"Boy lead" Programs - Presentations?

[kckirwan]

All,

I hope this is the correct forum, as I interpret Boy-lead as a result of an effective patrol method implementation.

 

I really want to come up with a presentation to explain what a "boy-lead" program should look like and the purpose for doing so.

 

Our troop has some new parents and some of those "hands-on" parents that always seem to "help out" with camping trips.

 

My question to the group is:

Are there any presentations (like from BSA, etc) that have already been devised? 

 

I don't mind putting together something, but don't want to re-invent the wheel if it's already out there.

 

Thanks in advance for any assistance,

 

YiS,

 

Kevin Kirwan

Troop 713 - ASM

Wood Badge 92-88

 

 

[Stosh]

Welcome to the forum!

 

Go back to the Green Bar Bill materials from the 40's and 50's if one wishes to have an idea of what the Patrol Method is all about.  Today's BSA has very little, if anything, of use on that program.  

 

If you do come up with something on your own, share it on this forum, it is much needed.  Just because we put a PL patch on a boy's uniform does not make the program boy-led.

[DuctTape]

The BSA used to have filmstrips as part of its training materials. I wonder if any of those are still available to be used as a source to create a skit or presentation.

[qwazse]

There are some articles on Scouting, but most of them are by way of example .. not really setting ground rules.

 

I found the quotes here to be really useful http://inquiry.net/patrol/index.htm

 

Plus one of my own: "As an adult in a youth-lead movement, I've eaten plenty of burnt grilled cheese. Now it's your turn. You'll be fine."

 

I think with modern scouting, I lean on the Aims and Methods. Especially Leadership Development, and Adult Association to give parents a vision of what we're after. You have to start simply ... Leaders develop while leading ... Boys associate with adults who they know won't take the reigns from them.

 

P.S. - I'm not a fan of Power Point. So, a page of brief notes for a one hour parent meeting (preferably when they are camping with you and most likely to be intrusive on the boys) is my style.

[blw2]

I would point you to look around over at scoutmastercg.com, rather than the bsa.  i get the idea that the bsa has really drifted away form the fundamentals of the patrol method.

He has tons of great info over there, info graphics, podcasts, and blog write-ups that address this topic.

[Stosh]

There are some articles on Scouting, but most of them are by way of example .. not really setting ground rules.

 

I found the quotes here to be really useful http://inquiry.net/patrol/index.htm

 

Plus one of my own: "As an adult in a youth-lead movement, I've eaten plenty of burnt grilled cheese. Now it's your turn. You'll be fine."

 

I think with modern scouting, I lean on the Aims and Methods. Especially Leadership Development, and Adult Association to give parents a vision of what we're after. You have to start simply ... Leaders develop while leading ... Boys associate with adults who they know won't take the reigns from them.

 

P.S. - I'm not a fan of Power Point. So, a page of brief notes for a one hour parent meeting (preferably when they are camping with you and most likely to be intrusive on the boys) is my style.

 

I have found out over the years that cheese sandwiches are a bit more healthy than cheese sandwiches fried/burnt in butter.  Most nutritionists will agree.   

[fred johnson]

Over the years, I've grown to detest the "boy led" phrase.  It's just too overused with too little agreement on what it means.  It's often used to malign another unit or another person's efforts while trying to avoid specifics.  Too often it's just used to claim the high ground in an argument  

 

IMHO, you can tell parents your troop is boy led.  But then be specific as to what you would do. 

[Col. Flagg]

Over the years, I've grown to detest the "boy led" phrase.  It's just too overused with too little agreement on what it means.  It's often used to malign another unit or another person's efforts while trying to avoid specifics.  Too often it's just used to claim the high ground in an argument  

 

IMHO, you can tell parents your troop is boy led.  But then be specific as to what you would do. 

 

I think if you define how you use the patrol method, as well as outline how the boys run the unit, the extent of "boy led" becomes evident.

[qwazse]

Over the years, I've grown to detest the "boy led" phrase.  It's just too overused with too little agreement on what it means.  It's often used to malign another unit or another person's efforts while trying to avoid specifics.  Too often it's just used to claim the high ground in an argument  

 

IMHO, you can tell parents your troop is boy led.  But then be specific as to what you would do. 

I would like to +20 Fred. Although I do agree that this is youth-led movement, that doesn't create a unified vision. I want parents in a troop to come away with the patrol method.

