Roundtable Attancence

[JoeBob]

Aww geewhizzer shucks JoeBob' date=' once a week is four emails a month.[/quote']

 

You made me look. The recycle folder in my SPAM software (MailWasherPro) has 2979 pieces of worthless communication from the last 7 days. If you are able to keep my attention rephrasing the same info 4 times, good on you!

 

A reminder 4 days before RT would be good. Period.

 

[qwazse]

The "third world generals" (I'm sure some read this forum) of Seneca district are a great group of guys and gals who have bent over backward for us any time we needed it.

 

But like BD my life is insane, so I make it to about 1/4 of RTs.

 

Click, the best tool which hasn't been used much is the phone call.

For never seen ... "We're missing you at RT. Hope your adult leaders can pay us a visit soon. The next meeting is ..."

For first-timers ... "Just wanted to say thanks for coming to your first RT. Sorry we didn't have time to talk much. Hope to see you again."

For the ones you haven't seen a while ... "Just was at RT and realized I hadn't seen you for a while. Let me know if there's anything we can do to support your unit.

[packsaddle]

I have a passionate hatred of phone calls. If I don't know that number, it's off to oblivion.

[qwazse]

I have a passionate hatred of phone calls. If I don't know that number' date=' it's off to oblivion.[/quote']

 

Good point. Rather than a sheet of scouters' names with a half-dozen contact methods, just record the one that they say they prefer to be contacted by. (This means actually having someone devoted to meeting new scouters at meetings ... greeters, what a concept!)

 

So something like:

 

Q, CA/ASM T/C ###: Home ###-#### 8-9pm.

Pack, APO Advisor Chapter ###: Scouter.com Attn: Moderators

Joe Bob, SM T ###: ### Easy Street (Bring beer 4 days before RT).

...

 

Fact is, if you have a good commissioner corps, you don't even need this list. The UC learns how to contact his/her units, and drops by and makes the invite to RT with a hand-shake.

 

(... and to the folks at Seneca District, sorry that the timing was bad for all of us for last week's RT ... life happened in unique and wonderful ways for each of us!)

[SSScout]

Q: You're assuming that the timing was bad? Come to White Oak District Weds. Night! You know the address, I trust....

[anotherguy]

For me, Rountable is one of the least productive aspects of scouting. Our Cub Scout sessions are regularly without any theme or purpose. The older Scouters don't often have current info either. When I've attended I pointed out (important) conflicting info found on the Council's website to the older Scouter leading the session. The response was a resigned "Oh well, just go ahead and rely on the info on the website". This didn't really instill confidence among those attending and doesn't provide a reason to return. The Scouter's heart was in the right place of course and I appreciate their service. But if I want reliable info, I'll visit the Council and Distrcit website and happily skip RT.

[Twocubdad]

For about seven years I missed two roundtables -- one was when I was on Wood Badge staff the other was National Camp School. Then my son's Communication MB counselor suggested he go to RT to take notes instead of the town board (which conflicts with troop meeting night). On the way home he asks if that was a typical RT meeting, which it was. "Well that was the biggest waste of time I've ever sat through. I can't believe you put up with that crap every month." From the mouths of babes. Basically, I haven't been back since which has been about six years now.

 

It's hard to get around the waste of time. Frankly, physical meetings of RTs are an anachronism. If me killing an evening and three or four gallons of gas could have been replaced by an email newsletter, spend the effort on the newsletter. Unlike meetings, newsletters are self-editing. I get to skip the stuff which doesn't pertain to me.

 

Short of that go with handouts. I don't need a 15 minute pitch on Wood Badge. I need an info sheet (or better yet email) I can distribute to the folks in my unit who need to know. I don't need to be regaled with the whole story starting with Mafeking yet again.

 

I'm with E90 on the value of a true roundtable discussion. Our RTs were 180 degrees from that. We were prohibited from discussing the number of gorillas in the room -- the lack of appropriate inventory in the scout shop, the disgusting condition of the camp shower houses and the fact that our (then) Scout Executive was an utter moron. Any controversial comments were immediately quashed by the RTC or DE. If we're not going to discuss important issues, what's the point?

 

And don't make me watch glue dry. I'm a grown man, a licensed general contractor, not a Wolf Cub. Show me the craft of the month, give me a sheet of instructions and maybe a take-home kit and tell me about tips, hints or sources you may have. I don't need practice gluing cotton balls on construction paper.

 

Cut out the inside jokes and stupid songs. Next time someone sings the Announcement Song, I'm going to punch them in the teeth. All that is is and opportunity for the egos to get up and strut.

[LeCastor]

Twocubdad, I think Eagle94 is right You need a break.

[Twocubdad]

I'm working on it.

 

[Basementdweller]

Selective memory

 

My favorite part of round table is the introductions.

