idea sharing process

[johndaigler]

What is the process for sharing innovative ideas within BSA?

 

If a Scouter has seen something that deserves comment, whether it's an idea that expands or diverges from "accepted" Program, what should the Scouter do to share that concept with National so that the idea receives any deserving thought by those who create program, handbooks, policies, training manuals, regs., et al.???

 

As an example, through earning my "TRAINED" badge as a DL, I have come to believe that some form of assessment, of and by, the trainees would improve the process. With whom should that idea be shared?

 

jd(This message has been edited by johndaigler)

[dsteele]

John:

 

The answer I received at Philmont training surprised me, but made sense once they explained it.

 

Let me start with what it is NOT. Don't waste your time calling the National Office. They're there to serve councils.

 

Councils are there to serve you.

 

Any idea or suggestion should go to your council service center via the appropriate committee. Call and ask who the advisor is and then write an email or send in documation of your idea to the staff advisor in writing (politely) asking that it be presented at the next meeting of that committee. Offer to come to the meeting to present the idea.

 

If they think it's a good idea, they'll discuss it and pass it on. If they don't, I would hope they'd tell you.

 

Unc.

[Bob White]

John you will be happy to know that that has been addressed already. The role of Pack Trainer has been introduced to help evalute the training or retraining needs within a pack and to help deliver the resources need to support each adult leader in the unit.

 

In Districts with Unit Commissioners they also play a role in evaluating unit needs including traing or program suport ofr the adults.

 

A third level is the Cubmaster who as the program committee leader should be evaluateing and support the individual performance of each den Leader.

 

Finally the Charter Organization Representative as the head of the Scouting Department for Co should be meeting at least once a year (just before recharter) to determine the needs and performance of the Den leaders and other adult volunteers.

 

So the CO, the unit, and the District all play a role. But the best thing is to have selected a leader who wants to do well, who continually evaluate their own performance and who makes regular development a part of their personal committmemnt to the scouts they serve, by attending Roundtable, Pow Wow, Wood Badge and other learning opportunities.

 

 

 

[johndaigler]

BW and UG,

 

Thank you for the answers. They've helped answer some of my concerns, but led me to others. Though, I think, BW, you and I may be on slightly different pages -- your answer seems directed at improving the Scouter (good, helpful answer that it was) and I was directed at improving the process.

 

Between the two of you, it seems to me that, you are saying:

 

1) Scouters with ideas should work to share those ideas on a local level, moving from Unit, to District, to Council.

 

2) There is no regular process for gathering Scouters ideas on any of these levels. Though, I see where there are opportunities for a Scouter to "force" himself into standard processes.

 

3) National sets policies and training curricula, etc., etc. without opening doors to ideas/input from Scouters in Units. Though, from what I've read in other threads, apparently selected Scouters are asked to contribute in the process.

 

 

 

If I'm on the right track, then that leads me to two more concerns:

 

1) Without an organized process for collecting innovations, Scouters seem to be stuck with a Creativity Catch-22 --- Having innovative thoughts/ideas is not "accepting and following the Program".

 

2) Traveling the path of Unit, District, Council seems a terribly ineffective road if none of these levels are truly responsible for process and program. In my example, "Training" is developed on a National level, isn't it? I would have to fight my way through layer after layer of Scouting bureaucracy before the idea even gets to those who create Training. To share or promote an idea that the Scouter believes in, he (she) has to travel around convincing others that the present program/process needs change. We see time and time again, how well that is received -- it seems this is a bit of a gauntlet for new ideas to run through.

 

jd

 

 

 

[Eamonn]

Unc is on the money if you see something that isn't working in your area let the local people know.

A lot of what happens will depend on how you present your idea. If you (Of course I don't mean you personally!!) Go moaning and groaning, chances are that both the idea and you will put classified as: Moaning. That as a rule falls on deaf ears.

