Scouts are required to demonstrate a variety of basic outdoor skills as part of their advancement through the early ranks. How does putting these skills into action, during troop meetings and outings, contribute to a richer and more rewarding Scouting program?
I. WHAT ARE SOME WORTHWHILE EXPERIENCES THAT ARE OUTGROWTHS OF PUTTING OUTDOOR SKILLS INTO ACTION?
Planning a Course of Action – In order to experience success, before they put their skills into action, Scouts need to get their act together. Planning is an essential step, so they can be prepared to accomplish whatever they are setting out to do.
Cooperating with One Another and Practicing Teamwork – This is how things most effectively get done, and this is how a group succeeds. When small groups of Scouts are faced with challenges to use their acquired outdoor skills, everyone has an opportunity to get into the act and contribute to the group’s success.
Becoming Engaged, Focused, and Involved– The attention of the Scouts is maintained, when they get to use what they’ve learned to complete a task that is challenging and fun.
Pride in Satisfying an Objective and Meeting a Challenge – Because they can use their resources, and rely upon their skills to satisfy the challenges they face, Scouts get to feel good about themselves and their abilities.
Being Successful – Nothing succeeds like success. Of course, failures are acceptable and Scouts can learn from their oversights and mistakes. But, when they are enabled to put the skills they’ve learned into action, and apply the principles of sharing leadership, sharing responsibilities, and working together, success is within their reach.
II. WHAT IMPORTANT ROLES DO TRADITIONAL OUTDOOR SKILLS PLAY IN TODAY’S SCOUTING PROGRAM?
To Attract Youth to Our Program – The lure of learning and using these kinds of outdoor skills appeals to many young people.
To Enhance the Enjoyment of Camping – These kinds of outdoor skills can continually come into play, in conjunction with our wide range of available outdoor adventures.
To Contribute a Unique Brand of Fun to Our Program – The NOVEL activities that feature these kinds of outdoor skills are eminently satisfying.
To Provide our Members with a Useful Set of Tools that can be Utilized Over their Lifetimes – There can be opportunities to use these skills repeatedly, during work and recreation.
To Open the Door to the Development of Character and Leadership – Putting outdoor skills into action with their patrol and troop contributes to a Scout’s development of good character and leadership—two central aims of the Boy Scouts of America.
III. WHAT ARE SOME OTHER VALUABLE INTANGIBLES INHERENT IN PUTTING OUTDOOR SKILLS INTO ACTION?
RESPONSIBILITY – By using their outdoor skills to contribute to the welfare of the group, Scouts learn the essential meaning of good citizenship. Sharing responsibilities is the hallmark of the patrol method.
RESOURCEFULNESS – Faced with the necessity of using whatever resources are on hand, by relying on their outdoor skills Scouts learn what it means to become resourceful.
ORGANIZATION – Organizational skills are honed as Scouts are confronted with the need to keep things accessible and neat as they use their skills to most successfully meet challenges.
SELF RELIANCE – Using their skills, Scouts learn they can rely upon themselves to overcome obstacles.
SELF ASSURANCE – By putting their skills into action, Scouts experience a growing assurance they can get things done.
NOTE: After a skill is presented using the EDGE Method, Scouts should ideally participate in a well-planned and well-presented CHALLENGE THAT IS FUN and:
—> reinforces the skill
—> illustrates how the skill is used
—> provides an opportunity to rely upon the skill to complete the task at hand.
A Library of Scout Skill Challenges
SCOUT PIONEERING 