Troop Committee

[Lisabob]

Glad to have you here, fox. From your descriptions it sounds ike your group is stuck in that "storming" stage. Getting beyond that can be tough sometimes, particularly if everyone in the group isn't committed to the same vision of where you (the troop) are headed. Take a minute though and look at your own role in this too. Are you trying to lead by decree? Do you need to take a step back and let the committee function? Do committee members have reason to feel (whether right or wrong) that your attitude is more of a "I built this troop and it is mine!" than "I helped get this troop turned around and now we need to work together to move it forward"?

 

Having helped resuscitate a pack myself, (yeah, I know, not quite the same dynamic as a troop but also not that different) I know that there were times in the rebuilding process when it was really hard for me to step back and let other people - who I myself had recruited - do things in ways that I would not have. Sometimes I had to really bite my tongue. Hard. Occasionally I wasn't quick enough to bite down and ended up irritating/alienating people who I actually needed on my side, in the bigger picture. Luckily I had a couple of mentors who were happy to remind me when I needed it, that it isn't/wasn't "my" pack. And to think otherwise was going to be counter-productive for everybody in the long run.

 

Do you have a mentor (maybe from your WB days, maybe your UC, maybe just a friend) who can observe, offer suggestions for bringing around those committee members to a shared vision, and help you correct course when needed? Lots of people here will be happy to offer input but of course we can't see you and your troop committee in action.

 

Lisa'bob

 

[donert]

Dear Scouters,

Thank you for all your help and suggestions. A good Troop Committee is not formed overnight, it will have it's ups and downs.

Our Committee Chair was at out Rountable last night an had a real eye opener about the people that work behind the scences. I will try to get someone involved in the TC that has Troop experience but is not tied to the Troop with a Scout. Again, Thank You.

[Chippewa29]

If you have a vision of where you would like the troop to go, I have two suggestions. First of all write it down. This will help you make sure you have a clear idea of where you want the troop to be in a few years. I've had a vision in my head for years, but now that I'm writing it down, it is becoming much more clear and forcing me to really evaluate my vision.

 

Second thing you need to do is communicate your vision. If you and the troop committee have a disagreement on the direction of the troop, maybe it is because they have a different vision for the troop than you do. Better yet, work on that vision with the committee. If they can see that your goals are the same as theirs, they may be more willing to line up behind your methods.