Several weeks ago, when Pastor Mark extended the invitation share a midweek Lenten reflection on “wilderness,” I immediately thought of my years as a Boy Scout Leader because we went into the actual wilderness together. We did this literally, of course, as Scouts are inclined to do, but I found myself in a proverbial wilderness in many ways, too. Through it all, the boys came out on the other side as experienced leaders while I learned how to teach, lead and guide them along the way.
It was thirty-eight years ago that I became a Cub Scout Den Leader, then a Cub Master. I was recruited by the District Chair at a District Meeting asking if I’d consider becoming the Scout Master of my sons’ Boy Scout Troop? What!? But, I don’t like hunting or fishing and my camping skills are really rusty. Then he said something that I’ll never forget. “Could you teach boys to become leaders?” ……… Well, yeah! But what about the old guard Scout Masters? Won’t they loudly protest over a woman Scout Master? (How many of you are surprised that I was actually worried about that?) He said, if that happens, you let me know. I gave it about 5 seconds of thought and said, okay. (Are any of you surprised that I volunteered? Mhmm.) I’d just become the first female Scout Master in Hancock County. I’m still proud of that accomplishment. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is where the adventure into the wilderness of teaching boys to become leaders began.
I really knew very little about the Boy Scout side of Boy Scouts of America, yet here I was, about to brave the unknown with eight 11-year-old boys looking to me to teach them. There were 4 older boys already in the Troop. I learned that I could lean on them to teach these young boys things like knots and camping skills and how to run a meeting, kind of. Meanwhile, I attended trainings, dove into the leadership materials, the Boy Scout Handbook and the Merit Badge Handbook so that I could bring the best program possible to these boys. Fortunately, I had brought a handful of dedicated parents with me so I challenged them to take on roles that would facilitate a successful program. Romans 12 tells us that we each have gifts that differ according to the grace given us. As leaders for our troop of Scouts, this proved to be true. We needed Planners, Administrators, Disciplinarians, Good Cops, Bad Cops and, of course, those with the camping, fishing, and other outdoor skills every Scout needs to learn.
As a committee, we would need to find those who would or could lead, teach and guide the boys toward achieving Eagle Rank through merit badge and leadership activities. We would need adults to support these boys as they transitioned from child into responsible leader. We would certainly need adults to cheer the boys on and to be the teachers they would need for the many merit badges they needed for rank advancement. The hardest thing I had to teach the parents and the committee members was the fact that Boy Scouts are a boy-lead organization at the Troop level. I had taken to heart the charge of teaching boys to be their own leaders.
Teaching the boys to lead begins with them serving as Patrol Leaders. (Maybe give us a sentence or two about what a Patrol Leader is/does, exactly.) I saw a lot of fear in the eyes of these young boys as we asked them to be in charge of their 8-member Patrol. We told them not to worry, that we would guide them. 1 Timothy 4 tells us not to let anyone despise us because of our youth but set the believers an example in speech and in conduct. And that’s what we did. We asked the boys to set the example for their patrol members, something like what Jesus did when he said, “For I have set an example, that you also should do as I have done to you. Very truly, I tell you, servants are not greater than their master, nor are messengers greater than the one who sent them.”
Our new Boy Scouts started out in a group of only 8 boys. They learned that their leader would be one of them, so no greater than they were. Jesus teaches us the same thing, right? He came onto this earth to learn to walk as a human so that he could lead us by his example, teaching us to be leaders, or better followers, in the process.
We also told our Scouts that they would take turns being the Patrol Leader. The message was to remember that doing unto this Patrol Leader would likely come back, in spades, to haunt them when it was their turn to be Patrol Leader. It’s really amazing to watch behaviors change when they know the possibility and potential for repercussions.
Teaching leadership also involved letting the boys fall on their faces, then helping them up and asking what they could have done to prevent that from happening. (Like the time when…) Mistakes in a safe place without judgment are a great learning opportunity. Okay, depending on the mistake, we adults may have laughed a little from time to time. Can you think of a time when Jesus sent his Disciples out and they fell on their faces? How about the time Peter stepped out of the boat, onto the sea, only to begin sinking from fear and lack of faith? Or the time Jesus sent the disciples out in pairs, “like lambs in the midst of wolves,” and told them to shake the dust from their feet when others refused the good news they were promising?
Our boys, committee and I grew that troop from 4 boys to an active troop of 30 boys in 2 years. We produced 8 Eagle Scouts from that group; an awesome feat given that generally only 2% of boys earn their Eagle Rank.
I leaned into several scripture verses as I prepared tonight’s message. The first was that moment when Jesus encouraged Peter to step out of the boat, in faith. I stepped into the role of Scout Master – a new, strange, foreign kind of wilderness for me at the time - with faith that there would be those to guide me. As I believe each time I step up to serve around here, as a Bible Study Leader. Or Communion Assistant. Or Assisting Minister. Or as a bread-baker, even. These are all leadership roles in our church – some bigger than others. And, do you know what? As nervous as I am serving the first time in any of these ways … even if they feel like a new, strange, foreign kind of wilderness for me … I find that God stands with me at the crucial hour, when it matters, loving and supporting me. And, miracle of miracles, the nervousness subsides and peace descends on me.
I also appreciated the words from I Peter 5 that advise us to lead the flock eagerly, and “not for shameful gain, not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.” What better advice for learning to lead or live through any kind of wilderness we may face, than to remember that it’s not all about us and how awesome and able we may be – or not – but about how awesome and able God is, in the end?
Amen
