What can I do as a new parent and helper?

[sctmom]

I'm always learning things from this board. My son has joined a good troop. Yet as you can tell from my other posts, I see some areas that could use some "attention". I filled out the adult volunteer form the same time I turned in my son's application. I think they officially listed me as a committee member.

 

How do I, as a new parent and a female, help the troop without running over everyone? The adults in the troop are very good people. They welcome anyone who will help the troop. They are accepting of me as a female Scouter. I think I have gained some respect from them based on a few events already. They know I'm willing to stick in there, not do for the boys what they can do for themselves, and not afraid of dirt & bugs.

 

Here are a few areas that I see needing improvement:

 

Examples:

I sat in on the Second Class BOR of a boy who has been in scouting for 2 years. He lacks one requirement to be ready for his First Class BOR. Many of his requirements were done 2 years ago (I think at summer camp). He really needs some extra attention to learn and demonstrate this ONE requirement. He does not get support from home and it seems that the other adults are saying "well, go do it" to the boy. I think he has some learning / emotional problems that are slowing him down. I also think he doesn't feel he can ask the other scouts for help on this. Do I just walk up to him at the next troop meeting and say "hey, can I help you with that requirement?"

 

Another example:

I think the boys are being rushed to Eagle. AND there is an attitude among the adults and boys of "hurry up and get to Eagle so you can leave." I know there is so much more than just the Badge and piece of paper. Sure, a lot of boys can get to Eagle in 2 to 3 years. Sure, a lot are going to quit in their mid-teens. But why is that the mantra of the troop? This starts with the rushing to First Class and getting the Eagle required Merit Badges as soon as possible, anyway possible (like Merit Badge "college"). I've heard from more than one boy "if I had worked harder on such and such, I would already have Eagle and be out of here." I've heard from more than one adult "soon my son will have Eagle and be out of here." I've heard from adults and boys "have your son start working on his (fill in the blank) badge, it's Eagle required." HEY, he just started LAST MONTH!

 

The troop is boy-led. The committee, SM and ASM's repeat "we do it for the boys" and really mean it. The troop is active -- at least one major activity/campout every month; based on what the boys want to do. They follow the rules and guidelines of BSA.

 

So, as SM's and the such out there, how would you best respond to me if I came to you with suggestions to improve an already good troop?

 

Oh, I can't seem to find any Boy Scout training within 100 miles of me for the next few months. I'm in the process of touching base with the district about any suggestions they have for getting trained.

 

[Bob White]

Hi sctmom,

Thank you for taking this to its own thread. You asked some excellent questions, either of which could be a thread on its own.

 

In the first case of the second class scout there are a couple of things worth discussing. How did he get left in limbo for so long, why hasn't anybody realized his lack of one requirement and done something, and what can you do to help.

 

I recommend that the unit use an Advancement wall calendar to track advancement. It makes identifying situations like this easier. For it to work though someone has to make sure that the info is up to date and that once a situation like this by has is spotted that someone is assigned to motivate him to completion. The most likely person for this job is the Advancement chair or someone on the advancement committee (nothing says that advancement is a one person job).

 

Another thing that will help to identify tis sort of thing is regular Boards of Review (BOR). BORs are not just for scouts who are advancing. They are also for scouts who aren't. By having BORs on a monthly basis and visiting with scouts who have not shown any advancement activity in the last 3-6 months will help to catch these near misses much faster.

 

As far as your role, no matter your title you are there for the scouts. If I knew of a situation like you describe I would pair the boy up with a junior leader who could help him complete the requirement. if that option didn't work I would sit down with him myself. Either way I would get the scout support and instruction to help him complete his rank.

 

your second situation is more difficult. Far too many Leaders have the mistaken idea that the eagle rank is the goal of scouting. If it were then we are all miserable failures because only 3.5% of scouts achieve Eagle and that is the highest rate in the history of the rank. So if Eagle is the goal then we fail 96.5% of the time.

 

Eagle is a wonderful achievement and a great personal accomplishment for any scout who wants to set his sights on it and achieve it no matter what his age. But it is just that a personal goal not a program goal. To sway the unit or unit leaders perception is a difficult task. Once that mindset exists it is hard to change.

 

The other problem is the self-fullfilling prophecy that boys leave at 16 or after they get Eagle. Once you you convince your self of that then you start planning a program around it. Before you know it they leave because you planned the program out from under them.

