Troop Meetings?

[Mom2a]

What goes on during your troop meetings? How do you welcome new members? Oldest crossed over into Boy Scouts this spring. I understand boy led. I don't understand asking my son what they did at his meeting and continually being told the older scouts played basketball while we worked on our merit badge, we completed our merit badge so we had to sit and watch the guys play basketball. Not feeling like this is the way things are meant to be.

[Scouter99]

It's not.  Merit badges are not troop program and troop meetings should not be merit badge school.  If that's been your son's experience for the past couple months, find another troop with youth and adult leadership that know what they're doing.

[Gone]

What goes on during your troop meetings? How do you welcome new members? Oldest crossed over into Boy Scouts this spring. I understand boy led. I don't understand asking my son what they did at his meeting and continually being told the older scouts played basketball while we worked on our merit badge, we completed our merit badge so we had to sit and watch the guys play basketball. Not feeling like this is the way things are meant to be.

 

We follow a troop meeting plan which the boys develop. Typically there is an opening, a skill or activity, a game, announcements, SM minute and closing. The patrols have duties (set-up, clean-up, honor guard, running the game) which they do as a group. Our patrols are not age-based per se, so older and younger scouts are in the same patrol.

 

Skills and activities are usually patrol-based, meaning the patrols work together. Games are usually patrol-based too. The idea is to build that esprit de corps and fellowship patrols need to be successful. Rarely do we break out in to "older" and "younger" groups. When we do end up doing that it is usually for skills instruction where the older scouts learn a more advanced skill and the younger guys learn the basics. Canoeing comes to mind.

 

We don't do MBs. We may introduce an MB using a skill (e.g., cooking, first aid, pioneering, etc.) but we never run classes during meetings for MBs.

 

That's one troop's approach. Hope that helps.

Edited May 27, 2015 by Bad Wolf

[Stosh]

Our troop meetings (prior troop)  One patrol now so it doesn't make sense at the present time for us.

 

Patrols gather as prep for the flags.  Fall in for flags.  Once that is done, the patrols break off and have their own meeting.  Generally it is recommended to have 30 min for a meeting and 30 min for a game.

 

Fall back in for closing flags. 

 

Many times as we approach a significant event, summer camp, camoree, etc. the patrols generally focus on getting ready for that event, but otherwise do their own programming.  Younger patrols generally work on advancement while the older patrols focus on more long range activities, hikes, bike hikes, treks, etc.

[MattR]

Different troops do things differently. Since your son sounds like he's not enjoying that troop, try asking him if he'd like to visit some other troops. Let him own the solution.

 

Hint: He should be having fun.

[Stosh]

What goes on during your troop meetings?

 

I answered that in an earlier post.

 

How do you welcome new members?

 

We're a new troop so anyone who walks through the doors and is showing any interest is sought after by all the boys.

 

Oldest crossed over into Boy Scouts this spring. I understand boy led. I don't understand asking my son what they did at his meeting and continually being told the older scouts played basketball while we worked on our merit badge, we completed our merit badge so we had to sit and watch the guys play basketball. Not feeling like this is the way things are meant to be.

 

This is a classic example of how adult run troops operate the troop method.  The new boys are basically ignored by placated by MB's which will do them no advancement good for at least 2-3 years into the program.  They would be better off teaching advancement skills of Tenderfoot - First Class (T-FC).  

 

Where are the Instructors for the new boys?  Playing basketball, Where is the Troop Guide for the new boys?  Playing basketball. etc.  Where's the Patrol Leader?  Playing basketball.  Need I go on?

 

You have not yet found yourself a Boy Scout troop.  You have found a YMCA program that has uniforms similar to the BSA.

 

I would suggest you find yourself a real Boy Scout troop and leave this paper BS Troop before your son loses interest in real Scouting.

Edited May 28, 2015 by Stosh

[Eagle94-A1]

Every troop does things a little differently, and every meeting will be different. But as others have said, the Scout should be having FUN!

 

Some things about troop meetings

 

1) They should be run by the youth.

 

2) They should have some skills instruction or prep work for a trip being done. New guys may be learning the basics from an older scout. older scouts may be practicing or learning advance skills.

 

3) There should be some time for the patrol to get together and work on patrol items.

 

4) there should be some type of interpatrol gametime

[moosetracker]

Sorry that this is your first experience with a Boy Scout troop.. It took us 3 times before we found the right troop.. The first time we chose between the two troops that our Pack offered us to choose from.. The second time we were recommended a troop by the district Executive.. The third time my husband and I looked at 6 or 7 troops, then took our son to the top 3 of those we looked at so he could choose from them..  A slight drive for us, 30 minutes, but since the first troop was 20 min and the second troop about 25 minutes, I guess the added distance wasn't that bad..

