December 2011
December 2011: The Importance of Setting Goals
We are at that time of the year where we all anticipate change, with New Year resolutions, examination of the past year, and planning for the next. The Scouts and Scouters of Minsi Trails Council are among the finest I have ever had the opportunity to serve. Their dedication and commitment is inspirational. We need to continue on our journey to excellence to reach out to our commissioners, fellow leaders and fellow units to become the best that we can. We need to keep our feet firmly planted in the present, our vision focused to the future, and our values from the past if we are to succeed in our mission to instill values, character, and leadership in the youth of the next generations.
None of this happens by accident. We need to have a plan, a direction to take. As Daniel Boone once said, "Having an exciting destination is like setting a needle in your compass. From then on, the compass knows only one point - it's ideal. And it will faithfully guide you there through the darkest nights and fiercest storms."
One of the first skills a Scout learns is to use a compass and read a map. We teach this skill for many reasons. One is to make sure that Scouts don't get lost in the wilderness but also metaphorically to teach them that they need to find direction in life. Goal setting and planning is not a task everyone enjoys; it is, however, a necessary component to success.
In Scouting these goals take on many forms, whether it be the budget that a unit uses to operate or the calendar set up by the committee or the Patrol Leaders Council. Goals form the directiona nd framework of our units to get from here to there. With the new BSA's Journey to Excellence, this planning takes on even greater importance so that we can measure how we have done in serving our youth. Some very famous people have spent years studying the best way to set goals and follow them. In Scouting I always saw the goal being the endpoint of where we want to be and the plan as the way to get there. In the course of setting goals we take into account as our guide the Scout Oath and Law, which will give us both the aspiration and the praticality of how to get there. Writing down these goals may be new to some of you in Scouting, but we need to establish a record for those who come after us so that the wheel doesn't have to be reinvented every couple of years.
Just as the boys need to read a map and compass, as adult volunteer leaders we need to read and follow our goals and plans. Thank you to every one of you for your service, dedication and commitment. I wish you the best for the coming holiday season and the New Year. Don't forget your unit commissioner is an excellent guide, a regular Daniel Boone in the journey to Scouting excellence.
Yours in Scouting,
Dr. Mike Dolan
South Mountain District Commissioner