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Be Prepared
By Greg Gamache
When Robert Baden Powell founded the Scouting movement, he advised his Scouts to "Be Prepared." When a Scout once asked what it was they should be prepared for, Baden Powell replied "Any old thing."
Be Prepared is a saying that has become synonymous with the Scouting movement. But it is easy to forget that this timeless advice is as important to the adults running the trips and activities as it is for the youth we work with. Scouting trips should be fun and exciting, but often the activities are as new and unfamiliar to the adults as they are to the Scouts. If adults are not "Prepared" with the proper training they may either shy away from key leadership positions or take on tasks they are not prepared to handle. Although both situations can be bad for the Scouting program, the worse case is when Scouts or Venturers are exposed to potentially dangerous situations only because their adult leaders were not "Prepared" to conduct the activities safely.
The best way to ensure that the adult leaders in your Pack, Troop or Crew are "Prepared" for leadership positions is to encourage them to participate in training. The Scouting program has a wealth of knowledge on how to conduct activities safely and the Mt. Diablo Silverado Council (MDSC) offers an extensive program of training opportunities. Registered Scouters and interested adults are welcome at these courses and the costs are minimal. The monthly Smoke Signals lists the training courses that are available.
At a minimum, every adult who takes on leadership of an activity or trip should have attended the new leader Fast Start Training and Youth Protection Training. This ensures that adult leaders can deliver a quality scouting experience within the "safe haven" that boys need to grow and develop.
Trip specific training in outdoors skills is available at all levels of the Scouting program and the MDSC's High Adventure Team offers a full range of advanced courses which include snow camping, climbing, backpacking, cycling and water sports. Courses on Safe Swim Defense and Safety Afloat can be presented at the unit level, and they are often available to adults while attending BSA summer camps. Scouting units should consider paying for training courses, and during the unit's annual planning meeting, adult training events should be scheduled into the program so that adults can attend as a group.
Whether they would admit it or not, youth members of the Scouting programs really do watch and imitate their adult leaders. The example set by a well-trained leader who knows how to safely participate in exciting outdoor activities can have a lasting impact. A safe, quality Scouting program is a rewarding experience for the youth and the adults in the program. Unit committees and parents should insist that adults "Be Prepared" for the activities they are leading.
