Scout leaders ?

[Silverclaws]

I kind of suspect there are some scout leaders here, but if there are I have a question for them regarding scouting ;

What is scouting like now ?

The reason I ask is well I used to be a scout, started with cubs at age 8, did scouts, ventures and became a leader but left when a job took me too far away to commute back and I used to travel over a hundred miles on a Thursday evening to well be there for the scouts, when it got to 250 miles away I drifted away as that would be a serious commute.

I understand scouting has changed whilst I have been away, what is the set up now and something else due to the fact a local GSL has asked me if I would like to become a leader again, at first I said no and for the reason that I understand single males that volunteer to work with children are somewhat under suspicion in this poisoned society we have today, but is it so, are single males suspected, because I am very sensitive to that kind of negativity, I will not go where I perceive I am not wanted and that mentality was contributory to why I drifted away from scouting in the first place, people don't trust single males as at first they must just be odd for being single and from then on the suspicions start to roll.

Are they just my fears or is it a fact of the UK of today with any that would wish to volunteer to lead young people?

I learned a lot in scouting most of which I remember, but it is going to waste when the desire is to pass on what I learned and inspire others as I was inspired by other males that gave up their free time to inspire the next generation.

 

[Graham_S]

Help out. You won't regret it.
I did regularly before work took me away from the uk.

Anyway single males are 20x safer than family members.

 

[Lister]

Scouting now has changed a hell of a lot, as for being suspected of whatever that isn't a problem these days but i'll say it's down to the locale you're in, I've never had a problem with any of the parents in our group/district. get back into it, you won't regret it.

 

[rosshs1]

Go for it. There are things in place and loads of guidance to stop those types of people getting access to the kids. I started helping out at a local scout group about 18 months ago ( needed experience as we are going through the adoption process) and its one of the best things I've done. Its understandable that you'd be concerned, I was a little and I'm married, but there is nothing to worry about, your gsl should help you make sure that your never in a position where anything could be misinterpreted. With your prior experience you would be a welcome addition.

Sent from my MZ601 using Tapatalk 2

 

[brancho]

Only 2 out of 6 of the Leaders (all male) in my Troop are married.

This is not a problemat all. In many ways Scouting has not changed. You just need to find a group that suits you.

 

[Silverclaws]

I got asked by the GSL of a group near me who just happens to be the blacksmith I am supposed to be renting space in his smithy off, he being a different kind of person, a married biker with kids and with his own ideas that puts paid to diagnosi but I trust his judgement, as the village blacksmith, he is well respected. You see I got diagnosed with Asperger's which has knocked me for six and destroyed a lot of the confidence I used to have but at least now I know why people don't quite understand me, but is that a problem when older minds don't accept all this new psychology babble. The last scout leader of the group topped himself, a young farmer hammered by this recession.

 

[Prodigal Son]

Silverclaws, I would honestly recommend you go and try it.

I know it is a daunting prospect getting back into it after a long break, I found it difficult to begin with, especially as they had opened its doors to girls since I last did it. But I can say without reservation that it's the best thing I've ever done.

I know I'm married with my son now in the troop but 2 of my ASL's are single, nobody gives it a thought. In fact it just means they don't have to get permission from a partner before committing to yet another weekend camp

You will need to gain the respect of the kids, that comes with honesty, they smell BS a mile off, but if you are there to have fun and pass on skills, you'll be fine.

I hope this makes sense and like I said, give it a go

I hope it works out for you

Andy

 

[Prodigal Son]

Oh and just for the record, I don't have asbergers and people don't understand me a lot of the time. (the kids do though!! And that's all that matters in my book)

 

[tim_n]

Used to enjoy it more, as years have gone on, I've enjoyed it less and less. Lots of politics in the group and outside, we've had a few bad spats and far too often we get stuff blown out of proportion. Personally, never become anything other than an assistant and restrict yourself to only doing the stuff you enjoy. As soon as you're responsible you get all sorts of rubbish. Currently dealing with a kid who was apparently repeatedly bullied at our camp, who was so in danger the district took flew in and removed him from camp. First we'd heard of it, he was playing cards with his friends (the alleged bullies). Now facing a child protection issue. Don't have the time for it really!

 

[sparksfly]

I returned to scouting just over three years ago. Many (many) scout leaders are parents who have been persuaded to help out but were not scouts themselves and don't have the skill set. With the scouting skills I learned as a scout myself and the bushcraft skills learned as an adult I became very popular indeed and have derived immense satisfaction from sharing what I know. Now as well as being an active scout leader I run an annual training weekend for scouters in our county (Surrey) to help scout leaders to develop the confidence to run bushcraft-style camps and train out the Survival skills activity badge.