 

Some things to think about looking for a new troop  (I am sure I do not have them all, so others can add on.)

 

1) Boy lead -  The boys are leading the troop, the adults do very little other then watch and give guidance to some of the Boys who are the leaders (SPL or Patrol Leaders).. Do the boys (especially SPL or Patrol Leaders) take an interest in a visiting boy?.. Do they welcome him and invite him to join in? Are most of the boys assigned jobs or tasks? Do the older boys mentor the younger boys?

3) Activities - What type of outings are normal for the troop.. Hopefully they have a schedule of upcoming events.. Are they putting the outing in scouting? Are the outings things your son has interest in..  (ex. if your son dislikes hiking then a troop whose outings are 85% hiking is not the right fit.)

3) Expense - (unless you are wealthy)..  Are the activities economical -or- Does the troop have successful fundraisers that make the activities economical for you?

[Eagledad]

any times as we approach a significant event, summer camp, camoree, etc. the patrols generally focus on getting ready for that event, but otherwise do their own programming.  Younger patrols generally work on advancement while the older patrols focus on more long range activities, hikes, bike hikes, treks, etc.

What? So why are the younger scouts left out of the fun stuff? 

 

Barry

[NJCubScouter]

Mom2a, are you sure that what your son is working on is a "merit badge"? What he should be working on is the advancement requirements for Tenderfoot, Second Class and First Class. Is it possible that he and/or you, both being new to the Boy Scout program, and being unfamiliar with the terminology, are "translating" one to the other? If he is actually working on the advancement requirements for the ranks that I mentioned, that is ok - though ideally, the people who should be working with him on learning and passing those requirements should be the older Scouts, who are instead playing basketball.

 

Our troop has a "game night" once in awhile and if the kids want to play basketball during that particular meeting, that's ok - but everybody needs to be included, not the younger guys watching the older guys. For regular meetings, our PLC is encouraged to choose a game from the official BSA publication (I forget the name of it - at one time it was called troop program features or something like that) that gives suggestions for games - and NOT to repeat games from week to week.

 

But as others have suggested, you son is the key here. Is he having fun? Is he learning new skills? If not, it is time to look for a new troop. If he wants to stay where he is, now that you know that what he is experiencing is not what Scouting is supposed to be, you might want to talk to the Scoutmaster and see why the meetings are as they are.

[Gone]

Our troop has a "game night" once in awhile and if the kids want to play basketball during that particular meeting, that's ok - but everybody needs to be included, not the younger guys watching the older guys. For regular meetings, our PLC is encouraged to choose a game from the official BSA publication (I forget the name of it - at one time it was called troop program features or something like that) that gives suggestions for games - and NOT to repeat games from week to week.

 

Troop Program Resources?

 

Troop Program Features gives the PLC the meeting and event planning tools. I believe they reference the doc above for games and activities.

[Stosh]

Our troop meetings (prior troop)  One patrol now so it doesn't make sense at the present time for us.

 

Patrols gather as prep for the flags.  Fall in for flags.  Once that is done, the patrols break off and have their own meeting.  Generally it is recommended to have 30 min for a meeting and 30 min for a game.

 

Fall back in for closing flags. 

 

Many times as we approach a significant event, summer camp, camoree, etc. the patrols generally focus on getting ready for that event, but otherwise do their own programming.  Younger patrols generally work on advancement while the older patrols focus on more long range activities, hikes, bike hikes, treks, etc.

 

 

What? So why are the younger scouts left out of the fun stuff? 

 

Barry

 

It always amazes me the extent that some people go to misinterpret, twist and take as negative things about other people's posts.  Case in point this type of sniping.

 

"Many times as we approach a significant event, summer camp, camoree, etc. the patrols generally focus on getting ready for that event,"  

 

Where does it say or even assume that the younger boys don't go to summer camp, camporees, etc.?  Where does it say the NSP gets left out of the focus for getting ready for that event?  I would assume it's just an negative assumption snipe on someone's part.

 

"Younger patrols generally work on advancement while the older patrols focus on more long range activities, hikes, bike hikes, treks, etc."

 

So are we to assume the new guys have the skill set to pull off Philmont 2 years before they qualify?  Or maybe they can handle a white-water canoe trip without any T-FC skills to get out and do that let alone paddle a canoe safely down a rapids.?  

 

One has to be prepared to offer up age/skill level appropriate activities.

 

Sure a mixed patrol can do canoeing, but all the older boys will need to partner up with someone other than their buddy because the younger boys in the patrol will take forever to get the canoe across the lake.  The young boys are simply ballast in the front of the canoe to keep the bow down out of the wind.  Canoeing with your buddy is not an option.  It's always a lot more fun to babysit the new guys that need to be dragged along than it is to hang out and do fun things with just one's buddies.  Who says that a canoe can't have an anchor?  But the adults in some troops insist that that is how it has to be in Scouting.  Well, in that troop anyway.

