When’s the last time your boss said to you, or you said to an employee or staff member, “Hey, show up on Saturday morning and there’ll be a ‘kicker’ in it for you,” or “If you take on this special assignment, you can plan on a nice bonus,” or “Do this and there’ll be a promotion for you when you’re done.”  Never?  Really…?  Why not?  After all, isn’t this just what we tell our Scouts… 

“Show up for this project and you’ll get service hour credit.”  “Go on this hike and you’ll complete requirement 7.”  “Come to this event and you’ll get a special patch.”  Don’t we pretty much do this all the time?

Are you seeing a disparity here?  You bet!  And it’s a big one. 

The stuff in Scouting that’s comparable to what life’s made up of, like doing something because it’s fun, or it’s challenge, or it’s in keeping with one of our principle of helping others, is pretty rare these days. Somehow, we think that dangling carrots, like credit for hours or completing a requirement, or getting a patch or badge, is the only way to motivate boys.

Wrong. 

Fun motivates boys.  Challenge and adventure motivate boys.  A sense of accomplishment motivates boys.

“But how will they advance, if we don’t tell ‘em they need to do this or that to complete requirements?” you ask.  B-P, more than a hundred years ago but no less true today, put it this way: “Advancement is like a sun tan… It’s something that happens naturally when you’re having fun in the out-of-doors.”

There’s no way I can top that!  But I can take a quiet moment to remind myself that, if we dangle carrots for every little thing, we’re teaching our sons to never think about doing anything for simply the sheer love of doing it.  I think I’d like my son to think differently from this.  How about you?

Happy Scouting!