Getting Leaders Trained

[OneHour]

Any suggestion on how to get adult leaders in our Troop inspired enough to get themselves trained. They will only do the bare minimum. Pep talk about "every boy deserves a trained adult leader" does not work. Last week at University of Scouting, there were only myself, my son and his friend (who are attending the Den Chief Conference) attended. Sitting there in the audience, seeing how active leaders in other troops are made me envious of them.

 

I advertised. I talked. I emailed. I called. In the end, netted 0.

 

Thanks.

 

1Hour

[EagleInKY]

I've used the "we have to have more people trained plea, and it's worked to a small extent.

 

One trick I've seen is arranging to host a training on a time schedule that works for your troop. For example, if your troop meeting is on Monday night, offer to host a district training at your meeting place. Then encourage them on the basis of not only needing the training, but that we are the host as well. Obviously, you'll have to keep some leaders involved with the troop meeting, but hopefully you'll get a bunch of them there.

 

Another approach that we're trying in our district is the old "Train the trainer" approach. Each unit is encouraged to have a person trained to be a trainer. Then, you can work the training in at your convenience. You could even schedule it during a campout, during a few committee meetings, or during a troop meeting or event.

 

Good luck, it's a tough task!

[Bob White]

It will take personal- one on one- conversation. If they are unwilling to do it because of the time it is offered, ask what time they would do it and work with the traiing committee to make it happen. If they just do not see the need or do not want to get trained...release them from their responsibilities as a volunteer leader. You selected the wrong person. Select someone willing to do the job right.

[Laurie]

Wow, that's a tough one. What happened in our unit (pack) was that I took training. I had a great time, and I shared some of what I learned--one of those things relating directly to an upcoming camping trip. That got others interested, and several signed up for the next training session. When all these leaders were then enthusiastic, came back from training and each shared something new that was learned, additional leaders went for the next training. The same thing happened in the troop when my husband and one other leader took training; more would now like to go. My husband knew from my experience that having a uniform was suggested during training; so he got his. The other guy didn't have his yet, but as soon as he received his trained patch, he went right out and got one. In both units, there are many new people. They want to know the same thing: how do you get that patch? Now, those who really aren't interested in training...well, they just aren't going. In the pack, there's a lot of peer pressure--yeah, with the adults--lol! Noone wants to be left out. We make a big deal of acknowledging trained adults too. In the troop, that's not the case, but it's the new guys who really want to understand what they are doing that want training. Hang in there!

[evmori]

We make training a requirement for adults who want to be involved. If they don't want to go to training, we don't need them!

 

Ed Mori

1 Peter 4:10

[fotoscout]

Ive had the one on one discussion, Ive flooded them with available training dates from my district as well as other nearby districts. When appropriate I use the things that I do with my boys as an example. Nothing works. I even offered to teach a piece of WLOT, hoping that someone would come with me. This actually worked, one other leader did come with me.

 

I prefer the mandatory method! Throw out all of the excuses and simply make it mandatory.

 

I am convinced that the trouble we face in getting leaders trained stems from the way we handle new leaders when they first sign-up. Lets face it, most new CS leaders sign-up, buy a handbook and theyre off. There is no formal sit down with the CM or CC, only short discussions in passing. The first training classes we run begin in late September and mid to late October. By then, the new leader has already experienced the panic stage, overcome the panic, sketched out his/her own view of the program and planned to move forward with meetings. But worse than that, they have proven to themselves that they can do this job without any formal training. And, its contagious, one leader does it this year, another next year, and pretty soon there are all telling each other, You dont need to waste time going to training, just read your sons book.

 

Volunteers are a precious commodity here, so unfortunately we dont have the liberty of firing them if they wont go to training.

 

[scoutldr]

Volunteers are a precious commodity everywhere, but many Councils are doing just that. You get trained by the time recharter time rolls around or you're out of the program. Period.

[Eamonn]

As I posted in the thread about mandatory training I am not for it.

You state that the other leaders are doing the bare minimum? I am not sure what you mean by "Bare Minimum ?" If these leaders have taken the Specific and the outdoor training or the Committee training they can wear the Trained Patch with pride. Of course training never ends and it would be great to see 100% of our leaders attending all sorts of supplemental trainings and attend every Round-table, Pow Wow, Wood Badge Course and the list goes on.

Sad to say I can never see this happening. Not everyone shares the same commitment to the program, some view training much the same as a root channel!!

We can try and promote training make it as user friendly as possible. Still at the end of the day we still have the old "Horse To Water.."

In my view and as an Ex- Training Chair. I am all for training and trained leaders, we do have to be careful not to be in a rush to judge those who don't go further then they think that they have to or need to. I have been very lucky in that Her Who Must Be Obeyed, while she does have the odd moan and groan does support me and my "Scouting Habit." I only have one child a son who has the Scouting bug. Life would be very different (Well maybe?) If I had half a dozen girls.

Eamonn