 

So what fun things do the NSP do besides advancement?  Well, they learn how to go out into the woods and not be a babysitting burden on the older boys for a starter.  If the troop does a lot of canoeing they might as a patrol take the canoeing MB together at summer camp for fun.  Then they can maybe coordinate a canoe trip with the older boys and be able to hold their own on the trek and they'll be with their patrol buddies the way they prefer anyway.  Some troops allow for this.

 

Will the new boys ever get to Philmont?  BWCA? Sea Base?  Sure, but one doesn't get left behind while all the patrol members go because you're not old enough.

 

So while the older patrols are off at Philmont this summer, we will be going to summer camp or maybe something fun, like a 50 mile canoe trip down a lazy river dong sandbar camping because we are all First Class scouts and we all took the canoeing MB last summer at summer camp.  Next year when we are old enough we'll think about Philmont then.  Until then we won't have to sit around waiting for our older patrol buddies to come back and regale us with all the fun things they did that we missed out on.

[KenD500]

We use the BSA Troop Meeting plan mentioned above.  Example- last month's theme was fire.  Camp out at the end of the month was focused on fire - fireman chit for 1 patrol; teaching the fireman chit & running the camp fire program for the other patrol.

 

Each Troop meeting for the month went something like this:

-Flag ceremony

-Skills instruction - Ghosty Goat Patrol - ignition source (matches, lighters, flint/steel, steel wool/battery);  Merlin Patrol - plan out fireman chit instruction

-Patrol meeting - figure out Patrol yell / logo for flag

-Game time - beach ball elbow relay

-SM moment

-Closing flag ceremony

 

As mentioned in previous posts, don't be afraid to have your Scout visit other Troops and transfer.  The Scout should be having fun as well as learning something.  Every Troop does it a little bit different.

[Eagledad]

OK, we have different philosophies, "We don't do advancement at Troop meetings". I didn't do advancement at troop meetings when I was a scout in the 60s and 70s, and we don't do it now. It wasn't just you stosh, a few others mention doing advancement as well. Advancement is for "Advancing" in rank. Rank is each scouts responsibility to do outside of troop meetings. Advancement is left to the scouts and patrols to figure out. The scouts arrange that at their patrol meetings or on camp outs if the PLC builds it into the agenda.

 

We believe scouting is an adventure, the same adventure for new and older scouts.

 

If maturity or skills have to be adjusted for the general activity, then the scouts make arrangements for those considerations like reducing a backpacking hike for new scouts to a shorter distance and a more experience patrol, but how would that change the troop meeting? And honestly we are a pretty active troop and it is rare that not all scouts can partcipate at most levels.

 

Before you assume some answer to slam us old timers that do more traditional scouting, we just don't do it your way. All our scouts participate in the same activities. I don't even believe in sending younger scouts to a different summer camps. Patrol Method works best when everyone participates together. And it works very well. We don't even have age restrictions on our high adventure treks. If the scout has the maturity and skill to participate, he can sign up for the trek. Only Philmont and BSA Boundary Waters sets that limit for us if we participate in their treks. But we do our own Backpacking and Canoeing Boundary Waters treks anyways, so age rarely restricts young scouts in our adventure treks.  

 

Barry

Edited May 28, 2015 by Eagledad

[Stosh]

We don't  have "troop" meetings designed by a PLC.  We don't even have a PLC  We're just starting out.  In my other troop of 3 patrols, we didn't have "troop" meetings either.  We have always had 100% full-time patrol-method which is the weekly gathering of patrols. Each patrol is responsible for doing what is appropriate for their memberss.  The new guys work with the instructors and TG to get oriented to scouting, get a feeling of how things work and within 3 months are planning and developing their own program.  They tend to want to do the advancement stuff, their call, I don't care one way or the other.  

 

Each patrol meeting is 1/2 program and 1/2 game.  Multiple patrols can play a game or each patrol can play their own game, the boys decide.  A lot of times the instructors will make a game out of what was just taught for advancement.  Boys buddy up and have a fire building contest, etc.  If done right, advancement is kinda fun, at least I would assume everyone viewed it that way.

 

"All our scouts participate in the same activities. I don't even believe in sending younger scouts to a different summer camps"

 

Yep, that's where we differ.  All our scouts decide what they want for activities and if they decide they want to go to different summer camps,  It doesn't make a bit of difference what we as adults believe, we as adults do what it takes to make the adventure happen for them.  Kind of a "for the boys" attitude thingy.  At least that's how my boys have decided they want to do it. Maybe 5 years from now they will rethink and do it differently.  We'll be ready for them.