Just found out this morning while going on a Webelos II hike that Meeman-Shelby Forest will be having an event called "First Hike" in January. On January first at 2pm the ranger will begin a hike through the park starting from shelter #2. There will be hot apple cider, a bonfire and a raptor hike. I'm sure there will be more, but I think it sounds fun just from the few events she rattled off to me.
I will unfortunately not be able to make it as I will be out of town, but this will be a great opportunity for Scouts to see some cool stuff. This would probably be especially cool for the younger boys.
Saturday, December 14, 2013
Thursday, December 12, 2013
Can do vs Can't do attitudes
I guess I am a can do type of person. I don't generally think I can't do something. I just do it. It may not be perfect or 100% correct, but I try to get it done. It bothers me when people immediately take the opposite attitude of can't. I get extremely frustrated when I give ideas or advice and then immediately given reason why it won't work. THEN the person continues to complain about the situation that I was advising on.
I don't mind my ideas being shot down. What I mind is the immediate rejection, the whining about something and doing nothing to fix it and shooting done ideas saying they are impossible.
When I do something and run into obstacles, I try to figure out a way through it. I try to remain positive and to find the silver lining in less than good things. If one thing doesn't work, I figure something else out. I rarely give up something as hopeless. I guess that's why one of my fellow Scouters frustrates me so much.
This person basically voluntold me for something and asked me for my help and input, but constantly refuses my advice and tells me that nothing can be. It's just excuses, excuses, excuses. I feel that my energy and time are not being utilized well and that until the leader gets a better attitude, we are not going to be able to change or grow.
I think it's better to see what the possibilities are rather than why there can't be possibilities. There are going to be times when things look dark and bleak, but rather than accepting that and quitting and wallowing in self pity, you need to sit down and figure ways that it will work. My friend put this perfectly when he said "I'm sick and tired of people telling me why it won't work instead of trying to figure out ways that it will". My sentiments exactly!
If you have a negative attitude about things, all you're going to get is negativity. If you have a positive attitude, you will draw positive and good things to you.
I don't mind my ideas being shot down. What I mind is the immediate rejection, the whining about something and doing nothing to fix it and shooting done ideas saying they are impossible.
When I do something and run into obstacles, I try to figure out a way through it. I try to remain positive and to find the silver lining in less than good things. If one thing doesn't work, I figure something else out. I rarely give up something as hopeless. I guess that's why one of my fellow Scouters frustrates me so much.
This person basically voluntold me for something and asked me for my help and input, but constantly refuses my advice and tells me that nothing can be. It's just excuses, excuses, excuses. I feel that my energy and time are not being utilized well and that until the leader gets a better attitude, we are not going to be able to change or grow.
I think it's better to see what the possibilities are rather than why there can't be possibilities. There are going to be times when things look dark and bleak, but rather than accepting that and quitting and wallowing in self pity, you need to sit down and figure ways that it will work. My friend put this perfectly when he said "I'm sick and tired of people telling me why it won't work instead of trying to figure out ways that it will". My sentiments exactly!
If you have a negative attitude about things, all you're going to get is negativity. If you have a positive attitude, you will draw positive and good things to you.
Monday, December 2, 2013
When is being kind too much?
One of the tenets of Scouting is "a Scout is kind". We teach the boys that one must be kind to his fellow humans and animals, but when is it going too far?
We have an elderly gentleman in our troop who has been in Scouting longer than my parents have been alive. He's an institution within our council and you'd be hard pressed to find someone who doesn't know who this guy is. But the fact of the matter is that he can be a bit of a burden at times. He lives a block away from the church we meet at and yet needs a ride every time. It wouldn't be a big deal, but he constantly calls me looking for a ride. It's not just on meeting days. He'll start calling me several days beforehand and if he doesn't talk to me, he will call again and again and again. It's annoying when I'm at work (I've had talks with him many times about not calling me between the hours of 8 and 5 to no avail), but when I'm at home with family, I really don't want to spend five minute yelling into the phone to get this guy to hear me. This situation is causing some issues between my wife and I as well. She's annoyed that I have to leave home early in order to get him and that he always calls, looking for me. Also, I don't want to leave my family for longer than I have to. Being an ASM and a Den Leader takes a lot of my time and though picking this guy up doesn't take me out of my way, it does take more of my time.
Another problem with this fellow is that he wants me to take him to our monthly roundtable. If I lived over by him, it wouldn't be a big deal, but I live far East of him and would have to travel past the meeting place to pick him up. Doing this in rush hour traffic is no small task and again requires me to leave early in order to get him.
I don't want to go against the principle of being kind, but sometimes I wonder when is adhering to one's principles going too far? I don't want to tell the guy to get lost, but I also feel like I'm getting taken advantage of and no one else is willing to help out.
This whole situation upsets me and I'm not sure what I should do. I hope the situation will improve, but I don't expect it to.
We have an elderly gentleman in our troop who has been in Scouting longer than my parents have been alive. He's an institution within our council and you'd be hard pressed to find someone who doesn't know who this guy is. But the fact of the matter is that he can be a bit of a burden at times. He lives a block away from the church we meet at and yet needs a ride every time. It wouldn't be a big deal, but he constantly calls me looking for a ride. It's not just on meeting days. He'll start calling me several days beforehand and if he doesn't talk to me, he will call again and again and again. It's annoying when I'm at work (I've had talks with him many times about not calling me between the hours of 8 and 5 to no avail), but when I'm at home with family, I really don't want to spend five minute yelling into the phone to get this guy to hear me. This situation is causing some issues between my wife and I as well. She's annoyed that I have to leave home early in order to get him and that he always calls, looking for me. Also, I don't want to leave my family for longer than I have to. Being an ASM and a Den Leader takes a lot of my time and though picking this guy up doesn't take me out of my way, it does take more of my time.
Another problem with this fellow is that he wants me to take him to our monthly roundtable. If I lived over by him, it wouldn't be a big deal, but I live far East of him and would have to travel past the meeting place to pick him up. Doing this in rush hour traffic is no small task and again requires me to leave early in order to get him.
I don't want to go against the principle of being kind, but sometimes I wonder when is adhering to one's principles going too far? I don't want to tell the guy to get lost, but I also feel like I'm getting taken advantage of and no one else is willing to help out.
This whole situation upsets me and I'm not sure what I should do. I hope the situation will improve, but I don't expect it to.
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