 

Hi, I am Bob Betterthanyou Scouter, I am roundtable commisioner, woodbadge staffer, Activity chairman, bear den leader pack123, assistant scoutmaster Troop123, District Popcorn Chair, presdient of the kiwanis club, assistant chari for the rotary club, on and on and on then to top it off ONEHELLUVA nice guy.

 

I nearly forgot the complete uniform check. Do you have your scout socks on?

[LeCastor]

Hi, I am Bob Betterthanyou Scouter, I am roundtable commisioner, woodbadge staffer, Activity chairman, bear den leader pack123, assistant scoutmaster Troop123, District Popcorn Chair, presdient of the kiwanis club, assistant chari for the rotary club, on and on and on then to top it off ONEHELLUVA nice guy.

 

 

I decided to sit on this for a few days rather than respond straightaway.

 

Basement, I know where you are coming from here and there are definitely folks who come across as jerkwads. However, the person you describe above--minus the "Betterhanyou"--is likely someone with a boatload of experience. Rather than poo-poo these Scouters, I think we should embrace them and use them for the betterment of our units.

 

I see people crap on the "third world generals", or whatever other insulting name folks decide to use to describe Scouters with experience, and it always makes me sad. Are these Scouters really jerkwads or do we just make them out to be so?

 

***********************************

 

Roundtable should be a place for fellowship and sharing of knowledge. If you are the Roundtable Commissioner it's your job to keep it that way. If the be-knotted jerkwads are hogging the time and pushing people away, nip it in the bud sooner than later before you've lost all your JoeBobs. But please don't harass people with emails or surveys. A good old-fashioned sit-down with the Scoutmaster goes a long way to restoring relationships. Email stinks. Have a beer or a coffee or a Coke with your district's unit leaders and convince them that they should give Roundtable another shot.

[RandyPrice]

We have a difficult time getting people to attend our local RT. To be frank it's boring and takes basically and entire evening.

[desertrat77]

Our district is rural, many miles of open prairie and a long way from anything, including the council office.

 

Our district has no round tables. Haven't had them for years. They are not missed, nor mourned, nor lamented in the least by the district nor the units. No pressure or recriminations from the council. No one makes any apology for not having them. Wonderful!

 

Prior to retiring from the military and settling down, I had had a gutful of RT nonsense from four different districts in other states. Same old stuff, same snubs, just delivered in different regional accents. Joe Bob and others before me did an awesome job of describing the typical RT and the usual cast of characters.

 

Switching gears to where RT works: Click, I'd say you are on the right path. In fact, measured by my previous experiences, your RT efforts outshine anything I've seen elsewhere. Kudos and thanks for your leadership.

 

Mattman, I LOL'd re the free beer comment. It would get folks to RT! Can you imagine if a RT consisted of a glass of wine, or pilsner, or an N/A beverage, snacks and a chance to visit with other scouters? A setting to relax, be treated like an adult, and have conversations about scouting or anything else would probably be well received.

 

If RT works for your district, great. If not, axe it and don't look back. Who will be broken hearted about missing another meeting? The metrics folks at council? The career district folks that love to hear their own voices? Maybe. Many of them have no where else to go. Regardless, RT won't be missed the hard working men and women at the unit level. You'll have given them the best gift possible--time.

[Basementdweller]

 

. Rather than poo-poo these Scouters, I think we should embrace them and use them for the betterment of our units.

 

I see people crap on the "third world generals", or whatever other insulting name folks decide to use to describe Scouters with experience, and it always makes me sad. Are these Scouters really jerkwads or do we just make them out to be so?

 

.

 

 

 

Oh I see lecastor has a fan boi. Lots of likes for his warm fuzzy scouting.

 

 

Nope these guys are jack asses to the third power. Zero result meetings and goal setting for units with no input from the units. then the coffee pot silent treatment.

 

 

Just as an Eagle patch on the shirt is no judge of the man, Neither is a bunch of survival knots above the pocket.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[LeCastor]

 

 

 

Oh I see lecastor has a fan boi. Lots of likes for his warm fuzzy scouting.

 

 

Nope these guys are jack asses to the third power. Zero result meetings and goal setting for units with no input from the units. then the coffee pot silent treatment.

 

 

Just as an Eagle patch on the shirt is no judge of the man, Neither is a bunch of survival knots above the pocket.

 

 

So Scouting shouldn't be warm and fuzzy? Dang, I didn't get that memo. I've been being cheerful, courteous, and kind all this time.

 

Basement, I know some long-time Scouters who come across as jerks. But have you ever called them out on it? What would happen if you did? You wouldn't get fired from your high-paying Scoutmaster job. I just think it get tiring to crucify the beknotted rather than engage them.