How sail boats work

[Bob White]

I'm going to have an Eamonn soapbox moment and then I am going to go back to my chipper self.

 

A lot of of the best posts on this forum come from well meaning volunteers who stop in for a some advice and then go back and get to work. I like those folks a lot.

 

But if you noticed the majority of problems come from having to deal with unit leaders, or committee members, or other volunteer of even professionals who are not following the program. These scouters want to know what to do to get things back on track.

 

The majority of other posters hers are malcontents and complainers berating the BSA program, its uniforms, iots program, its handbooks, its volunteers and professionals etc.. As I tried to point out the last couple days they operate largely from the bottom of a pit of scouting ignorance. No names are needed at this point I think they have revealed themselves sufficiently.

 

Here is the solution to the solving almost of the problems of the first group of posters. Get rid of the people in the unit, district or council that act like the second group.

 

Seriously. If you want a scout program at any level that is positive and growing you need to surround yourself with people who either know the program or have a thirst to learn it. You need people who like what they are doing and the program they are doing it for. You need to take the people who do not like the program they joined and allow them the opportunity to go do something that will make them happy SOMEPLACE ELSE. They deserve as much opportunity for happiness outside of scouting as we find inside.

 

Think about this. If all your leaders liked scouting and understood scouting how much more you could accomplish? Think of the fun every scout could have if all the adult leaders were positive role models.

 

We wouldn't have less help, we would have room for people who saw the fun we were having and they would beg to join in. We could actual increase the number of volunteers. Just think of all the scouts that would join with the program we could have with so many knowledgeable leaders.

 

HERE is how you do it. Just say NO. When someone wants to be on a committee, or a leader in the unit, but isn't trained or won't get trained...JUST SAY NO. If a person in your unit leadership or on your district committee speaks ill of the program all the time and crticizes the BSA you do not have to keep them, if they are unwilling to change REMOVE THEM. You do not have to keep bad leaders. You do not have to deliver a poor or mediocre program just because someone has been around a long time, or because they are somebody'e parent or spouse.

 

These complainers and untrained or unlearned (went to training for the coffee and not the skills) will kill your program or drive your scouts away. Let them go find happiness doing something else...somewhere else.

 

The kind of people who will make local issues out of distant headlines are anchors that will ruin the program.

 

How does a sailboat work? It moves by the trim of its sails not by the weight of its anchors.

 

Make a choice. If you want to get movin you gotta lose the anchors.

 

 

This is not a dificult program to do or lead or learn. As Eamonn and Fscouter, OGE, me and others have said 'Scouting is really quite easy IF you follow the scouting program'

 

This forum could do so much more to enrich your scouting program if more posts asked questions rather than complained about the uniform, or th FOS or what they think national is doing or not doing. It could be a sharing of scouting KNOWLEDGE not scouting whines, and there are some very talented scouters here. No gripe will ever make a unit a better place for a scout.

 

"Those who say it can't be done should get out of the way of those who are doin it."

 

Now as John Astin would say "I'm feeling MUCH better now."

 

HAPPY SCOUTING

Bob White

 

 

 

 

 

[Cubmaster Jerry]

Many good points, Bob. However, it might not be as easy as that to remove people or turn away prospective leaders. While I push training in my unit every single committee meeting, I hardly have a footing to stand on if I tell someone they can't be a leader if they don't take that training. And some I just can't get to go there unless I bound and gag them. I can only continue to promote, encourage, pay for, and even offer rides to training sessions. Training is not (Shhh) REQUIRED. And, those leaders that I have that aren't trained may be good Den Leaders. We have to travel almost 40 minutes for our training sessions and I have many leaders who work late or on weekends, are single parents, work two jobs, or have 3 kids each in 3 activities a week. It is just not feasible for them. If I just say no to them, I am out good leaders.

 

And having only good leaders doesn't necessarily draw in good leaders. When I wanted to be a leader, I didn't have any idea of status of the current Pack committee. Not many prospective leaders would. As a Committee leader, you take what you can get at first and hopefully mold those who are unwilling or less motivated to be good, trained leaders. Not many units have people lined up to be leaders. There isn't the opportunity to be very selective. I was on the phone last year for two days drumming up 4 den leaders for new scouts because I had no volunteers at Scout night.

 

There is far more of a human relations effort when working with a committee than understood. As leaders we have to learn to work with others who may not be as motivated, understanding, or patient as we are. When I have fellow leaders that are frustrated at the lack of effort from other leaders, I remind them that their 100% effort may not be the same as your 100%. It's not necessarily a factor of being lazy or unwillingness to work within the program. We have to work with people's strengths.

 

The key thing to remember about people in your first group is that the majority of them are new to the program. Once they learn and understand what it takes to run a good program (via training and these boards! ), I suspect they work to incorporate that into the failing program. Those current leaders who have the right intentions will be on board. However, as we have all undoubtedly experienced and at least read within these boards, there are people who do have a disregard for the Scouting program and seem to be concerned with other goals than Scouting intends to provide. Hopefully those are in the minority. A good program is the best medicine for poor leaders. They will either move on because no one likes their ideas or wants to listen to them anymore or they will shift to the good side of the force. Hopefully Donald Trump isn't needed.

 

Smooth Sailing to all!!

