Equipment inventory

[Dustincoc]

How do other troops keep track ot their equipment, our troop has been in shambles the past year and a half and much of our equipment has been packed away or scattered to the winds for even longer. WE had a troop bus where we kept everything but that went kaput around 5 years ago and was just used to store equipment. The former SM also had some gear at his place and he may still have it. Tonight, the leaders are sorting through the gears since neither the SM or the other ASM have ever used the troops gear, the only people still involved with the troop that have used much of it are myself and our oldest scout. Once we get the gear straightened out, I'd like to find some way to log what we have so if we are going on a trip, we know what we can use. We are going to figure out what the troop has and that the troop needs to get. Myself and the other ASM don't agree on many things and I'm taking my mothers truck over their tonight because I suspect that if the other ASM gets involved, a whole lot of good stuff will be getting trashed(His attitude is that the troop should buy all new gear, yet we can't afford it so we can toss it and just make the boys bring it from home).

[anarchist]

Dustincoc,

 

Any troop should have a good inventory system and update it regularly. It is not rocket science. Anyone with a couple of folders and a few sheets of paper can do it- a laptop spread sheet is even nicer.

 

"tonight" is not the way to do it if you have any sizable set of gear. This should be a whole troop endeaver. A call should go out to troop leaders and all scout families to search home, basement, sheds and garages for "misplaced" troop gear and bring it to the "Inventory day". It is a Good Saturday project.

 

The boys pull out everything....everything and set up tents kitchens, stoves lanterns, tarps, left handed smoke shifters, bacon stretchers, and all the shore line you can find in the "shed"...have a couple even broom out the bus/shed so stuff goes back into a "clean home".

 

Adults and older scouts check out the lanterns and stoves younger scouts inventory pots, pans, kitchen gear, shore line, etc.

 

Tents are set up by other groups of scouts, as are tarps and then the leaders (you?) evaluate their contition and assess whatever parts/repairs are needed from what you see. This should be done in broad daylight so you have plenty of time to inspect even do some quick "servicings" (stoves & lanterns) to see if you can get 'em "up and running".

 

the troop QM, SPL and PLs should be working close with the adults to plan future needs against by what you have to start with...each small group should turn in to the QM a list of what they have inventoried, what is missing or damaged and age if known and general condition of each item. (we have all the kitchens, stoves and pot and pans washed down at that time.)

 

when entered into a data spred sheet your QM then has a way of evaluating needs and inserting new gear as the troop acquires it. You also have a good tool for future planning you can "look back" and see that you purchased a stove or lantern or "whatever" in 2000 and by joe it is still going strong or perhaps it is about due for replacement.

 

Once you have the troop inventory "on record" you can assign gear to patrols and track it down or at your next inventory you can say "hey timberwolves" you had a complete set of cookware in September...now in June you are missing a frying pan and 4 quart pot...go find them!"

 

this system has worked well for our QMs...we generally hold a trailer "cleaning" twice a year and the new QM gets a cd or disc from the old QM with a solid inventory as well as a good idea as to what gear is where...

 

it works...

good luck

Anarchist

[John-in-KC]

Everything anarchist said, PLUS:

 

This should be a project of the PLC, giving them a chance to have some major responsibility. Patrols should take tasks for themselves and tasks in support of the Troop as a whole.

 

There are huge lessons for SM Minutes when this is all said and done, about the value of a dollar, about the value of maintaining gear, about...

 

I'm not saying the adults should sit back and drink coffee. This kind of inventory, check, clean, repair and re-store project is an "all hands, youth and adult" evolution. It's going to be a full days work. Maybe the adults help by cooking the kids a fantastic Dutch Oven lunch, to show them what can be done?

[infoscouter]

If you're going to the trouble to pull everything out and evaluate it, you might also want to make sure it's all labeled. Stencils will work on tents, tarps and large equipment like patrol boxes and stoves. Another method would be to attach laminated luggage tags with zip ties, although those are less permanent.

 

Set the QM or the Scribe up with a digital camera, and take pictures of everything. Square away a patrol box with everything in the right place and take a picture. Affix a laminated print of the photo inside the box, so it can be packed properly in the future. Ditto with the inside of the trailer.

