My Scouting Light

How was the weekend for you? Did any Boy/Girl Scout knock on your door asking for a job?
Well apparently I was part of the some 10,000 Scouts scattered all over Singapore, knocking on doors of residences offering my services.

Click HERE to find out more about Job week.

Job Week aside, today’s entry will revolve around my experience as a Scout.



Being a Scout since my Secondary school days, I’ve been through many stages (i.e. junior, senior, Patrol Leader, Venture). Very clearly, there is a STRUCTURE of HIERARCHY in place, whereby power comes from status, which in turn depends on one’s age. Authority is defined in such a way that anyone of a higher “level” has the rights to give orders to anyone of a lower “level”, and the latter has to follow the orders. Very seldom is there room for questioning, and whether or not the rationale behind such decisions is made known will depend on the individual senior. As such, communication is very much DOWNWARD, and very little UPWARD. While this may be a common characteristic among all Uniformed Groups, it can actually be a bad thing. Consider a junior member following his/her senior instructions without knowing why it is being done. He/She has no rights to question the given instructions, and hence remains mum even though he/she is puzzled. After some time, when the junior member becomes a senior, he/she gives the same set of instructions just because it was done that way the last time. Over the years, the same situation repeats itself many times over. Obviously, times change and there will be new and better ways to cope with the different context. But because no one could ever question why something was done in a certain way, the new and better ways will never be utilized despite the different context. Now that’s what we would call “an outdated method”.

There was also a great amount of HORIZONTAL COMMUNICATION involved. At all levels, it is required. As a junior, we were taught the notion of “one for all, & all for one”. This meant that we had to identify ourselves not as individuals, but as one unified group. Prompted by many reminders (in the form of punishment and scolding), we got to know each other within the same level better. When we moved on to becoming the leaders and being part of a Leaders Committee, we also required a fair bit of horizontal communication. With each of us playing our individual roles (i.e. treasurer, logistics, admin, training, quartermaster etc.), we had to have connections with each other in order for things to run smoothly. It was the whole idea of synergy and doing things collectively.

Currently I am a Venture holding the position of vice-chairperson. Being Ventures, we are no longer bound under a rigid system and have greater autonomy in doing things. However, this has led me to realize the bureaucracy involved when conducting an activity. While we were not as controlled (in terms of a prescribed set of activities set by adult leaders and teachers), we still had to go through many levels approval. From the adult leaders to the teachers-in-charge all the way to the school principal, nearly all plans have to go through the many levels before they can executed. Is it necessary? Technically yes, especially when dealing with the issue of safety. But then again, if safety is emphasized too much, the element of adventure will be removed. Scouting without the adventurous spirit; that just doesn’t seem right.

Just in case you do not know, for my unit, Ventures and Scouts are 2 sub-units under one name. Despite being run by separate executive committees and having different activities, the 2 sub-units actually are closely tied together. The Ventures will provide help and expertise to the Scouts in times of competition, and also plan special activities for the younger ones. On the reverse, the Scouts provide the Ventures with equipment and other forms of logistical support.

Well, that’s about all I have to say.
Bye!