baby sitters of america

[red feather]

Looking for ideas and methods to get more parents involved with the troop and scouting.

 

Have searched the forums database and reviewed all threads that may be appropriate. If I missed one please let me know.

 

The troop that I am with is having a problem with getting parents involved with not only day to day activies but with showing up at meetings, and staying there.

 

How have other troops generated paritication of the parents in scouting? Incentives?

 

We are having trouble having BOR for scouts due to the lack of adults at the meeting. Those who are there when they can are the 'old guard' who do not have sons in the troop. Not much participation of new parents.

 

Looking for ideas, methods, threats, of getting parents involved. Close to having to cancel meetings due to lack of two deep leadership of a troop where 15 to 25 boys show up.

 

Thanks in advance for your input.

 

yis

[ManyIrons]

What has been done up to this point? Parent's meetings?

 

How many committee members do you have? Are the "old guard" looking to move on? Has the committee conducted any recruitment efforts?

 

How many assistant SMs do you have? Why are they not showing up?

[Eamonn]

I'm rechecking trying to make sure that I have not got out of the wrong side of the bed. Making sure that I am not in a bad mood.

 

OK, I'm fine.

Man Oh Man, do I hate this Baby Sitters thing. Boy Oh Boy, does this annoy me.

It really gets up my snout.

If anyone sees providing a program of fun and adventure as baby sitting, then they are unlike any baby sitter that I ever hired.

If all you are providing is a baby sitting service you are in the wrong organization.

Our VISION STATEMENT reads:

The Boy Scouts of America is the nations foremost youth program of character development and values-based leadership training.

In the future Scouting will continue to:

Offer young people responsible fun and adventure;

Instill in young people lifetime values and develop in them ethical character as expressed in the Scout Oath and Law;

Train young people in citizenship, service, and leadership;

Serve Americas communities and families with its quality, values-based program.

The MISSION STATEMENT reads:

The mission of the Boy Scouts of America is to prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Law.

If anyone sees this a baby sitting they must be from some other planet.

Eamonn.

[madkins007]

Well...

 

I hate to say this but it looks like you may need a bit of unit-wide rethinking.

 

I would suggest something like this:

 

1.) Rebuild the unit committee(*). Aim for a blend of old and new, but most importantly, try to recruit those parents you think can add something.

 

2.) Over the summer, rethink the unit. Adopt a position that parental involvement is not 'mandatory', but is just the regular way things are done(**).

 

3.) When the unit spins up to speed again in the early fall(***), start it off with the new expectations.

 

*- recruitment of new blood is one of the toughest jobs of the unit leaders. There are several ways to make this more effective. Try finding someone in the Chartering Organization who is good at this and asking them for help. Try the techniques in the book "The Scoutmasters Other Handbook' by Mark A. Ray (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0965120732/qid=1116779271/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/002-9630907-0732006)

Consider asking other Scouters to help (someone from your unit DOES go to the local roundtables or whatever they are called in your area, right?)

 

**- our unit came up with a sheet of expectations- what the parents could expect from us (safe haven, well trained, good communications, etc.) and what we expected from them (attendance at pack meetings, helping out in various ways, etc.) We stated up front that we sign up families, not just Scouts, and if that was not acceptable, please try a different unit or program. It was said in a light, positive way with the underlyaing assumption that EVERYONE was involved, and EVERYONE (even siblings) were going to have fun!

 

***- Yeah, I know you'll stay active over the summer, but the fall recruitment push is a GREAT time to introduce changes.

[eagle90]

We had a similar problem years ago in getting parents to attend troop meetings. What we did was at the beginning of the Scouting year we passed out a calendar with all of our Troop meetings listed. We then randomly assigned two parents to attend each meeting. We said it was for two reasons: To let parents become acquainted with what we do at troop meetings and to help chaperone and assist the leaders. We also said if they couldn't make their assigned night it was their responsibility to arrange a substitute with another scout family. It came out to each parent attending about 3 meetings a year. Either moms or dads were welcomed. It worked well, and now we get more than enough adults present. We still follow the same procedure even though it's probably not necessary any more.

[red feather]

Thanks for the input so far.

 

Manyirons:

 

We have tried parents meetings (the same people that usually show up were there. Parent meetings both during Court of Honor, and specially time designated meetings. Mailings, schedules, calenders, all with specific needs indicated. No response from anyone that is not already involved.

 

We have sufficient committee membership to cover the needs of the troop (except for troop meeeting attendance). We are already a mix of old guard and new blood on the committe and yes some of the old guard is looking to 'do less' officially but are still trying to stay as active as possible.

 

Not many new ASMs and many of them are having work conflicts. Most registered ASMs do not have boys in the troop but do what they can.

 

eamonn

 

preaching to the choir, preaching to the choir

 

madkins007 and eagle 90

 

your suggestions will be passed onto the Committe Chair and the Scoutmaster. Thanks for the input.

 

Thanks again and looking for more input

 

yis

 

 

[frank10]

When we had this problem with drivers we discovered that the answer was to place our trust in the boys. Told the patrol leader that each patrol was expected to provide it's own drivers. If we arrived in the parking lot and there were enough seats going anyhow, we'd let the parrents off the hook but they were to be there anyhow just in case. If a patrol doesn't arrange for a driver, they don't go (never happened yet and I don't expect it ever will).

 

Try the same logic for troop meetings. Each patrol must have one adult at the meeting of they can't enter the hall.

[ManyIrons]

red feather,

 

Wow, I think I'm in your unit!!

