I’ve reluctantly agreed to speak to a troup of Boy Scouts. Ages 10-15, I think.
I say “reluctantly” because, even though I make my living working with kids and am an experienced public speaker with adult audiences, I have no idea what to talk to this group about.
I’d love some suggestions.
Dale
I was a Teenage Webelo: How I found God in whistles, and got my chiff together.
On a serious note, maybe you could give them a hunger site pitch.
Confessions of a Neo-Liberal: I worship at the Altar of Walmart.
Asymptomatic Transmission of Herpes Simplex: Do you know where that fipple has been?
Helpful, Loyal, Clean: The Code of the Walmart Greeter.
WhOA: Be prepared.
Surely you could mine the untapped riches of the NAF forum?
Most teenage boys are obsessed with girls. Maybe some “man to man” talk. wink wink nudge nudge.
“You’ll be grown up before you know it, better get all the fun you can now”
Was there a point in mind when you were asked? You weren’t given a
topic or anything? Is it career day or something, or are you just
viewed as a good role model?
I’m just confused because my troop never had random speakers. We
had merit badge councilors from outside the troop, but that was the
extent of (non-parent) adult interaction. (There is a jounalism](http://www.meritbadge.com/mb/066.htm%22%3Ejounalism) merit
badge, but not a whislte journalism merit badge…)
I’m thinking of my own son here, who is 12, and what his experience has been with the mainly sports-focused men he has regular contact with–coaches and so on. Scouts probably have a much broader range of male role models, so maybe this wouldn’t apply. But my sense is that developmentally boys this age are kinda entering the world of males–separating from their mothers. I think how this relates to their attitudes towards girls could be very interesting to them, and something they probably have NOWHERE to discuss. With your humor and authentic lack of sexism, I think you could really speak to them in a way that might help them think about their relationships with girls in somewhat different and potentially very satisfying ways.
Just a thought.
Carol
a really good one. I was thinking about a talk about “respect”: Which, could be applied to bullying, sticking up for the underdog and, as you point out, relationships with girls. Thanks!
Dale
A really good idea. What Carol didn’t say is that the sport-focussed role models, although in many respects very decent folk, are very often subtly, or not so subtly, sexist. These boys, the ones immediately pre-puberty, are the ones who want to have less to do with women than boys of any other age. I don’t think that this is in itself a big deal, but how they emerge from this period, at puberty, seems to have a lot to do with how their role models characterise maleness.
In my day, Scouts were very craft-oriented–especially anything involving leather or rope. We also enjoyed knife and ax throwing. And anything related to poisonous snakes.
Any chance you could make a PVC whistle right there in front of them?
I think Tom Lehrer said it best when he said:
Be prepared, that’s the Boy Scout’s marching song
Be prepared, as through life you march along
Be prepared to hold your liquor pretty well
Don’t write naughty words on walls if you can’t spell
Be prepared to hide that pack of cigarettes
Don’t make book if you cannot cover bets
Keep those pot well-hidden where you’re sure it will not be found
And be careful not to turn on when the scoutmaster’s around
For he only will insist that it be shared
Be prepared
Be prepared, that’s the Boy Scouts’ solemn creed
Be prepared, and be clean in word and deed
Don’t solicit for your sister, that’s not nice
Unless you get a good percentage of her price
Be prepared, and be careful not to do
Your good deeds when there’s no one watching you
If you’re looking for adventure of a new and different kind
And you come across a Girl Scout who is similarly inclined
Don’t be nervous, don’t be flustered, don’t be scared,
Be prepared
Well, you could always talk to them about driving…somthing from your website, etc.
Something you know a lot about, that way you can just pull something out of your fipple and be ready.
If I was in your neck of the woods, we could do a complete tear-down and rebuild of a Mini.