Jerry

[Bob White]

Hi Jerry,

Its easier than you might think. As you select and recruit new leaders you draw clear objectives and expectations. People who are looking for the same experience for their kids that you want for yours will accept it, let they others walk away.

 

COs do not have to sign on bad leaders just to fill a spot. Once they do they not only harm their units they create bad memories for the scouts that can last for years and even lose us the next generation of possible scouts in that family. Besides that the create future disasters for the district and council as their bad choices become a bad decision for the district. A leader who never gets trained or understands their training will not duddenly bcome capable by moving from unit to district.

 

COs and committees need to make the right choice. They need to be serious about selecting the right person. It's okay to say no to someone. And its okay to tell a complainer to get with the program or leave.

 

Its okay to require that leaders not only get trained but follow the program. The real problems of scouting are program related. I had a scouter write me to say that his son's unit was so bad that he went to the DE and asked for the name of a unit thatactula had a scouting program. With several troops in the community the only one the DE could think of that actual had a scouting program was over 20 miles away.

 

That has to stop. We need to the COs to take their responsibility seriously and we all can help them do that.

 

It works, I have seen it work.

 

 

 

 

 

[Cubmaster Jerry]

I am not indicating that I would knowingly welcome a "bad" leader simply to fill a spot. That would be foolish on my part. But, if I have a den of boys who do not have a leader I have but few options. I can take the den myself (I had two last year!) or I can continue to ask those parents to step up until someone does. If one does, they probably aren't going to be as excited as I am about the responsibility but hopefully they are willing to learn and follow the program. As CM, it is my job to guide them in the right direction. I have found many a "diamond in the rough" by proding reluctant parents to take a leader position.

 

I guess my point is that it is not so easy to make that distinction up front between who would be good or bad until after you have seen them in action.

 

I sometimes wish training was required. But, lets face it, I would have a more difficult time retaining leaders. I have set up incentive programs in my unit to encourage leaders to get trained and still can't get 100% trained. I suppose that if I made training a requirement in my unit, I would eventually find someone who is willing to get trained and be as enthusiastic as I am. But how long might that take? What do I do with that group(s) of boys in the mean time? I can't consistently run Dens and fullfill my responsibilities as a CM (not to mention the 25 hours a day I need to spend on my non-scouting responsibilities). We all would like all of our leaders to be excited about scouting as we are, jump at the chance to get trained, and research message boards such as this how to be a better leader but that is just never going to happen. Does that make those who don't bad leaders? That depends on the individual. Now, on the other hand, if I have a leader that loses half his/her den, only has meetings once every other month, and could care less about the scouting program then I have a problem I need to address.

 

Jerry

[Bob White]

I understand your concern Jerry, and I realize that when you are up to you neck in alligators its tough to focus on draining the swamp.

but there are effective ways around that. This is not the theread to explain that in though. I just wanted to make the point that you do not have to choose or keep bad leaders.

 

If you would be curious how to taff a unit without being forced to retain the kinds of folks who are anchors and not sails we could do that in a new thread.

 

Happy Scouting

BW

[Eamonn]

"I'm going to have an Eamonn soapbox moment and then I am going to go back to my chipper self."

Hi Bob,

It's a milk crate!! But don't tell anyone there is a $200 fine for improper use!

Eamonn

Chipper self ??

[jr56]

Some nice ideas Bob, in an ideal world it would be great, but unfortunately, this is not an ideal world. Wish it was.

Jeff

[FScouter]

Let's implement some of those Ideal Ideas and help move the world closer to Ideal.

[jr56]

Good idea.

[Bob White]

Both my parents were involved actively in Scouting when I was growing up. One of the reasons they wanted my brothers and me in scouting was so that we would learn that we are personally responsible for the community we live in.

 

Well we live in lots of different communities, and one of them is scouting. While we may not live in a perfect community we live in the community that we helped create. Unless we work to make it better we will only have what we've got. You cannot throw up your hands and say that it's a nice though but there is nothing I can do. There is lots that can be done. It starts with the commitment to make yourself better, and then to make your scout unit better. Once you have decided that it's time to separate the wheat from the chaff.

 

(This message has been edited by Bob White)

[Cubmaster Jerry]

Right on the money, Bob. And I think that is why the majority of us are in scouting, to make a difference (vs. say self glorification).

[Eamonn]

Oh Boy!!

In the thread that came off this one, I advocated that if a unit wasn't a Scouting unit, the best thing to do was jump ship. While I still think this might be the best thing to do, maybe I was a little unclear and maybe a little hasty.

I do strongly believe that we as individuals set the example and set the tone. We do lead by example, no matter what the situation might be. I also believe that there are times when things or units are so far out of whack that the best thing to do is distance yourself from them.

However, things can and do change.

(Hang on here comes the milk crate!!)

The Troop that OJ belongs to does not send Scouts to JLTC (I know it has a new name.) Still OJ was asked to be a Staffer, in fact he staffed the old JLTC course twice. He was too busy this year to staff the new course.

He staffed one year and then became the SPL of the Troop. While SPL he took some of what he had learned at JLTC and helped change things in the Troop. If a 15 or 16 year old Scout can enable change and make things better, I can't help thinking that adults ought to have a far better chance.

 

God grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change,

Courage to change the things I can, and Wisdom to know the difference.

Thy will, not mine be done.

 

Eamonn.