Troop has strayed far from actual BSA protocols, recommendations on how to help them to move back toward the correct methods?

[imachristian13]

 

Don't yank your boy out of the troop!!! Do a mom/dad BOR with him and see what he would like to do. Scouting is his decision! Express your concerns, let him add his input and then give him permission to make the decision as to what he thinks best for him.

 

It just may be that he likes it where he is. That of course does not mean you need to continue. If other troops are out there looking for good leaders wanting to do it right, there's nothing in BSA policy that says you can't register as a leader in one troop and your son in another.

 

If he's unhappy with the troop, then the two of you (at his directive) can seek out a troop that will meet his needs.

 

Stosh

 

 

We are definitely following his lead (we do that in everything of this nature). He is the one expressing concerns to us and we are seeking guidance to properly assist him. He does have the ball.

[imachristian13]

It sounds to me that officially, you're just a Dad. Committee Member is a registered position - there is no unregistered Dad on the Committee position.

 

As for the motto - do the boys realize that they'll be announcing to the world that they think they are stupid?

 

 

This is VERY interesting to me. You are saying that all Committee Members are "registered". At my ASM training, we were told that this was 100% inaccurate - all parents are members of the Committee. There is a leadership structure (which these folks don't even come close to following either).

 

On the motto - some of the boys think it's hilarious and the leaders all think it is just a fantastic concept. Despite having the stupid part pointed out.

[imachristian13]

How do the other Scouts react to these kinds of issues? If they don;t like it' date=' perhaps they should elect a "reform" Senior Patrol Leader.[/quote']

 

 

The tone is very much one of "yeah...we know we suck but it's the best we can do". Two SPLs since we arrived (appropriately so...12 months or so in) and neither want to go above and beyond.

[imachristian13]

Originally posted by Twocubdad View Post

Our Philmont crew had t-shirts which said, "1. Pain is fear leaving the body. 2. Tears are 98% estrogen. 3. Chicks dig scars."

 

 

I like #2 the best because women are weak and cry a lot and that's a life lesson I want to make sure my son and all my scouts take to heart.

 

 

I could not agree with you more...let's make sure that our sons are total pigs so that scouting gets a bad rep.

[Eagle94-A1]

ImaChristian13,

 

If your son is having concerns and is interested in visiting another troop, DO SO!!!!! (caps and! for emphasis, not shouting). The troop I originally wanted my son to join had a change in leadership prior to us joining. Hearing the stuff that was going on from Scouts leaving the troop, from parents of those scouts, as well as from posted messages, I had grave concerns about the unit. Luckily 2 things happened to dissuade oldest from joining 1) camp out with them was a complete mess up that turned him off and 2) he found out the had been cancelling camp outs. We went elsewhere.

 

BUT 5 of his Webelos buddies joined that troop. 2 have since transferred to his troop, and 2 have quit. In regards to the 2 who quit, one of the boys was concerned about stuff going on, but wanted her son to give them a little longer with the troop. He eventually got fruistrated and quit Scouting altogether.

 

Now in regards to who is on the troop committee members, unfortunately whomever did your SM specific is incorrect. Troop committee member is a REGISTERED (emphasis, not shouting) adult leader role. Gotta have the YPT and fill out the app to be one. From page 34 of the SM specific syllabus

 

...the committee is composed of a minimum of three members, one of whom serves as committee chair. There is no maximum number of committee members. Committee members are

most often parents of boys in the troop and chartered organization members who are interested

in youth programs. For those parents who want to get involved, service on the unit committee

may allow them to leverage their special expertise.

 

Yes parents can do activities with their sons and help out, but if they are not registered, they they are not members of the BSA. Time working with the troop will not be counted as membership tenure, and, if memory serves ( I am getting old you know ) BSA liability insurance won't cover you.

 

[Sentinel947]

I think the OP is saying he is asked questions that do not pertain to his advancement' date=' [THAT DO NOT PERTAIN TO'] his views on the troop, [AND THAT DO NOT PERTAIN TO] areas he might improve." But maybe I'm the one misreading it.

 

 

You are correct, I misread his comment.

 

Sorry OP.

[qwazse]

Funny you should ask. I requested consideration as an ASM and/or Named Committee Member in November of last year. Since then' date=' I have completed all of the ASM training except for the basic outdoor skills course (taking that in March). Troop leadership told me they were going to wait to process me until after re-chartering. I have asked multiple times for my status since that was completed, to no avail. ("We're working on it...we'll let you know".) So...officially, I'm "just" a Dad on the Committee[/quote'] Becoming official requires nothing more than the COR to check your references and turn in your application with a little cash to council. It's a one person job. (Two, maybe, if there's a person who shuttles the paperwork between the COR and downtown.) Within that year, you should complete your training. Now, let's give them the benefit of the doubt and assume they think you'd make a terrible leader. They don't have the stones to tell you. Let's give them the second benefit of the doubt and assume whoever does the rechartering hates jumping through the extra paperwork hoops (not that unusual ... as you can tell from other topics-posts) , they don't trust you to complete your training. Let's give them the third benefit of the doubt and assume you'd make a great leader but they are in no hurry to jump through hoops for you (maybe out of antipathy towards council maybe the COR or whoever is otherwise occupied). You need to ask yourself "What other great leaders have lost patience with them and served elsewhere?"

