Roundtable "training"

[Oak Tree]

Our latest roundtable included at least five pieces of authoritatively stated misinformation, mixed in with several lectures and a little bit of useful info.

 

I understand that not everyone spends time staying current on Scouting details, but please don't stand up in front and act like you know what you are saying when you are actually wrong.

 

Things we were toldMerit badge counselors must be trained in merit badge counseling in order to be official. This is not what's in the national advancement handbook.Merit badge counselors must be registerd or else "the boy is wasting his time and council will reject the merit badge." This is blatantly, laughably untrue. We don't even tell the council who the counselor is. There is no way this has ever happened to anyone in our council. Why would you tell this to a group of troop leaders?The new "one Oath and Law" rule does not affect Sea Scouts. Wrong. It does affect Sea Scouts. It says so in the text of the national resolution and in the Scouting magazine blog entry.Tug-of-war is a banned activity. Several people immediately pulled up the G2SS and verified this is not the case. Nevertheless, the guy who stated this said he was on the council health and safety committee (not clear if he meant currently or in the past) and tug-of-war was banned.A fifth thing that I can't remember right now, even though I remember catching the eye of another volunteer and shaking our heads at the item.Things we were lectured aboutIf more of us don't donate to the district uniform closet, there won't be any uniforms in it.If someone doesn't step up to run the district pinewood derby, there won't be one.If someone doesn't step up to run the district camporee, there won't be one.Each unit absolutely, positively must have someone attend next month so that he or she can learn how to do internet recharter. Holy mackeral, it's just filling out forms on the internet. I think we can handle it. **Especially since we've done it before**No offense, but this isn't the best way to recruit people to step up to help out. Maybe sometimes it's necessary, but there are a lot of one-on-one recruiting calls I'd want to see made first.

 

All-in-all, it just makes me wonder. And sigh. And wonder some more.

[ADCinNC]

"Merit badge counselors must be registered or else "the boy is wasting his time and council will reject the merit badge."

A council can if it chooses based on what is in the Guide to Advancement.

 

7.0.1.1 Qualifications of Counselors

People serving must maintain registration with the Boy Scouts of America as merit badge counselors and be approved by the local council for each of their badges. There are no exceptions.

 

7.0.4.6 Once It Is Earned, Its Earned

Once a registered and approved counselor has passed a Scout on requirements for a merit badge, it cannot be taken away.

 

If the counselor is not registered and approved, there are no guarantees.

 

As far as training, YPT is mandatory. If the council decides they must take the orientation found at http://www.scouting.org/Training/Adult/Supplemental/MeritBadgeCounselorInstructorsGuide.aspx, then they must to be approved by that council (see 7.0.1.6 Training for Counselors).

 

If tug of war is now banned, I need to change the pic on the top of our pack's website :-)

(This message has been edited by ADCinNC)

[ADCinNC]

There are several tug of war games listed here, http://www.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/Games.pdf

 

Go figure :-)

[Crew21_Adv]

Oak Tree and Fellow Scouters,

 

 

I still believe Roundtable is fairly valuable. Let me reflect on my experiences with Roundtable "training". I do profess to be very experienced, but not an expert. I often speak in front of R/T, and tell my colleagues, "Check my facts!". At least I know when they are checking, they are reading the literature themselves. I don't have a problem if fellow Scouters go directly to the book after my statements.

 

I joke with my Roundtable Commissioners. Administrative remarks and general training needs to be kept short, fellow Scouters attend Roundtable for an experience of program ideas and program materials, not for lectures. For myself, I have a short attention span; so I try to stand up, speak up and shut up, and keep the Roundtable moving to the next agenda item.

 

Regarding Recharter training. As easy as it would seem; I have seen scores of Scout units go delinquent 2-3 months beyond recharter, because the treasurer never moved the finances or the membership chair never completed the traditional paperwork (or went online to Internet Rechartering). Meanwhile Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts and their Cubmasters and Scoutmasters thought they were okay, when parents/committee members let them down.

 

Equally, I have seen units that thought once advancements were typed into an advancement chair's laptop computer, the job was over. Meanwhile, they have to be reminded to send in the advancement report or to synch their (Troop/PackMaster, Scoutsoft) third party software to Online Advancements/ScoutNET2000.

 

Well intended adults and respectable professionals in the business world, but some Scouters just don't take the time to read the basic instructions and need remedial training nearly annually. Sometimes a blanket mandatory Roundtable session may alleviate having to repeat a custom training session, 2, 3, 4, 5x.... times.

 

As painful as it may be to participate in a session which may seem common sense, sometimes a Roundtable topic may be the best time to distribute information which seems to cause Scouters the most problems.

 

Now I do agree. It is disappointing when district policy is declared to be a national policy, or when national literature is misquoted. (Such as liquid fuel white gas, are they to be reduced usage or absolutely banned?) And when fellow Scouters are too stubborn to dialogue about interpretation or possible mis-interpretation. I will normally say, lets go to the book. I could be wrong, but I could be correct. Lets go look..

 

Hopefully, your Roundtable staffers will attempt to distribute the best and needed info and accept challenging questions.

 

Scouting Forever and Venture On!

Crew21 Adv

 

[Ohanadad]

Everyone's human and can/will make mistakes. As a RT Commissioner, I try my best to make sure what I say is accurate and give references. Is everything I say 100% correct? No, but what saves me is that someone will stop and ask a question or give input. Instead of trading glances to one another, what about helping the guy/gal out and give input. If you don't openly want to say something, pull him/her aside after the RT and give your input in a constructive way. "Feedback is a gift" so give it often. Remember we're all a team.

[fred8033]

Roundtable training and breakouts are way too hit and miss. IMHO, that's why roundtable attendance is so bad. People get burned a few times and stop coming. They only keep coming if they make personal connections. That's why I prefer the online training. Consistency, high quality and available when I'm ready to take it. I only go to round table for the in-person discussions and learning thru conversation.

[Ohanadad]

For all those that gripe about RT being boring, useless, inaccurate, etc. you need to remember that it is organized and led by volunteers like yourselves. I like to say that it's not "my" RT, but "our" RT and the power is the sharing of information and tips from the group to the group. It's too easy to sit on the side and gripe about RT. If you really don't like it, why don't you help to improve the situation by volunteering to help or lead RT (que cricket sounds)...