Duty Rosters, and modern scouting

[Eagle94-A1]

4 minutes ago, Eagledad said:

One of the flaws of todays leaders  NATIONAL is they push leadership on scouts too fast and too early. True leadership requires a lot of skills to coordinate a team toward success.

Fixed that for you. Let's face it, National is the one setting the tone on this. National is producing training material that promotes advancement above all things, and positions of responsibility is part of that. 

[Eagledad]

42 minutes ago, Eagle94-A1 said:

Fixed that for you. Let's face it, National is the one setting the tone on this. National is producing training material that promotes advancement above all things, and positions of responsibility is part of that. 

Quite right. The leaders are only running the program National is pushing. Thanks for the correction.

Barry

[InquisitiveScouter]

33 minutes ago, Eagledad said:

Quite right. The leaders are only running the program National is pushing. Thanks for the correction.

Barry

We 'make it work' by using Troop Guides during the first six months and a lot of adult skill instruction during the first year.  I wish we didn't have to 'make it work.' 

Our reality is that, around 16, our Scouts move on to other things.  Venturing, OA, jobs, girls, cars, hanging with friends, school clubs, music, sports, martial arts, etc, etc.

Loyalty to an institution is not part of our wider cultural mindset any more.  In general, there is more of a narcissistic "What's in it for me?" attitude, and the belief that you must be involved in all those other activities in order to compete for college (which I do not believe is reality)

They just do not have the bandwidth to do all the things they want to do (neither do I, for that matter), and after 5 years of Scouting and Eagle, most move on.  I have learned to be OK with that.  For the ones that do stay,  we offer more adventures further afield, but the expectation is that, during 'regular' troop programming, they serve and help the SPL with leadership tasks. 

After 16, we hang on to about one third of them.

Edited May 17, 2022 by InquisitiveScouter

[ramanous]

The leaders are only running the program National is pushing

Its one thing when a Scout advances quickly using thier own ambition, but pushing for 1st class in a year, and Eagle by 16 waters down the brand. The fact that there's are competing interests, and not enough "bandwidth", just means a Scout has to make tough decisions about what they think is important. Hence, why some Scoutd will earn Eagle and other won't. If all Scouts earned Eagle, then its just another particpation trophy.

 

 

 

[InquisitiveScouter]

3 minutes ago, ramanous said:

The leaders are only running the program National is pushing

Its one thing when a Scout advances quickly using thier own ambition, but pushing for 1st class in a year, and Eagle by 16 waters down the brand. The fact that there's are competing interests, and not enough "bandwidth", just means a Scout has to make tough decisions about what they think is important. Hence, why some Scoutd will earn Eagle and other won't. If all Scouts earned Eagle, then its just another particpation trophy.

 

 

 

Even with an aggressive and skill intensive program, in which we provide huge amounts of opportunity, it takes new Scouts on average about two years to get to First Class.  That is, actually doing the requirements as written, without them being spoon-fed by adults.  (Fitness requirements, for example.)

If a Scout focuses and learns by her own ambition and initiative, First Class can be done in about 90 days, which is the minimum time.   (This is for the ones who join later, like the 15/16 year olds.)

[mrjohns2]

57 minutes ago, InquisitiveScouter said:

Even with an aggressive and skill intensive program, in which we provide huge amounts of opportunity, it takes new Scouts on average about two years to get to First Class.  That is, actually doing the requirements as written, without them being spoon-fed by adults.  (Fitness requirements, for example.)

This was true for my older daughter and now my middle daughter. She is just at one year and is just about a month from 2nd class. She isn’t motivated beyond working on it during meetings and campouts. Which is fine. I am pretty sure 1st class itself will take the next year for her. She likes Scouts, but as she would say “it isn’t her life”. 

[Tron]

I think duty rosters are the way to go. It is the only way to show everyone that the distribution of responsibilities is fair. 

 

As for rank, I think the rate of achievement is really limited by 2 factors. The enthusiasm of the Scout, and the ability of the Scouts parents to facilitate. If you have a go getter on your hands that is focusing only on Scouting, and the parents are making it happen for the Scout; totally realistic for the Scout to rank up to 1st Class in their first year at the Troop level. I think a properly trained AOL should be able to rank up to Tenderfoot in 2 months; almost everything for the Scout rank and Tenderfoot rank are things that Scout should have learned as a Webelos.