 

It seems like once a month my Google news alert turns up a story about a troop's equipment being stolen some place in the country. A CD with pictures of everything would make an insurance claim easier. Stencils on big stuff would make it much harder to pawn or sell second hand.

[Dustincoc]

The troop currently is in shambles(see this thread: http://www.scouter.com/forums/viewThread.asp?threadID=216038) The troop leadership currently consists of the CC,SM, and 2 ASM's. The of the youth side we have an SPL and that's it. With only 9 boys, and the other ASM tending to spout orders whenever he's around, the boys don't tend to do much leading. I must say that the SPL is doing an excellent job considering the circumstances. We attempted to do an equipment inventory over a year ago and it turned into a nightmare because certain boys(the other ASM's sons) we're just peaking into each camp kitchen box and saying everything was trash. None of the current boys(with the exception on one)have ever used any of the troops gear or have much experience using any camp gear(the troop has done somewhere around 5 camping trips in the past 2 years, one of which was summer camp where everything was supplied, one was working on the wilderness survival merit badge, and the other was an off season trip to a summer camp where they stayed in a cabin and made a midnight run into a nearby town to watch a movie). I'm the only one in the troop who has any idea what the troop had for equipment.

 

We don't really have a place to store the gear, we got rid of the bus a year ago and the shed is a work in progress(currently trying to get permission from the Co to put on their property.)

 

A bunch of the gear was stored on some guys porch for over 2 years(he was planning on becoming involved with the troop (but he didn't have the time for it) and went on a trip with us and since on a run from the campsite to the old bus with the equipment a mile up the road, I smashed my oil-pan, as well as having gotten stuck the day before, I couldn't get the equipment back to the bus and he didn't want to risk burying his truck getting to the old bus so he took it to his house and set in on his porch). This was just retrieved within the past couple of months.

[AnneinMpls]

Ok, here's my thoughts,

Start small.

Use this as an opportunity to retrain and rebuild the troop, both the boys and the adults.

 

Pick something less controversial. Perhaps the tents. Tents are expensive, mainly durable over the longterm, and not a likely candidate for someone to argue for throwing them all out.

 

so, give your SPL the job of inventorying just the tents. Have the SPL make up the checklist of what to assess each tent for. This can probably be done in one troop meeting: Buddy up and each pair of bussies pitches the tent. Then hand out a checklist of what to look for: guy lines, stakes, tight well-sewn seams, cleanliness, any tears or holes, condition of poles, etc.

 

Put a dollar value on every tent saved from the dumpster. A good inventory includes an estimated value, and this also helps teach the boys and adults.

 

At a future troop meeting (maybe space this out a bit, a month later may be too soon) come pu with apl an to inventory the patrol boxes. This will take more work: Work one on one with the SPL to get one patrol box in good shape as an example. Then at the troop meeting, the SPL teaches what goes into the patrol box, piece by piece, and when these are best used on site. (Car camping, 3 nights or more. They're just too bulky to mess with for an overnighter. My opinion!)

 

Make stoves and lanterns a separate project: again, SPL should be able to demonstrate the proper use and care of each type of stove or lantern the troop uses. This is a good time to check that the fuel types are G2SS-compliant, that proper procedures are being taught, etc. And again, buddy up to get stoves and lanterns up and running. Assign dollar values again.

 

As the inventory gets filled out, keep a running total of the estimated value and announce with fanfare.

 

Not sure what all else your toop gear consists of: sleeping bags? water containers? Just keep going through it until complete.

 

The next step in maturity then is to evaluate whether your gear is sufficient for your needs, what needs upgrading or replacing, and what can be passed on to others. (Potential service opportunity here to help a troop in a needy part of town - maybe your troop is crazy with lanterns - got them coming out your ears, cause...no one could find the lanterns when it was time to pack for a trip, so more were bought, so now the troop has 2 dozen...it happens!)

 

Incremental change can be an easier pill to swallow if you've got stubborn adults to work around

Blue skies!

Anne in Mpls