Green Bar Leadership Experience

[LeCastor]

I have been toying with the idea of proposing a learning opportunity for new and seasoned Patrol Leaders, called the Green Bar Leadership Experience, to be held in camp using the outdoors as a classroom and introducing skills-oriented team-building activities. My vision for this is that it would be a pre-NYLT experience and would incorporate a separate--yet simultaneous--experience for Scoutmasters. 

This Green Bar Leadership Experience would take place in the spring and last for a day and a half in camp, building on ILST, and paving the way for participation in NYLT.

Attendees would be Patrol Leaders and their Scoutmasters. On Saturday morning the PLs would be broken up into Patrols for fun learning activities and, at the same time, Scoutmasters would be taken through an intensive course of instruction in the Patrol Method. Patrols would be asked to cook Saturday dinner and Sunday breakfast and would be tasked with planning a fun campfire program for Saturday evening. 

The entire weekend would be based on the teachings of William "Green Bar Bill" Hillcourt and graduates of the experience would earn a special pocket patch incorporating the green bars of a Patrol Leader. I do have a draft proposal and I'd be willing to share via PM, if you like. 

So...thoughts? Worth it?

[Eagledad]

5 minutes ago, LeCastor said:

I have been toying with the idea of proposing a learning opportunity for new and seasoned Patrol Leaders, called the Green Bar Leadership Experience, to be held in camp using the outdoors as a classroom and introducing skills-oriented team-building activities. My vision for this is that it would be a pre-NYLT experience and would incorporate a separate--yet simultaneous--experience for Scoutmasters. 

This Green Bar Leadership Experience would take place in the spring and last for a day and a half in camp, building on ILST, and paving the way for participation in NYLT.

Attendees would be Patrol Leaders and their Scoutmasters. On Saturday morning the PLs would be broken up into Patrols for fun learning activities and, at the same time, Scoutmasters would be taken through an intensive course of instruction in the Patrol Method. Patrols would be asked to cook Saturday dinner and Sunday breakfast and would be tasked with planning a fun campfire program for Saturday evening. 

The entire weekend would be based on the teachings of William "Green Bar Bill" Hillcourt and graduates of the experience would earn a special pocket patch incorporating the green bars of a Patrol Leader. I do have a draft proposal and I'd be willing to share via PM, if you like. 

So...thoughts? Worth it?

Very interesting. I will have to look at the draft, but it sounds pretty good. 

Our council found the main problem with junior leadership training was the disconnect of what the Scouts learn and pushing the Scoutmasters encouraging them to use they learned. The main problem is the adults simply don’t know or understand what the Scouts are learning, or why. We had some success by requiring our participants’ SMs at end a 3 hour talk on Patrol Method, then they spent another hour discussing the the ticket items their Scouts created, and how they would support their scout in implementing the Scouts ideas. 

I believe your GB Experience could do something like that. It’s an opportunity to discuss the process of Patrol method or boy run, the objective goals of the process, and the roles of each party in the process. Giving them a common vision turns them into a team with each member understanding their roles.

The teams will need some kind of handbooks for guidance when they run into conflicts after they attend your course. You could make your own handbooks or Guides of course, but consider including the SPL and PL Handbooks because they are easy to access long after LaCaster has moved on. 

If you are near Oklahoma, I would love to drive over an observe. I won’t say a word, I promise.😬

Barry

[MattR]

I really like the idea. That is the missing piece that NYLT assumes is already there. Not promising much time but go ahead and send me your draft.

@Eagledad brings up a good point of no connection back to the SM. I had a scout at NYLT and when I asked what I should work with him to continue what he had learned they had never thought of any followup. Does NYLT even have tickets? I'd think that would be a great way to encourage a scout to take ownership and lead. This is one place where EDGE makes sense. We've taught you all this stuff and now we want you to really use it. I saw too many scouts come back from NYLT and go back to the old behavior. I couldn't convince them to use what they learned.

[DuctTape]

Sounds promising. The recommendations already made only add to the promise. I would also like to see a draft.

[LeCastor]

I envision Scoutmasters doing similar activities to the youth. However, courses of instruction would likely aim to address some of the common pushback to Patrol Method I hear from Scouters:

"We just make Patrols up each outing because it's easier." --> avoiding the ad hoc Patrol.

"We don't have time to do Patrol meetings and they aren't important anyway." --> giving responsibility to the Scouts to plan their program.

Some Scouters don't see the inherent value of giving responsibility to the Patrol Leaders. What you end up with is partial results...(I'm paraphrasing B-P here...)

