Language Issues

[verebm]

I'm looking for some help from the collective wisdom gathered here. I have just taken over as the new SM and have recently returned from a week of summer camp. Since then I have been approached by a number of parents of younger scouts who have told me their sons relayed incidents of bad language from the older scouts. The language seems to have run the gamut from cussing (including the "f-word") to a wide range of sexual innuendo. I know who the offenders are and in a sense I am not surprised that their names were the ones to be mentioned.

Of the three mentioned, one is an Eagle Scout, one is either Star or Life and the other one is a Tenderfoot or 2nd Class who's been in the troop for 4 years (he has a number of other issues that I need to address but I won't go into them here). Let's call them Andy, Billy and Charlie, respectively. In the short time since I've taken over (only a month or so), I have spoken to each of them (including at summer camp) about their language, their attitude and/or their actions but obviously simply talking to them doesn't seem to be effective.

Billy seems to be the only one that can really be motivated by my withholding signature on scout spirit. Andy already has Eagle (I suppose he could approach completion of Palms but I'm not sure if he will before he "ages" out in the next 4 to 6 months) and Charlie isn't really into rank advancement so denying rank advancement for either one of them by withholding my signature doesn't seem likely or sufficiently grave to warrant a behavior adjustment. And even as far as Billy is concerned, while I've mentioned to him that his actions do not display scout spirit, I don't know how long it would take for him to complete all the requirements for his next rank and I don't want to wait until his next Scoutmaster conference to address this current situation.

What I'd like to know is how some of you have handled situations like this. I've considered telling them they're not welcome to any more campouts until they apologize for their behavior. If I do that, however, I would feel compelled to require that it be a public apology during one of the troop meetings since I don't want either of the offenders to know who told on them. Is this a legitimate way of dealing with it? Are there better ways of handling this issue? What has worked for you?

Thanks in advance for all your suggestions...

Mark

[1st Mate]

1st think I would recommend is a counseling session (scoutmaster's conference) with each scout explaining your dissapointment in the vocabulary they have chosen. Explain that profanity is often misunderstood by young adults to be a sign of matuturity, it is not. It is thought by others to be witty or intelligent, it is not.

There are over 1000 words in the english vocabulary, anyone unable to express themselves without using vulgarity are neither mature not intelligent.

Explain that profanity is unacceptable in the scouting environment and that if they cannot learn to express there ideas, opinions, and emtions, without the use of profanity then the next counseling session will include their parents, and that you will have them repeat their exact words for their mother. Then if needed ... do it.

You should consider asking your worst offender to prepare a presentation for the next Court of Honor on "a Scout is Clean" to help the younger scouts understand proper behavior in and out of scouting.

Along with that I would start doing some meaningful Scoutmaster Minutes starting with "a Scout is Clean" as well as SM minutes on being Friendly and Courteous. Repeated exposure to the values of scouting and the scout's voluntary personal committmemnt to these values will help you to instill better maners and behaviour in the scouts.

I would also explain to all the parents (once a year) that the troop expects each and every scout to behave according to the characteristics of the Scout Law, and that discline problems can result in the the scout being sent home from an activity, or even removed from the unit if the behavior continues.

Finally, make sure the leaders set a good example. You will not convince the youth not to behave one way if the adults behave another.
I would not require the scouts to apologize in front of the troop. Praise in public, correct in private.

You'll do fine I'm sure.

[miscoutmom]

Yikes! You have your hands full. I have one of the younger ones, so I am going to have to speak from the perspective of a mom of an 11yr old.

I would want someone from the troop to contact me <as a parent, I'm also a commitee member> and discuss my son's choice of language. I know that having meetings with the scout themselves is an important process in Scouting at the Troop level... but I can count a few kids in our Troop that having that meeting would be like talking to my socks. Including, probably my own child with developmental impairments. I would need the parents support and back up to handle the situation too. If the Troopmaster came to me about my son's potty mouth, I'd handle it on the ride home from Scouts that night. <bar of soap anyone?:rolleyes: > I know there are probably less assertive parents that might not.. but you have to take that chance.

Good luck with your situation. I would think having the 3 of them work together on presenting being a better Scout at COH would be a good start. Perhaps more important that the younger ones emulating them would see this positive behavior. Whether it will change the 3 overall.... You'll have to share that with us at a later date. :)

Jenny
Troop 744 :cool:

[Sugar Hill Scouter]

I would sit the scouts down individually by calling them off to the side at a weekly troop meeting. Remind them of the 11th point of the Scout Law, which is "a scout is clean." Encourage them to remain clean in their speech.

I would also send their parents an e-mail stating the problem, and that you have discussed the issue with each scout. Invite them to meet with you if they feel it is necessary, and tell them your course of action if the problem arises again.

If you really wanted to put the pressure on them, bring it up to the PLC and let them deal with it. Peer pressure is a mighty tool.

[Nuts4Scouts]

You might also remind these younger scouts that the time to bring bad behavior to light is not weeks or months after it happens. If this happened at summer camp it should have been reported, by those younger scouts, directly to the SPL at the time it happened. The behavior could have been addressed then and there.

[WB Bear]

I think the individual sessions with the SM and the reported offenders is the first step. In that session stress the Scout Law and remind them in the Oath they promise on their honor to obey it. It is also important to remind them that they are setting examples. Speaking of example be sure the adults aren’t guilty of the foul language. If the offenders don’t have the Communication Merit Badge have them work on it. They can prepare the 5 minute speech addressing something regarding the issue, such as the Scout Law, leadership/setting the example, etc.

The idea of stressing the 11th point of the Law in the SM Minute is excellent along with the other points. If the problem doesn’t diminish with some of these other steps there is also the option of holding a Board of Review, remember they are not exclusive to rank advancement. I think maybe at that point it would be time to bring the parents in. Boys will be boys and using inappropriate language is not uncommon. We are offering a program to shape character and we need to try to do it within the program first.