I just finished a book that has nothing to do with Scouting, yet piqued my attention when the author described things that scouting provided the youth of those now long-gone days.
What Is Grit
Having Grit, as defined by Angela Duckworth, is someone who is unusually resilient and hardworking, not at all complacent, feels a connection to a purpose and is relentless about pursuing that deep and abiding interest.
People with grit are not discouraged by challenges and fiercely determined to keep trying. In other words, they are persistent in overcoming obstacles and definitely not known to be quitters.
One might even call this level of focus obsessive on the extreme. However, a combination of determination and direction on another level is called grit.
It Starts With Interest
As the author describes how grit starts with developing an interest, I immediately thought about Scouting’s merit badge program. That process of rank advancement gave kids an opportunity to try a wide variety of new and different things, hoping to find something of interest that they could become good at.
A profound message this author gives to parents, parent-to-be and non-parents of all ages would have applied to us Scout leaders just the same:
“Before hard work comes play.
Before those who’ve yet to fix on a passion are ready to spend hours a day diligently honing skills, they must goof around… triggering and retriggering interest.
Of course, developing an interest requires time and energy, and yes, some discipline and sacrifice. But at this earliest stage, novices aren’t obsessed with getting better. They’re not thinking years and years into the future. They don’t know what their top-level, life-orienting goal will be. More than anything else, they’re having fun.
In other words, even the most accomplished of experts start out as unserious beginners.”
Sound like any scout activity you may have been a part of?
A Game With A Purpose
Duckworth goes on to write that according to the psychologist, Benjamin Bloom, the development of skill progresses through 3 different stages, each lasting several years.
“Interests are discovered and developed in what Bloom called “The Early Years”.
Encouragement during the Early Years is crucial because beginners are still figuring out whether they want to commit or cut bait. Accordingly, Bloom and his research team found that the best mentors at this stage were especially warm and supportive. Perhaps the major quality of these teachers was that they made the initial learning very pleasant and rewarding. Much of the introduction to the field was as playful activity and the learning at the beginning of this stage was like a game.”
As if we needed more proof that Baden-Powell had it right by promoting his vision of Scouting as “a game with a purpose”.
High Adventure
Lastly, Angela Duckworth describes Outward Bound, a program that sends young people into the wilderness for a few weeks to explore their personal potential.
She says:
“From its inception a half century ago, the premise of Outward Bound, so named for the moment a ship leaves harbor for the open seas, has been that challenging outdoor situations develop tenacity in pursuit and undefeatable spirit.
The program has been shown to increase independence, confidence, assertiveness and the belief that what happens in life in largely under your control. What’s more, these benefits tend to increase, rather than diminish, in the six months following participation in the program.”
I can’t help feeling sad about having to abandon a program that did so much for the rising generation while it’s replacement, for the LDS faith anyway, has fallen flat on its face.
