Troop By-laws

[FScouter]

"Anybody have any words of wisdom for me?????"

 

Yes, ditch the bylaws. All the rules you need are already written in your guidebooks: Scoutmaster Handbook, Troop Committee Guidebook, Advancement Polices book, etc. There's no sense in copying them. Any other rules written in bylaws are likely to be contradictory to BSA rules, like the 80% rule for example.

 

A better idea is a troop parent guide booklet. It could include things like when the troop and committee meetings are scheduled, what equipment the boy will need, how the PLC operates, points of contact, the methods of BSA and the troop's philosophy in implementing them, maybe a little bit about how advancement works.

[epalmer84]

> Yes, ditch the bylaws

 

That is the best piece of advice yet.

 

We have a troop guidebook. This is more of a FAQ for parents. Every year we update it based on what new parents need to know when coming into the troop. We have a parents meeting just before summer camp where we answer any questions about camp. Based on the questions asked, we update the guidebook sometime after camp. This next update will finally get posted on the web.

 

I think we have exactly two troop rules: one on knives, based on council and camp policies and on the Code of Virginia, and one on electronics on outings. I wrote the first one after a lot of misunderstandings and the PLC came up with the second. The PLC approves the guidebook. I think I am going to note the new BSA policy on "what is an active Scout"; we really have not had this up since we dropped our Scout of the Year award when the previous CC left years ago (I never liked it as it had a whole bunch of criteria that duplicated other stuff).

 

Granted, we have unwritten rules, but these are really drawn from other sources; stuff like you can't have just Pop Tarts for breakfast and campfires that are blazing higher than my head will get water dumped on it (and yes I could certainly see it even when that patrol was camped 200 yards away).

 

Only Venturing crews write by-laws, and these are intended to define their vision, goals and anything else to for their unique crew program.

 

Ed

[highcountry]

This sounds familiar. The CC I referred to in the REAL PROBLEM thread has proposed a massive set of troop bi-laws. That person is super into every nit picky rule and regualtion out there and even though BSA provides more than enough rules to choke a good sized elephant, they think we need even more. CC has brough this up to committee numerous times and each time committee vote they feel no need for this, yet CC began to schedule committee meetings with the sole focus to develop a troop bi-law book, and get this...a 76 page st of bi-laws form an area tropp is being used as the framework to go off of. Not only is it so big no one will read it or digest it, it is filled with you must, or they will or this happens or else type language aimed at parents, scouts and adults. If enforced it would definitely motivate people to leave. In the mean time I suggested we do need to create a welcome document for new scouts and their parents to get them up to speed a bit with the program, also some job descriptions for some of the more involved adult volunteers positiosn, but that didn't happen (I ended up writing some of it as we had will iadults not functioning in thier roles as no one told them what the job entailed).

Some worthwhile organization and spelling out a few proceedures and guidelines is fine but adding to the already overburdonsome regs and rules from BSA is not going to encourage more adults and parents, it is probably going to entice many to stay away.

[FScouter]

You might take a look at the Troop Committee Guidebook; it has dandy job descriptions for all the adult committee positions, (including the committee chairman). Then, the Troop Committee Challenge training can help the committee learn how to play the game.

 

By the way, what are a few of the overburdonsome regs and rules from BSA, enough to choke an elephant? Maybe we forum members can help you digest some of them? Welcome to the forums.