The guys and girls who deliver whatever it is really do want it to work. They if they are any good (Sad to say not all are - But that belongs in another thread.) will take heed of what the people they are trying to serve are saying. I have served on a few different committees and the idea of being of service to the important people is the driving force. The important people being the people who work for and with the kids and the kids themselves. Everything we do is aimed at improving the end product for the end user.

Training has been "My Bag" I love working with new leaders and trying to get the old timers to at least give what is being said a kind ear. There are people out there who can "Out-Scout" me, Lord only knows are far more intelligent and cleverer than I am. They have chosen to work in the areas that feel are important to them and where they think they will do the most good. I see and work with these guys and girls and I have nothing but respect for them.

Some changes are easy. For example we found that the Scoutmaster Specific training, when presented over three nights was just too long each night. To get done at a respectable time we needed to start early, which didn't work because people were working, or we went on till late, which hurt the people who had to drive home and get up early the next day. So we changed it from three nights to four.

In the District we had people complain that we were not covering all the things that a new Den leader needed to lead a Den. We tried an extra supplemental training to cover the things that people said they needed. Sad to say the Den Leaders didn't seem to be interested and very few turned up. We looked again and seen that most of the things that they said they wanted were covered in Fast Start Training. We had as a District made sure that every pack had the tape along with the other material. We thought that just by doing this that our work was done. Clearly it wasn't. We now offer to go over this material at a Round-Table meeting. We found that not only is the material being presented better but the interaction between the new Den Leaders along with the Q&A is helping them feel more prepared. None of this is earth shaking stuff, but we are trying.

All the training's except the Webelos Scout Den Leader Outdoor are fairly new. Changing them is a slow painful very expensive process.

We got the new Wood Badge course about four or five years ago. We were asked not to tweak it. They were asking for really good evaluations from the Course Directors. I sent in 12 pages. I had stuck to the syllabus almost word for word and followed the schedule to the minute. Sure there were times when I felt what was being presented was not as good as it could have been and that maybe things could have been done at different times. But I stuck to the syllabus as if my life depended on it. My feelings are that if we all go ahead and tweak the thing, when it comes time for National to make changes there might not be anything left of the course to change and they wouldn't know where to start. I admit that I'm not a great lover of the new Cub Scout training's. The material is good, but people are not coming back. We can of course all stand around and blame the Cub Scouter's for not doing what they should be doing. But the fact is that our little fellows are not having the program delivered to them by Leaders who have received the training that they should. The Pack Trainer position is a super idea and could be a lifesaver, but in the real world it is seen as a luxury that most packs can't afford. They need or see that they need all hands on deck to work with the Cub Scouts. I would much sooner see a pack with a Pack Trainer than a pack with an Assistant Cubmaster. Something that I'm trying to sell to the packs in our District. Of course along with that we have to train them and give them a better job description than what is out there now.

As is true in most volunteer organizations we are starting to see a change in the people who are available to work with. The parents of the Cub Scouts who joining today belong to a different generation. Hard as it might be to believe when I attend Council and Area meetings I am still looked upon as the youngster, most of those present have a good 15 years on me!! And I have a good 20+ years on the Cub Scout parents. These new people look at things in a different way than I do. I really do try and am really trying to see things through their eyes. However getting these "New" people to volunteer to do things that they do not see as having a direct influence on their child is becoming a very hard sell. I think that I belonged to the last of a generation that asked "Why?" These new people are asking "What is in it for me?" Please don't think that I'm putting young people down, I'm not. I do think that people like me do need to be aware that there has been a change and we need to find new and different ways of brining these new people on board and making them feel welcome and what they are doing is important. All too often we are guilty of closing ranks and using the "We don't do it that way" or we have never done it that way.

Talking to people at the District, Council, Regional and National level. I do feel that everyone is aware that this is happening. Sad to say doing something is really hard.

