Mandatory Training

[kb6jra]

Wow, mandatory training. What a concept. I like the idea actually, and maybe because I''ve taken it upon myself to get all the training I can fit into my schedule, and maybe because I''m on my council''s Training Team (have the new neckerchief to prove it) and WB Staff.

 

I know how important it is for scouts to have trained leaders. I''ve seen first hand what damage an untrained adult can do to kids, and I can support mandated training as long as it''s handled correctly.

 

I would think that at a minimum, like in OGE''s council, the Council or District leadership focuses on the training team and training schedule first, just to make sure that all is in place before they announce new rule. Then the communication and sales of the idea needs to be complete. There should be no question in the mind of any adult as to why the step is necessary and how it can be accomplished.

 

Regarding quality of training, I would be in favor of a more centralized TDC or TTT. I would think that training techniques could filter down from the Region to the Area level, that trainers should be "certified" to give training in the first place. Many councils, mine included, require a trainer to take TDC (every 3 years in my council) in order to be active on the training teams. I would say that would be a minimum requirement. I''m attending an Area CD conference in a couple of weeks (first one for me) and think that something of this level would be appropriate for all council and district level trainers.

 

[kb6jra]

I thought I could edit my last post, but apparantly not...

 

I wanted to add to those really against the idea, almost every other organization that serves youth REQUIRES training of some level. Take AYSO for example, probably close in size to BSA, they require each coach to attend a mandatory 2 day training EVERY YEAR or they don''t coach. I''ve been told that its a once is enough kinda training, but they require it of all adults, every year, end of story.

 

Little League requires training sessions of their adults EVERY YEAR. Pop Warner, City wide basketball..all require training, why are we so different? I think it''s a decent policy if administered correctly. We have expecatations of our youth for Rank advancement, there ought to be some expectations of the adults as well...

 

 

[LongHaul]

Beavah,

If National wants to distance itself from training why the push from National on the local Councils for trained leaders? So much time is spent at the Council Training meetings talking about diluting courses to increase attendance that some trainers, myself included, are getting getting ready to throw in the towel.

 

kb6jra,

Certification is only as good as the person issuing the certification. When the new millenium training was introduced my district put together a team to study it and prepare to present it to the volunteers. One thing we decided up front was to teach the syllabus at TRAINING and tell the new leaders how we really do it at ROUNDTABLE. We had to weed out alot of TTT and TDC certified people because they wanted to teach "how it works for me".

LongHaul

[John-in-KC]

I have to agree with LH here.

 

We''ve talked a bit about trainers as "training distractions," we also have to talk about "content as a training enhancement or distraction."

 

When I taught for Mother Army, my students had common knowledge bases: They were either wet behind the ears Lieutenants, who had some military training at the Academies or in ROTC, or they were Captains, who had 4 years in the trenches or so. The task analysis included previously learned (and mastery expected) knowledge, and the learning hierarchy level (from identification up through synthesis) associated with the task.

 

From what I''ve seen in Scouting, training assumes little knowledge of anything, and has to meet a gamit of learners: At one end we''ll have a plumber or carpenter, at the other an attorney or doctor. That makes a challenging mix of training audiences.

 

From what I''ve read here, one common training distractor is the course design does not include sufficient time for all the questions. A student should never have a reasonable question unanswered, even if the instructor has to say "let''s take that offline, I promise a proper answer by Friday next." From what I see here, some students are leaving with unanswered questions for time, or unspoken questions for fear of being labelled a springbutt.

 

For those who are approaching being instructors and content providers, I think BSA can and should tell us HOW they decide how content is prepared for training and why they choose to present it in certain ways. From experience, I think the BSA Lifeguard curriculum, with the huge amounts of practice time (in my Councils'' pools) given it, is a very effective course package.

[Aquila]

>>At one end we''''ll have a plumber or carpenter, at the other an attorney or doctor. That makes a challenging mix of training audiences.

[Gunny2862]

Okay, I'm not against training every year but then shouldn't the entire spectrum of training be available(at least once) every year within a Council? If not, what specific courses are we saying should be annualized? YPT at the least. But it's online.

 

A Leader who wanted to be fully trained who joined when I did and was able to take advantage of every needed training opportunity could still not have earned his strip in less than 14 months in this council. I'm still going to be that long(If IOLS doesn't go against my work schedule - although I'm willing to take vacation for it if necessary) and I've gone out of Council to attempt to expedite the timeline.

 

But I don't think that Vacation time should have to be used to attend mandatory training if it goes that way and the Council doesn't remember that they are scheduling training for volunteers, not paid staff. At least half of my vacation goes to Scouting already - and I haven't had time for it to claim more of it yet.

[kb6jra]

Yearly Training is a minimum I would think.

 

I've staffed our area's SM/ASM Specific for the last 4 years. We've held it 2 times a year since then and we've always filled our course. I say area because originally it was a council-wide training event, now it's considered a district wide event. We still fill it twice a year.

 

My District offers Cub Leader specific every other month from September through May. They get 20 people on average every course. Council has a High Adventure Team training program that repeats at a minimum every year; usually courses are offered twice yearly. NLE, YPT, SA/SSD, Fast start, Dist Com training..all available online.

 

In my district and council there really is not a good excuse against mandatory training, at least the frequency of training offered can't be used as one.

 

 

[Scouter&mom]

Mandatory training? Can't see it working in my council. Training available at the district level 3-6 times a year is amazing. Our council tends to offer the Leader Specific training once a year.

 

I went to "Trainer" training and was told each district would have a training library containing syllabi and training materials for BSA standard courses. When I tried to get something to use with the new leaders in our pack, our DE didn't know about it, he did tell me we had a district training chair, but that he was pretty sure that she did not have the library either, since he didn't know it existed. He did find me some new den leader packages. A month later, still haven't seen a syllabus for anything.

 

Two weeks later our CE chastisied me for not having anyone from our Pack at UoS. He doesn't get the economic reality of our part of the country. Lots of single parents, and lots of low income parents who work shifts and all kind of hours just to keep a roof over their heads. Flyers for POW-WOW were mailed less than two weeks before the event.

 

I am not going to tell the Dad, who is a Tiger Den Leader, he can't re-register because he didn't go to training. This dad lives 60 miles away, and drives up for every weekly meeting. Training is the weekend his son is with him and he doesn't want to leave him to drive 80 miles to attemd training on how to conduct a meeting. He has done the on-line training (YPT and Fast Start). Even as the Pack Trainer, I am going to accept that he has done what he can at this point. If we make it to hard for him, we will lose him and the boy. This is a man who was a Scout as a boy, has his son excited about Scouting, and has some great skills in working with the boys. Think we will just keep him... "Trained" or not.

 

[Owl62]

I, and perhaps some others here, would like to know what councils in the BSA have implemented mandatory training for adult Scouters.

 

I have seen two mentioned in this thread, and one that used to have mandatory adult leader training.

 

Any others out there?

 

I'm not really interested in whether we agree with it or not, just which council have implemented mandatory adult leader training.

 

Thanks.

 

[eagle-pete]

Not mine (Trapper Trails Council)

 

Although we do have one DE that insists, in no uncertain terms, anyone wishing to serve within his district better sign up for Wood Badge if they wish to continue to serve. Most have complied.

 

Eagle Pete

[kb6jra]

not mine

 

California Inland Empire Council (CIEC)

 

At least not as a council. Each district has more autonomy than they probably need, so who knows what other districts are requiring.