Wood Badge Critters

Esserman's 81/2-year controversial reign as police chief ends

PROVIDENCE - Dean M. Esserman, who resigned Thursday as chief of police down in history.

Its mandate was the third longest in the annals of the police department of 147 years.

Esserman, 53, left amid controversy after a dynamic eight and a half years. While the two leaders in the years 1960 and 1970 closer to his service, service records show that only the heads that have been surpassed Benjamin H. Child, who served 16 years in the late 19th century, William F. O'Neil, which lasted nine years in the early 20th century.

"It was an impressive tenure with a lot of innovative changes," said one of his top deputies, Maj. Steven M. Melaragno, who called him "a charismatic leader."

Much less impressive are the leaders of the police union labor, who say it lasted until it has had only the firmness of his boss, former Mayor David N. Cicilline, who tolerated his faults and stumbles.

They Esserman not having been rude to subordinates and citizens, playing favorites within the Department of the distribution of overtime pay and other means, and taking too much personal credit for the achievements of the department.

Police chiefs are like cowboys trying to stay atop a bucking creature, according to Professor Stephen D. Mastrofski, Director of the Center for Justice Leadership and Management at George Mason University in Virginia. Those who hold positions in medium and large cities tend not to last long, he said, because the office is high profile and politically.

In Providence, the average length of service is 4 years.

"He did a lot of good things" such as community policing and better education, said former Monty J. Monteiro Providence Major. "But you're only as good as your last mistake."

Esserman crashed after it was revealed that minors were drinking alcohol at a party school for her daughter on June 10 - he was a chaperone - in the courtyard of their house on 'East Side.On June 22, Esserman said he had resigned, effective June 30, because the incident had become "a distraction" in his house for him and for the ministry.

Esserman used to keep a motto printed on a wooden block in his office: "Tough times do not last. Difficult people do. "

He did not return phone calls seeking comment this week about his tenure.

Wood Badge song for Cub Scouts « The Contemplative Bobwhite

I got a kick out of @ScouterAdam’s blog the other day where he had posted a version of the Gilwell song from Wood Badge that someone had modified to use for their Cub Scout pack. In fact, I loved it so much, I “borrowed” it for our pack graduation this evening. Since the Cubmaster was not able to attend and no one else really wanted the Master of Ceremonies role, I stepped up with this song and taught everyone the tune. Here is an excerpt from the lyrics:

It was amazing to watch how quickly the boys (and parents) caught on to the tune. And they really showed a lot of enthusiasm when they got to shout “BUT I STILL WANT SOME MORE!!” I can’t say it was a complete hit, but it was a lot of fun. Plus, I got to get the ol’ Wood Badge jab in there at the leaders. Now if I could just get them to go …

I have been a song writing fool ever since Wood Badge. And I have no shame in getting up in front of a room fill of complete strangers and belting out some crazy rhyming Cub Scout songs. Maybe I should post the ones I’ve written for Day Camp …

I will spare you for now.

Scouting

Scouting

Scouting

Social movements, an anthropological reader

Boys' Life