Scout Leadership Course Session Activity Notes

Session activity

Self Discipline: Disciplined Guest Speaker

Time to allocate for this activity

30 minutes

Resources required

Guest speaker (who may require audio-visual or other presentation equipment)

Activity Notes

This short activity is designed to encourage Scouts to think about the importance of self-discipline by examining a real-life example.

Preparation

Invite a guest speaker to the course to talk about how being self-disciplined was important to them. Suitable people you could ask might include:

• Australian Scout Medallion awardees or Queen's Scout holders
  
• Explorers and pioneers who have undertaken long and arduous journies or tasks
  
• Sports men and women who have trained hard to achieve their goals
  
• A person who has overcome an illness, disability or hardship to play a full role in their community.

Introduction (2 mins)

What is self discipline? Ask for some ideas from the course. Encourage ideas that talk about living within your own moral and social code such as arriving on time, dressing appropriately, remembering to do things you have promised to do, good moral values, socially acceptable behaviour, etc.

Why is self discipline important for a leader? Again, briefly encourage comments from the group which include leading by example, setting expectations, practising what you preach, etc.

The task (20 mins)

Introduce the guest speaker and invite them to talk to the course.

Q & A (5 mins)

Allow the course to ask questions of the guest speaker about their subject.

Conclusion (3 minutes)

Summarise the activity outcomes and Conclude with the statement from BP:
"You can only get discipline in the mass by discipline in the individual."