/x4es0Tvadww
🎬 Discovering Winter Camping: https://youtu.be/597tcmoVl-g
🌐 Humiture Definition: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/humiture
🌐 Cold Weather Winter Camping: https://www.scouting.org/cubhub/winter-camping-fun/
🌐 BSA Winter Activities: https://www.scouting.org/health-and-safety/gss/gss12/
🎬 How to Deal With Homesickness: https://youtu.be/fYxk7vE6UAQ
🌐 Scouting Safely & Homesickness: https://www.scouting.org/health-and-safety/safety-moments/homesickness/
📄 Scouting Safely & Homesickness PDF: https://filestore.scouting.org/filestore/HealthSafety/pdf/680-055(18)_Homesickness_WEB.pdf
🎬 Camping Mode on Your Smartphone? Scouting and your Mobile or Cell Phone: https://youtu.be/-t6_6TEfWM8

Get Training

Every Scout deserves a trained leader. Often we joined scouts as adults to help out. The best way to do that is to become a trained leader. We also have to consider that we as adults would need to train the youth to take on responsibilities of leadership. Here are three videos to get you going. The first is about your training as an adult leader.
🎬 Training for ALL: https://youtu.be/CxMmurNp2iI
🌎 My.Scouting.Org: https://my.scouting.org/

OK, now you’ve set up your my.scouting.com account and have taken a few courses, and got your YPT up to date. Now here’s some information about Den Chief training and how important it is to scouting.
🎬 What’s a Den Chief?: https://youtu.be/6wPXj12rsQc
🌎 Den Chief Website: https://www.scouting.org/training/youth/den-chief-training
📄 Instructors Syllabus PDF: https://i9peu1ikn3a16vg4e45rqi17-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Den-Chief-Syllabus-v4.pdf
🎓 Online Den Chief Training: https://filestore.scouting.org/filestore/training/den-chief-training

Youth leadership in a troop is trained by the Scoutmaster and their assistants. Here is a video on how that works.
🎬 What is ITLS?: https://youtu.be/761ntvsOI9E
🌎 Training for Youth: https://www.scouting.org/training/youth/
📄 Adult Leader Syllabus for ILST: https://filestore.scouting.org/filestore/training/pdf/ILST_IntroSyllabus_9_11.pdf
🎬 Introduction to Leadership Skills for Troops: https://youtu.be/sdnZMGypZiY
🎬 NYLT Promo: https://youtu.be/BFUdFQGRJe0

Every scout deserves a trained leader, and also to be trained on leadership. There are many other videos about this subject but this should get you started.

Commissioner Service… a Cub Masters’ Next Step?

What is the oldest leadership corps in Scouting? The oldest leadership role in Scouting is the Commissioner corps. “Gray Tabs” or I like to tell the story about the “duct tape tabs”. There is a National shortage of Unit Commissioners in America. This is the adult leader, outside of the unit connecting it with the District and Council. They help the Key Three of the unit be successful. Ideally, a Unit Commissioner is designed for up to 3 units. Unfortunately, most units don’t have one or don’t know who is assigned to their unit. In my District, we have 73 units and only 11 Unit Commissioners. That’s 6 or more per Unit Commissioner. On average Cub Scouting represents 2/3 of all Scouting units. A Cub Master or Pack Committee Chairman’s next step is not always into a Troop leadership position. Many of the skills that they have would serve better as a Unit Commissioner with the District that they are in.

Excuses…
1. I’m not an expert Scouter…
✔ Training is included and the job is not intended to be for only experts.
2. I want to be with my youth…
✔ ScouterStan was a Unit Commissioner and Assistant Scoutmaster while his son was a Scout in a Troop.
3. I’m already over-committed to scouts…
✔ You need to find a comfortable schedule. Units without a Unit Commissioner are more likely to fail and your schedule will have lots of free time then.
4. I don’t want to have multiple memberships…
✔ Your primary membership can be with a unit and District service is secondary at no additional charge.

⚠️ Important: Make your next step in Scouting count. Unit Commissioner service is incredibly necessary to the overall Scouting experience. Contact your District or Council Commissioner today for more information.

🔗LINKS:
🌐 BSA Commissioners: https://www.scouting.org/commissioners/
🎬 Burnout Prevention and ScouterStan’s Rule of Five: https://youtu.be/cJPfqkqMeg8

⚜️ Note: When ScouterStan looked at his handwritten notes it looked like Season 4 would start in June 2021. The first episode of Season 4 will post on January 5, 2021. This mistake was noticed after editing so a written date was put on the video. ScouterStan promises to work on his handwriting in the future.