Changes that improved our program

[Eagledad]

Hi All

 

I think ideas for program improvements is a good topic that can have positive effects in other units. Sorry that Im starting it under a new subject title, but as we say in Oklahoma, That other water was looking pretty sour, so Im fishing a new pond. I hope to keep this thread in a positive tone.

 

One program change we made that really boosted our boy run program was going from monthly PLC meetings to weekly. After three years of monthly meetings, the youth leaders just werent growing as much as we thought were capable. The SPLs never seem to gain complete control of the meeting, both in format and controlling the group and they didnt seem to build much more confidence from one meeting to the next. Our monthly meetings always went about two hours long with the last 45 minutes not being very productive. I guess males just arent designed to stay focused that long. We struggled with turnout because the meetings were on weekends during other activities. We wanted our scouts to learn how to run meetings better, to control the group better and to have better control of their week to week responsibilities. You think about it, four weeks is a long time for a SPL to wait for report. He can do it by phone, but it just wasnt working very well. And everyone (youth and adults) felt it just wasnt fun. Im a big believer in that if it is not fun, change it.

 

So we started asking what we (adults and scouts) hated about the PLC meeting.

 

To long

To boring

Hard to find a good time on weekends

Gets in the way of weekend activities

Not enough of them to get the required work done

Hard to track business from month to month

 

So we came up with an idea of a 30 minute PLC meeting each week before the troop meeting. This fits better for most scouts schedules and it wasnt boring any more because it is a full 30 minutes that goes by fast. Also the agenda is easier because now most of the items were discussed on a weekly basis, not monthly. The weekly format gives the SM more time to monitor and work with the scouts, which means more practice of leadership skills. The SPL loved it because now he could keep up with the officers duties on a weekly basis.

 

After a year of getting use to the format, we found the members of the PLC doubled their rate of developing leadership skills. Our SPLs were so good at running meeting that I would put them up against any meeting run at your Town Council, church or business. The Patrol Leaders were a lot better because they started duplicating the PLC meeting into the Patrol Corners. The SPL could keep up with the Patrols performance a lot easier now and work better with them. Group behavior quadrupled as they became a really close team. The SPL got so good at leading the meeting that most meetings are only 20 minutes long now.

 

The program matured faster from this one change than anything change I look back on. Honestly I cringe for troops that still have one meeting a month. I just dont see how a troop can be very boy run with one PLC meeting a month.

 

I remember one of my SPLs who was on his high school student council tell me how they couldnt get anything done. He said that he tried to help the student council president with a suggestions on running a meeting, but the adult advisor told him that they were fine as it was. He told me that was the first time he realized that not all adults have the leadership skills that you get in Boy Scouts. I didnt say anything, but I was thinking he still had more surprises down the road.

 

Comments?

 

Oh, have I mentioned how love this scouting stuff.

 

Barry

 

[Backpacker]

Hey Barry,

 

In my troop we have a PLC meeting every two weeks for about an hour. The boys seem more focused on their tasks and are much more productive. As I mentioned before we are still using mixed age patrols and they have been working well for 3 years now. The troop is still growing, adding 12 more this fall. The boys are advancing very well, the first class in one year program is also successfully working in the troop. We have a Venture crew that also is running well and helping with the troop as needed. Scouting is alive and well with these young people. Thanks for providing a positive environment to exchange ideas.

[FScouter]

Our PLC is meeting once per month, and I have to say it doesn't work very well. There is just too much to get through in 90 minutes. They just have not developed far enough to be able to plan 4 meetings, discuss an outing, and cover everything else too. Either they need more meeting time, or adult intervention, and adults taking over doesn't teach leadership. Your approach sounds like something we might try.

[Bob White]

Just curious about some points.

 

What element of the PLC made it boring?

 

Who were all these adults you surveyed when the SM is the only adult to be in the PLC?

 

Who is responsible for keeping control of the PLC?

It's not the SPL

 

The last 45 minutes were not productive? Who is reponsible for the agenda for the PLC?

 

The longest PLC the program teaches is 90 minutes.

Did you know the program is designed for 5 to 6 PLCs a month, for a total of about two hours?

 

"The SPL could keep up with the Patrols performance a lot easier"

 

Is that a reponsibility of the SPL? Where is that found?

 

The problems you had stemmed from not following the program.

 

The good news

What you did was change to something closer to the program then you had been doing.

 

The bad news

You didn't realize it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Eagledad]

Hi FScout

 

>>Either they need more meeting time, or adult intervention, and adults taking over doesn't teach leadership. Your approach sounds like something we might try.

[Bob White]

FScouter,

Have you had the opportunity to attend Scoutmaster/Assistant Scoutmaster Leader Specific Training yet?

