The troop is starting to wake back up....

[blw2]

Our troop takes a break after summer camp, so things have been idle for a bit

preparing for the 1st committee mtg tonight, soon followed by

a planning meeting

then the 1st PLC

then a meeting, 

followed by elections

 

Don't want to be a backseat driver, but I want to ask them how can we plan without having input from the PLC..... and how can the PLC do any planning without input from their scouts?

 

ugh, my heart is just not in it and I have this urge to just "stay in bed"

[wdfa89]

we meet all year--every week.  obviously mtg participation dips over the summer but we just keep rolling.  and since we generally have a campout every month (except for the month summer camp occurs) we are getting ready to have our SPL election.  We will then have leadership and PL elections.  Then we will have the PLC.  We let the fall staff run the PLC.  The spring staff gets summer camp.

[JasonG172]

Granted our Troop isn't THAT active during the summer but we do have one or two planning meetings before the school year starts.  And when I say (WE) I mean the 2 patrols.  You are behind the 8 ball already, get them into a meeting to plan it out.

[Hedgehog]

Don't want to be a backseat driver, but I want to ask them how can we plan without having input from the PLC..... and how can the PLC do any planning without input from their scouts?

 

 

If necessary, how about a polite, "I think the boys would have more enthusiasm about the program if they had a some input in planning it."  

 

Or maybe the meeting is just the adults planning for adult things -- Mr. Hedgehog will be our new SM at the end of the year; Mrs. Rabbit will be stepping down as treasurer in September and we need a replacement; We would like to welcome Mr. Chipmonk and Mr.  as new ASMs and let them know when the council training will be.  Oh, we also need a new popcorn chair after Mr. Squirrell ate all of the carmel corn last year.  We can hope, right?

 

Better yet, ask questions about what the adults can do for the Troop to become more boy-led or talk about setting up a leadership training program for the boys to help them to lead.

[pargolf44067]

We take the month of August off from regular weekly meetings, but we have our annual planning meeting (and by we, I mean, the PLC and I) in August.  We had our elections in May, so the boys knew who to go to in order to give ideas for the next year.  Our first committee meeting isn't until the first meeting of the year where we review the calendar that the boys have come up with.  It isn't always perfect, but it works fairly well.

 

I guess I would ask who is running the planning meeting and why it isn't the boy leaders.  (in a nice way obviously )

Edited August 3, 2016 by pargolf44067

[Torchwood]

All of our planning is done before the school year ends- the PLC does the initial planning, then the Troop Committee massages things over the summer, as school calendars are solidified (we have had band events and other required things crush attendance at planned Troop events in the past, so we need to stay on top of multiple calendars, some not easy to find).

[Tampa Turtle]

We are in same boat. The new SPL ran an everyone welcome planning meeting during the summer to sketch out the 10 campouts and passed out research assignments to some boys and adults. He has his 2 ASPL's and they and the PL's (whose term extended over the summer) will plan the 1st meeting and campout this weekend. The rest of the POR's will be sorted out over the 1st few meetings.

 

It is important that the 1st campout be pretty doable. 

 

I know a Troop that does 15 month planning cycles so the 1st 3 campouts are already mapped out and then a troop-wide corrective plan in December. 

[blw2]

I should preface, i was just suffering form lack of motivation yesterday.... it's not ALL bad....

If necessary, how about a polite, "I think the boys would have more enthusiasm about the program if they had a some input in planning it."  

 

Or maybe the meeting is just the adults planning for adult things -- Mr. Hedgehog will be our new SM at the end of the year; Mrs. Rabbit will be stepping down as treasurer in September and we need a replacement; We would like to welcome Mr. Chipmonk and Mr.  as new ASMs and let them know when the council training will be.  Oh, we also need a new popcorn chair after Mr. Squirrell ate all of the carmel corn last year.  We can hope, right?

 

Better yet, ask questions about what the adults can do for the Troop to become more boy-led or talk about setting up a leadership training program for the boys to help them to lead.

Exactly!  I have brought that up now, well basically that "polite" statement but in my own words.... a few times, and again last night when they were planning out all the fundraising we should do and which adult is going to make it happen.    They really do have that tendency to treat it like a cub pack....  

