Scoutmaster Conference - More Than a Signature
| Category: | Advancement |
|---|---|
| Notes: | Delivered by the Scoutmaster to the troop, especially newer Scouts, to explain what a Scoutmaster conference is for. Works at any meeting, or before a round of conferences at a campout. Part of a series - see also board-of-review-a-conversation, board-of-review-what-were-listening-for, and board-of-review-not-yet. |
Every rank ends with a Scoutmaster conference. Some of you think of it as one more box to check, the thing you have to sit through before the board of review. I get it. But I want to tell you what that conversation is really for.
It's the one time in the whole rank when it's just you and me. No patrol, no parents, no one waiting for us to finish so the meeting can start. Just a conversation.
I'm going to ask how things are going. Not only with the rank, but with the troop, with your patrol, maybe with school. I'll ask what you enjoyed and what was hard. And then I'm going to ask about what's next. Where do you want to be a year from now? What's one thing you want to try that you haven't yet?
Here's the part most Scouts don't realize: you can bring things to me, too. If something in the troop is bothering you, this is the place. If you have an idea for a campout, this is the place. If you're thinking about quitting, I really want to hear it here before you decide.
So when it's your turn, don't just come for the signature. Come ready to talk. Some of the best conversations I've had in Scouting started with, "Can I ask you something?"