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by Rick Seymour
Many Troops leave the process of learning Scout Law and Oath up to the new Scout to "memorize on his own time".
When used as an opportunity to get to know a new Troop member, however, this process can can be both fun and rewarding. The basic idea is that most Scouts have problems memorizing the Scout Law simply because they don't understand the words. This approach is to present Scout Law as a practical set of rules for playing a new game.
I use this dialogue with all of my new Scouts:
Scoutmaster: "OK, so let's learn Scout Law. A Scout is [pauses].... "
Scout: "Um, Helpful?"
Scoutmaster: "A Scout is Trustworthy ... [pauses] ... Trustworthy? (puzzled look), What does Trustworthy mean?"
Scout: (Guesses something).
Scoutmaster: "Yes, but it also means that people can rely on you. The Quartermaster was Trustworthy when he said he would we have the pots and the pancake flipper this weekend. Why is "Trustworthy important on a campout? Did you depend on anyone this weekend?"
Scout: (Replies)
Scoutmaster: "Yeah, it *was* a good thing that the cooks brought the food! When were you Trustworthy the last time?"
Scout: (Answers).
Scoutmaster: "OK, so a Scout is... [pause]..."
Scout: "Trustworthy, ... Um, Helpful?"
Scoutmaster: "A Scout is Trustworthy, Loyal... [pauses].... Loyal? (puzzled look)... What does Loyal mean?" [on so on]
If you concentrate on the meaning of Scout Law, any Scout can memorize the Law, Motto, Slogan, and Oath in a single sitting. Sometimes Scouts who ask me to pass them on Scout Law get to ride "shotgun" to or from camp. They "knock off" the requirement in what would otherwise be wasted time.
I always introduce Scout Law as a set of practical rules for camping.
Starting with Tenderfoot, I use the "Scout Spirit Worksheet" to build on what I learned about each individual Scout during this first Tenderfoot Scout Law session.
Whenever you "catch" a Scout do something right, point to the behavior and say "A Scout is [pause]...." The Scouts around him always finish the sentence in a chorus.
Call it "peer pressure"!
See Also:
Traditional Scout Law
History of Scout Law
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