Lack of Commitment

[KenBisbee]

We are really blessed to be in a troop with 10 ASMs and a lot of supportive parents. Even when boys turn 18, some of them and their parents choose to remain active. When one ASM was asked why he still did scouting although his boy was over 18, he told the questioner, "People my age don't like to go backpacking and hiking, if I work with the boys, they'll let me go with them on weekends."

 

Our troop has sign up sheets for every outing. There is a due date on them. They used to be mailed to us monthly but are now sent via email. If you don't receive one, there are copies at the meetings. Each one states the dates and times to leave and return, how food is being handled, fees, and whom to contact if you have any questions. My son had to pay a $5 late fee the first time his paperwork was late. He's been much better about making sure it is ready to go since then.

 

We also have parent meetings monthly while the scouts are meeting. Each agenda includes what has happened in the last month, how it went, parent reactions, what will be coming up in the immediate future, and plans that are still a ways out. A printed agenda/report makes it easy to remember what is happening and when. The SM can come in if he needs to speak to us, and it is a convenient way to address as many parents as possible at one time.

 

This troop has been around for 18 years -- the SM is the only one the troop has had -- so they have had an opportunity to see what works best for them. The communication in the troop is excellent. Our family can plan around our son's scout commitments several months in advance.

 

Hope this is of some help.

 

[Lisabob]

What I've noticed is that the commitment issue works both ways sometimes. In units where the leaders (whether we're talking youth or adult, or both) don't have their act together, the parents tend to be unwilling to commit to activities because they never really know whether the activities will take place as promised, or get canceled at the last minute. Which results in leaders who get frustrated and plan half-heartedly because they don't know who is really going to show up, if anybody, which in turn leads to parents who aren't really sure the activities will take place as announced, and back and forth we go.

 

CNY I don't know if the above describes the units your sons are/have been in. Maybe not. But it also might be something to consider - what, other than laziness and plain old disregard for others, is keeping people from making the commitment you seek? And keep in mind that while all of us here are really into this "scouting thing," there are also a lot of parents out there who enroll their kids in the program but who really aren't that deep into it themselves and/or don't quite understand what we do or how we do it. Those folks, I find, need a gentle education (as opposed to a brow beating or guilt trip) and sometimes they get on board there after. Of course sometimes they never do, either.

[Eamonn]

"It now can take up to two weeks because our council now verifies the drivers license and insurance information."

Please don't tell anyone but Councils do not have any way of verifying this.

They rely on the person who signed the application.

As we all know there are times when things change at the last minute, drivers change, different vehicles are used.

Running a co-ed program does mean that we do need to ensure we have the right leadership.

In our area there is so little offered to girls that Moms are overjoyed to see that at long last someone is doing something for the girls in the area, while most don't know anything about Scouting they seem happy to sign up as Committee members and tag along to make sure the rules are met.

One sure way to get their attention is to let them know that unless a female does go along, no girls will be able to go!!

Starting a new unit is never easy.

Starting a unit for this age group seems to be harder than a pack or a troop.

You only have to look at the attendance at school open houses to see that in grade school the parents are lined up, by middle school the lines are a lot shorter and by senior high you can go in and talk to the teacher for an hour or so!!

Still the main reason why people don't volunteer is that we don't ask.

Asking works best when it'd done face to face.

I'm good at throwing letters away.

Deleting E-mails and taking no notice of web sites, but when someone plonks his backside in my recliner and has an adult beverage that I paid for in his hand and makes a request saying no is a lot harder.

Add the fact that I want my chair back!!

When the Scouts see that you are going all out to make this work, they will use you as the example for their commitment. Up till now going out for a sail has held their attention, but the winter is coming and they are looking to you for leadership.

Eamonn.

[campcrafter]

Ken can you send me an sample copy of one of your sign up forms.

 

campcrafter@yahoo.com

 

thanks,

cc