Ticket Goal Questions

[ehcalum]

Greetings all!

 

Beginning the 2nd weekend the weekend before Memorial Day. I have started to draft of goals, and one of them is to offer Disabilities Awareness merit badge to scouts in the district. I am, for what I have been told, am the sole D.A. Counsler in the district, perhaps council. I am offering D.A. as I am hearing impared myself, and my brother is hearing impared, and lack one eye from cancer. My vision is to become a more effective trainer. Anyways, before we all get tearyed eye and such is: What do I do if scouts do not sign up for D.A.? I have some backup goals just in case. Thanks!

 

Cheetah? What Cheetah?

 

[Bob White]

If you are already the the meritbadge counselor for that topic then to set it as a future goal to achieve would not be apropriate would it?

 

Perhaps a different goal would be more appropriate.

 

[Vicki]

Sounds like a question for your Troop Guide, who is hopefully much more familiar with your individual situation than this forum could ever be. (Assuming I understand your post - the only question asked was "what if no one signs up?")

 

Vicki (fixed a typo)(This message has been edited by Vicki)

[ehcalum]

Bobwhite: I am sigining up to be the counsler and offer the merit badge as one of my goals. Anothe rone I am doing is to recruit a local boy who is also hearing impared into the troop and guide his advancement to Tenderfoot and/or 2nd Class.

 

Yes i'm asking "what if no one signs up?" will I need to set a new goal or what? Thanks!

[Vicki]

Well, you said you had backup goals so I think you answered your own question...you have a Plan B. Hard to speculate as to whether or not anyone will show up, I think you just have to take your chances.

 

Vicki

[SWScouter]

If this just means signing up to be a Disabilities Awareness MB counselor and waiting for a scout to give you a call, then I don't think that would be a very good ticket item. If it means doing something like, e.g., organizing and running a DAMB workshop for a MB roundup I think that would probably be a fine ticket item.

 

One thing to keep in mind is to make your ticket items SMART and under your control.

 

For your question, what if nobody signs up. If the ticket item is the example I give above, that would be okay as long as you organized and offered the workshop. That is measureable and under your control. Whether anyone signs up, attends, completes is not completely under your control (some since you need to market it to some extent).

 

Good luck,

SWScouter

[AwHeck]

I had a similar dilema for one of my ticket items. My particular item combined my volunteer duties in Scouts with my volunteer duties in a local disaster support organization. Through my "non-scout" activities, I had available training materials in local emergency prepardness classes for the area where I live (in the foothills outside of Denver). The way I structured my ticket item was to:

* obtain a list of all scout leaders in the specified area (in my case, all packs, troops, and crews)

* contact each offering the training along with information on the Emergency Preparedness BSA award that tied nicely into the training I offered

* a follow-up call or letter

* and presenting the training if requested.

 

The result? The troop and crew that my son is involved in will have the training (scheduled for the next few months) and another crew leader is very interested in the topic and has joined the local VOAD (Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters) as a result of my contacting him. Not quite the result that I was hoping for but, you never know, more may contact me in the future especially after they put together their annual plan for next year. I did and still do feel that it was a worthwhile ticket item and I structured it so that I had control over completion - I DID contact all the units, I DID make a followup etc.

 

 

(By the way, I'll get my beads on May 23rd)

[Eamonn]

Hi,ehcalum

The help you need with this should come from your Troop Guide. He or She will have the final word.

I of course agree with SWScouter, about making sure your goals are SMART Goals.(Specific

Measurable, Attainable ,Realistic,Timely)It is also important that your goals (Ticket items) are helping you meet your vision and your mission.This is very important.

While there may not be anything in the world with this goal, which with a couple of tweaks could be wonderful. You might want to backtrack a little.

When you sit down to write your ticket you need to choose one role, normally the position which is your primary position.

I have to admit that when I read this goal, I thought that you were a Merit Badge Counselor. Somehow I don't see that as your primary position in Scouting - But I could be wrong? Being a more effective trainer is a fine vision, but you need to make it work in the area where you work. Looking at your profile I'm guessing either the troop or the crew.

During the second weekend there is a session on diversity. One of your ticket items has to do with diversity. I think you could your experiences with disabilities to write a ticket item that was "Closer to home".

I remember at Nordjamb there was an excellent area that the Scouts could go through where they were put in situations where they had to do tasks while they were "handicapped". Some were blindfolded, some were on one leg and had to do an obstacle course using crutches. The Scouts had fun but also gained an understanding of the challenges that people with disabilities face.

Eamonn

 

 

[CeeJayRocker]

Eamonn came close to my suggestion . . . Perhaps you should wait until you've come closer to finishing the course before you craft your ticket. I now know that Scouting's concept of diversity is much broader and less narrowly defined than the common meaning. Now, don't take that to mean that your MB counselor goal is not worthy, because I believe it is. Just rein it back a bit, take the course in, then craft your tickets. I had barely a notion of what a ticket was when I first assembled on the Lea, and I can tell you only one of my original ticket thoughts turned into a real ticket by the completion of the course. Good luck with the rest of the course . . .!

 

I used to be a bear

 

C-12-04(This message has been edited by CeeJayRocker)

[gavvin]

I recently completed the practical portion of Wood Badge and I am currently working my ticket items. As I found out, you can get all the good advice in the world about your ticket items and it won't mean a thing if your Troop Guide/Ticket Counselor doesn't agree with it.

 

That being said, my advice is much the same as the others'. Make your tickets SMART. Being a counselor is great but is very passive. In order to be a better ticket, I would run a MB workshop and invite scouts from all over the district to attend. It has a definite start and finish and is easily measured. Just being available as a counselor is somewhat nebulous.

 

but, as always, last word belongs to your Ticket Counselor.

 

Gavvin

[JollyMon]

I have just completed the course and one of my ticket items is similar. I am putting together an "inclusion" campout between my Troop and another that is operated out of the public school here that serves students with significant disabilities. As part of this ticket item, I am offering to work on the Disabilities Awareness merit badge for those interested. When we return from the campout, we will have a Troop presentation by those who went to talk about it and how all of us are different.

 

So I applaud the concept of your ticket item. Think about the inclusion campout idea or something more tangible than just waiting to be called as a counselor. I do not think anyone in my troop has received that merit badge in the last 10 years, so it has to be "marketed."

 

Good luck on your second weekend of the course. You'll have a great time. Lord Baden Powell himself made an appearance at our course. Looked to be in pretty good shape for a man of his age and was pretty inspirational, too.

 

Gil

Bobwhite (and proud of it)

SR702