[Philmont] Learn By Doing

I believe John's first two paragraphs are the most important statements in his recent postings.
We tend to overteach sometimes. (Because of our fear of failure?)
This leaves little for the Scouts to discover.
The discovery process many times begins with a failure.
When they have worked through a failure of some type they learn valuable lessons.
Don't cheat them of that opportunity.

Don't forget the rest of their schooling is most likely focussed on success, and does not use failure as an opportunity to learn.
The methods used which focus on success, develop young people that are afraid to try for fear of failure.
This alone is one reason Scouting has been so much to so many for so long.

Gary Stanley

  ----- Original Message -----
  From: John LeBlanc
  To: Philmont List Member
  Sent: Monday, July 09, 2007 3:21 PM
  Subject: [Philmont] Learn By Doing

  In regard to the posts about fuel and stove problems, please don't look at these problems as failures. Look at them as learning experiences for the Scouts....and for you! Philmont is an adventure along a long path, not a destination. It's a place where Scouts learn things that will be with them forever. The learning curve there is steep and jam packed over a short period of time

  If everything goes acoring to yoru plan, you might as well be at an amusement park or on a Grey Line bus tour. Adults look on these kinds of things as problems to be avoided. Scouts on the other hand gain knowledge and lifes experiences from dealing with these mishaps. It becomes part of their kit bag for life.

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As you gather around this virtual campfire with fellow
Scouts and Scouters, do your best to be trustworthy,
loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient,
cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent.
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Received on Mon Jul 9 20:58:12 2007