[qwazse]

P.S. - sorry for the "downtown" reference, that's where our council HQ happens to be. Technically, it's between "Dahntahn and the Hill, by the Civic Arena that they tore down" in Pittsburghese.

[SSScout]

Our CSDC is famous for it's fun and adventurous activities. Lots of Scouty stuff, lots of just fun stuff. On the last day (Friday) we had a "Water Fest": Lots of slip and slides, "helphelp throw me a rope" (and get pulled up a soapy plastic chute), water gun target practice (and the DE is the target), popcicle tag (gooey), tug'o war over the mud pit, and such. At the sound of the horn, take your Den to the next station.

Lady comes up to me and says "this is the most unorganized thing I have ever seen! It's too messy! I can't see where we should be or when. I can't find my son ANYWHERE. What is the purpose here? What are we supposed to do"? I asked her what Den her son was in, she told me, I checked my schedule and pointed out where her son's Den was pulling on one end of the hawser and being dragged thru the water pool, laughing the whole time. I said, I thought her son was having a good time. She replied she couldn't see how, it was too chaotic, too disorganized.....

"The work is done by whoever shows up". If your boy is not having a good time, if YOU think he's not having a good time or not learning the ideals and skills of Scouting, the two (or three? Mom too?) of you need to have a talk. Another Troop with different philosophy may be in the future.

Do you have a Scout background? Were you a Scout way back when? Are you comparing that to now?

If you see a difference between what you understand Scouting should be and what you observe in the real time operation of the Troop, then, certainly, speak up , politely, truthfully, diplomatically (pray over it first?) and see where the Troop leaders are coming from. I once wanted to join a club (not BSA) that interviewed me for membership. The interviewers were , shall we say, less than serious in their questions. I mentioned that if their attitude was indicative of the way the club operated, it certainly was not what I was expecting from their public pronouncements and reputation and I did not want to continue. I got up and left. They called me back, they apologized, and I joined. I was put on the interview committee. The club did good works, and we both gained from that exchange, so they said.

You can have a good effect, but go slow and be upfront.

[CalicoPenn]

"This is VERY interesting to me. You are saying that all Committee Members are "registered". At my ASM training, we were told that this was 100% inaccurate - all parents are members of the Committee. There is a leadership structure (which these folks don't even come close to following either). "

 

I'm sorry that you were misinformed in training - someone should have corrected the statement as the person who told you that it is 100% inaccurate that committee members are registered is 100% inaccurate. While all parents MAY be members of the Troop Committee (but who would want that? How efficient would a committee of 50 be in a Troop with 25 boys, presuming no siblings and all two parent households?), that does not automatically make all parents a member of the committee.

 

Committee Member is a registered position (the position code on the application is MC) - they have to take YPT training before they're registered, they have to complete the registration form (and pay the registration fee) and they have to go through the same background checks as the Scoutmaster and Assistant Scoutmasters. There may be some units out there that make all parents members of the committee - if they aren't registering them, then they aren't officially members of the committee. If they are registering them, and it's a unit with more than, let's say 5 boys - then they're insane (which of course is just my opinion).

 

The BSA recommends that the committee identify resources among the parents and try to involve them all in at least one thing (maybe someone bakes cookies for a Court of Honor or teaches the Scouts how to build birdhouses once a year) but that isn't the same as being a member of the Committee.

 

 

[fred johnson]

CalicoPenn ... You are right. Without registering with BSA, you are not a committee member. You are just a parent sitting in on committee meetings.

 

On the flip side ... you identified a pet peeve of mine. I know some troops make it work, but I've seen a troop where every parent is either an ASM or a MC. So, they have 25+ ASMs in a troop of 40 scouts.

 

I like the idea in that ... "We want everyone to help."

 

I really dislike the idea in that ... "Who do the scouts work with?" They should work with other scouts or the scoutmaster. Assistants are there to relieve the scoutmaster or to assist. Too often someone gets labeled ASM and feels like they can inject and that really messes everything up.

 

In football, we don't have a coach and then every parent is an assistant coach. We have parent boosters or helpers. But to be an assistant coach you need training and you need to know the game plan. Same in scouts.

 

Give me a troop with SM and two or three ASMs and five committee members anyday over a troop of 20 ASMs and 20+ committee members.

[T2Eagle]

' date=' by the Civic Arena that they tore down".[/quote']

 

I love descriptions like this. My wife's grandmother once gave me directions that included "turn right at the house that used to be yellow"