 

Maintaining that with a diverse group of boys whose other activities invade those evening and weekend slots is the real challenge. So, I want parents to think of ways they can support a patrol (e.g. property to camp on, a favorite trail-head they can car-pool the boys to, a shop where they can work on their Klondike sleds, a business of theirs that could provide raw materials, etc ...) while staying outside of the patrol.

 

I often use the phrase "pinnacle scouting experience of hiking and camping together with your mates." But, that's usually to try and correct the vision of folks who want to invest extremely in big-ticket scouting (e.g. Jambo's, High Adventure Bases, etc ...), and boys who are so advancement-obsessed that they don't have a good gauge on when they've "arrived" as a scout. Cross-over parents might agree with that vision, but don't have a clue of how to get out of the way just enough to make it happen.

[MattR]

In a way it's all out there but you have to know what you're looking for. So, no, it doesn't exist and is needed. A wiki would be good.

 

I think a lot of parents confuse methods with aims. The aim is not advancement. Learning how to make decisions requires a) the scouts make decisions and b) the parents, wait for it, not making decisions. Hence, burnt sandwiches are okay. However, that's not to say there's nothing for adults to do. Scouts need help learning how to make decisions, how to solve problems, how to fix things they've messed up, how to listen. None of that happens by telling them what to do.

 

Clearly delineating what the scouts and adults are responsible for would help.

 

I like qwasze's idea of a one hour parent meeting with nothing but some notes and maybe a one page synopsis to hand out. Some stories might help to explain things but you want them engaged. If you can get all the parents on the same page it will make things much easier.

[ValleyBoy]

There are a number of videos on youtube that come up under searching "Patrol Method"

[Eagledad]

 

I like qwasze's idea of a one hour parent meeting with nothing but some notes and maybe a one page synopsis to hand out. Some stories might help to explain things but you want them engaged. If you can get all the parents on the same page it will make things much easier.

I did exactly this after every SPL election. We added a few bits of information like summer camp dates or something, but most of the meeting was as you descried with a one page handout. All parents were required to attend. But after a couple years of these parents meetings, I think some parents....forgot about them.

 

In my opinion, they couldn't explain Aim, Methods, or boy run, if I were to ask them later. But I think the meeting gave them the trust that we had goals for their sons and a plan or process for reaching those goals.

 

Barry

[kckirwan]

WOW!!!!  You guys are awesome!!

A bunch of information to digest. 

Thanks for all of your advice.....

 

 

This is part of one of my Wood Badge ticket items. 

If I end up with something "shareable", I will definitely share with the group.

 

YiS,

Kevin

Edited November 7, 2017 by kckirwan

[qwazse]

By way of fair attribution:

... I like qwasze's idea of a one hour parent meeting with nothing but some notes and maybe a one page synopsis to hand out. Some stories might help to explain things but you want them engaged. If you can get all the parents on the same page it will make things much easier.

Although my style, this was not my idea. The adults who came before me in the troop did this. In particular, one former SM who came to camp for National Inspection and the food (no joke!) led this discussion day 1 of summer camp.

[Stosh]

I have always viewed "boy-led" has creating opportunities for boys, not taking them away.

 

Sometimes these opportunities are opportunities to learn, sometimes lead.  I am involved in the learning.  I teach, but I will not do it for them because that cheats them out of an opportunity to lead.

 

I just went through a discussion about 6 months ago when the boys were learning their knots.  I showed them how to tie them, then let them have at it to learn.  I did give out the caveat that there will come a time when we get to camp, it's going to be dark, it's going to be raining, and the quicker you can do the knots the quicker you can get the tents up and your gear kept dry.  No one believed me at the time.  Well about a month ago, BINGO, it was late, it was dark and it wasn't just raining, it was pouring.  Everyone was soaked and the weekend hadn't started.  They struggled, they cried, they helped each other and finally one boy came to me and said, is this the lesson on knots?  Yep.  Well last Sunday evening we were doing training on First Aid and the boys were goofing off.  I told them there's going to be a time when you will really need to know this or someone you care about is going to suffer or even die.  The PL asked, "when that time comes will it be dark and raining?"  I told him if it isn't you're going to feel that way anyway.  They paid attention and worked seriously for the next hour on the training processes.

 

One of the major hurdles in teaching leadership is to give full authority to the boys.  This is not something many adults are willing to do.  Failure is not an acceptable outcome in our society.  Yet, in the BSA program, it is supposed to be a time where failure is one of the necessary stepping stones to leadership.  For those who are too afraid to fail, they will never become even mediocre leaders.  

 

In order to be boy-led, one needs boy leaders first.