In summary - you will be welcome, popular and have immense fun. But remember to say "no" occasionally.

Malcolm

 

[Sockhead]

Hey - I had similar concerns when I re-joined scouts as an adult volunteer after a 15 year gap from being a scout. The movement is very safety conscious (as it should be), and it is not just about protecting the youth members, it is about protecting yourself from allegations. That has been very useful - teaching you not to put yourself in a position where accusations can be made, never being in a 1-2-1 situation etc etc. It is something that stays in the back of my mind, but never really gets in the way of offering a great range of activities and more importantly, enjoying yourself!!

18 months have flown by

 

[Manacles]

Hi Silverclaws, please don't be concerned about being a single male. All Scout people are CRB checked and there is a very cgood (complulsory for everyone) course on child protection with an emphasis on your own safety.

As for Scouting having changed, well I suppose it has got more modern since I was a Scout in the seventies, like in your time there were Venture Scouts, which are now called Explorers and we have Beavers which are "littlies" before Cubs, but Scouting has remained true to its ethic of transcending class/ability/background and is wholly inclusive - which goes for the leaders too. And I can promise you that all offers of adult help are always welcome in Scouting

I would recommend having a chat to the Scout Assoctiation HQ at Gilwel. There you will find trained advisors who can support you and talk over your worries. If you click this link there is a contact number on the page:

http://scouts.org.uk/contactus

Best wishes

Paul

 

[TurboGirl]

We have a rather negative group near us which led to my aspie son being excluded. Please, for the sake of all the kids who might be aspie/ adhd/ auties or anywhere off the usual neurotypical wiring, join- because those kids will not only benefit from your knowledge but you'll make a huuuuuge difference to their self respect to have a positive role model like yourself.

Be proud of being an aspie. Our genetic re-wiring enables us to think in patterns neurotypicals can't imagine or replicate. Good luck, Silverclaws

 

[Silverclaws]

We have a rather negative group near us which led to my aspie son being excluded. Please, for the sake of all the kids who might be aspie/ adhd/ auties or anywhere off the usual neurotypical wiring, join- because those kids will not only benefit from your knowledge but you'll make a huuuuuge difference to their self respect to have a positive role model like yourself.

Be proud of being an aspie. Our genetic re-wiring enables us to think in patterns neurotypicals can't imagine or replicate. Good luck, Silverclaws

That is very sad to hear, but I understand the reason why I was put in scouting was because I was preferred to spend time on my own doing my own thing and my father thought it best I joined in, so scouting it was starting with the cubs at age 8 and I do remember my very first cub night it was that harrowing, the over riding memory is of too many people all running around aimlessly and the noise was too much then somebody blew a whistle and it all went slowly quiet, but that whistle pierced my ear drums, it wasn't pleasant. Of course Aspergers was unheard of back then, I was just an odd kid, but I settled into scouting as soon as I found out about proficiency badges, where I went for it and of course the structure I could cope with, the place for everything and everything in it's place worked for me. I remember my first summer camp at Gilwell in '77 it rained all week, which was great for me as I was at the time usually doped up on Piriton,( a mild sedative), as I had the allergy to everything type hay fever and why winters in general I used to love, that being something that has gone since the hay fever buggered off at age 37, I can enjoy summer at last, not that I do, because I am back to spending too much time on my own.

I do understand from my contact in scouting there are a number of 'different' kids, perhaps why he dismisses my peculiarities, because he does so with the kids, they all join in one way or another. I used to be good with kids, I can relate easily to their level and did have step grand children at one time, but given my status as the oddball singly, I repel kids because I am only too aware of the vicious nature of British society of today where any adult getting friendly with kids is open to suspicion and so it was a kid at the end of the street started hanging around down here, he knowing I like animals, cats particularly and I like messing around with bicycles, he brought his bike to show me and all I felt was alarm, I could see his bike was faulty and not set up for him to be enough of a hazard and I would have loved to have fettled it for him, but no chance, it is just not worth it and that given the fact the father can't be bothered I could forsee the issue if I did fix it, but I did say to his mother when it was she came here to get her cat back as it had decided to take up residence at my place, the result was that I should mind my own business.