[Eagledad]

1 hour ago, LeCastor said:

I envision Scoutmasters doing similar activities to the youth. However, courses of instruction would likely aim to address some of the common pushback to Patrol Method I hear from Scouters:

"We just make Patrols up each outing because it's easier." --> avoiding the ad hoc Patrol.

"We don't have time to do Patrol meetings and they aren't important anyway." --> giving responsibility to the Scouts to plan their program.

Some Scouters don't see the inherent value of giving responsibility to the Patrol Leaders. What you end up with is partial results...(I'm paraphrasing B-P here...)

We humans tend to turn off our when we scolded. Pushback to Patrol Method is generally the result of not understanding the inherent value of giving responsibility to to the Patrol Leader. Spend the time on the inherent value (positive), then you won’t have to spend much time on the pushback (negative).

Barry

[George]

I would also like to read the draft.  Thank you!

[LeCastor]

47 minutes ago, Eagledad said:

We humans tend to turn off our when we scolded. 

Quite right, @Eagledad! 

I didn't intend to shake my finger and give these Scoutmasters a tongue-lashing. Rather, I thought it might be a good idea, at least, to highlight some of the common issues while emphasizing the positives of the Patrol Method. I appreciate your point and will definitely take that into consideration when working out the adult portion of the GBLE.  

[DuctTape]

Thanks for sending the draft outline. I look forward to seeing the SM schedule of events. I wonder if you have considered and are incorporating towards the end a time for the PLs and SMs to discuss and reflect together to summarize a shared understanding and create a positive path forward.

[LeCastor]

29 minutes ago, DuctTape said:

Thanks for sending the draft outline. I look forward to seeing the SM schedule of events. I wonder if you have considered and are incorporating towards the end a time for the PLs and SMs to discuss and reflect together to summarize a shared understanding and create a positive path forward.

DuctTape, that's a fantastic idea!

There has to be a way to make sure the PLs and SMs are on the same page. That's one of the major reasons for conducing this whole event in the first place. 

[cocomax]

What if the whole troop went?

How about a special Green Bar Bill Micro Camp-O-ree?

What if you had a weekend at a scout camp were several whole troops went to the camp, taking their own gear.
Send each troop an informational packet on the Green Bar Bill method of scouting and what the weekend is all about and make sure they are on board with the idea.

What if you had a Green Bar Bill expert embedded with each troop couching the scout master and SPL.

What if you had an afternoon of scout games for the patrols to have fun as patrols.

Have an amazing campfire planed by the scouts,  plus you could have the Green Bar Bill experts point out what was done right, maybe even give out a few awards.

All the adult leaders that went to this event should have a meetup at a later time (after the event)  and talk about their experiences as scouters and learn from one another. 

  

[LeCastor]

3 minutes ago, cocomax said:

What if the whole troop went?

How about a special Green Bar Bill Micro Camp-O-ree?

What if you had a weekend at a scout camp were several whole troops went to the camp, taking their own gear.
Send each troop an informational packet on the Green Bar Bill method of scouting and what the weekend is all about and make sure they are on board with the idea.

What if you had a Green Bar Bill expert embedded with each troop couching the scout master and SPL.

What if you had an afternoon of scout games for the patrols to have fun as patrols.

Have an amazing campfire planed by the scouts,  plus you could have the Green Bar Bill experts point out what was done right, maybe even give out a few awards.

All the adult leaders that went to this event should have a meetup at a later time (after the event)  and talk about their experiences as scouters and learn from one another. 

  

Yes, I would love to do that and I think the event I'm planning is a lead-up to a larger scale event like you describe. 

[DuctTape]

I like the idea of "the whole troop" event as a follow up, the curriculum could then focus on establishing the other patrol members roles and responsibilities within the patrol method. 

[qwazse]

3 hours ago, cocomax said:

... What if you had a Green Bar Bill expert embedded with each troop couching the scout master and SPL ...

That's basically my role as a more seasoned ASM. In fact sometimes I bring along an extra hammock so that the SM/SPL can be properly couched!

[LeCastor]

44 minutes ago, DuctTape said:

I like the idea of "the whole troop" event as a follow up, the curriculum could then focus on establishing the other patrol members roles and responsibilities within the patrol method. 

Perhaps the Green Bar Leadership Experience in the spring with PLs and SMs. Then, a Green Bar Bill Camporee in the fall? 

This'll give me a lot to do and think about over these short winter days! I love it!