Doesn't quite have the same ring as PERSIST does...
2. The PCC Rover Crew has a mission statement and a set of values, what does the mission statement and the values mean to you?
To review, the mission statement and set of values were developed solely by the crew members and are:
Mission statement: We are a team dedicated to the success of Scouts Canada by realizing individual potential through leadership and management development.
Values: Passion, Excellence, Respect, Scouting Principles, Integrity, Supportive & Trust, which spell out PERSIST (or STRIPES if that’s your thing)
The mission statement is what we want to accomplish. It differentiates us from all other groups, otherwise, what’s the point of having a mission statement. It singularly defines who we, as a crew, are. Nothing great can be attained without leadership. The number of people needed to achieve an accomplishment is linearly proportional to it’s greatness, while the complexity rises exponentially. Leadership and management skills allow us to overcome these obstacles. These two abilities have to be present and in abundance for any organization that plans to excel. The Crew sees Leadership and Management skills as our primary focus, and I stand behind that with all my belief. As we move forward, personal, local, national, and human problems will become more complex. If Scouts Canada’s mission is to develop fully engaged and capable citizens in a modern world, our mission is critical to that of Scout’s Canada.
Our values tells us how we will get to what we want to accomplish. Excellence, or quality is indicative of the group pushing each other to never be satisfied with the status quo. Passion comes from finding new and innovative activities that our members hold value for; for then they have no reason to leave. Respect is needed when dealing with any size of group. Respect (emotional quotient) is the social lube that keeps a community running efficiently. Scouting principles are enshrined in the promise and law. To me, the key is ones Honour. This ties nicely to the next one of integrity. Another’s word is all I need from my crew to move forward, no further effort wasted on thinking. The old three musketeers cheer of, “One for all, and all for one!” stands strong here. In all manners of life, if a Rover is suffering, we all are. We can only operate at peak efficiency when everyone is at peak efficiency. A group has to be able to trust, and trust that the best will come from, a fellow Rover in order to work in a group. Lack of trust is the quickest way to lead to a dysfunctional, inefficient group.
As part of the group that formed both of these, I truly stand by them. The mission statement encompasses perfectly what we are trying to achieve; personal individual growth that when summed together benefits Scouts Canada. All aspects of the individuals and their lives are on the table for growth, but our focus is leadership and management abilities. Many skills will be learned over the course of ones life, but unless concentration on any one skill with mentally fixation is done, only a passing level of ability can be gained. There are many outlets to grow other life skills, but far too few for proper disciplined learning of leadership and management. Full learning comes with mentorship and practice from experiencies, to correct your mistakes and refine your abilities, methods and thinking.
If we want to change ourselves, Scouts Canada and the world we live in, we have the road map to live by.
Your turn. (Can you see a pattern yet?) What values from Scouting or your life do you hold dearest? What do you use to judge the people around you?