Recently, my teacher had this motivation to start rover scouting in form 6. So the leaders were down to the ones with experience or well known for having achieved a certain award. There are 3 King's scouts in form 6 including me, both of them are my close comrades and were pretty well known for having achieved King's scouts award. I, on the other hand was just this one friend who somehow seems to be very close with them for no apparent reason to the majority. Before the AGM of the meeting where we nominate and choose the board members, I was ditched by both of them without any warning, they didn't appear at the meeting. So before the meeting started, I have friends ranting around about what a nuisance scouting is and how we have no leaders since all the King's scouts left. I was pretty much a nobody in scouting since only my classmates and a few others knew about the King's scouts thing. The funniest thing is that they seem to rant about it to me, So I kept quiet and played along. (even signaled my classmates to not comment much)
And the fun began when AGM started, to be honest I didn't know if anyone would vote for me or not as President but for the heck of it, I tried. I am truly blessed to have supportive classmates with me throughout the voting session. My name was nominated by one of my classmate and I had to go out and sell myself, I told them what I believed in and what I've achieved beforehand. (note that the person who ranted to me before the AGM turned pale instantly, sorry bruh.. didn't have the heart to tell you earlier) The next thing I knew, I was the official Crew Leader of Rovers of SMK Seafield (lets call it that for now since we have yet to get a troop name/alphabet)
It struck me as I was standing in front that I've never been a leader before. Like the ultimate leader of everything, usually I worked behind the scenes supporting my leaders but this was a whole new experience. I was required to conduct the meeting and it hit me hard when the teacher suddenly kept quiet and passed on the meeting for me to have a word or two. I was required to give a speech. Not just any speech, but a speech to make them believe in scouting. That dumb struck moment was followed by a quick mustering of confidence from past experiences when I was in charge of small groups of people. There I was facing 70+ people my age and I had to sell it to them as though it was the best thing in the world. My brain cells worked to dig out any relevant information for the past few years on why I believed in scouting and why it matters. My brain was frantically working while my exterior tried to remain calm and collected like a leader.
I told them about the benefits. I shared successful example of people who were scouts. I SOLD IT like I meant it. But in all honesty, everything went with a blur. I remember seeing the teacher standing at the back of the group nodding to my words giving a silent approval. I remember having my friends come up to me afterwards telling me about how inspired they felt. I had people calling me Pres. the next day, people I didn't know. I wished I had a video so I could see what I said and how I said it for I could not even imagine how I managed to do it. I sincerely thank my scouters who have trained me and shown a great example of how one conducts a meeting.
Despite all that, there is one problem though. The teacher in charge has an issue about me not being stern. She wants me to be stern with them. Stern with people my own age. (she really doesn't realize how that can jeopardize the whole thing) She doesn't agree on my way of conducting a meeting, in her eyes a leader has to be stern and firm. But that's not how I lead. I hope she understands that every leader has their own way of leading. My way is through camaraderie and mutual respect. I know for sure I'll get it from her for at least a couple times more for not being stern enough but hopefully she sees that leadership can be done in a different way other than hers as well.
I'd be brutally honest and comment on how this particular teacher expresses herself in words, she's harsh and she misinterprets information even before you finish the sentence. But she has good intentions. If it weren't because I dealt with someone close who acts the same way, I'd stay far far away from her already. If my past experiences are correct, there's only 2 ways to deal with them.
1st. Don't talk much. Don't talk at all if you have no solid proof or completed work to shut them up.
2nd. Talk to them through action. They will only misinterpret words, but actions are louder than words and usually these people trust what their eyes more than they trust you .
But the most important thing is to NOT GIVE IN. Usually the things that they kutuk you for doesn't make sense at all. Gain their trust and you can have it your way. Hopefully its a win-win situation in this case. She's satisfied with my performance, I get to lead my crew in peace.
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