As We Celebrate Youth Day Remember the Power of the Youth

As the people in South Africa celebrate Youth Day today we are reminded of the ability and power of the youth to change the world.  Their efforts, passions and effectiveness as expressed on that June in 1976 were echoed by the impact of the youth in Tiananmen Square, Egypt and elsewhere in the world. 

The youth typically have two characteristics that made this possible, a total absence of fear of consequences and the ability to see the world in black and white.  The spread and functionality of the internet and social media allows people to leverage these characteristics to spontaneously organise a group or groups of people who see the world in absolutes and aren’t afraid to try and change the world when they see an evil.   

This, if anything, places a higher responsibility on those of us who are parents and role models for the youth of our society.  Not to attempt to direct their thinking, but to provide them with a moral and ethical basis that provides them the knowledge and competency to properly wield their power and authority in the world as it changes. 

We don’t have, and shouldn’t have, the authority to dictate the decisions they make, but we do have the obligation to give them a firm place to stand when they make those decisions. In doing so, we give them the ability to evaluate and assess ideas that are presented to them, allowing them the right to make the call.

If we do our job well they will make the right decision in that moment for both them and us and make the world a better place.         

Why you should Vote!

Walter Judd said “People often say that, in a democracy, decisions are made by a majority of the people. Of course, that is not true. Decisions (in a democracy) are made by a majority of those who make themselves heard and who vote – a very different thing.”  When you choose not to vote you are choice to give up your right to have a say in the way the country is run and the decisions that are made.

As representatives of an apolitical organisation, while not supporting any particular party, as Scouts and Scouters, we have  a responsibility to train our members in citizenship, of which voting is a critical exercise.   So while I do not advocate for any particular party I will encourage each and every one of our members to exercise their constitution right because we are fortunate enough to live in a democracy which means that we get a say in who runs our country and how our country is run.

The only way democracy works is if citizens, young and old, are active participants.  If we like what we see we should vote to show our support for the incumbents, and if we don’t, we should vote to express our dissatisfaction and if enough of us agree we can change things.

South Africa, spots and all is seen internationally as an example of an emerging democracy, if we wish to realize all that this means for the betterment of the lives of all South Africans, we need to stand up and make sure our vote counted!

Here are some reasons you should be voting tomorrow:

1.       If you don’t vote you really have no right to complain about government decisions you don’t like.  It’s a bit like not ever giving feedback to a person, how will they ever change to reflect what you want/need?  Your vote is your voice. When we vote, we are actually telling elected officials and lawmakers how we feel about education, public safety, social security, health care, and other important issues

2.       It sets a positive example to your children, your neighbors and your friends.   As a leader in your community you have a responsibility to demonstrate what it means to be a citizen.

3.       Voting means you believe in the democratic process.  It represents your right to freedom of speech and like any muscle if you don’t exercise it you will lose it in time.

4.       If you do not exercise your right to vote, you are missing out on a great national privilege and a significant personal freedom! Less than 20 years ago a large number of our country’s citizens went to great lengths and personal costs to secure the right to vote, would you give that up so easily?

5.       The reality is, your vote does count!  Remember: there is power in numbers, and when we vote and get our family members to vote, we can truly make a difference. If you don’t vote for what you believe in, others will – and you may not like the outcome.

6.       Our Youth are depending on us to represent their voices.  Because our children can’t vote, we have to do it for them. That’s how we make our concerns about schools, safety, housing, and other issues heard. When we vote, we are looking out for our kids, and their futures.

7.       Voting changes communities.  Do you ever wonder why one neighbourhood gets passed over for things it needs, while another seems to get it all? One big reason is voting. When we vote, we can get results that we can actually see and if you don’t then you should be voting for someone who will provide the changes.

8.       If you are old enough to drive, you are old enough to decide who makes the decisions that materially will affect your life! 

And remember the words of Franklin D Roosevelt when he said, “Nobody will ever deprive the people of the right to vote except the people themselves and the only way they could do this is by not voting.”

Do your bit and come 7 May join me in casting your vote, and if you didn’t register this time perhaps this might make you think about your reasons for doing so. 

Keeping your eye on the ball

I just had the pleasure of flying out of Shanghai International airport.  One of the most impressive thongs I saw was a change over of the immigration officers.   In good chinese order the new shift came on to replace the old en masse. 

Now standing in the queue the sight of the new officers marching in was somewhat disheartening.  However during the whole change over process the rate of checking passengers wasn't even slowed or hindered.

The new officer walked up and as soon as the current passenger was processed the new officer sat down and logged in while the officer being replaced stood and processed the next passenger manually.

Two minutes and all of the officers were replaced and not even a breath of delay for the passengers.  

There is a lesson in this.  They need to protect the interests of the country which include the perception of the efficiency of the airport staff.   By taking tbe effort of a little inconvenience to themselves by processing a passenger standing up they went the extra mile to ensure satisfaction for the client.

So when next you are tackling a task make sure you understand the entirety of the objective and work towards it.  Don't get so focused on one aspect (protect the country) so as to forget the bigger picture (market the country)  as so many other country's customs officials do.