 

Just as an example; My son's first troop's SM believed in that folklore, and sure enough every boy who made Eagle did so around 16 and left, or they didn't get to Eagle, turned 16 and left.

My son's second troop is in the same town, has a Scoutmaster who sees the only advancement goal as First Class First Year (no it is not me) and believes that the only way out as a scout is to turn 18. We currently have 5 Eagle scouts ages 14 to 17 extremely active in the troop. We will have a 6th Eagle in 8 weeks and he turns 18 in July. We have 4 life scouts ages 14 and up. Will they be Eagle? Maybe, it's up to them. They Know what they have to do to get there, but our program is not based on getting them there. They are fine young men and good leaders. Any one of them would be an excellent Eagle Scout, but if they left scouting at 18 without it they would still be fine young men and good leaders and good representatives of scouting.

 

I guess I'm trying to say "don't give up you're on the right track". Learn as much as you can about the real scouting program and look for opportunities to counsel the other adults individually.

 

Lastly, so that I can save some bandwidth for other posters, training. Contact your local Scout service Center and ask to borrow the New Leader Essentials, CD and video. You might also ask to do the Scoutmaster Leader Specific Training as a home study (it is allowed) get the video, the NLE CD has the PowerPoint presentations for this on it as well.

Also read the Chapters 1,2,16-19 of the Boy Scout Handbook, the Scoutmasters Handbook, and the Committee guide Book. (watch for the Senior Patrol Leader handbook and the Patrol Leaders handbook due out this summer)

 

Hope this helps, Happy Scouting,

 

Bob White

 

 

[OldGreyEagle]

Mom,

 

I agree with Bob, now that you know what the requirement is that is holding this scout up, do what you can to get the requirement finished. Either through a junior leader, ASM or yourself. Decide you are going to make it happen, and make it so.

 

You may have found a niche for yourself in this matter. Offer to fill out an advancement poster for the troop, it will give the troop a valuable morale and incentive tool and you will be quite intimate with who needs to do what for what. Then you could help set up situaitons to get the requirements done. Then having a boy getting lost in the cracks would be harder to have happen.

 

Our troop uses the poster and the Troopmaster software. If your troop doesnt use a software tracking tool and you have over 20 scouts, its worth it (my opinion). You can see who needs what in a heartbeat. I take it if you can post on this forum, you could input the date in the program. In this way you have found a valuable role in the troop without displacing anybody or telling anybody what they are doing is wrong. With the advancement poster or software, the PLC can see what types of outings would be beneficial to advancement.

 

 

(This message has been edited by OldGreyEagle)

[sctmom]

Thanks you both for your replies.

 

I bought a copy of the Boy Scout handbook and Scoutmaster handbook last year as a Webelos Leader. I think they are both great books. I find myself turning to the Scoutmaster handbook as help in parenting!

 

I know the adults in the troop are very dedicated and work hard. It's not that they expect the boys to work only on their own, so this boy slipping through the cracks is not intentional. I think I'll make sure to have some rope in my car and casually ask the boy if he had a chance to work on the knot tying, since this week was spring break. Then I will offer my extra rope to him and to help him out. I see that he can take a lot more "fun" classes at summer camp if he is First Class before then (some classes are restricted to First Class and above).

 

Bob, I will check with the district training contact first about the things you mentioned. Leader specific training is only offered about twice a year in our district.

 

I thought as time goes on, I can share with my son and others some of the great things I see online that other troops are doing (like Mike Long's high adventure trips). The boys may not know of many of the places they could be going to in our area. The boys may not choose the same places I would, but at least they would have new places to choose from.

 

[buffalo2]

Scoutmom:

Sounds like your heart is in the right place, and you're certainly receiving some good advice from the frequent flyers...

My $.02 regards the difficulty you may be encountering in finding BSA training opportunities. One of the more important things that will make you an effective Scouter is a constant association with those who are involved in the Scouting movement (did I get that right?) This sharing of thoughts and ideas (and please don't discount your own) keeps the program fresh and flexible, while helping us all to move in the same direction. In short, consider going to some extra trouble to find the training that you're after. Might be a pain if you've got to drive over to the next Council but in the long run it'll be worth it.

Good luck!