Transitioning into a boy-lead unit

[ASM59]

Our Troop had a major changing of the guard this past December/January. Our Scoutmaster and about two-thirds of the committee left (including Committee Chair and Treasurer). There were no real problems; the SM just felt it was time to move on and the committee that has worked with him just followed.

 

Up till that time, our Scoutmaster ran the whole show; from planning the meetings to deciding where we would go on trips. His wife was Treasurer on the Committee and all money issues were handled between the two of them and our Committee Chair who always 'green-lighted' the SM's wishes.

 

Those of us who are left have a problem. We have never been part of a properly functioning Troop. Most of us have very little experience in Scouting. I am the one that everyone looks to for answers as I have been an ASM for over 3 years now. They don't understand that all I did was work with the boys to help with advancements and went on outings that were all planned by the SM. I have no real program experience.

 

Currently, we have 21 active boys with a new SM and 3 ASM's. All leaders have been through all of the training, but something about putting it into action is lacking. All of the training video's seem to be to "perfect", like "Leave it to Beaver" or "Father Knows Best". They seem somewhat unrealistic especially in light of the fact that the Troop never ran as a 'boy-lead' unit.

 

We are really having a hard time transitioning into a real "boy lead" Troop. Are there additional resources available to us to help make this transition?

I can't see making this happen over-night, but to date it seems that we haven't made any advances toward the goal. We need help. Do you all know of any?

[Bob White]

Not sure which tapes you are watching but the current training tapes and the syllabus metion a few times and even demonstrate that things don't go perfectly.

 

The best you can do is do the best you can do. Introduce the patrol method in manageable bites and build on each element as you go along. Implementing the patrol method is a never ending process that as an a adult leader you repeat over and over again as new scouts move into leadership position.

 

The important thing is you realize the importance and value of the patrol method and that you continually ask yourself, "What would be a way to accomplish this through the patrol method?"

 

Have fun,

BW

[boleta]

Every time a boy comes up to you and asks a question, respond by saying "did you ask your patrol leader?" If they say yes, ask- "did you ask the SPL?"

Tell your ASMs to do the same thing.

 

Have a PLC after every troop meeting for 15 extra minutes. Review what went right and what went wrong. Make a strong effort to have the boys plan a program and the next week's meeting. Do this every week in the beginning. Soon you will only have to meet once a month.

 

One idea is to have the PLC meet the hour before the committee meeting. Then the SPL can present what the boys want to do to the Troop Committee.

 

Go to your Roundtables monthly and don't be shy. Ask what the other SM's are doing to get to a boy led troop.

 

Try to let the boys lead. They WILL make mistakes. And they will learn from them.

[SR540Beaver]

ASM59,

 

You can do it! We just started a new troop two weeks ago with eight 11 year old boys and we are starting it off boy led.

 

The first week was mostly paper work with our DE. We registered adults and boys and filled out the charter registration. During part of this process, the SM took the boys outside to work on skills.

 

The second week, the boys worked on selecting a troop neckerchief, discussing where they want to camp the rest of the year (especially this month) and holding an election for the PL. Since we are so small, the PL will also be the acting SPL.

 

Tonight will be the third meeting. The boys have been checking out camps thru the internet and will present and decide where they want to go this month. This will also provide us with ideas to round out the rest of the year's schedule. Out newly mented 11 year old PL will conduct the meeting to the best of his ability. He is my son and while I am not planning the meeting agenda for him, I am coaching him when he has questions. He knows which "business" items need to be discussed this week since he took notes last week. He tapped a leader last week to present some cooking skills and is picking out a game for the boys to play. He has pretty much decided on who he wants to tap for other POR's and will visit with the SM pre-meeting tonight to go over the list.

 

If we can do it from scratch with eight 11 year old boys, you can do it with 21 boys and trained leaders. Get a copy of the SM Handbook and the Troop Resource Guide. Yes it is work, but you'll find it easier than you think. You already have a good core with 21 boys. Once you let them make their own decisions and elect their own leaders, stand back.....it will grow.

[Eagledad]

>>We are really having a hard time transitioning into a real "boy lead" Troop. Are there additional resources available to us to help make this transition?

