Chief Scouts Desk : Chief Scouts Address National Council 09

Chief Scout address to National Council Newcastle Co Down

My fellow scouts, Change always gives new opportunities,... how we react and manage these opportunities will dictate the outcome of the change,..... for better or worse. Let me tell you,....................... A conductor is one of the last
bastions of totalitarianism and interestingly, this is reflected in the levels of job satisfaction enjoyed by musicians in an orchestra. Far from my idea of Scouting! However quartets come out high up the ladder of job satisfaction, (working in small groups) clearly job satisfaction is related to the degree of participation and engagement felt by individuals in the overall task.... This is my vision of a Corporate Scouting Mind........ where we take on board the best ideas that come from within all the membership of our orchestra and quartets all across the island of Ireland.

It is important not to lose sight of the original motivation, that primary spark, as to why we all decided to get involved in Scouting. Working with and supporting young people to develop dare I say it the S.P.I.C.E.S.

Let's say you all had to write a letter to the Chief Scout outlining why you're Section /Group was going to be the best it could be at the end of the year (I PROMISE TO DO MY BEST). In that letter Describe what your Group could be and would be and if we in Scouting Ireland had a support group to help you to become that Group in the letter we could make great strides and changes for the better in Scouting Ireland.

I say to you today that we have those support groups...... but it is about firstly writing that letter and secondly asking for the support to become what you want in the letter. We put undue emphases on avoiding being wrong and on avoiding telling people our aspirations for what we would like to achieve in Scouting both for ourselves as individuals and for the youth members under our care. (Scout is Helpful) Lets not take a negative view on this lets look to the positive the change that will bring results for the better. Let's look for the "art of possibility "a life changing event,......... why can't this happen scouting and why not in Scouting Ireland! Let us awaken the possibility in the youth under our care and in our fellow Scouters too, lets develop visions for ourselves and for Scouting Ireland without boundaries, you will have an opportunity to do that through the Strategy towards 2012............

WE CAN BUILD ON THIS POSITIVE MOMENTUM THAT HAS HAPPENED IN Scouting in Ireland over the past few years and together we can lead this great movement to that level we all know that we can reach.......
I too have written a letter and I am asking you to support me in delivering the contents of my letter, as to where I see scouting Ireland in three years time.
( I ask for your Loyalty)