 

BW

[KoreaScouter]

We do weekly PLCs, too. They're standups, right after the meeting's over with and the service Patrol's cleaning up. SPL reviews the meeting and goes over the TMP for next week. Doing that religiously means we don't have to drill down to the "gnat's posterior" level of detail at the monthly PLC. SPL gets "roughed-in" TMPs and event plans, and we flesh them out afterward. Scan/e-mail/post to web site, and all the Green Bars have them.

 

The monthly meeting takes about an hour. We have a new batch of Green Bars, and their reports could be better. And, they haven't yet learned what a great tool the Patrol Record Book can be. But, they'll come around...they always do.

 

KS

[Bob White]

Excellent KS!!! That is exactly how it is taught in SM Training. My heart bubbles with delight!!! It's late it looks like the election is decided. My faith in leadership is restored I now head to bed.

 

BW

[FScouter]

Eagledad, I like your approach to posting your ideas on a topic. The thing about a discussion is that it gets the mind working. Lots of ideas get processed. I learn best when I understand why a particular methodology is used, what pitfalls are avoided, and what the benefits are. Its makes for a better learning experience than trust me, this is the way.

 

The PLC and I concluded that the single monthly meeting doesnt get the job done. One problem with a single monthly meeting is that if one of the boys comes ill-prepared, we tend to get stalled. And its a whole month before we meet again. The SPL has learned that he needs to call the PLs before the meeting to remind them of what their part is.

 

I agree with everything you said about agenda. The SPL works from an agenda of sorts, but feels free to add items to it as they pop into his head. That tends to prolong the meeting. All the boys should have a copy of the agenda. He and I are working on that. The thing about training boys is that they need to discover the proven methods on their own. They do a lot of discovering.

 

The PLC and I meet briefly at the close of each troop meeting. I dont consider these to be formal PLC meetings as such, but rather a reflection of what worked and didnt work at the just completed meeting.

 

Ive considered the idea of meeting before the troop meeting. But I dont want the PLC to think that they can wait until 30 minutes before the troop meeting to plan the troop meeting. A last minute review of what has already been planned would be good.

 

Thanks for the thoughts.

[Eagledad]

Hi All

 

>>We do weekly PLCs, too. They're standups, right after the meeting's over with and the service Patrol's cleaning up. SPL reviews the meeting and goes over the TMP for next week.

[KoreaScouter]

I think it was Sigmund Freud who said "Only an insane person would do the same thing over and over again, and expect different results". You certainly can't proceed on autopilot. I think one of the things we're obligated to do as adult leaders is to tweak the program delivery to fit the maturity, experience, and abilities of our youth leaders. It seems that's what you're doing.

 

KS

[Bob White]

Does anyone recall from Scoutmaster Training or from Boy Scout Fast Start, or from the Scoutmaster Handbook what the Scoutmaster's responsibility is just before and just after each troop meeting?

 

BW(This message has been edited by Bob White)

[mich632]

assess and evaluate. Facilitate learning and growth

 

My words.

 

Offer encouragement and suggestions to handle things that did not go well.

 

Fast start words.

[Bob White]

Thank you, Mich is on the right track.

 

The SM meets with the SPL for about 5 minutes prior to the meeting to review the plan, answer questions, offer suggestions and to assure the scout that he is doing fine.

 

After the meeting the SM meets with the PLC and leads a reflection of what went well, what can be improved, give support for what they did well, offer resources to strengthen areas needing immprovement, review next weeks agenda. this takes 10 to 15 minutes.

 

So now when the PLC has its monthly meeting it is not needed to review the past meetings, that has already been done as pointed ourt by KS.

 

Why meet the PLC immediatly prior to the troop meeting? If they have not arrived prepared it's too late to do anything now. Making sure they come prepared for their responsibilities next meeting is done at the end of this weeks's meeting and then reinforced a few days later by the SPL or his ASPL(s) through phone call, email, or personal contact. At least that way they have time to prepare.

 

Now is there any reason why that way couldn't work. Its what we teach, it would be swell if trained leaders used it.(This message has been edited by Bob White)

[SR540Beaver]

BW,

 

I think you know from my posts that I'm pretty supportive of doing things by the book. That being said, why does it seem to disturb you that a unit might tweak the frequency of their PLC meetings? If they find that doing it weekly instead of monthly greatly enhances their effectivness, why not do it? Especially if they have done it by the book and find it frustrating. We are not talking something like a unit redesigning their uniform or deciding that instead of an outdoors program they will have movie nights once a week. Hypothetically, what if a unit decided that they wanted to have two campouts per month? The BSA states that a CO has to provide at least 10 nights of camping per year. What would be wrong with a unit deciding to provide 24 nights if it is what everyone wanted? Just because the training says to have a monthly PLC meeting does not mean it can be held more frequently if desired.