The Dilemma
Life in the Flaming Scorpion Patrol is good. All seven members came up through Cub Scouting as a den, they enjoy hanging out together and they work well as a team. On campouts, patrol leader Maya rarely has to give orders or even worry about who’s on the duty roster for cleanup.
But then the Chocolate Donut Patrol falls apart, and the patrol leaders’ council assigns Olivia and Sofia to the Flaming Scorpions.
Olivia’s cool, but Sofia’s a different story. Although she’s the same age as the other patrol members, she acts like an immature Cub Scout. She can’t sit still at meetings, won’t pull her weight on campouts and constantly interrupts Maya to ask the most random questions.
On one campout, several of the other patrol members confront Maya and demand she do something about Sofia. A couple even threaten to leave the troop if things don’t improve.
What should Maya do?
For Discussion
Read the dilemma aloud with your youth. Before exploring possible solutions, discuss why Sofia might be acting the way she is. Do those reasons offer clues to possible solutions to the problem? Could Olivia offer valuable insight?
Next, discuss these general questions:
- What is Maya’s responsibility to the patrol?
- What is Maya’s responsibility to Sofia?
- How can she balance those responsibilities?
Have your youth brainstorm a list of five or more actions Maya could take. (These might include having a one-on-one talk with Sofia or asking the Scoutmaster for help.) Aim for a broad range of options, and point out that when you’re brainstorming, there are no bad answers.
For each option, discuss the following questions:
- Is this option fair to the patrol? Why or why not?
- Is this option fair to Sofia? Why or why not?
- Is this option fair to Maya? Why or why not?
Decide which option Maya should choose. Then, discuss the threats a couple of members made on the campout:
- Should those threats affect what Maya decides to do? Why or why not?
- How should Maya address those threats?
Finally, ask the youth to describe situations when they’ve been in a position like Maya, Sofia or the other patrol members. Ask volunteers to share what happened.
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