Update thread

[Stosh]

Next time the CC from the other troop contacts you, make an appointment with her, her SM and you will get your CC on board and the four of you can work out the details of the merger.  That should bring this whole thing to an end.

[qwazse]

Ok so another update. 

 

WOW!!! Is all that I have for this update.

 

The dissolving troop is not dissolving. Its just pruning the few bad limbs.

This is all I need......

LOL! So many red flags. So little time to read them.

 

If their boys want to join your troop let them visit a few meetings before committing. You might give them a "grass isn't any greener" talk. The mom (let's not even waste time calling her a CC if she's not on the same page as other adults in the troop or district)? Refer her to your CC. He'll thank you for it.   

 

For what it's worth, whenever I do multi-unit things, I prefer to get the SPLs (or Crew Presidents) communicating. My line to the other SM/Crew Advisor is "I'll have my guy talk to your guy." If they know are okay working with each other then we move forward.

[htusa31]

LOL! So many red flags. So little time to read them.

 

If their boys want to join your troop let them visit a few meetings before committing. You might give them a "grass isn't any greener" talk. The mom (let's not even waste time calling her a CC if she's not on the same page as other adults in the troop or district)? Refer her to your CC. He'll thank you for it. 

 

For what it's worth, whenever I do multi-unit things, I prefer to get the SPLs (or Crew Presidents) communicating. My line to the other SM/Crew Advisor is "I'll have my guy talk to your guy." If they know are okay working with each other then we move forward.

Agreed. I dont think its going to go any further. If we do anything with anyone. It will be my guy/girl calling their guy/girl.

I know we made plans but with my recent knowledge from the District Unit Commissioner probably not.

 

Next time the CC from the other troop contacts you, make an appointment with her, her SM and you will get your CC on board and the four of you can work out the details of the merger.  That should bring this whole thing to an end.

Agreed. There will be no merger FYI. Just a rogue mom who thinks she runs things. 

I am staying far far away!!!!

 

Im going to bet that she figured new SM (I met her at the first round table I went to) easy target. I almost bit... almost.

Edited February 25, 2016 by htusa31

[htusa31]

Ok so update time..

 

We are at the end of the year and things kinda got skewed a bit. My SPL got a whiff of perfume and gasoline. He essentially went AWOL. My patrol leader is trying to do what he can but with his ADHD (I knew nothing about) it has proved difficult. My most senior kid I put into a troop guide position so that he could guide the new kids and direct the older ones (especially the SPL). He pretty much took over SPL leader positions.

 

The straw that broke the camels back for me, was our group fundraiser. He promised to show. The day off I received no phone calls, no texts nothing..... I am still pretty ticked about it. Oh and he is ALWAYS late. 15 minutes late at the earliest.

 

I got the troop together and explained accountability and being on time. (prepared) The others seemed to get it, and they tried to show on time. A few were early the rest were only 5 minutes late. I figured some of it has to do with spring and summer coming and just being tired of the daily grind. I told them to take the summer recharge (except for our summer trip) and we will see your guys in the fall. 

 

So this summer Im going to write out a program and then hopefully meet with my senior scout(troop guide) and put us back on course. I am hoping for a few more boys to get things rolling correctly. I had fun, wished I could of done more but at least we are trying. 

 

If you had a SPL like mine, would you give them service for going AWOL and not doing their job??

He has been missing for roughly 2 months. I dont feel he has earned it. 

Edited May 24, 2016 by htusa31

[Stosh]

Sounds like more than just an SPL problem going on here.

 

 

Ok so update time..

 

We are at the end of the year and things kinda got skewed a bit. My (Do you mean THE SPL?) SPL got a whiff of perfume and gasoline. He essentially went AWOL. My (Again maybe a typo?  Is there only one?)  patrol leader is trying to do what he can but with his ADHD (I knew nothing about) it has proved difficult. My ( ) most senior kid I (You put?) put into a troop guide position so that he could guide the new kids and direct the older ones (especially the SPL). He pretty much took over SPL leader positions.  What I am seeing here is a total lack of leadership in this troop other than a struggling senior scout and the adults.  Fixing an adult led troop problem by dumping on the boys isn't going to fix anything.

 

The straw that broke the camels back for me, was our group fundraiser. He promised to show. The day off I received no phone calls, no texts nothing..... I am still pretty ticked about it. Oh and he is ALWAYS late. 15 minutes late at the earliest.  That in itself was a problem from the start, the boy was not trustworthy.  End of discussion.

 

I got the troop together and explained accountability and being on time. (prepared) The others seemed to get it, and they tried to show on time. A few were early the rest were only 5 minutes late. I figured some of it has to do with spring and summer coming and just being tired of the daily grind. I told them to take the summer recharge (except for our summer trip) and we will see your guys in the fall.   Here is the website:  You told them to take the summer off?  What does that solve.  Better to keep them together and start building the troop into a boy-led self-accountable troop.