[EagleInKY]

ASM - You're getting some good advice here. Only you can determine at what rate you are going to transition your unit over to a boy-led model. Each unit is unique and will transition at its own pace. The important part is that you have recognized it and are making the change. Our troop started last year, so we had a very low-level of boy leadership. For this year, this has been our primary focus. It's starting to take shape. Last week, at Scout Camp, we were much more "boy run" than we were last year. It made it a much more enjoyable experience for the boys as well as the adults.

Also, remember that transitioning to boy leadership (or boy-run, whichever you prefer), does not mean abdicating your responsibility as an adult leader.  When I look at the sorry state of uniforming, for example, I have asked SMs why they're troop doesn't wear the full uniform.  The #1 answer I get is, "we're a boy-run troop and that's what they decided".  These SMs have missed the point.  There are methods to follow, and teaching the boys to run the program within the methods is the true mark of a quality, boy-lead troop. 

Best of luck to you.  Let us know how it goes.

[Fat Old Guy]

Having been involved in the process, I will concur that it may take a couple years to get things working well. The boys need time to realize that they are the ones who need to be making decisions. I know that in our case, the oldest Scouts just didn't want to step up to the plate, they just wanted to hang out and go camping.

 

The first year, required some strong Guidance from the SM. He'd have to lead discussions to get the PLC thinking about the pros and cons of different events and then let them make up their minds. They were used to have the old SM just tell them what was going to happen so they never needed to do anything more than worry about a menu and often they didn't do that.

 

Now the PLC comes up with new activities. Some work (song writing contest) and some don't (film contest).

 

 

One really difficult thing was to get the adults to let go and let the boys do things and make mistakes. We've had complete disasters which really irritated many of the Type A adults but the boys learned and even had fun.

 

 

Remind the adults of the adage, "Never do for a Scout what a Scout can do for himself."

[ASM59]

Thanks for all the great advice.

 

BW - I shouldn't have been so cynical of the training tapes. They give all the hows and whys, but all of our trained adults came out with the feeling that they (the tapes) are unrealistic, too perfect. Nevertheless, I do appreciate that all of the fundamentals of putting things together properly are there.

 

I have shared some of these posts with our other adults and the wheels are turning; things are making more sense.

 

Keep the advise coming.

 

ASM59

[Fat Old Guy]

The best places to learn about what can go wrong and how to deal with it are Roundtable and University of Scouting.

 

 

[The Mighty Chief]

Great advice given here...

 

I realize that it's necessary that a troop is boy-run, and indeed it shall work--IF the adults as well as the boys of the troop cooperate.

 

My troop has been around for more than 20 years, and some of the "veteran" scouts of the troop are now adult leaders (committee members, assistant scoutmasters, etc.). I don't think this troop has ever been "boy-run," and the adult leadership of the troop has much difficulty understanding/acknowledging that the troop should be boy-run. Often the committee or scoutmaster makes unpopular decisions as to where to go on camping trips, what to do at meetings, and other things that should be left up to the youth members of the troop to decide. Suggestions and criticisms have been put forth in the past, but nothing seems to sway the minds of the adult leadership of the troop. It's not a matter of trust or of skill (or lack thereof) regarding the patrol leaders, as they're often complimented for outstanding leadership of their respective patrols; likewise, the patrol members are often commendeded for working well together.

 

It seems to me that the adults in the troop are "control freaks" (for lack of better words), and they assume that whatever they say or decide upon goes, and that the youth members should always go along with it. Because of this type of administration, the program of the troop hasn't been going so well, and troop morale is often lowered by unfavorable decisions made by the adult leaders. This type of troop adult leadership shouldn't be, and it cannot go on any longer.

How can I try to revolutionize this troop into a boy-run unit if the adult leadership isn't quite willing?

[Eagledad]

Good Morning All

 

>>How can I try to revolutionize this troop into a boy-run unit if the adult leadership isn't quite willing?

[FScouter]

The scenarios presented in the training tapes show ideal situations. It may not be realistic to expect that YOUR troop is going to operate with that level of efficiency and precision right out of the starting gate. View those tapes with the idea that this is what you are working towards in your own unit. I'd even suggest watching them every year or so as a reminder of how a troop can operate, with properly trained boy and adult leaders following the program.