Character Development
CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT
Since its origin, the Scouting program has been an educational experience
concerned with values. In 1910, the first activities for Scouts were designed
to build character, physical fitness, practical skills, and service. These
elements were part of the original Cub Scout program and continue to be part
of Cub Scouting today
Character development should extend into every aspect of a boy's life.
Character development should also extend into every aspect of Cub Scouting.
Cub Scout leaders should strive to use Cub Scouting's 12 core values
throughout all elements of the program—service projects, ceremonies,
games, skits, songs, crafts, and all the other activities enjoyed at den
and pack meetings
Cub Scouting's 12 Core Values |
- Citizenship: Contributing service and showing responsibility to local, state, and national communities.
- Compassion: Being kind and considerate, and showing concern for the well-being of others.
- Cooperation: Being helpful and working together with others toward a common goal
- Courage: Being brave and doing what is right regardless of our fears, the difficulties, or the consequences.
- Faith: Having inner strength and confidence based on our trust in God.
- Health and Fitness: Being personally committed to keeping our minds and bodies clean and fit.
|
- Honesty: Telling the truth and being worthy of trust.
- Perseverance: Sticking with something and not giving up, even if it is difficult.
- Positive Attitude: Being cheerful and setting our minds to look for and find the best in all situations.
- Resourcefulness: Using human and other resources to their fullest.
- Respect: Showing regard for the worth of something or someone.
- Responsibility: Fulfilling our duty to God, country, other people, and ourselves.
|
12 Core Values and
the Scout Law
Boy Scouts learn and strive to live by the Scout Law:
A Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind,
obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent
Many of the core values of Cub Scouting relate directly to the
Scout Law:
| Core Value |
Scout Law |
| Compassion |
Kind |
| Cooperation |
Helpful |
| Courage |
Brave |
| Health and Fitness |
Clean |
| Honesty |
Trustworthy |
| Postive Attitude |
Cheerful | | |
Character can be defined as the collection of core values possessed
by an individual tghat leads toi moral commitment and action.
Character development should challenge Cub Scouts to experience core values
in six general areas: God, world, country, community, family, and self.
Character is "values in action."
|
Character ConnectionsTM
The goals of the Cub Scout leader are
- to seek out and maximize the many opportunities to incorporate
character development
- to convince the young Cub Scout that character is important to
the individual, to his family, community, country, world, and
God
Character development should not be viewed as something done occasionally
as part of a separate program, or as part of only one area of life. For in
reality, character development is a part of everything a Cub Scout does.
Character development lessons can be found in every aspect of the Cub Scouting
experience.
When it comes to developing character, the complete person must be considered.
Character development involves at least three critical areas:
- Know (thought)
- Commit (feeling)
- Practice (behavior)
In Cub Scouting, addressing these three critical areas and relating them to
values is referred to as Character Connections.
Character Connections asks the Cub Scout to:
Know
Character development includes moral knowledge—both awareness and
reasoning. For example, children must understand what honesty means and they
must be able to reason about and interpret each situation, and then decide
how to apply the principles of honesty.
What do I think or know about the core value? How does the context of this
situation affect this core value? What are some historical, literary, or
religious examples representing the core value?
Commit
Character development includes attention to moral motivation. Children must
be committed to doing what they know is right. They must be able to understand
the perspectives of others, to consider how others feel, and to develop an
active moral conscience.
Why is this core value important? What makes living out this core value
different? What will it take to live out this core value?
Practice
Character development includes the development of moral habits through
guided practice. Children need opportunities to practice the social and
emotional skills necessary for doing what is right but difficult, and to
experience the core values in their lives.
How can I act according to this core value? How do I live out this core
value? How can I practice this value at school, at home, and with my
friends?
To make Character Connections an integral part of Cub Scouting, the 12
core values are being integrated throughout the boys' handbooks and advancement
program. Program support for character development can be found in Cub
Scout Program Helps, in the Cub Scout Leader Book, and at your
monthly roundtable meetings.
Remember:
- Core values are the basis of good character development.
- Character must be broadly defined to include thinking,
feeling, and behavior.
- Core values should be promoted throughout all phases
of life.