As someone who is new to Scouting in Canada, our new rover, Nick Pham, shares his personal experiences on how Scouting has helped him with his public speaking skills!
Whenever I tell somebody that I am a Scout, they usually have the impression that I must be only good at camping skills and survival techniques. However, this is far from the truth. Being a Scout has provided me with various opportunities to enhance a solid range of skills beyond setting up a tent or tying a knot, especially when I take a step out of my comfort zone in the Scouting environment. Public speaking, which I consider one of my best skills, is unequivocally influenced by Scouting. Here are some of the things that Scouting has taught me about addressing a public audience and by the end of this blog, I hope you can gain some sort of insight as to the potential that Scouting has in contributing to the growth of an individual’s public speaking skills and beyond:
1. Speak up for myself
Even though I’m not an astute believer in the so-called “butterfly-effect”, I know that small things matter greatly. Since I joined the movement as a Cub Scout, I have been blessed with constant encouragement to give opinions, ideas and statements to help build the Scouting curriculum without fear of repercussions. This simple characteristic of Scouting has allowed me to gradually accrue self-confidence in my words and opinions to this day.
2. Communication among a group/patrol/troop
As I matured within the Scouting program, outdoor and survival-oriented skills became somewhat less important, while there was an increase in opportunities for improving soft skills such as leadership, management, communication, team work and, of course, public speaking. Being a Scout granted me the valuable skills of camping and survival, but ever since I started to take on more responsibilities, my public speaking skill has been affected in numerous ways. Through the challenges of speaking in camp games and unexpected situations, I learnt how to deliver my message in a simple and straightforward, yet informative and precise manner. By interacting with members coming from different backgrounds, I gradually understood how to speak in a way such that any individual would be able to resonate with my words. Lastly, by being given the honour and responsibility of leading a team, I now know how to speak up not only for myself, but for the benefit of others as well; which is surely a positive impact on future presentations and speeches to come.
3. Delivering skits or plays during campfire
One might argue that this kind of activity is purely for entertainment purposes and could not have anything to do with improving one’s public speaking. However, if you try to stand amongst a crowd, making sure your audience can make sense of your words and actions, while simultaneously trying not to burn yourself by being too close to the campfire, speaking can be quite the challenge. Speaking publicly within a Scouting environment poses a variety of challenges that force you to think on your feet, while being cognizant of your surroundings. Additionally, during skits and plays, I could apply all these previous lessons and techniques for delivering a speech to enhance my performance and help create a memorable campfire night.
4. Be an MC at conferences/ceremonial events
Public speaking can be developed through day-to-day circumstances, but this pales in comparison to the opportunities I was given to elevate myself during formal Scouting events, in front of a much larger audience with the presence of authority figures and other important guests. Having gone through the challenge of being the Master of Ceremonies for these events has helped me a lot in terms of dealing with nervousness, improvising when a certain mistake or technical problem occurs, as well as concentrating on my body language and actions.
5. Everyone is willing to help
Whether you are a beginner or expert in giving presentations, mistakes are bound to happen. This is the occasion when Scouting shines the most, in my opinion. Not only will you receive constructive criticism, recommendations and guidelines from a wide range of individuals but more importantly, you will receive this feedback in a simple and friendly, yet professional and supportive way.
The Verdict
In the end, being a Scout has bettered me in various aspects, through giving me the opportunity to gain important skills in order to positively influence other’s lives and leave a long-lasting impact on future generations as well. Whether you are a shy person looking for a friendly “learning-by-doing” environment to master public speaking, or a Toastmaster senior trying to bring to his/her club new lessons, I believe that you should give Scouting a chance to prove that it can give you what you are looking for, along with the enhancement of other foundational skills within an organization of passionate and joyful individuals.