 

Thanks, I thought it would be better to know what you've done before throwing a solution at you. Really the only solution that BSA advocates is targeted recruting (a.k.a. "selecting leaders"). It's outlined in the Troop Committee Guide, but I found a similar guide on the National Council's website under Commissioner's Resources. Here's the link: http://www.scouting.org/commissioners/resources/18-981.pdf

 

We've got similar problems. Our committee's solution is to send a letter to the parents explaining the dire consequences if we don't get more adults to volunteer -- i.e., the committee will practically dissolve, placing our re-charter in jeopardy.

 

Our committee is mostly composed of parents whose son's are either Eagle Scouts ("He's finished so I'm done") or are working on their projects ("He's almost done, so I am too"). They've all given notice that they're leaving in the next 6 - 12 months.

 

I tried unsuccessfully (twice) to get them to use the BSA method, but they just won't do it. I've warned them that their method is highly unlikely to produce the results we need, but they're determined to proceed with their idea. And why not? It's certainly easier and after all they're leaving. Can you sense the sarcasm?

 

Anyway, if your unit does use the "selecting" method, please let us (me) know how it went. For that matter, if anyone reading this successfully employed that method please let us all know.

[FScouter]

Troop meetings are for Boy Scouts, not parents. As a Scoutmaster, I want registered, trained, uniformed assistant Scoutmasters with specific functions at troop meetings. I have no problem with parents attending. They are welcome to watch, help with a specific task if there is one they can do. But I don't want to rely on parents that may or may not come to a meeting once in a while.

 

I also want registered and trained troop committee members assigned to the specific committee job functions.

 

If you don't have the necessary registered adult leaders to perform the required functions, you need to identify and select the right person for each job. The sign-up sheet method does not work. The forced labor method does not work. The make-a-plea-and-wait-for-volunteers method does not work. Chapter 5 of the Troop Committee Guidebook discusses how to select adult leaders. Another BSA publication "Selecting District People" goes into great detail about selecting and retaining adult volunteer leaders. The method works. It is not simple or fast or fool-proof. But it does work. Give it a try.

 

"Baby Sitters of America" is a concept set up by Scout leaders, not parents. If you treat the function of the troop as a baby sitting service, that is what you will have. The attitudes or beliefs or desires of boy's parents have little to do with whether or not you run a baby sitting service. When you develop boy leaders, get a good program going, and select the right adult leaders, you will have a troop, not a baby-sitting service.

 

By the way, there is no "legal" reason to cancel a troop meeting simply because of lack of "two-deep". The Scoutmaster, a trained SPL, and capable patrol leaders with a troop meeting plan can handle a meeting.

 

[ML2]

I'm the father of my Cub Scout son. I have heard the baby sitter term mentioned before and must say that that term does not make me want to volunteer. I find it insulting and accusing.

 

I must counter that with the statement that I DO want to volunteer, mainly for two reasons:

 

1. I want to make the program better for my son's growth and development, and

2. I enjoyed being a Scout as a kid and want to do it again.

 

As parents most of us are continually juggling competing activities. Some have a lot to juggle, some only a few. Some can juggle very well, some are uncoordinated. As a parent and non-leader, I am continually asked to volunteer. Sometimes, even though I would like to jump in whole-heartedly, I hesitate because I don't know what the position entails or I don't know if I'm qualified. Something that I think would help a lot of parents would be what we used in the military called a Turnover Binder.

 

Have your current leaders create a binder of information concerning:

1. What the position entails.

2. What qualifications are needed/beneficial.

3. What activities are planned.

4. An after-action review of previous activities.

5. A list of points of contact.

6. A list of references for each of the activities scheduled.

 

Also include all the books & manuals and other publications from the BSA relating to your troop/pack to be used by the person in this position.

 

Also create an after-action review/report of each activity as you are planning and afterwards. Being able to read about what was done last time allows someone to better see what needs to be done this time.

 

I know that if this information were available when I'm asked to volunteer it will help me to make an informed decision as to whether my skills and schedule will permit me to do so.

 

Just my $.02

 

-ML

[Bob White]

No one can make you a babysitter. You can choose to act like one or choose to be treated like one...or not.

 

Rarely (once perhaps twice) have I ever seen a unit where parents wouldn't help is selected and recruited correctly. nor,ally what happens is that they are recruited poorly. Red feather according to your profile you are a Cubmaster (CM), what is your role in the troop?

 

When I know that I can point you in the right direction.

 

BW

[Bob White]

No one can make you a babysitter. You can choose to act like one or choose to be treated like one...or not.

 

Rarely (once perhaps twice) have I ever seen a unit where parents wouldn't help is selected and recruited correctly. nor,ally what happens is that they are recruited poorly. Red feather according to your profile you are a Cubmaster (CM), what is your role in the troop?

 

When I know that I can point you in the right direction.

 

BW

[DugNevius]

what do you want the parents for,exactly?

[ManyIrons]

Folks,

 

Can we get off the babysitter thing? red feather only used that in the title and if it was intended to be an attention-getter it sure worked. However he's asked for help with getting parents involved with the troop.

 

Over to you red feather. Ditto, what's your troop role and what specifically do you need? What do you mean by "sufficient committee membership", how may is that?

[red feather]

Guess I need to correct my profile. Currently a committee member, past ASM for many years. Both boys Eagles and pursuing their lives.

 

We have tried some targeting methods and it occassionaly does work. Seems the last couple batches of new parents duck, dodge and weave to keep away from being recruited. Efforts are always ongoing but we are having trouble.

 

Currently there are 14 committee members I think.

8-10 come to committe meetings. The committee membership is not the issue for us( or at least not immediately). It is getting parents to sign up and become active ASMs.

 

Just for the record, I believe that the scouts in the troop would not place me in the 'babysitter' category. But the phrase was used as I knew it to be a scouting buzz word and would get your attention.

 

Thanks for the input,it is being forwarded to the commitee on a daily basis. Please keep the ideas and experiences coming.

 

yis