Photoshop your life

Hi my names Brendon and I am an amateur photographer!

I am.very concious of my amateur status especially when my humble offerings are compared to those of friends and family with a somewhat more artistic and skillful bent.   

But the one thing we all do with the advent of digital photography is "pixel push".  For those of you not into photography, this is the act of importing the picture into a piece of software and tweaking it  to look better.  Sometimes better means more realistic and sometimes not.

Which is pretty much the choice we all.have on a day to day basis.  Life, not unlike your camera, presents you with an experience that can turn out dull, overexposed or just plain wrong.  Your choice, before saving it to memory, is whether to tweak it, delete it or let it stand.

Covey famously called this opportunity to edit an experience "the space between action and reaction." 

You cannot always control what happens in your life but you can control how you remember the event and the impact thereof on what you do going forward. 

So photoshop away! Sometimes while you tweak the picture you will notice something incredible that you didn't intend to capture but was there waiting to be found.

Have fun and enjoy 2014!

Transparent Passion

I have recently had the pleasure of renewing my acquaintance with an old scout master of mine.  This gent, has been at first glance been a rolling stone, working as game ranger, environmental engineer, project investment facilitator, and strategy adviser to some of the largest legal firms internationally.  All this while being a devoted husband and father.

Looking back at some.of my memories of some of the hi-jinks we got up to with him, from having blanks fired at him in a staged drive-by shooting to make a first aid incident, to hiking through the outlands of Lesotho in a region now covered by the Katse Dam, I can surely attest that any self respecting youth organisation in this over-cautious over-protective age would throw the book at him and slam the door behind his back. If we are to believe some of the modern pop culture and urban beliefs we should all be scarred and damaged by our experiences.

And despite that fact it is immediately apparent that even now, thirty years down the line he still has the respect of the men who he taught, mentored and led in his time as a scout master.  Why?

There are several reasons but what stands out is this. He always lived what he said. He had no double standards.  

He was larger than life and the role model all young men needed - the rough and tumble guy who was out there doing something that he believed to be meaningful to the greater whole.  He was human and undoubtedly made mistakes but he owned up to them.  Not as a martyr or victim but humbly acknowledging his role and accepting the consequences.  I believe that same transparent integrity is part of the reason he is now held in such high esteem internationally by his clients.  

If we look to the leaders we are exposed to today so many of them are afraid to just be who they are, and as a result they undermine their integrity with each and every action or statement they make, retract or reframe. As the leader no-one expects you to be perfect, but you are expected to stand for the statements you make. Next time before you make a statement or decision or assertion think this - Would I be willing to defend this in public? - and if the answer is no then perhaps consider not making it. 

Lighthouses and Lanterns

The Chinese have a saying about "Crossing the river by feeling the stones under your feet" (摸着石头过河).  It is not surprising that the sense of uncertainty that this describes scares most people.  You cannot see what lies ahead and your entire world knowledge narrows to the sensation of your feet and toes. 

As a leader in times of change we have two responsibilities, firstly to provide a vision of where to go,  a lighthouse if you will, that stands on the horizon and beckons to our people.  And while the air is clear that works well, but sometimes the fog settles in and while we still can see the diffuse glow on the horizon we can't see where to walk.  When that happens we can either let our people suffer the dips and turns of fate as they feel their way across  the river or we can be the lantern that shines and show them just that little bit further along the way.

 

Its hard to be the lantern though when you are only just feeling the stones yourself, but that is what you signed up for when you took up the challenge of being the leader.  And for all of us, at times we will stumble and fall and need someone else to bend and pick us up and help us relight out lanterns when we loose our way.  That's not a weakness but simply a good application of a little situational leadership

Don't be afraid to seek out that help when your can't see your way, and remember that however dark the night gets or how thick the fog is, the lighthouse is still there shining - it might just be a little hard to see at the moment.

Nelson Mandela - A Scout for the World

This blog is about a man who for me epitomises the spirit and essence of volunteering and offering of service to a greater cause.  Mr Nelson Mandela.  A little known fact is that Mr Mandela is the Patron of Scouting in South Africa, and for many of us around the world he is a living example of the ethos of Scouting.

Some time ago Madiba appear on Oprah Extract from the Actual show with editorial comment from Oprah and made several statements that just brought this to the forefront.

The first was when on arriving at the studio he asked the Producer what the subject of the show he was to appear on was to be so that he could be prepared.   The Producer was amazed and said "Nelson Mandela,  you are the subject of today's show."   As a man who gave of himself his whole life, he could not conceive that anyone would want to dedicate an entire hour to talking about him.  He was only doing what he saw as a task he undertook to do.  His humbleness should be an challenge to us all in giving service without seeking
or expecting recognition. We work for the goal, not for the kudos.

The second statement he made on the show was "You have a limited time to stay on earth, you must try and use that period for the purpose of transforming your country into what you desire it to be."  Can there be a higher calling for any person but to spend your life your time and your energy to do just that.  As volunteers working with the youth, we have the ability to change the hearts and minds of the nation and that is no small responsibility.