SPL at Troop Commitee Meetings

[Eagledad]

Stosh has never given a single kind word for his former troop and has never really had a kind word for SPLs in general. It's fair to say he doesn't have the same experience as many of us here who have positive experiences with SPLs and trying ideas like SPLs going to committee meetings. 

 

My reasoning for the SPLs reporting to the committee is giving the scout another level of experience to build growth and maturity. We work hard for the scouts to take ownership of their program and reporting the status of the patrols is one way of doing that. Our experience is the Scouts and the Committee members enjoy the experience. The SPL feels more like he is part of the whole team and the committee gets a chance to have small personal interaction with the scouts. Something they don't normally get to do.

 

And I wouldn't change it. Our senior leadership is often recognized for their high level of maturity and skills. So it works. 

 

But it must be done right. The troop is the real world scaled down to a boys size. The real world size for a troop of 12 year olds is different than a troop with 17 year olds. As scouts gain in experience and maturity, the bar should be raised to continue challenging the scouts and giving them experiences of growth. If you don't, they get board. You can read just from the scouters in this thread that the ones who encourage actions like SPLs at committee meetings are in troops with successful boy run programs. Different strokes for different folks, but the experienced scouters on this forum try these ideas for a reason. They are continually pushing the quality of their boy run program. 

 

So to me, it's not a debate of whether the SPL should be invited to the committee meeting, the discussion should be if your troop is ready for the SPL to be invited to the committee meeting. If you don't know how the SPL visiting the committee meeting would advance your program, then your program is likely not ready. 

 

Barry

Edited February 3, 2016 by Eagledad

[blw2]

TC's tend to have a lot of drama and dry stuff. 

one reason why I was hoping to be asked to fill a ASM role instead of treasurer!

[Sentinel947]

one reason why I was hoping to be asked to fill a ASM role instead of treasurer!

There can be plenty of drama on the program side too. Between the scouts. Between the adult volunteers, between parents and adult volunteers. 

[blw2]

There can be plenty of drama on the program side too. Between the scouts. Between the adult volunteers, between parents and adult volunteers. 

yeah, probably so, but at least the folks on the program side get to do fun stuff and spend time with the scouts doing what scouts do

[Eagledad]

yeah, probably so, but at least the folks on the program side get to do fun stuff and spend time with the scouts doing what scouts do

I don't understand. Your troop doesn't allow committee members to camp with the other adults? ASMs in our troop don't get much more time than any other adult because the boys are doing the program. I'm not sure I understand what you think you are missing. 

 

Make pot of coffee and take it over to the ASMs, they will let hang.

 

I got in trouble more than once with the SPLs because the adults come late to the opening. We get to yakking and forget the time.

 

Barry

[blw2]

I don't understand. Your troop doesn't allow committee members to camp with the other adults? ASMs in our troop don't get much more time than any other adult because the boys are doing the program. I'm not sure I understand what you think you are missing. 

 

Make pot of coffee and take it over to the ASMs, they will let hang.

 

I got in trouble more than once with the SPLs because the adults come late to the opening. We get to yakking and forget the time.

 

Barry

well, actually they do allow us to camp whenever we want....or it seems almost anything else...

I personally don't think that's a great practice though... once in a while, sure to observe and advise the SM as one of the committee roles, but maybe we shouldn't be interacting the scouts, except for example the treasurer with the scribe.

[Eagledad]

 

I personally don't think that's a great practice though... 

Why? How better to see the program in action and enjoy the outdoors?

 

By the way, I'm not implying anything of how adult leaders should work with scouts, but you should review the BSA published duties of the the Troop Treasure and scribes. 

 

Barry

[qwazse]

well, actually they do allow us to camp whenever we want....or it seems almost anything else...

I personally don't think that's a great practice though... once in a while, sure to observe and advise the SM as one of the committee roles, but maybe we shouldn't be interacting the scouts, except for example the treasurer with the scribe.

Honestly, our best MC's are the ones who come camp with us (or even visit for a few hours) and observe how things operate.

 

When the boys are at their best, we really enjoy your company, 'cause there's nothing else to do. When they are at their worst (happens when you take on bad kids) it's nice to have the committee there for backup.

[blw2]

Honestly, our best MC's are the ones who come camp with us (or even visit for a few hours) and observe how things operate.

 

When the boys are at their best, we really enjoy your company, 'cause there's nothing else to do. When they are at their worst (happens when you take on bad kids) it's nice to have the committee there for backup.

that's a perspective I hadn't really considered.

 

I was thinking more along the lines of the headcount comparison between the "adults" and the scouts.  It seems that when the numbers of adults start to match the number of scouts, that the likelihood for negative things happening  increase exponentially.... such as unproductive adult involvement, miscommunications, doing things that counter the SM's efforts or vision, and so on.

[Stosh]

The committee members have always been welcomed at any and all unit activities in my troops.  Same goes for parents.  It's a great opportunity to see for themselves how things are going rather than having a single scout show up with a quarterly management report and give a glowing account of all the spectacular things that are going on in the unit.  Like qwazse says, it gives the MC's a chance to see for themselves, both good and bad,  and not have to listen to boring statistics and glowing reports.  Eye-witnessing the events will give each MC a chance to directly support the boys rather than take someone's word for it who may leave out important details along the way.  Kinda like directly taking care of the boys sort of thing.  I would think of the committee was interested in how effective the leadership in the unit was, they could show up for the PLC, sit in the back and listen,  Kinda like one of those Adult Association dynamics.  After the meeting they could talk to the PL's to get some sense on how the patrol method is working for them.

 

However, I have seen in many cases the committee doesn't exist, it does for chartering purposes, but not really functional.  Or it operates like a Board of Directors, like totally management in nature, or it has a genuine interest in supporting the boys and it rolls up its collective sleeves and get it directly from the horse's mouth.  Unit leaders that block that flow of communication I suspect have some serious control issues.  I have seen that as well.

[T2Eagle]

I've thought about this, but I'm not sure I want to inflict it upon my SPL.

[Eagledad]

I've thought about this, but I'm not sure I want to inflict it upon my SPL.

It needs to be something that you feel would contribute to his growth. If you feel it is inflicting something on the SPL, he is probably not ready. Give it time.

 

Barry