Teaching Values in Scouting
Teaching Values in Scouting
The values of Scouting are encapsulated in the Scout Oath and Law. But we often spend more time teaching sheepshanks and Dutch oven cooking than we do teaching duty to God and cleanliness.
When I teach Strictly for Scoutmasters at Philmont, we do an interesting exercising. We brainstorm specific ways to teach each of the values found in the Scout Oath and Law. Rather than give you the “answers,” I’ll offer this challenge. Write each of the following values on the top line of an index card:
- Trustworthy
- Loyal
- Helpful/To Help Other People at All Times
- Friendly
- Courteous
- Kind
- Obedient
- Cheerful
- Thrifty
- Brave
- Clean
- Reverent/Duty to God
- Duty to Country
- Physically Strong
- Mentally Awake
- Morally Straight
- General
Now, try to come up with as many specific ways as possible to cover each of those values in your troop program. For “thrifty,” for example, you might have your PLC plan an actual budget for your next outing. For “physically strong,” you might require Scouts to do 10 pushups before entering your meeting room each week. Put things that apply to more than one value on the “general card.”
You get the idea. Hopefully your Scouts will get the values.
