Way of communication and behavior within the scout & guide group

How do you communicate and interact within your scout unit?

The form of communication that children see becomes their model of how people in the world interact, and influences how they will communicate as adults and what kind of world they are going to create. Explore what kind of pattern are you creating for them in your unit.

Discuss the questions and evaluate your unit: name what you already do, evaluate it on the scale 1-6 (1=just by accident, 6=systematicaly and frequently). Based on your answers, Compass will offer you some tips on how to improve.

Print the form to work off-line with your unit.

Do you communicate with respect recognising the rights of each individual within your Unit?

Modelling respectful communication supports the development of young people who will then grow up to be respectful of the many and various ways of thinking, living and behaving. It is useful to view this through the lens of human rights.

This section encourages the competence

Scout and Guide leaders are aware of injustice and inequality present in both behaviour and systems. This includes access to and unequal distribution of power, wealth and natural resources both within countries and between countries. They should understand some of the causes of inequality and reflect on how past events have impacted on current local and global problems. They should be aware of the impacts of inequality on the dignity and quality of people’s lives and the health of the planet.

Are young people actively involved in resolving any conflicts within the unit in an inclusive way?

With the support of the leader, and later of their peers, Scouts and Guides can learn much by being actively involved in conflict resolution. They car take responsibility for their actions, be aware of consequences, and become self-confident in dealing with those consequences. By viewing conflict as an opportunity to learn and change, they can become skillful peacemakers.

This section encourages the competence

Scout and Guide leaders recognise that there are conflicts at a variety of levels: international, civic, communal, interpersonal and interpersonal. They acknowledge that there is a continual need to develop rules, laws, customs and systems that all people accept as reasonable and fair. They seek a variety of strategies to resolve conflict as an individual and as a Scout / Guide leader in an inclusive way. They appreciate that conflict is a natural phenomenon and can provide an opportunity for positive change.

As a leader and role model, do you encourage socially and environmentally responsible behaviour within the unit?

Scout leaders look for opportunities to promote global citizenship and positive change, including in their personal lives. They live out Gandhi’s quote: Be the change you would like to see.

This section encourages the competence

Scout and Guide leaders are aware that they can bring about positive change and can work with others to make the world a more equitable and sustainable place. They make informed choices and are aware of how these choices might impact on others and the health of the planet. They participate in the community at a range of levels, from local to global. They actively support young people to make informed choices based on critical evaluation of the options open to them and build the skills and confidence to act on these choices in their lives.

These tasks are awaiting you

  • Listening and speaking with respect

    Observe your meetings and focus on these questions: Do you give everybody the same attention? Do you listen with respect? Who speaks a lot and who is silent? Who is often interrupted? During discussions, do you give everybody the same opportunity to talk? For one of your meetings, you can ask a member of the unit to be an observer and to give a feedback to the group at the end of the discussion.

  • Non-violent communication

    Carry out a workshop focused on non-violent communication, or invite an expert to do it.

  • Rules to be followed

    As a group, create common discussion rules that all of you will try to follow.  You can have them displayed on the wall, so that each member of the group can see them and take responsibility for them. Clarify whatthe consequences of not respecting the rules are. Agree together on what to do if the rules are not respected.

  • Revise the rules

    Each half-year, discuss whether the rules need to be revised. If so, change them. If a rule is not respected, have this discussion: Do we still need this rule? Why are rule-breakers not respecting the rule? What important need is behind the rule-breaking? Find a new rule which would take in acount the original need and the current needs of the rule-breakers. Some of the rules might not be needed anymore.