College a few years ago where the diagnosis came from it was noticed instead of attending to my own work I was helping others with theirs including the unknown to me learning difficulties people who had just been given a lump of metal and some basic tools to get on with it, I effectively communicated with them and got them to produce what they wanted to make. At the time the tutors said I had an unusual ability with the autistic students, which surprised me because everything I had heard about autistic I could not see and it was suggested I would be better suited pursuing education and using my 'talent' as opposed to jewellery making of which I was self taught already, making them wonder why I was pursuing a degree in jewellery making, my need was of course the bit of paper to prove my abilities without which in modern society one is nothing. But when the tutors learned of my diagnosis, it's odd, but I did discern a loss of interest, which if true, says a lot of what is happening with learning difficulty people. I quit college in the final year, a total loss of interest, but an idea perhaps, asperger's is a somewhere in between full blown autism and the neuro typical, so it could be of these half way houses that exist in mentalities, the half way houses are the bridges, because of the full blown autistic, inspire them and watch them go

So you see I have a fear of kids and I believe it is well founded, as people always suspect anyone who is different, but perhaps I need some thought modification on that and so will consider over the next few months if I want to get back into scouting again, as to be fair, scouting was the happiest time of my life, whether it can be again, is down to many things.

But thinking about all this, recently I dug out my old scout badges and have presented them here for you all to see though what many of the proficiency badges were, I can't remember and a moment of laughter, with my old scout badges was my scout belt,which will no longer fit by two inches and to think that thing is covered in brands from all the scout camps I enjoyed. But a memory, my old camp fire blanket, completely filled with badges from the early years of scouting right through to foreign badges from the Westcountry Jamboree I attended in '86 as service crew, I had given away ten years ago to a GSL in Shropshire, complete with an unused special award silver wolf cub belt I had collected as well aspies and collecting, it is the bane of my life.

But, the badges ;

[/IMG]

 

[Vickyjs]

Go for it - Scouting (and Guiding) need people with skills to be leaders who are good role models (not just parents who are doing it to keep units open). Boys need male role models. I'm a mum of two boys one in Beavers and one in Sea Scouts - my boys much prefer the male leaders.
I'm also a Guide leader (26 years) have been from being 18 - huge part of my life, constantly learning new things and trying to keep Guiding exciting and relevant without losing the basics and traditions. I have a unit of 32 girls and a permanent waiting list. Stay away from the politics and focus on the really practical stuff and having fun. I can't imagine life without camps and meetings and planning for future adventures. I always tell my Guides as they get older that payback time will come - they need to be the leaders of the future. Two of my ex Guides run the other Guide unit in town, others are leaders elsewhere or work in other youth organisations. If we all worried about the things that could go wrong no one would do anything - Go for it!

 

[brancho]

Politics in Scouting is not new at all it just comes and goes for some parts of the district/group/section.

You need to find a group where you fit in and get on with the rest of the team in the section you help with/run as it makes it all the more fun. Be up front and honest about the Aspergers and it should be no bar to you joining mate. Looks like you were in Scouts roughly when I was. I didnt become a Leader until my lad was in Cubs.

Get yourself along and try it, if the GSL is keen for your help thats the right start . The GSL is judging you first hand and gut fealing is often more important than anything.

 

[Bucephalas]

Can't speak for scouting, but I understand your concerns regarding other peoples perceptions of your motivation though. Don't be concerned.
As a male registered child minder who also ran a play group, there was never an issue. Single parents especially wanted their kids to have a male influence in their life.

That said, when I moved back to Wales I experienced a more suspicious culture in my area with many mums saying it was "inappropriate" for a man to be childminding???
I gave it up soon after and became a full time portrait photographer.

People differ in different areas.


---
I am here: http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=51.641886,-2.675114

 

[beige]

Iv been in scouting for almost 11 years and 4.5 years of that is as an adult. In my old group I was a single 18 year old and I was criticized by the other section leaders (Beaver and Cub) for my lifestyle outside of scouting. However once they got over the fact that i was young and had tattoos it was fine. The GSL and other scout leaders however loved me from the start.

Now iv moved to my new group and explorer unit in wales, the GSL watches me a bit because i'm new, young and work differently to them. Now he recognises my skills, there is no problems. There was a problem with a previous leader but i have not been looked down upon because of them.

Essentially, the your new GSL and other section leaders will watch you closely only because they are taut to do so in the safegaurding training, which you will have to do anyway, and because they will not necessarily know your skills.

 

[brancho]

Thats interesting beige. At that age e a few people would have though similiar things of me as a heavy metal fan.

On my first training there were a few ventures a couple of who were Goths but they wer the most enthusiastic of all the peopel there. I would happlily have them in my group.

 

[Lister]

Do you think they're ever have a scout promise for metalheads? :You_Rock_