Succession Planning and the "Talk/Threat"

[CynicalScouter]

3 minutes ago, qwazse said:

It's unrealistic to have the SM and the same ASM at every patrol activity and meeting and troop activity and meeting plus round table and training -- even if those two adults are able to keep to themselves and maybe attend rountable online while the Flaming Arrows are refurbishing their Klondike derby sled. 

I will tell you something I've seen put to good use in COVID times: parents as Unit Reserve Scouters. During a Zoom session you need to have 2 registered adult leaders. So, the ASM and who else? We got parents who do not want to commit or get scared at the prospect of being an ASM ("I know nothing about the woods. Too busy for IOLS or anything.") and we do not have a giant committee. My troop has recruited 3 Unit Reserve Scouters, got them YPT compliant and they now sit and listen and watch what their scouts do.

PLUS it helps the burn outs. We had a parent who was a 4 year den leader in a pack. Crossed over with the son and said "Done. Done, done, done done. DONE!" and I can respect that. But we just got him to redo his YPT and made it clear we need him around for flexibility reasons. He's ok with being the second warm body for purposes of two-deep leadership. Now, in a year or so, when he's had some distance? Totally see him as a committee member.

 

[NDW5332]

27 minutes ago, MattR said:

People, when asked and respond with no, should be left alone.

Sometimes it depends on who's doing the asking.  I was CC for the better part of 4 years for our Pack before taking over as CM for most of our final year until my son earned his AOL and crossed over.   One of the hardest jobs I had as CC was to fill the open committee positions, and I had a lot more say "No" than say "Yes", but what really bugged me after the fact was that many of the parents that said no to me, said yes to my replacement.  It turns out that they were all very close friends outside of Scouts, and I was an outsider to them, so it became more of a club for them and an excuse to hang out more.

[David CO]

Not all Chartered Organizations like to announce their scouter appointments in advance before a vacancy occurs.  Mine doesn't.  People just have to wait and see.  Sometimes it's an obvious choice, and sometimes it's not (if the CO is looking to make a change).

[Owls_are_cool]

Thanks for this excellent thread. I have been a scoutmaster for 2 1/2 years and I think it is time to transition to a new scoutmaster. I think this year is my son's last year in scouting, so it is time for my troop to find a new scoutmaster. I have been filling voids in my son's pack and then his troop for the past 6 years. It took me awhile to get what scouting is about (I was never a scout in my youth) and it took being a scoutmaster before I truly understood the aims of scouting. 

It was a hard 2 1/2 years as scoutmaster as I was asked to do the job after the previous scoutmaster unexpectedly resigned. I (with a small group of other parents) had to clean up a mess that was left behind. Initially I focused on advancement and all was well with the world. Then I actually took scoutmaster training and felt the need to transition the troop from the aim of getting scouts to eagle rank to a troop that does scouting that develops the character of scouts. When I was purely doing things to advance scouts to eagle rank, I had no problems. When I tried to restart the patrol method and took the side of scouts being targeted for removal from the troop, then I encountered serious problems with a parent faction of the troop committee. It turned ugly and I have scars, but it is worth it all to get the troop past 5 years of turbulence and into health. Those of us adults left behind work really well together and the scouts enjoy their program. 

I am hoping for a better transition in the next year than what I as given 2 1/2 years ago.