New Scoutmaster - Passing It On
| Category: | New Scoutmaster |
|---|---|
| Notes: | Delivered by the outgoing Scoutmaster at their last meeting or campfire in the role, or at the court of honor where the change takes place. If the outgoing Scoutmaster is staying on in another role, adjust the paragraph marked below. Part of a series - see also new-scoutmaster-first-words, new-scoutmaster-whose-troop-is-it, and new-scoutmaster-a-word-from-the-committee. For a full ceremony, see /ceremonies/change-of-scoutmaster-ceremony. |
When I said yes to this job, I wasn't sure I could do it. I'll let you in on a secret: most Scoutmasters aren't. We say yes anyway, and then you teach us how.
And you did. You taught me that the best thing I could do on most campouts was stand back with a cup of coffee and let you figure it out. You taught me that a burned dinner cooked by a patrol is worth more than a perfect one cooked by an adult. You taught me patience, mostly by testing it.
Being your Scoutmaster has been one of the great privileges of my life. Tonight I hand it to someone else.
I have one request. Give your new Scoutmaster the same chance you gave me. They're going to do some things differently. They'll run a meeting their own way, tell different stories at the campfire, and maybe change something you liked. That's all right. Different isn't wrong. This troop was here before me, and it will be here long after both of us.
(If staying on in another role:) I'm not going anywhere. You'll still see me around. But I won't be the one you come to anymore, and I need you to let me step back.
Keep this troop Scout-led. Keep running your patrols. Keep making your own mistakes and fixing them. Do that, and whoever is standing up here will have the best job in Scouting. I know I did.