But again, it's not all bad.... it's all well intentioned, and the SM has a good vision, even if he's easing into it slower than i would like...

 

Really the meeting was just a wakeup mostly, to review where we are and to get everyone back on the hymn book...

[TAHAWK]

I take  it the "planning meeting" is an adult thing.  If so, it logically follows the approval of the PLC's annual program by the Troop Committee.  (The irrationally exuberant might contend that TC approval is automatic and so there is no need to wait for their OK.)   Until then, there is little for which to plan.  

.

[blw2]

I take  it the "planning meeting" is an adult thing.  If so, it logically follows the approval of the PLC's annual program by the Troop Committee.  (The irrationally exuberant might contend that TC approval is automatic and so there is no need to wait for their OK.)   Until then, there is little for which to plan.  

.

if i'm reading you correctly, I'm thinking you are flowing along the same logic lines as me.

1st would come the PLC (well actually they would be coming together with input from the scouts they represent)

then the committee meeting (to approve budgets, general course, etc...)

then the planning meeting where they figure out the details.

 

it would be a bit chaotic maybe, and might require more back and forth becuase things that were proposed won't work.... but it beats "telling the scouts where we are going..."

[TAHAWK]

Yup.  That's what BSA says is the sequence - except for the one truly weird place where it is said that that the planning conference is by the PLC, TC, COR, all uniformed unit Scouters, and even the UC, all of whom who collectively decide on the annual program.  Only difference, and I know this is probably part of what you have in mind, is that the SM and SPL are to research possibilities even as the PLs are polling their respective constituents, and then the two plan the party.

 

Perhaps that statement about an adult-dominated planning conference, like the line that the Patrol Method being a "component" of the "youth-led troop" (method?), is meant as a test.  Surely, someone failed.

[qwazse]

I think differently. The end of summer committee meeting is just to touch base about how the year went.

Did we spend what we expected? Can we afford all the bling earned? Any new merit badge counselors available? Anything on the CO's schedule? District schedule? Anybody itching to change positions? Who wants to visit the middle school? ... if it happens before the PLC, that info gets forwarded to it.

If it happens after the PLC, the scoutmaster's report forwards along whatever the scouts decided to the committee.

 

But then, we aren't all that focused on annual plans.

[TAHAWK]

Sure.  Why not.  

 

Who's "we"?  Adults or unit?

[Hedgehog]

Our sequence is SPL and PL elections are in June.  SM and ASM meet with SPL and ASPLs (and a couple of other scouts) in August to plan leadership training campout.  Leadership training campout is weekend before first scout meeting.  As part of that campout the plan the montly themes for the years meetings and begin the process of thinking about outings.  Our first two outings are already planned, so they plan the rest of the year at the September and October PLC meetings (which gives them time to do research and meet with the boys in their patrols).  When they have decided the outdoor program, the SM presents it to the Committee and everyone nods and smiles and then the Committee moves on to the next topic. 

 

Thinking about making a couple of changes this year.  Maybe sending out an e-mail encouraging the boys to think about outings and do research before we have the leadership campout - that way we can have a list of options they can take to their patrols for input in September.  The other change would be that one of the boy leaders such as the SPL, ASPLs, PLs or TG takes the lead for each outing.

[blw2]

yeah, the thing sticking in my craw, is illustrated well in this statement form the minutes that were just published from our committee meeting...

Our primary fundraising for the Troop will be (X, Y, and Z)

..... and it goes on to bullet point the timeline for each, along with all sorts of details

and finally ending with this bullet-point statement

Need ideas for how to incent the boys to fundraise in the absence of being able to allocate sales directly to a boy, the funds have to be split and go to an event or just into the troop account. This will be topic of discussion at PLC.

this being in response to the fact that we are eliminating the individual scout account credits from fundraising

 

Keep in mind that this whole discussion and decision making process considers ZERO input from the scouts at all.

what do they need money for?  what do they want to spend?

how much do they need?

how would they like to go about raising money?

are they at all interested in doing these chosen fundraising activities?

do they have any ideas?

NOBODY KNOWS!  NOBODY CARES!