Gradual vs Sudden change & a Scouting Victory

[blw2]

Leadership is also a spectrum. I have guys that will never be PLs but they make darn good Instructors. Others are not Instructors but excellent QMs. Some are so shy that Scribe is a better role.

 

I think we have to look at age, ability and strengths. For me, leadership roles should play to one's strengths, but allow for room to work on weaknesses. It should be inside their comfort zone but allow them the chance to be challenged. I agree that we should also encourage Scouts to at least TRY other leadership positions. Give being PL (or acting PL) a try. You may like it. You may find a hidden talent.

 

My two cents.

yeah, i think I mentioned that my son put his name into the hat for PL. (2 weeks into the troop!)  Our troop requires a parent signature on his application, just as an acknowledgement taht I understand and agree to support the commitment, getting him to mtgs, etc...

Anyway, when he asked me to sign, and I saw PL and APL for the two positions he wanted, I know he doesn't really know what that means.... so I did one of those looks over my glasses, and asked him if he understood that it's more than just "being in charge", that he would be responsible to support the other scouts and that it was a big commitment.  He said yep.  So I figured why not.  I doubt if he really has the drive to do it, but he'll learn something one way or the other!

Edited February 9, 2016 by blw2

[Krampus]

Thanks for the offer, but we have plan B going. 1 Weekend prep trip in May ( and I get to go on too )  1 seven day trip on the AT in July, and hooking up with the original contingent leader's old troop that has spots for 2017.

 

Let me know which sections you end up doing. Did most of the AT as a Scout and young adult. Especially love the section heading south from MD into VA and along the VA mountains. The trek in to Harper's Ferry was a blast. Planned battlefield visits with hiking, a few trail angel stops, one night in Harper's Ferry in a nice B&B (middle of trek) and headed south again.

 

Once the kids are out of HS I plan to hit the AT as often as possible. The section in NC around Ashville has 26 of the tallest peaks in the chain. As I recall, there are 50+ peaks above 4,000ft, 26 of them are in that area alone. Don't forget the 4,000 Foot Club.

[John-in-KC]

Let's be honest:

 

Philmont is tremendously popular.  It'd be over-run (it already is production wilderness) if more units and youth were out on the trail.  In addition, even base camp is above 6500 feet, and available oxygen is 75% of that at sea level due to air pressure

http://www.higherpeak.com/altitudechart.html

 

On the other hand, my old Council (San Fernando Valley, now the Western Los Angeles Council) runs the Silver Knapsack Trail in the low Sierra.  36.2 miles, a week of hiking, 6000-8000 feet altitude, and age 11 and up.  I hiked it for the first time as a 12 year old.

http://www.wlacchat.org/silverknapsackaward.htm

 

https://goldentroutwilderness.wordpress.com/sequoia-nf-trips/up-to-7-days/silver-knapsack-trail/

 

Find the trails in your part of the country, and take them.  Is using a BSA National resource a must-do?  No.

[Stosh]

In our area there are a number of hiking trails of various difficulty.  There's no need to head out out to some big name hiking area to get some enjoyment out of it.  We have Isle Royale, Porcupine Mountains, the Ice Age Trail, all within an easy  day's drive.  BWCA is a day's drive as is major canoeing on any one of a number of rivers in our area.  Add to that the hundreds of bike trails in the area as well.  One can easily run a major HA program in my area and never spend much on travel expenses at all. 

 

Sometimes the Madison Avenue hype is easily succumbed to.

[Krampus]

We have this mostly...

 

Some of this...

 

and this...

 

 

Then some of this....

 

 

Of course we have this...

 

Then back to this...

 

[Eagledad]

Let's be honest:

 

Philmont is tremendously popular.  It'd be over-run (it already is production wilderness) if more units and youth were out on the trail. 

Popularity is the only reason they added the 14 year old restriction. 

[MattR]

@@Eagledad, I'm curious about your activity crews as a way for scouts to say they want to do something that might not fit in with their patrol. Scouts in the same patrol might have similar temperament, so they have fun together doing typical scout stuff, but not always the same interests when it comes to pushing the edge. They all like to camp but if some scout says he wants to do 20 miles in a day, his patrol is likely not going to go along with it. But there might be some other scouts in other patrols that would.

 

Are these crews just for a single main event (and maybe training to go with it)?

 

I've told older scouts for a long time that if they want to do something unique on their own they should just ask and I'll help them out. But I haven't gotten much interest. Now that the patrols are doing their own meetings I'm hoping they'll gain the confidence to take the next step. I'm just wondering what it took to get this going.

[Eagledad]

Are these crews just for a single main event (and maybe training to go with it)?

 

Yes. Basically any scout can plan an activity. He does have to propose it to the committee, but that is only to force him to think it out enough that he isn't wasting crew members time. He has to find an adult or adults who will participate, unless the activity doesn't require adults.

 

The crew does only last until the main activity is Completed, but a crew may last as long as 18 months because the main activity like Philmont is planned that far ahead. I think the Scuba Crew lasted a little longer than a year because of the time to get the scouts certified and to plan the trip. The Scouts are responsible for planning, so that may delay the schedule as well.

 

We didn't allow the Activity Crews to meet during normal meetings, so it was common for them to meet just before of just after. And then do their practice or shake down activities on weekends.

 

Once the idea takes off, you can have a lot of outside activities going on. I think we had six crews one year. 

 

Several thoughts led us to this idea. One was we wanted scouts to come forward with their dream ideas for adventure. Another was that we thought of ourselves as an adventure troop for all scouts of all the ages. While it was never implied, many scouts viewed high adventure only for the older scouts. We wanted young scouts to come up with ideas as well. One year the snow skiing trek was planned by two 11 year old scouts and it included 20 scouts of all ages. 

 

Eventually all outside patrol activities were being done with our activity crews. One crew was created for a service project. 

 

We also encourage inner patrol activities as well. In fact the PLC plans two patrol camp out months a year. And the patrol can do their own thing on troop planned campout if they want.

 

Really the objective of the Activity Crews was attempting to remove barriers from scouts so they could be as creative as they want to be. 

 

To start it in your troop, create a simple outside activity like a weekend back packing trip, or even a fishing trip, then get a scout to buy in and take responsibility. Use that model and keep calling all the outside activities Activity crews or patrols. 

 

I hope that helps.

 

Barry