SM and ASM meetings - how often?

[ozemu]

Oddly we dont have a term for the adult leaders meeting separately to iron out the details of for the PLC and our own needs in the program. Lets call it a leaders meeting. I am finding that our expansion and swelling adult numbers require more of my time in planning. I used to do it after each meeting but that cant happen now with young Scouts and Monday night meetings. Our leader meetings now need to be more formal, less often and yet timely.

 

Question: How often do your adults meet either formally or informally.

 

This is separate to the PLC. After the PLC I find that we need the adults to sort out how to make the PLCs program work. Its not that the PLC gets it wrong but they are short on detail and even when they do allocate specific actions it falls back to the adults (in our case) to work out who will do what when the Scouts have not got the skills. We also need to juggle our private lives around to meet the two up requirments etc. We also find it usefull to talk about the Scouts in their absence to figure out our approaches to their needs.

 

There is also no SPL and we do that job as well I suppose. Alas Scouts Australia cast that opportunity away.

[Eamonn]

Hi,

back home the meetings were very informal and we were normally seen with a glass of liquid amber in one hand - Heck if someone else was buying we might have a glass in each hand.

If we didn't gather after the troop meeting we met on Sunday after church for a quick meeting before lunch.

Eamonn

[packsaddle]

Eamonn, ditto. We have no formal meetings but many informal ones - any time any of us feels the need. Seems to work fine.

[Mike F]

I'm active in two troops - a small/medium one (~35 scouts) and a huge one. Both have monthly adult meetings. The small one includes all adults and calls it a "committee" meeting. I know - that's wrong - they're confusing roles and responsibilities, but they were doing it before I got there and they continue - in spite of the education I'm trying to carefully offer.

The huge troop has a "SM Staff" meeting for SM and all SMAs. It's scheduled right after the monthly PLC and before the Committee meeting. Very necessary to keep us all working to the same game plan. Includes some training each month. And occasionaly concludes in a local establishment that Eamonn would like.

BTW - She-Who-Must-Be-Obeyed doesn't think much of the extra meetings on top of 2 weekly troop meetings, 2 campouts a month, Philmont crew meetings and shakedowns, OA meetings,etc....

[LPC_Thumper]

I'm the CC from a troop of about 40. Our adults meet in an "Adult Program" meeting quarterly. The purpose is to decide which of the adults are the advisors for each of the trips, and what extra travel support they advisors will need. Our PLC meet in September (after summer camp, and High Adventure trip) to decide what's going to happen the coming year. The SPL then come to the Committee Meeting and we discuss their plans and what will be needed to make that happen.

 

This method has worked for us. We have attended at least one summer camp each summer, had at least one outing per month, and have been to all 3 High Adventure bases & Jamboree over the entire history of our troop (7 years).

 

Sometimes they have come and asked for help getting to high demand areas. We have made reservations for them that were not actually in the calendar year they were submitting (for example you can't get into Philmont or Sea Base the September before you go, but we got through the paperwork for them the year they submitted their plan, and then they included the trip the folowing planning meeting.

 

Hope this helps...

[ozemu]

Thanks everyone.

 

Monthly seems most useful but I also have issues with the time required. Well not me but my beautiful wife has issues. All the others are married too and have similar spouses. Not beautiful mind you, two are husbands after all but the time thing is common.

 

The training idea I had not considered. As we are more likely to meet quarterley (given the above) with a few ad hoc short meetings thrown in we might even look at training. Thanks Mike F.

 

Eamonns liquid was a given already (mine is rum and coke).

 

Incidentally a UK Scouter told me about a bumper sticker he saw at home.

 

The liver is evil - it must be punished

[eisely]

The only formal meeting we have is the monthly committee meeting. The SM and the ASMs all attend along with the other committee members. This is not consistent with the official BSA bifurcation between the committee and the "unit leaders" (SM & ASMs). However it works for us. The main focus is near term scheduling and adjustments to schedules, in light of the overall annual plan.

 

Adult leaders also get together informally during troop meetings to conduct routine business that might narrowly involve a specific outing or event.

 

 

[Eamonn]

Note To OZEMU:

Good On Yer Sport!!

That Coke stuff is bad for your teeth - I never touch the stuff. My Dad was a rum and black current man. Lots of vitamin c. Not that it mattered he had false teeth.

Eamonn