Backup Your Old Google Account

If you have a Google account that you haven't used in awhile, read this.
http://www.androidpolice.com/2015/07/29/psa-google-is-apparently-deleting-old-unused-accounts-without-warning-time-to-back-up/

Bullying, Helicopter Parents, Everyone Gets a Trophy and PC Overkill

Last night I read a post from the Bryan on Scouting blog. If you are in BSA and you don't read this blog, I suggest giving it a look. I find some very useful information and advice from both the blog and from the scouter who comment. This post discussed the idea of singing for lost items. This is a tradition in many troops, and apparently some packs. I never gave it much thought as it isn't something that we did when I was a scout and it isn't something we do in the troop where I am a Scoutmaster, but I have heard of it. I say I haven't given it much though because it didn't seem like a big deal. Maybe a funny way to encourage scouts not to forget things. I wasn't the most outgoing scout, but my troop was a place where I felt comfortable. I generally didn't take things like this personally from fellow scouts the way I might have in school because I trusted and respected the boys in my troop. After reading this post, I gave it some thought and decided that, although it is generally meant "in good fun", I do not think it is appropriate for scout troops.

I don't think a single act of making a scout sing to have a lost item returned qualifies in any way as bullying. It is certainly a mild form of hazing. What I do think is that this sort of tradition encourages bullying and hazing within the troop. Similar traditions might include jokes/skits/songs with underlying or overt prejudice, rank privilege, games that single out or lose scouts (snipe hunting comes to mind), taking/hiding/damaging equipment, and other exclusionary practices. I'm not talking about requiring a scout to be a certain age or rank before participating in an activity for safety or need of a certain skill set to be successful, or about games that some scouts may be better at than others. I'm talking about the games and activities where certain boys are intentionally excluded or singled out for the "fun" of other scouts.There are certainly some gray areas here, but I think most leaders have a pretty good handle on what they are.

Many of the comments made in support of the singing for lost/misplaced items included some allowance that other scouts and leaders might participate in support of the scout who had to sing. This demonstrates that they understand it is an inappropriate practice since an appropriate consequence would not make it necessary for others to stand up and support the victim. Still, this is not bullying in and of itself unless it is a repeated pattern which singles out individual scouts while others are exempt either because they are less prone to being forgetful or because they are not made to sing, but it certainly promotes a culture where scouts feel comfortable mistreating other scouts. Moreover, there are more appropriate ways to deal with this situation.

An adult or youth leader for example could commend the scout who found the missing gear, and quietly remind the boy to whom the gear belonged that he should thank the finder for his honesty, helpfulness, and kindness. Not only does this reinforce the oath and law which is at the core of scouting, but it also models and promotes positive behavior.

This is not PC overkill or "wussification" as one leader called it in the comments. It is not an A for effort. We are still addressing the undesirable behavior, but in a positive, constructive manner. This is teaching our scouts the character which is the foundation of the scouting program. Games, skits and singing are for fun, not for punishment. Adversity does strengthen bonds, but we don't need to artificially create adversity. Learning survival skills, camping in harsh weather, pushing your physical limits in hiking, biking, and boating activities will present plenty of adversity for most scouts over which they can not only bond, but accomplish feats beyond what they thought possible to build both pride and strength of character. Abusing each other through coerced performances or physical punishment is not a necessary part of unit cohesion. Scouting is by no means perfect, just as the scouts and leaders who participate are not perfect, but we owe it to ourselves and to our children to be the best guides that we can be, and to constantly advocate for better behavior from both children and the adults who set the example.

The Pillory of Social Media

This snowy morning, scrolling through my social media feeds, I came across this article. It sums up why I avoid certain places on social media, and why I often walk away from it in the middle of surfing. The righteous indignation of the social media stalkers. Everyone is else is racist, bigoted, simple-minded, or just plain stupid. True, there are a plethora of idiots who out themselves daily on social media. They do that in other places as well though, it just isn't as public. The interwebz are a place where a million people (yes, literally a million) can see just how stupid someone else is in a matter of minutes.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/15/magazine/how-one-stupid-tweet-ruined-justine-saccos-life.html?_r=1

The bit in her that caught my attention was the question, "Were you a bully in school?" That is what really summed it up. I've been on both sides of the bully scenario in real life. I'm not sure about social media. Like I said early, I often walk away when it gets "real". I put real in quotes because I am using the word ironically. Often that word is used exactly at the moment when someone is at their least sincere. In my job I work with students and teachers using technology in a high school. This makes me more cautious in my online than I might otherwise be, but I still say stupid things. We caution students and teachers about over-sharing online using slogans like "Think before You Click", "Pause before You Post", and "You Can't Take it Back". The reality, though, is that we are human. We say dumb shit. Most of us aren't being intentionally racist, bigoted, unkind, or uncaring, we just aren't thinking carefully before we let the words come out of our mouths or before we click send. Frankly, I don't want to live in a world where I have to carefully consider every word that leaves my lips. If my words offend you, maybe it is your problem and not mine. Surely we both have problems, and likely my words are the least of them.

In college I had a professor for whom I have the utmost admiration and respect. She introduced me to the phrase, "A choice of words is a choice of worlds." I try to live by that. Our words say so much about who we are, what we believe, and what we want to be. Sometimes, however, my understanding of my words may be different from your understanding of my words. In the article the author points out that is is the case with Sacco. He also draws an appropriate parallel between social media shaming and the public shaming that occurred in colonial America. The righteous indignation of public shaming and glib attitude toward its consequences has penetrated most media outlets as well. Reports revel in the gotcha moment. Not the Woodward and Bernstein gotcha moment of "hey we caught someone doing something illegal, or really awful and we're exposing them for the good of the country", but the "hey we caught some person doing something stupid or vaguely immoral and we're going to take the opportunity to get everyone's attention." Less the protector of society, and more the schoolyard bully.

The final paragraph sums things up better than I can. It will take a few moments of your time, but it is definitely worth a careful reading and some consideration.