Just who is in charge of the troop

[Kellyr]

I was just wondering something? Who is in charge of the troop? The Scoutmaster, the committe chairman, the SPL?.

We have a new committe chair the is wanting to change a lot of things within the troop that has been working great for the last few years (that I know of).

 

Any info would be great.

 

Thanks

Kelly

[Greying Beaver]

Well, . . . an organizational chart would show the TCC at the top, followed by the liason between the TC and troop, the SM. The SPL is in charge of the troop's metings, activities, and campouts. The CO holds the charter for the troop from the Council meaning that they "own" the troop's physical assets and can express its wishes for certain things do be done by the troop.

 

For Example, a troop sponsored by a church could see COR telling the TC that the CO would like to see a class for the religious award started. That's fine. The pastor telling the boys that when a boy asks him/her

for the Eagle letter of recomendation that he/ she will write a more enthusiastic(sic?) letter for a boy that has completed his religious award could be looked upon as tampering with the rank requirements. I said "could". That's not fine.

 

TC's recommendations should be voted on by the TC, with a majority vote needed to have the SM take the "request" to the troop through the SPL. "TCC" does not spell " Dictator" (benevolent or otherwise), "Monarch", or any other type of "My way or the highway"-type of government. MAJORITY VOTE TO IMPLEMENT! Stand your ground on this.

 

Try this: If the TC wants to make changes without the approval of the TC, call your District Commissioner. If your troop does not have a Unit Commissioner, explain the situation to the DC and ask for one toot-suite.

 

Good Luck!

 

[EagleInKY]

That's not an easy question, as worded. We need to know specificially what area of the troop you are talking about.

 

For example, if you are asking "who decides what types of activities the troop is going to do, plans those activities and carries them out?", my answer would be "the PLC". The boys run the troop, so they are "in charge" of carrying out the activities.

 

The Scoutmaster is responsible for the troop program. His main responsibility is to guide/assist the SPL in carrying out his responsibilities mentioned in the previous paragraph.

 

The Committee provides the "ways and means" behind running the troop program. The PLC comes up with a plan, the SM helps them put it all together, and then the committee is asked to enable that to happen. That means providing the necessary resources (money, equipment, people, etc.) to make it happen.

 

The Charter Organization has the final say in things. But generally, most stay out of the way as long as you are not taking aware from their vision, program or reputation.

 

Some people have asked me to compare it to a business, how would the org chart look? If this were a retail company for example, the SPL would be a store manager and the PLC his supervisors on the floor. The Scoutmaster would be the COO, making sure operations was meeting its goals and giving them guidance. The Troop Committee would be the administrative arm of the company (G&A), making sure the bills got paid, the law is followed, and other administrative stuff. The CO is like the Board of Directors, who have an interest in the success of the program, but don't dictate policy down to the store.

 

I strongly encourage the troop committee take their training module, which contains an activity called the "Troop Committee Challenge". It's a real eye-opener for a committee that doesn't understand their role. I encourage you to do it as a group, so you get the maximum impact.

 

Also, one disagreement with Beaver, I do not read anywhere that it says the committee is a majority vote. In contrast, I was trained that the Troop Committee Chairman has the ultimate call. Although, most would always go with the majority.(This message has been edited by EagleInKY)

[Kellyr]

Thank you.

 

I will pass this info on to those others that are concerned.

 

Thanks

Kelly

[FScouter]

You didn't say what it is the committee chair wants to change. One of the responsibilities of the CC is to interpret BSA policies. If the SM and SPL are off on the wrong track, the CC should be helping them get back. I'd recommend both the SM and the committee read the Troop Committee Guidebook.

[Eagledad]

>>I'd recommend both the SM and the committee read the Troop Committee Guidebook.

[Kellyr]

Fscouter

 

For the past few years we have getting back into more of the boy lead troop. The patrols are back to making the own menus and cooking thier own food for the campouts and are wanting to take more of the patrol campouts as well as the troop campouts. The CC would like to go back to the troop (SM and ASM) making the menu and assigning patrols do to the cooking because she feels that it is just taking to long for them to get the cooking and cleaning done at the camp outs and aslo feel that they would not be well supervised when going on patrol campouts. I have told them that if any patrol wants to go on a campout that I would be willing to go with them to helpout as well as quite a few of the parents have said the same thing.

 

We as a troop have worked had and long in trying to get back to this way of doing things and most of the boys are taking to it very well.

 

She had taken it upon herself to reject some of the merit bage work that the boys put into the yearly planner to help out the new scouts because 'half of the boys already have that badge (first aid). They should be able to get that one on their own."

