The scouts are kept under quite strict control at school and have regular homework so they do not have a lot of opportunity to let off steam. I therefore am fairly relaxed about boisterous behaviour in and around the scout hut. I don't even mind too much clearing up their mess, largely through my laziness because it is much easier and quicker to just do it rather than argue with each scout as to exactly how much of the mess they personally caused and the unfairness of being asked to clear up anything that they feel is attributable to another...
However, I and the other leaders do this because we enjoy it. I do not enjoy having to shout at scouts who ignore me trying to prevent them behaving dangerously or behaving disrespectfully towards other people/other peoples belongings.
Tonight we wasted about a quarter of the time available whilst I shouted at scouts climbing to the top of the gym in the absence of safety mats, and then, having come down, doing it again! I also spent about half an hour apologising to the caretaker for him having to rearrange the hall for the next day after the scouts had moved everything around, and also remove several rolls of toilet paper that had been taken out of the toilets and wrapped around the coat hooks in the changing rooms. Drinks were spilled in the corridor. He turned up at 9:30 to close up and go home and neither he nor I left until after 10:00. Frankly it is embarrassing when they show such a lack of respect for their school, the caretaker, and me.
The next group will, as a consequence have no access to changing rooms or the gym and I will make them sit and wait to be collected rather than feeling I can trust them to walk unsupervised from the gym to the school reception.
I would appreciate you having a quiet chat to your scouts and helping them recognise the boundaries between normal behaviour, and behaviour that leads to people, who are voluntarily devoting their time to helping us, being put to extra and entirely unnecessary work. This will lead to opportunities being closed to us in future.
However, I and the other leaders do this because we enjoy it. I do not enjoy having to shout at scouts who ignore me trying to prevent them behaving dangerously or behaving disrespectfully towards other people/other peoples belongings.
Tonight we wasted about a quarter of the time available whilst I shouted at scouts climbing to the top of the gym in the absence of safety mats, and then, having come down, doing it again! I also spent about half an hour apologising to the caretaker for him having to rearrange the hall for the next day after the scouts had moved everything around, and also remove several rolls of toilet paper that had been taken out of the toilets and wrapped around the coat hooks in the changing rooms. Drinks were spilled in the corridor. He turned up at 9:30 to close up and go home and neither he nor I left until after 10:00. Frankly it is embarrassing when they show such a lack of respect for their school, the caretaker, and me.
The next group will, as a consequence have no access to changing rooms or the gym and I will make them sit and wait to be collected rather than feeling I can trust them to walk unsupervised from the gym to the school reception.
I would appreciate you having a quiet chat to your scouts and helping them recognise the boundaries between normal behaviour, and behaviour that leads to people, who are voluntarily devoting their time to helping us, being put to extra and entirely unnecessary work. This will lead to opportunities being closed to us in future.
Comments