Questions for a prospective Scoutmaster to ask

[Overtrained]

Congratulations on being asked. Its an honor whether you take the job or not.

 

The best troops I know have a committee dealing with the admin and the SM and assistants doing the program with the boys running it. If the committee can support you and allow you to concentrate on training the Scouts to run their program - you'll have a winner! Good Luck.

[PinkFloyd]

Thanks to all of you for your input, and thanks most of all for your support!

Here's an update: I accepted the SM position several months ago, and am in the process of organizing the troop to be boy-led. Apparently in the past, as well as for the next few weeks, meetings have been mostly MB workshops. We will be electing (or rotating) an SPL and PL's in a couple of weeks, and re-organizing patrols. As soon as the new organization is in place, I will be meeting with the PLC for actual program planning, and will hopefully implement the (6) steps to a successful meeting. Do all of you use this approach? We have a great outdoor activities program already in place for the next several months. We have a great group of boys that are really fun to work with! We have 12 First Class and Star scouts (12-13 yrs old), 1 fairly new Scout working on Tenderfoot, and recently recruited 2 new members working on Scout rank.

What qualifications do you look for in deciding to hold an election to the OA? At a recent Tap-Out, it was explained that this was an honor for scouts who stand above the rest. I don't really feel that any of my boys qualify for that yet - maybe in another 6-12 months, however several parents are very anxious to hold an election so that any elected can be Tapped-Out at summer camp. This may be my first real parental challenge!

Sorry this is so long....I could go on forever! (I am beginning to really love this scouting stuff!) Thanks again for your assistance.

[Bob White]

I would ask one question of the troop committee, Chairman and COR.

 

"Will everyone here promise to follow the scouting program as designed and supported by the Boy Scouts of America?"

 

Then make your decision based on their responses.

 

Bob White

 

 

[ren-ren]

Congratulations on being asked! The first question I would ask is, what happened to the last SM and can they give me contact information for him/her. The previous SM can give you a great deal of insight into what is going on in the troop.

 

If you decide to take the job, then good luck!

 

Also, the best SMs I have ever dealt with rarely left their chair at both meetings and campouts. They let the boys steer the troop, with occasional course corrections as necessary, but only when necessary. The vast majority of the times were to run interference between the boy leadership and meddling parents.

[PinkFloyd]

Hello everyone! Well, it has been a fast, furious, and fun 6 months, but I wanted to give you all an update.

 

I did in fact accept the SM position, and am learning just as much as the boys are! I have an outstanding group of 15 boys, ranging from 11 to 13 years old. We're a small troop, which is probably a good thing at this point in time. My employer generously donated one week of my time this year so that I could attend summer camp without using personal time....he's very involved in his local troop and has just returned from Philmont.

 

Thanks to all of you for your valued input and advice! Additional gratitude to B.R. (you know who you are) for his personal emails of guidance and inspiration.

 

I am now loving this scouting stuff!