Here in our Council we have just last year elected a VP Program. He is a super nice chap, I really like him. But his ideas are very much rooted in the way we went about things 30 years ago, when he was a young Scoutmaster. He is in his late 60's. His expectations are based on his values which are a little different than the values of the young Scoutmasters who are doing the job today. Trying to bring us old folks into the 21st Century is hard. Sad to say I think that we are still needed. Many of those people "At the top" have a hard time with the idea of sharing ideas. They and at times me!! See this as a take it or leave it game. We are slow to change. We are happy with what we have because we think that it has worked and is working. Maybe we are guilty of not keeping up. Maybe we want Scouts and Scouting to be like some Norman Rockwell painting with a value base that belongs in sometime long lost. Sure we talk the talk, but we know that if we don't do more to get the people with the innovative ideas to be part of what we are doing and where we are going, we know that it is going to bite us in the tail.

We are aware that we have to reach out, but we are just not very good at it. Patience is something that young people from all generations have never been good at. When the 25 year old Den Leader comes and shares an idea, he or she wants immediate results. We don't think that way. He or she sees this as being ignored and gets upset. We see the upset and forget the idea.

We will in time have to pass the reins, I believe that Scouts and Scouting will be around for a long time to come. The ideals of Scouting are good and I think are timeless. The wording of the mission and the wording of the methods might in time change, but the meaning will stay about the same. Fights that are tearing us apart will be resolved and new ones will arrive.

Innovative ideas will win the day. After all the camp at Brownsea Island and the work that others did about 100 years ago were then innovative. We are tweaking what we do and how we do it all the time. Tiger Cubs, Women Leaders, are changes that OJ's Grandparents never thought would happen. The World Scout Association is full of ideas that might in time filter down and change some of what we do. But the idea of caring adults serving the needs of young people and working with them is not going to change.

Please don't give up trying to get your ideas across. Please be patient. Be prepared that when you present an idea, the answer will involve you becoming more involved. This isn't a way of "Getting Back" at you it's just a sure way of allowing you to see that you get what you want done!!

I have never ever said "No" to people who have offered to help at the District level. There is room on each and every committee for people who want to work with others. But be warned, there are nasty District Chairmen, who do hold people accountable. If you say it will be done. They expect it to be done. Ideas are fine but action will always speak louder than words.

Eamonn

[Bob White]

John you are correct on point #1 but way off on 2 and 3.

 

2) There is no regular process for gathering Scouters ideas on any of these levels. Though, I see where there are opportunities for a Scouter to "force" himself into standard processes.

 

There are several regular meetings each month at various troop, district and council levels where ideas can be shared and harvested and local program recommendations can be made. Unit Committee meetings, unit program committee meetings, Roundtables and Huddles, Training Courses, District Committee and District Subcommittee meetings, Counciil Committee and Council sub-cimmittee meetings just to name a few.

 

In addition there are a number of open conmunication lines to share ideas with local volunteers and professionals who as heads of committees are also committee members at the next level.

 

If you have an idea that has not been shared it cannot be blamed on lack of opportunity.

 

3) National sets policies and training curricula, etc., etc. without opening doors to ideas/input from Scouters in Units. Though, from what I've read in other threads, apparently selected Scouters are asked to contribute in the process.

 

National is us. National committees, just like district and council committees are made of unit level volunteers, who have over the years shown excellence and experience in various areas of scouting. They serve under volunteers with a professional advisor just like in your District and Council committees.

 

Just as an example there are over 200 volunteer adults leaders and youth members from across the country on the National Advancement Committee.

 

Many of the people on these committees have proven their committment and knowledge of scouting over decades before having the opportuinty to provide input and service at the national level.

 

But that doesn't mean that you can't have input. While e-mails and phone calls to national are not the best way siomply because of the shear size of the organization, your local professional can get you the name or division at National that you can address your ideas to. They do read the mail and it is shared with the various national committees.

 

Philmont Training Center is good place to go, not only for excellent training and fellowship but you will have the opportunity to sit and talk with some of the professionals from the National office.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(This message has been edited by Bob White)

[johndaigler]

Thanks.