Training

When I was in church yesterday, one of my good friends came up to me and told me about this article that is in the Ensign, produced by the LDS church.

https://www.lds.org/ensign/2014/07/scout-training-was-the-answer?lang=eng

When I was a troop guide on my first wood badge course staff, this thought came into my mind as I listened to a training given by another staffer. When I was a Unit Commissioner, I emphasized this thought: "How can we expect the boys to do their best if we as leaders don't give our best?" When we lift our arm to the square with the scout sign, we say "On my honor, I will do my best..." does the scout oath only apply to the boys? You can only answer this personally, but I hope it's no.

Scouting, especially in the LDS church has certain tenancies. Cub Scout Programs are very strong, Boy Scout programs are strong, but when a young man enters Varsity or Venturing, the programs are almost non existent? Is there a reason for this? Yes. When someone gets called into Varsity or Venturing, the leaders feel like they know everything and won't get trained. The thought is scouting is scouting when Varsity & Venturing are totally different.

Usually about the time a young man enters Varsity & Venturing, they are getting interested in what I call the four "P's": perfume, petro & paycheck. It's hard to compete with these things when a program is not existent. Leaders get frustrated trying to do everything themselves and eventually give up.

If a leader commits to get trained and receive all the training that is available to them, miracles will happen. These young men need to know that you can be trusted and will be there for them. The young men are at a vulnerable time in their lives at this age and we as leaders could make the distance. If there are Varsity and Venturing programs running when a young man turns 14 & 16, they will not have anything to replace their mutual nights. If they know that their leaders are men of faith and live it, they will look to you as an example of how man of God lives and will strive the same for their lives.

The blessings are there for the taking. Are we willing to do everything we can to make a difference in these young men's lives? Is a couple hours on a weekend a sacrifice enough to make the difference in a young man? I'm pretty sure we all have a leader, a teacher or someone that has influenced us because they were interested in who we were and could see our potential. Can we be that same person?