“When the winds of change blow, some people build walls, others build windmills.”
— Chinese proverb
It is hard to believe that we have been under the thumb of COVID for nearly a year. And what a strange period of time it has been. On one hand we have been in a constant state of change born by the uncertainty of the disease coupled with a tentative—bordering on perilous—political environment and economy. On the other hand, we have been experiencing a strange almost stoppage of time resulting from our inability to mark its passage with notable events and instead suffering the boredom of an almost Groundhog’s Day-like existence. It has been during these interesting times that I have stepped into the role of Scoutmaster, leading the Troop and guiding the Scouts, who are watching and learning and developing their own leadership (and coping) skills, in order to prepare themselves to be future leaders of tomorrow.
I have been in the role for a little over a month now. Despite us being almost completely virtual, I have had the chance to observe a good amount of activity to feel like I am getting into the swing of things. During my observations, one thing that has been on my mind is not just the state of change we have been living through, but how different people have been responding to it. While I’ve been told many times that the number one certainty in life is that there will be change, I have never felt it more now than ever. Environments change, organizations change, and people change, but the changes we have been experiencing are at a whole new level, and the reactions I have seen people having are likewise as extreme, some positive and sadly some not so positive.
Yet, beyond some minor struggles related to “going virtual”, I haven’t really sensed a huge amount of change within the Troop itself, at least not the disruptive kind. I believe part of this is due to the fact that we have a strategic vision that guides us and points us in the direction we are headed.
Our vision: Troop 58 provides life and leadership skills by encouraging advancement in a fun, friendly, and safe environment while serving the community and experiencing adventure.
Our vision helps remind us what we do and how we do it during “normal” times as well as during the most uncertain of times. But it is also flexible and allows us to change and grow, which we have proven through our adaptability and resilience throughout the pandemic spikes and changes in Governor’s orders.
We have also knowingly or unknowingly leaned heavily on the Scout Oath, Law and Motto during these times to help remind us of who we are and what we should be committed to during these difficult times. And one point of the Scout Law that I have particularly noticed in action lately has been, “A Scout is Trustworthy”.
Being trustworthy especially during uncertain times implies a high level of consistency in behavior. And how does one achieve consistency? By being prepared. Being prepared has allowed us to remain thoughtful, stable, reliable, and above all safe while scouting during the pandemic. Being prepared has allowed us to rise above the chaos and be seen as trustworthy, and more importantly as trusted leaders. Isn’t it funny how so much in life boils down to simply being prepared?
During the past few weeks, I have had the pleasure of witnessing a number of our Scouts continuing to demonstrate similar behaviors as those they did pre-COVID. They have remained active in the Troop and within their Patrols to the best of their abilities, albeit mostly virtual, and if not, while upholding social distancing rules. They have also been signing up for merit badges in what feels like record numbers. I frankly have been overwhelmed by the merit badge approval requests that I have been receiving, which has made me not only happy but also proud that our Scouts have been taking advantage of these “slower” times and demonstrating initiative to continue to learn and improve themselves during a time when it would be so easy to do the bare minimum to get by.
So, all in all, despite all of the change we have been experiencing and all of the uncertainty we have been feeling, in my very short tenure so far, I am glad to see our scouts building windmills instead of walls during these windy times. The past year has been visible proof that our scouts are emerging as trusted leaders who are prepared to take on even the most uncertain of times by living the Scout Oath, Law and Motto.
Welcome Scoutmaster Khalili. I am certainly impressed of how active this troop have remained even during these adverse times. It is during these times that our boys need more activity to get out of the house into the great outdoors with proper social distancing. Our boys have been learning new skills and have learned to be resilient. I really commend you and all the leaders for your hardwork and unselfish dedication. Thank you!