Positions of Responsibility

[CherokeeScouter]

Wow, where to begin. Lot of negative ju-ju going around.

 

We have a large troop - 80-plus. Rightly or wrongly everything is elected, right down to the Librarian. That list posted above is pretty accurate. We probably have that many positions. If a Scout needs something for rank and isn't holding a position, he asks the SM for a special project. And yes, we generally have a few left over and the SM sends out an email saying these positions are vacant. Who knows why they didn't run originally. Maybe they were at practice, maybe they're shy - whatever. When was a ASM and did conferences, I asked about why they didn't run for anything and the need to step outside their comfort zone a little bit. When I was a volunteer and did BORs, I would talk to the Scout about how important leadership is and why it's part of Scouting.

 

Now, the APL thing posted where the kid didn't hold the right rank but did all this work - was this an actual case or an example? Not sure how that happen. That's because serving in a position of responsibility or doing a project is an actual advancement requirement that has to be turned into the IHR or logged into the Scout's book. In other words, the BOR folks are looking to see if that requirement is signed off, not at the bottom of the IHR where it lists all of the leadership positions a Scout has held. Now, the BOR folks may talk about the leadership positions, but if that requirement is signed off, then it was by virtue of an eligible position or a SM-approved project.

 

If someone gave an APL credit for passing that leadership requirement by virtue of him being an APL, well, that's on the SM, or whomever passed him on it.

 

Our biggest problem with positions of leadership is that some Scouts do their job better than other Scouts. That's why, for the time being, we have adult volunteers assigned help coach each position. The SM works with the SPL and ASPLs, a facilities guy works with the Quartermaster, etc. My background is writing, editing and public relations, so I work with the Scribe, WebMaster and Librarian. Working with the Scout, a scope of work is developed for each position and expectations are outlined at the beginning of each 6 months. We devote one whole meeting to this at the first PLC. If they don't meet those deliverables, they are coached and we continue to work with them. The adult leaders help the Scout develop the scope of work and then the Scouts run with it. My scribe just turned in minutes for the last two meetings that consisted of four sentences and two pictures - brevity appears to be his strong suit - so there will be a little coaching tonight.

 

Hopefully, this will evolve into a situation where the Scout who held the job previously will take on this mentoring role, but for now, this is working.

 

By the way, thanks to all of you who helped shepherd me through those advancement issues. Much better situation now.

 

However, I can say that we have evolved from an adult-run troop (bad thing) to troop now run more or less by the Scouts. We are not there yet, but every month gets better.