Looking afresh at the Adult Leader Training Concept

[John-in-KC]

As I read the "What would you change about WB" thread, I'm coming to a few conclusions:

 

- We volunteers, and many of us have some fair experience, aren't sure the current Scouter training model is working very well.

 

- We have some significant schisms still between "Old School" and "New School," and we're willing to gratuitously insult each others generation.

 

- We probably have the expertise in education, leadership pysch, and skills development to horizontally and vertically integrate the training from the 7 year old Tiger to the 21 year old Venturer.

 

So here's the exercise:

 

Let's take all the existing trainings off the table. How would you design the training spectrum for your program? Would you integrate across programs, or would you be sequential? WHY?

 

There is one guideline: You cannot change the advancement programs of any youth program. You must accept the current 2007 requirements and Advancement Committee Policies and Procedures in designing and implementing your training.

 

It'll be interesting to see what folks think for "what right looks like."

[Eamonn]

I'm game, but I need to give the little gray cells a bit of time!!

Ea.

[LongHaul]

>>Would you integrate across programs, or would you be sequential?

[Its Me]

 

Training would be similar to what it is now:

 

I would break out the training program into four areas

 

Cubs

Webelos & First Class

PLC / Patrol Training

Venturers / Older Scouts

 

The cub training would be a weekend event think Baloo on caffeine. This training module would focus on getting the kids and their parents into tents and into the outdoors. Outdoor skills that are too often assumed as being taught by the pack aren't. The Pack may have a few experienced camper but too often they aren't in a position where they can train parents. (sneaking this in "allow den camping")

 

 

Next would be a weekend event or more on forming patrols and getting to first class. To a casual observer the webelos program is prep for first class. I combined Webelos with first class training because I think a fourth grade and a sixth grader have more in common than an eighth grader and sixth grader. This is all about tribal bounding and patrol spirit.

 

PLC and Patrol running would come next. Teaching these skills to first years I would say is a reach for most. This one and the prior one break out wood badge into separate training modules. The patrol forming gets put into the Outdoor webelos program and the troop/patrol running gets put into separate module. One thing I don't really remember from Woodbadge is program planning and using the porgram features to design an annual program. This IMHO is less intuitive for most adults leaders than running a meeting or speaking to a small group.

 

Finally grand adventure training for the upper scouts. With my recent Powder horn training I can tell you that national believes that keeping the older scouts needs to model youth group style organization. Structure and leadership take a backseat to trip planning.

 

Actually what I am doing is pushing more training earlier into the program. Camping skills developed at the bear and wolf level with mom and dad will pay off handsomely in the patrol years.