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Scouting uses the Scout method to achieve their goal, which is simply stated by its founder Robert Baden-Powell as Scouts to become "healthy, happy, helpful citizens."[1] He therefore built into Scouting some innovative educational principles, which forms the Scout method.
The method was the higher aim of Scouting, so was compulsory, but the local leader must judge for himself how to apply the method to be successful in his own particular Troop. By decentralisation he got therefore a free hand. The principles of the method were a target, so it did not matter so much whether to actually achieve the highest ideals, as long they were high.[2] Although the method is nowadays equally applicable to boy and girl Scouting, one must take into account that the original principles were designed for boys in the Scout-age.
- The first condition for Scouting is an attractive game, but hidden in this game should be an educational goal. The game must be exciting, but at the same time a Scout should learn from it. The Scout game can be changed by the local leader to what he find is attractive in his Troop and in its time.[3] There should be no preaching.[[2] 13]
The World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM) divides the method in groups:[4]
Contents |
[edit] Law and promise
- The Scout law is a personal code of living, guiding the way in which each Scout lives his or her life. It is not a repression of faults, so was not framed as a list of don't's. It merely states what is good form and expected of a Scout.[3] The Scout Law is therefore at the heart of the Scout method. With the Scout promise a Scout is engaged to do his best to obey the Scout law and it mentions the main principles:[3]
- Duty to God (a higher power, not only the Christian God)
- Duty to others
- Duty to self
- Prohibition. Scouting does not prohibit a bad habit, but instead gives more exciting, better alternatives, that will absorb the Scout's attention and gradually lead him to forget the old habit.[[2] 31] The reason is that "prohibition generally invites evasion, since it challenges the spirit inherent in every red-blooded boy. The boy is not governed by DON'T, but is led on by DO."[3]
- Spirituality. A Scout should be spiritual but Scouting is open to all religions. Scouting deals with religions in the practical way: by nature study, to see what God is, and helping others, which is what God asks. According Baden-Powell this was part of all religions. Scouting did this by education in life-saving techniques but also by the daily good turn. Nowadays in some countries a religion it no duty anymore, as long as the Scout follows the Scout law and promise.
- Good turns. The good turn is a key component of the law and promise, because it is the duty to others, which according Baden-Powell was the main duty God asks for, which makes one happy, the duty to yourself. The intention was not so much the turn itself, which could be minor, but to teach the Scout to always pay attention and recognise if he could help someone.[[2] 36, 64, 65]
[edit] Learning by doing
- The Scout game is full of practical action. In the first place because this interests the Scout, secondly because only during practising on its own the Scout will get experience how theory works. Although Baden-Powel put emphasis on practical work and on the Scout learning by himself, he does not rule out the need for instruction by leaders or in books. The phrase "Learning by doing" is nowadays much used in Scouting (although difficult to find in Baden-Powells writings).
[edit] Team system
- Patrol system, the individual in a group. Scouts are organised in small groups (about 5-7 Scouts) because this is the natural way boys work together.[[2] 18] These patrols are therefore more important than the Troop. Patrols must be kept intact under all circumstances, which means working, tenting, learning, cooking, so surviving together.[[2] 49] In a Patrol the Scouts learns to work with others, while the Patrol leader learns responsibility for others. Both has to give in a part of their personal interest for this.[[2] 24] Still Scouting deals with the individual, not with the Company.[[2] 21, 15] A Scout has his own identity within the group and learns as an individual. Younger sections, such as Cub Scouts and Beaver Scouts, are also divided into sixes (Cubs) or lodges (Beavers). While Beaver lodges have no leader structure within them, Cub sixes have a sixer and seconder.
- Honour Court. The Scout patrols are subject to an Honour Court, formed by the Patrol leaders along with the Scout leader as advisor.[2] This is a peer system in which Scouts discuss each other behaviour and is part of the Self-governing.
[edit] Symbolic framework
- Imagination. Scouting plays on the imagination of the Scout, who loves to "make-believe", like living in the imaginative world of adventurers, like backwoodsmen, pioneers, sailors and airmen.[[2] 21] It is a non-serious world, taken serious, as the reader of a book or spectator of a movie, who voluntarily make-believes that what he reads or sees is real, while at the same time knowing it is not. The Scout identifies with the personal qualities of his heroes. With his experience as a popular amateur-actor, Baden-Powell build into Scouting a somewhat strange, theatrical and non-serious environment, by words with strange meanings, yells, songs and customs. In essence the common uniform is also part of this theatre.
- Rituals. Scouting has a small number of rituals. They are designed to be short, simple and attractive for young Scouts, but with underlying symbolic values. For instance the cub yell during the opening ritual: "We DOB, DOB, DOB" is a funny yell for the cubs, but at same time the abbreviation of "we Do Our Best".
