Sunday, November 16, 2014

World Organisation Of The Scout Movement & The Movement In General




ON THE RIGHT TRACK? 

I don't know If I'm wrong.... but... think about this play for a moment... a Surgeon and an accountant... One morning the surgeon realises that he needs help during operation and because he doesn't have an assistant for known reasons he decides to call his friend ''The accountant and tells him '' Hey man! I'm calling you because I need your help today,are you willing to help out? The accountant on his turn says,'' I would gladly be willing to help out, and gets out of his accountancy office and heads to the hospital... It's like waking up one morning and suddenly decide on your own, that today I am a doctor,accountant,nurse,scouting leader and just break in these offices and without any basics get to work... weird play & thinking right? Well, think about this, imagine this accountant opening a patient or even knowing what kind of tools to handle to the doctor when asked and vice verse. 

You are probably wondering, why in the hell am I even giving this example, well... this is what's happening in different types of organisations / world organisations, and in the end these organisations not only loses their essence / purpose and the motive why they exist in the first place but they become a problem of their own... A BIG TIME PROBLEM.

For me its not about '' Are you willing but are you capable because everyone is willing but not everyone is capable and not everyone is open to learn how to do things the right way.... 
What's this have to do with Scouting? Well, this year is my 15th year as a scout and 7 years as a beaver leader which is my passion, that is working with children. If you never did scouting in your life or you are one of those I like to call''dropped out scouts'' because they start at a young age and then come back with the age to become a leader, well then you are told that scouting is a non formal education, yes! NON FORMAL! Not a military, school or kindergarten or a hobby, it's a passion a way of life. 

So let me make this very clear, for one to be able to become a beaver leader, cub scout leader, scout leader, rover leader one has not to learn but to practice because in order for a baby to walk, she/he has to crawl, fall couple of times and then with much practice take the first walking steps. In scouting it has to be the same.... yes we have a world organisation, but they don't have a grip about the essence of their movement or making sure that their objectives about ''CREATING A BETTER WORLD'' is being really incorporated in the countries doing this movement , every country has their own policies some are harsher than others and others don't even have one. I'm not saying that you have to be against culture,norms and values,NO! I'm saying as a world wide organisation which creates a variety of programs and manuals can at least try to put every country and its leaders in the same level of training and thinking, which WOSM lacks, there are a lot of problems within countries itself where there is no clear structure and where the essence / purpose of the movement in the first place is gone, it's all about business and politics and personal gain. Everyone is willing to help but not everyone is capable. 

I remember visiting a group affiliated with Scouting Netherlands, I remember that the requirements to become a leader starts with checking if you have a criminal records, and a training with a practice exam which determines if you really are a leader or assistant this type of structure is good, why? because everyone knows their role,there is no mistake and everyone knows their place regardless if you were a scout or not..My point is this, a world scout committee was appointed, very good.... but will things change? Will this appointed board will be willing to travel to the countries that are affiliated to WOSM and see for themselves that if the purpose of scouting is really being incorporated and are the leaders capable, and if not, tackle the problems? 

In my humble opinion, it's time for a change... a real change.. world wide change...mentally ... because the movement is losing not only the grip but the purpose for what it was founded by Lord Baden Powell in the first place. In my country it already lost it's purpose... the essence.. it's more about monarchy, social labeling,social status, not able to work with each other, not willing to tolerate or accepting each other,not to be willing to communicate even with differences and just because we decide ''Today I am a scout leader'' we become arrogant towards others who has already the basics and not be willing either to learn from those real scouts or try to understand and all of this is because of indistinct structure &  incapability's. In the end it's not about what's important to me or to you, but it's about the children/members getting an effective and the right non formal scout education. It's not about that I am willing but Am I capable to be giving this non formal education in the first place! Instead of destroying and confusing little worlds, let's really focus on creating better world's by evaluating if we are indeed on the right track as adults......