The Game of Scouting

It's Not Winning Or Losing

Scouting is a game. At least that's what it's supposed to be. Some would even say it's supposed to be a game with a purpose, but it seems to me that there are an awful lot of people out there who tend to go to extremes. There are those who put all of their emphasis on the game, and there are those who put all of their emphasis on the purpose.

One thing we should all remember is that Scouting is supposed to be a game for the youth who are Scouts. That means for them it should be fun, exciting, and with relatively few rules. It should appear to them to be just a fun activity. Sure, we've got the Scout Oath and Law, which constitute the rules of the game. Some would say that these two elements make Scouting an impossible game. No other game requires a player to follow the rules even when he's not playing!

While that's generally true with games like football, or chess, it's not true of Scouting simply because the game never ends. It starts when a boy first promises that he "understands and intends to live by the Scout Oath, Scout Law, Scout Motto, Scout Slogan, and the Outdoor Code;" or he first promises "to do my best to do my duty to God and my country, to help other people, and to obey the Law of the Pack." If the game is played properly, it lasts forever regardless of whether the individual still puts on a Scouting uniform.

Like most games, Scouting has an ultimate goal, a set of rules, and a well-defined playing field. Over the years many have developed strategies for playing the game; ways to make the game more exciting, but the overall goal of the game hasn't changed. For example, the goal of football is to score as many points as possible in 60 minutes while preventing your opponent from scoring. This has been a goal of the game from the moment it was first developed. Over the years many improvements have been made to football to make it safer, more exciting to play, or more exciting to watch. That's much like Scouting. The basic rules of football - the rules that define how football is played, scored, etc. haven't changed just like the Scout Oath and Law haven't changed. The other rules that protect the players, define what is allowed and what isn't, and such have changed to make the game safer and discourage cheating. Scouting has the same thing in the Guide To Safe Scouting, Youth Protection, Leave No Trace, Climb On Safely, as well as the rank requirements and merit badges.

It's How You Play The Game

Imagine what football would be like if all of the effort involved in the game was focused solely on the aims of the game, with no regard to how the rules expect the game to be played, or what is allowed or not allowed. Some would point to Australian Rules football, or Rugby. Both of these sports, however, still have rules that must be followed. No, football would resemble warfare if the only focus was on scoring points and keeping your opponent from scoring them. Now imagine what Scouting would be like if all of our focus was on building character, fostering citizenship, and promoting fitness - with no regard for how that's done. It sounds impossible, but there are folks in Scouting who's sole focus is on the aims of Scouting. They don't care how Scouting is done as long as it achieves the three aims. It's what I call anarchy.

Imagine what football would be like if all of the effort involved in the game was focused completely on the excitement of the game. They don't care what the goal of the game is, or how it's played, as long as it's fun. Imagine what it would be like watching a game where any rule is seen to take away from the fun and excitement. Well, the first thing you'd notice is that it would be pretty hard to score any points. On the offensive side each player would be trying to do whatever he thought was fun instead of working together to move the ball down the field and score points. On the defensive side you'd have chaos. Assuming the quarterback managed to throw the ball, chances are pretty good the receivers would have been knocked unconscious shortly after the ball was snapped. Suffice it to say, there'd be a lot of turnovers. Now, imagine what Scouting would be like if all of our focus was on having fun. Aside from the chaos, you'd see a lot of kids running around doing whatever they like to do, and all of the things that need to be done wouldn't get done.

My point is that everything that goes into this game we call Scouting is there for a reason. The Boy Scouts of America is charged with the task of making sure the aims of the movement are met, but at the same time, it has to make sure Scouting is fun and exciting. Despite what some may think, every rule and requirement is strictly analyzed to ensure that it promotes the aims of Scouting, follows the established rules for how the game of Scouting is played, and keeps Scouting fun and exciting for those who play it. When the requirements for a merit badge are reviewed, every proposed change is weighed very carefully to maintain the balance between the aims, the methods, and the game itself. We as Scouters should do no less in running our units.