[edit] Personal progression
- Self-reliance. Baden-Powell wanted a Scout to learn to make his own decisions, without solely following his comrades or leaders as a herd. This would make the boy a man. Baden-Powell wrote that (symbolically) a Scout should paddle his own canoe. Not in a rowing boat, with his back to where he goes, rowed by others and someone else at the rudder, but alone in a canoe: facing the future, paddling and steering by himself. [5] Scouting teaches self-reliance by bringing the Scouts into a challenging, so somewhat risky environment, without help in the direct neighbourhood. Therefore (while at the same time it is attractive) the program is based on an adult, adventurous outdoor life. "A man's job cut down to boy's size."[[2] 32, 15]
- Self-governing. Giving responsibility to the Scouts is a keystone of the Scout method: "expect him to carry out his charge faithfully. Don't keep prying to see how he does. Let him do it his own way. Let him come a howler over it if need be, but in any case leave him alone." The Patrol is therefore almost independent, while the Troop is run by the Patrol Leaders in the Patrols' Leaders Council and Court of Honour.[[2] 24, 32]
- Self-learning. Education in Scouting should give a Scout the ambition and desire to learn by himself, which is more valuable than only instruction by leaders. This is done by suggesting the Scout to undertake activities that attract him individually. Those could be selected from Scouting for Boys.[[2] 16, 60]
- Badge system. Skills are learned with Class- and Proficiency (Merit) badges. With Class badges the Scout learns the techniques needed for the Scout game with a final test of make a journey by its own. Proficiency badges are intended to encourage the Scout to learn a subject which could be his work or hobby, so cover many different types of activities, not always related to the Scouting game. Class- and proficiency badges are not a final goal, but a first step which gives a Scout confidence to proceed by himself. The badge signifies therefore that the Scouts has made some progress, not that they have mastered the skill.[[2] 56-57]. So Scouting is not a high standard of knowledge.[[1] 331]
- Non-competitive. Education in Scouting is non-competitive because Scouts should learn because they like the subject, not just in competition to be better than others.[[2] 28]
- Individual. Educaton in Scouting is individual, because every Scout must be inspired, even the clumsy ones, to learn. The goal is not the quality of the whole group, but the Scout should get attention to proceed on his own level. The badges signify not a certain quality of knowledge or skill as "the amount of effort the Scout puts into his work." The standards were therefore purposely not clearly defined.[[2] 28]
[edit] Nature
- Nature as the learning school. The Scouting game mostly takes place in Nature, because it is an adventurous environment with challenges, which Scouts want to conquer. In this way the Scout and the Patrol learn to overcome difficulties, learning to make their own decisions.
- God in nature. According Baden-Powell the Scout could find God in Nature when he realised the complexity and beauty in Nature.
- Love of outdoors. Although Scouts likes Nature as an adventurous place and rather like to cut a tree then to preserve it, it is expceted that when he gets older the experience from his youth will make him a nature-lover.
[edit] Adult support
- Example of the leader. An important part of Scouting education is the personal example of the leader. The Scout is impressed by the leader because of his age, his knowledge, his position as a leader. If the leader is popular he will be an attractive goal to reach for, so the Scout will follow his example. The Scoutmaster living the Scout law will therefore have more influence than talking about it. In the boys' eyes it is what a man does that counts and not so much what he says.[[2] 4, 38]
- Guide. The Self-governing of the boys changes also the role of the leader: "I had stipulated that the position of Scoutmaster was to be neither that of a schoolmaster nor of a commander Officer, but rather that of an elder brother among his boys, not detached or above them individually, able to inspire their efforts and to suggest new diversions when his finger on their pulse told him the attraction of any present craze was wearing off."[3] Scouting leaders should not direct, but guide (and check on safety).
[edit] Summary
The Scout Law embodies the joint values of the Scouting movement all over the world which binds all Scouts together. The emphasis on "Learning by doing" provides experiences and hands on orientation as a practical method of learning and confidence building. Small groups build unity and a brotherly atmosphere to develop responsibility, character, self-reliance and self-confidence, reliability, and readiness; which eventually leads to collaboration and leadership. A program of attractive varying activities expands a Scouts' horizons and bonds the Scout even more to the group. Activities and games develop handiness and provides a fun way to develop skills. In an outdoor setting, these also provide contact with nature and the environment.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ a b Baden-Powell, Robert (1926). Scouting for Boys, p331.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Baden-Powell, Robert (1919). Aids to Scoutmastership, World Brotherhood Edition (PDF), The National Council Boy Scouts of Canada, pp. 5, 25. Retrieved on 2007-01-07.
- ^ a b c d e Baden-Powell, Robert (1933). Lessons from the Varsity of Life, Chapter X (htm). Retrieved on 2007-01-07.
- ^ Scouting: An Educational System (PDF) p. 19. World Organization of the Scout Movement (1998). Retrieved on 2007-01-13.
- ^ Baden-Powell, Robert (1930). Rovering to Success, 22.,