 

So this summer Im going to write out a program Without the boys?  and then hopefully meet with my senior scout(troop guide) and put us back on course. This should be a project that everyone in the troop is involved with, not just another adult driven effort to save a lack luster troop.I am hoping for a few more boys to get things rolling correctly. I had fun, wished I could of done more but at least we are trying.  No, YOU are trying, you need to get the WE involved.  This is their program, get them in there and work a solution out.

 

If you had a SPL like mine, would you give them service for going AWOL and not doing their job??

He has been missing for roughly 2 months. I dont feel he has earned it. None of my boys get POR credit unless they are functional for the full time limit.  If they come out of the gates gung ho for 2 weeks and then slack off, they get credit for 2 weeks only.  Wearing a patch is not doing the job.

 

 

My suggestion would be to get the patrol method totally operational in the boys' hands.  That, more than anything else would be a major step forward for your situation.  If one has one or two patrols 12-18 boys, one doesn't need an SPL.  Dump it until it become a necessity for the troop.  Work with your PL's to get them functional, do they take care of their boys, are they trustworthy, are they functional in their positions?  If there is a NO answer to these kinds of questions, put someone else in there.  If no one is qualified, then start teaching real leadership.  Management sklills are okay and necessary, but in your case you need scouts that have real leadership and actually CARE about those he's in charge of.

 

I would put programming on hold for the summer.  But in June have an outing that basically sits down after breakfast around the campfire and starts brainstorming what it's going to take to be a real scout troop.  Break for lunch and start in again, break for dinner and start again.  In July, more of the same.  Work out the kinks until everyone has had a say and everyone is on the same page and everyone is excited about what comes next.  August should be another outing celebrating the new troop as it starts into their new school year cycle of the activities THEY picked to do for the year during the summer camping/campfire sessions.

Edited May 24, 2016 by Stosh

[Beavah]

Yah, hmmm....

 

Lots of stuff there @@htusa31.  A bit too much to sort through, so I'll just give yeh a few thoughts to ruminate on.  If they fit, great.  If not, well that's great too!

 

First, when you're buildin' or rebuildin' troop culture, yeh want to avoid transfer scouts, especially older boy transfers.    Those lads are goin' to come in with 3-5 years of being part of another troop's culture, eh?  In their leadership they're goin' to mostly be tryin' to duplicate their old troop.  It's really hard for older boys to change.  It will mess you up 9 times out of 10.   Yah, yah, there's the exception, too... the great lad from out of town in a troop like one you want yours to become.  But avoid da others.

 

Second, don't you dare take summer off.  Summer is when yeh have the boys without as many pressures and distractions, eh?   In particular, it's your time to work with your youth leaders and up-and-coming youth leaders.    Send a couple to NYLT.   Plan and run your own troop OUTDOOR training for da lads who will be PLs and APLs in the fall.  Take a long weekend at least for that, preferably before summer camp so that yeh can be doin' real patrols and real youth leaders at summer camp.

 

As an example to build off of @@Eagledad's suggestion, yeh can take 'em on some new adventuresome trip.  Let's say a canoe trip.  So yeh take da PLs and APLs and SPL and TG/ASPL on the trip and you practice stuff and yeh talk about leadership and safety and yeh model giving the "canoe safety talk" and show how to teach da J-stroke.   Yeh have 'em practice those things and give each other feedback.  Yeh demo good patrol camping and brush up their cooking and cook-leadin' and how to remind younger guys to use sunscreen and how to make departure times.   Yeh make it special for 'em and work 'em hard.  Yeh let 'em explore da area and talk to outfitters themselves.  Yeh show 'em that sometimes yeh forget stuff or things go wrong, and how they have to quickly brainstorm and support each other.

 

Then yeh have them plan the same trip or a similar trip for the rest of the troop about 3 weeks or a month later.    They plan it, they talk to da outfitters, they budget, they give da safety talks, they run it in their patrols.   Yah, yah, at this point you're still in "G" of EDGE, eh?  So yeh might nudge or give hints on da side a few times, but never in front of others.  Yeh debrief with 'em each night. 

 

Money in da bank, eh?  Then next year, they'll be able to run this trip themselves.  You'll be all the way to "E".

 

Then yeh plan next summer's youth training experience, and yeh guide da current leaders to help run it for the up-and-coming leaders.   Pretty soon yeh can hand off new youth leader trainin' to the boys as well.  

 

Point I'm tryin' to make is that movin' a troop to Patrol Method and really boy led takes time, eh?  Yeh need to think in terms of years not weeks.  There'll be ups and downs, and you'll have to do a fair bit of parent education along the way.   As Scoutmaster, yeh have to keep your eyes on the prize for the long term.

 

Beavah