Following the Program

[dkurtenbach]

Beavah, an excellent point that I concede -- Yes, we've also been working on the program since Baden-Powell's time and have not come up with a "leader-proof" program that everyone can follow successfully.

 

Nor do I dispute the economics. I would suggest only that tinkering with the program is a whole lot easier than trying to find more leaders and develop higher levels of commitment and training, because the program is just the program, but "better leaders/better training" goes right to people's lives -- their time, their values, their personal schedules, etc. But again, I don't disagree that the economics of "better leaders/better training" make more sense; I just think other, non-economic factors make it more difficult to implement.

 

That said, let me segue to the related "Loosey-Goosey" thread -- If tinkering with the program hasn't done the job of raising average program quality, and we haven't made the commitment to substantially improve our leadership recruitment and training efforts, what other options do we have? I suggest an extremely low-cost possibility -- stop suggesting to units that they should "do whatever works for them" and promote a climate that puts a high value on closely following the recommended program laid out in BSA materials and actively discourages deviation from fundamental practices. The program is already there, so we don't have to do anything with that. And our focus in this effort is work with the leadership we already have -- good, bad, and indifferent -- by, frankly, asking them not to think too hard, just do THIS. Yes, units that purposely deviate from the BSA recommendations and do so successfully won't change, and that's fine; the ones we want to catch are the units with the leaders who simply don't know what they are supposed to do or are stumbling along on unit "traditions" or the (wrong) practices that other Scouters have told them to follow.

 

Dan K

 

[Bob White]

It doesn't take money to select good leaders. It certainly doesn't require the BSA to spend more money for the COs to learn how.

 

We teach how in the New Leader Essentials training. There is a 4 page brochure that explains step by step how to do it. We have a number of training opportunities where it is revisited and reinforced. All it takes is for a unit that needs to improve their leadership to follow it. No amount of money spent will replace personal responsibility.

 

 

[juris]

To Scouter Dan K.I agree many of the things your are saying in Theory. It seems to me you are against the leaders that deviate from the so called " Scouting grogram " You don't want them to think for themselves, and only be spoon fed the BSA,Inc Theories. Being that you have been in Scouting for awhile, you noticed that there are only 20% of the old timers, just about every one is under five years. At the roundables and training courses [we] don't let deviative Scouters speak their opinions.,Most of the time [these scouters are] ignored ,rediculed, or told to take a training course.Then explain to me .?, As I travel around the States, I find the maverick type units who have the most successful program, and the largest unit membership. Could it be that what [is taught] 'by the book', does not work in majority of the cases.It's like beating dead horse, to make him run.Sorry, I have to run. cath you some other time. Good Scouting. Read my other posts. Juris. (This message has been edited by a staff member.)