Are you really "Trained"?

[gwd-scouter]

Hi dlearyous and welcome to the Forum.

 

I am on our District's Training Committee and I can at least share with you how Cub Scout Leader Training is done in our area.

 

New Leader Essentials is conducted on Saturday mornings and lasts about 3 hours. This is attended by ALL new leaders, Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts and Venturers.

 

Then, the Cub Scout Leaders remain after that for about two more hours and have a group presentation on how a Pack is organized, their place within that organization, and some other general Cub Scout stuff.

 

After that we have breakout sessions for Cubmasters and assistants, Pack Committee, and Den Leaders. We would like to be able to offer breakouts even further to separate the Den Leaders by Tigers, Wolf/Bear, Webelos, but we don't have enough trainers for that.

 

In answer to your question about the leader knots and training. You would certainly not have to take New Leader Essentials again, but you are required to take the specific training for your specific job.

 

It is unfortunate that your District is not able to offer separate sessions for Cub Leader training. I suspect it is because of the usual reason - not enough volunteers.

 

 

[funscout]

I guess I shouldn't complain about having to attend training that wasted my time, because our trainings are free. It's hard enough to get our Cub Scout leaders to take the time to get trained. I can't imagine what would happen if they had to pay for it as well!

[Beavah]

A Scout Learns

A Scout is Tested

A Scout is Reviewed

A Scout is Recognized

 

Scouting has one of the best youth education/training programs in the nation based on these simple principles.

 

So one wonders, if we believe so strongly in this system, why we don't use it for adults. If anything, having knowledgeable adults is even more important than youth advancement.

 

I'm with Newbie, eh? If we care about the aims for adult training, we must teach, and test individually, and review individually before we recognize. And any adult who isn't willing to make that commitment really shouldn't be a scout leader. We should at least hold ourselves to the same standards as the boys.

 

 

 

[OldGreyEagle]

Beavah, I agree with you, its time the adults stood the same scrutiny that the youth are subjected to.

 

I think the 4 step process should be the basis for a "certified troop" program. I mean if the adults dont bother to implement BSA polcies and procedures in their troops, they can attend as many training sesisns as they wish, but they still arent trained.

[CNYScouter]

Beavah & OGE,

 

I agree 100% with both of you.

 

I couldn't agrre more with "And any adult who isn't willing to make that commitment really shouldn't be a scout leader"

This has become an issue within my council as we move towards manditory training. There are mnay adults who took training 20+ years ago who do not want to attend training to update there knowledge.

 

I think having some type of "certified" troop program would do nothing but improve the quality of units. I think that this could be done without forcing a "cookie cutter" approach and having all troops exactly the same.

Perhaps this is something that could be done by the Commissioner Service.

I like what the Grand Canyon Council has done and has put in place Honor and Merit Unit Awards above and beyond the quality unit award.

http://www.grandcanyonbsa.org/

 

It just seems that I keep meeting adults who are "trained" but can't/won't take the time to learn and understand how the BSA program works and tend to do whatever they think is the way it should be done or just change things to suit themselves.