I understand that some of the boys have that badge, but the fact that they are willing to help out the younger scouts to get theirs, I believe is a very good idea.

 

There are many other items I can go into but will not because I would be here all day.

 

Thanks

 

Kelly

[gwd-scouter]

Kellyr,

I am really in no position to offer anyone advice, being a new SM and learning so much myself. But, I can say that our Troop too is working toward getting back to boy-led rather than adult-led. Our Scouts plan their menus, select one Scout to buy the food on the menu list, and prepare, cook and cleanup - all by themselves.

 

To make it even more challenging for them, this year our adults have decided that rather than prepare a separate menu from the boys (like almost all the other troops in our District do), we eat whatever the boys make. This has resulted in a few disasters along the way (no food for some once in a while), but it helps us as leaders monitor their progress, show them a new skill if needed, and encourages them to prepare something other than hotdogs and poptarts.

 

 

[Eamonn]

While at times there has to be a place where the buck stops.

I think that if we all follow the Scout Law we can move toward delivering the program with not a lot of problems.

When problems do pop up as they will, we need to take a long hard look at the reason.

Sure, having the adults do the menus would make things move faster, having the adults do the cooking and clean up would get it done lickaty-split. But who learns anything? What are we taking away from the Scouts?

If we see that something isn't working we need to go back and go over it again. Look for the cause of the problem -I will bet that the problem isn't the menu!! I bet when you look you will find that the problem is leadership.

Eamonn.

 

[nldscout]

Kelly,

I will throw my 2 cents worth in here as a Past SM.

 

When she talks about menu planning and cooking she as CC has NO say in this area. This is clearly a SM's choice as this is part of the program. If the SM wants it she needs to learn to butt out.

 

What did the SM say when she rejected the Merit Badge work? I hope he spoke up and told her to drop it cbecause again we are into program planning.

 

The PLC with advice of the SM plans and executes the program. The committee's function is to support the program with required resources. The only time the TC get involved if the planned program is unsupportable.

 

Sounds like she needs to attend Troop Committee Challange training.

 

 

[Kellyr]

"What did the SM say when she rejected the Merit Badge work? I hope he spoke up and told her to drop it cbecause again we are into program planning"

 

 

As far as I know she is getting her way with this one.

 

 

 

"Sounds like she needs to attend Troop Committee Challange training."

 

I know that this is being offered next month at our District training weekend. But I have heard that she was not going to attend. I am hoping to change her mind on this.

 

[SemperParatus]

If this CC (i) is unwilling to get the basic training she needs to understand her role in the function of the troop, (ii) continues to usurp the program authority of the scoutmaster, and/or (iii) continues to overrule the decisions of the PLC, then your CO has an obligation to the troop to recruit a new CC that can support the BSA program. Sounds like your CC is on a bit of a power trip and needs to be reigned in by the COR.

[FScouter]

Echoing Eamonn on the lickity-split idea. There are 101 things we adults could do to make troop operations simpler, faster, and more efficient. But efficiency in itself is not a Scouting objective, unless it means the boys have learned to operate efficiently.

 

I remember as a young father when my son wanted to help pound nails in something I was building. He bent lots of nails, missed a lot, dinged up the wood, and was incredibly slow. The little guy was trying very hard with not a lot of success. I could have grabbed away the hammer and got the job done the right way in a tenth of the time. But what would he LEARN?

 

Scouting is a time for boys to LEARN to do things ON THEIR OWN. Some famous guy said something like Never do anything a boy can do.

[pargolf44067]

Being a new SM, I can certainly understand, if the SM is new, some hesitancy if they weren't properly trained. That being said, if the SM is trained, then the SM is as much at fault as the CC and needs to stand up for the boys. Is there anyone else in the troop that agrees with you or is she just bullying her way around with the other leaders.

 

If the boys feel the need to work on a particular topic (e.g, first aid) troop committee only has to be notified of the plans being made and can SUGGEST changes. Ultimately it is up to the boys to decide if they want to accept these changes. If the SM can't stand up to the CC then maybe it is time to get a new SM as well as a new CC.

[Venividi]

 

>She had taken it upon herself to reject some of the merit bage work that the boys put into the yearly planner to help out the new scouts because 'half of the boys already have that badge (first aid).

 

Ask her why she does not think first aid is worth being reviewed each year by all scouts. I am a MB counsellor for first aid, and personally, I would not be enthused about needing to receive first aid from a scout that had not had a refresher within the past year.