What CSI Can Learn From Scouts

What CSI Can Learn From Scouts

 

Whether you were in boy scouts as a boy or have a son in scouting or not, I’m sure you’re at least familiar with the Boy Scout Oath and Law:

 

On my honor, I will do my best, to do my duty, to God and country and to obey the Scout Law; to help other people at all times; to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake and morally straight.

 

A Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent.

 

These two statements form the core values of the Boy Scouts of America. For those of us who are active in this organization, they are what we teach our boys each day and with each activity. Being kind, caring for your country and your neighbors, keeping yourself strong and free from substances that damage your body or cloud your judgment are a few of the life lessons young men can take away from their time spent in Boy Scouts. However, there is much more to it than that.

 

From the BSA web site, www.scouting.org, is this statement: “For over a century, the BSA has helped build the future leaders of this country by combining educational activities and lifelong values with fun. The Boy Scouts of America believes….that helping youth is a key to building a more conscientious, responsible, and productive society.”

 

Isn’t that what CSI is trying to do for the construction industry: build leaders in construction through education and fun? So, what can CSI learn from the Boy Scouts of America? Here are some thoughts.

 

Be Prepared: This is the scout motto and we teach our boys to prepare themselves for any situation that might come up while on an outing. Just last weekend, the first weekend in December, my son’s troop had planned a campout in the outdoors. The weather Friday night was raining with lows of 35 degrees F and high winds. Saturday was sunny but cold with a high of about 40 degrees F. Sunday offered a chance of snow, mixing with sleet and rain later in the afternoon. The troop discussed the gear necessary and the trip went off without a hitch.

 

Being prepared is applicable to all instances in life, well beyond scouting. I’m involved in a project right now where the architect of record likes to schedule meetings and not give any indication of the purpose or agenda for the meeting beyond a relatively generic description in the Outlook meeting invitation he emails out to attendees. I’m sure the organizer of these meetings has a good idea in his mind of what the meeting will cover, but without communicating that to the team, we are unable to adequately prepare ourselves for the meeting. In our CSI activities, just like in our business activities, we should be prepared and communicate the details of meetings to others so that they can be prepared.

 

Communicate: Every other month, my son’s troop delivers our neighborhood newsletter on Saturday morning. The newsletter is a folded 8-1/2” by 11” page and there are about 1,500 homes in our neighborhood. We need all the scouts we can get to help make the work easier and shorter. In our compact neighborhood, cars are of little help: the boys walk door-to-door and drop the newsletter on each porch. Two months ago, we had three scouts show up on Saturday morning so it took us most of the morning to finish the delivery. This past month, our troop’s Senior Patrol Leader, the top scout leader, worked the phones and contacted each scout in the troop so that on Saturday every scout showed up and we finished in 45 minutes. When the delivery was finished, I spoke with the Senior Patrol Leader and told him how important those phone calls were in the success of the event.

 

In many scouting activities, we are outdoors hiking, canoeing or participating in other fun activities that can be dangerous without good communication skills. We train our scouts to recognize the situations that can be perilous and how to communicate with each other to navigate those situations successfully. Communication was the key to the success of the newsletter event and in most endeavors in which we participate. Business is the same way. When projects go into litigation, a contributing factor is frequently the lack of intrapersonal communication among the team members. If we don’t communicate, we fail.  Does your chapter communicate enough with your members to ensure the success of the chapter and your activities?

 

Work hard, play hard: Scouting is intended to teach boys life lessons about organizing yourself, preparing yourself and working hard to produce the results you want. It is incredibly hard work to earn the merit badges and other requirements to earn your ranks and ultimately earn the Eagle Scout badge. However, scouting is also about having fun and there are also lots of fun things to do along the way while earning ranks and merit badges. Camping, canoeing, rock climbing, swimming, archery and pioneering are just a few of the great outdoor activities scouts participate in. There are many others from woodworking to astronomy to computer science. There are 130 merit badges that scouts can earn to learn more about the activities that interest them.

 

I think sometimes in CSI we take ourselves too seriously. We too narrowly focus our activities to things we encounter at work each day. Life is more than just work! I define myself as husband, father and architect, in that order. My first responsibility is to my wife and children while my occupation comes further down the list of priorities.

 

In CSI, we should loosen up! Plan some fun activities along with the usual educational programs. Our chapter holds a bowling event each December. Baltimore is the birth place of duck pin bowling: a form of bowling that uses a shorter lane, shorter pins and a ball with no holes that is about the size of a cannon ball. When you’re in town for CONSTRUCT 2014, look me up and I’ll take you duck pin bowling!

 

Think about what kinds of activities your members are interested in. Plan a social event to get to know your members better. Create a night for CSI Jeopardy or tour a local vineyard. Hold a cookout or chili cook off competition. Give your members an opportunity to include their significant others and families in events. Above all, we need to have fun to keep people coming back.

 

Be Flexible and Adapt to New Situations: Most Boy Scout troops, or least the ones I’m familiar with, schedule activities many months in advance. If the weather looks bad building up to the activity, it is typically not changed as too much advance planning has taken place. Pack your rain gear, extra socks, warmer sleeping bag, whatever you need to adapt to the weather. CSI should be look at this idea of flexibility and use it to our advantage. We all bring different ideas and experiences to the table. We should all be able to adapt to the ideas of others to make it a more enriching experience. Freezing your tail off on a December campout may not be your idea of fun, but I guarantee it will help you appreciate having the right gear!

 

As CSI chapter, we cannot be in the business of “it’s my way or the highway.” Most chapters have long-time leaders but the mantra of “we’ve always done it this way” is bad policy and will lead to conflict, poor attendance and diminished participation. Times change and so must we as an organization. We must be flexible to the needs and desires of the next generation of construction professionals.

 

Mentoring: Each Boy Scout troop is organized with the older scouts leading the younger scouts in planning and conducting all of the troop activities. The adult leaders will occasionally help with certain logistics and with transportation, but the activities are intended to be scout-led. In our CSI Chapters, we should seek our emerging professionals and give them the skills, the opportunity and the responsibility to lead the chapter. This empowerment will give the emerging professionals what they need to improve their careers, which I believe is a huge opportunity CSI is missing. The older or long-time leaders in our chapters should step aside and let others try their hand at leading. Our chapters want and need the long-time leaders, but if don’t cultivate the next generation, we will fail.

 

Teamwork: Boy Scout troops are made up of patrols, which is a group of 8 to 10 scouts that work together in the troop setting. Each patrol has a leader who sits on the leadership council of the troop along with the Sr Patrol Leader and Assistant Sr Patrol Leaders. While on a campout or other outing, each patrol is responsible for their own equipment and food as well as setting up their camp, preparing their food, cleaning up after themselves and in general, taking care of each other and the patrol as a whole.

 

The idea of the mutual benefit of scout to unit begins in Cub Scouts. The Cub Scout Law of the Pack contains these lines: “The Cub Scout helps the pack go. The pack helps the Cub Scout grow.” Just like there can be no patrol or pack without scouts, scouts need the pack and patrol to help guide them and help them grow. Similarly, CSI chapters need CSI members and members need chapters. CSI Chapters should function very much like a Boy Scout patrol. Chapters have leaders who set the agenda and organize the team, but then they have other leaders and volunteers to pitch in and help make sure the work is spread out evenly and equitably. Leaders should have strong relationships with their members so that the members’ needs are met by the chapter. If the board of directors sits on a pedestal in their meeting room and ignores the membership, the chapter as a whole will suffer.

 

There is a sense of belonging that comes with the Boy Scout uniform. On your left sleeve, you wear two indications of who you are and where you come from: your troop number and your council patch. There are many CSI members who are designated as “Without Chapter Affiliation” in the CSI database because they did not designate a home chapter when they joined or processed their annual membership renewal. Those members are not getting the full benefit of membership as they are unable to identify themselves with a chapter. Chapters should reach out to these “Without Chapter Affiliation” members in their area and invite them to meetings. Make these members feel welcome, listen to their thoughts and ideas and give them the full benefit of CSI membership. You might cultivate your next generation of leaders!

 

After reading this, I think you recognize my strong passion for both Boy Scouts and CSI. Some of my happiest times as a teenager were spent with my Boy Scout troop. I now have two sons, one Boy Scout and one Cub Scout, who are having a great time learning and growing in the program. CSI has been a similar source of learning and fun for me. My first chapter meeting was almost 13 years ago and I still get a kick out of the networking and education opportunities afforded to me through CSI on the local and national level. However, we need to always be mindful of those who come after us and tailor our activities to encourage their participation. We can always learn from other organizations, so don’t stay in your silo! Get out, experience, think and then come back to your chapter and make it the best you can!

 

If you’re reading this and learning about CSI for the first time, I encourage you to check out some ways to learn more and to get involved:

 

www.csinet.org is the national CSI web site. It has information on national initiatives as well as local events happening at the 140 chapters we have.

 

Most chapters have a web site and those are listed on csinet.org.

 

Many chapters also tweet, so if you are on Twitter, check out @CSIConstruction and you’ll see the myriad of Tweeps who routinely tweet about what’s happening in our industry. You will surely be able to find someone in your area. If you’re in the Middle Atlantic Region, you can find me @mpkemp and the Baltimore Chapter @BaltoCSI. The Baltimore Chapter’s web site is www.csibaltimore.org.

 

www.CONSTRUCT.com is the web site for our national convention. It contains blogs and other great information about CONSTRUCT and how and why you should attend.

 

Look up these resources, attend a meeting and get involved! You’ll have fun and learn some things that will help you each day at work!