Weekly Meetings, success or failure?

[Beavah]

It was lack of leadership and disorganized and BORING meetings.

 

Yah, thus endeth another young scout's career, eh?

 

I've been doing this scoutin' stuff for several decades now. Not once have I ever heard a scout say that he's there for the meetings; most of the times scouts from Eagle on down say that meetings are at best "tolerable" or "necessary evils." Plannin' and runnin' a tight, highly organized meeting for multiple ages is a task that can exceed the skills of youth and many adults.

 

Does anyone out there have consistent meeting success, such that their boys will tell a BOR that "the meetings are great, it's one of the big reasons I'm here?" If so, what are you doing? Even the great troops around here are spotty at best meeting wise.

 

And, if our record is such that 95% of da troops out there aren't very successful at weekly meetings, why in tarnation don't we just subject parlor meetings to a G2SS laser-tag ban? "Boring any scout by making him attend a weekly indoor meeting is an unauthorized activity."

 

[BrentAllen]

Beavah,

We don't do boring.

 

http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=1AcMm7hu4ZsXJw

 

Granted, these photos are from a monthly Pack meeting, and not from a weekly Troop meeting, but I don't think our Den meetings are too boring, either.

Program was presented by Steve "The SnakeMaster" Scruggs.

http://www.letsgetwild.net/

 

Aren't Boy Scout meetings planned and lead by the boys?

[oldsm]

Troop meetings are mostly planned by the boys. But we can't forget the adult guidance. (Adult interaction is one of the methods, I believe?)

 

True, the boys mostly like the outdoors stuff: camping, hiking, and so forth. BUT they need the weekly meetings in order to plan those outings, begin learning new skills that they will be called upon to use on those outings, etc. As adults, we need to help them see the importance of those weekly meetings.

 

Now, if we just sit back and let the boys plan everything by themselves, they'll more than likely wind up having an opening, maybe a closing, and fill the space in between with capture the flag, general mischief, and other forms of pure play. It's the nature of young teens.

 

We can also provide our adult guidance to help the boy leaders learn how to make instructional/administrative/routine meetings interesting so that the boys become engaged and involved and don't see the meetings as boring, necessary evils. And help them see how the weekly meetings have a direct impact on how much fun they have on the outings.

 

It's all in how you approach it...Boy led: yes. Adult guided: yes.

[GernBlansten]

Number one complaint at BORs from our scouts is boring meetings. Boys plan our meetings, boys schedule our meetings, boys hold our meetings. Adults (SM, ASMs) just make sure they are appropriate. When we hear the complaints, we ask the boys what they would like instead. They have no solutions or recommendations. Perhaps its just a learning experience for them. Hold boring meetings, learn to spice them up. Still waiting for the spice.

[BrentAllen]

Gern,

Do you or any of your leaders go to Roundtable? What about the Council's Scouters Academy (or whatever the name may be)? I get great ideas at ours. If you attend, but aren't getting good ideas, attend one in another District. Find a successful Troop and copy their plan.

 

 

[Beavah]

They have no solutions or recommendations. Perhaps its just a learning experience for them. Hold boring meetings, learn to spice them up. Still waiting for the spice.

 

Yah, I think you have to throw in some adult association here, eh? Can't imagine how boys are goin' to magically come up with something without actually seein' and experiencin' a better way.

 

An approach I see too often in Scoutin' is watchin' kids make bad food, complain about the food being bad, waiting for it to improve with no success because it's "boy led." Poppycock! Somebody has to teach them how to cook, which takes a lot of time and effort. Often, the adults who hang back and leave it all to "boy led" are adults who aren't very comfortable with their own skills. It's easier to tell the boys to do it than to step up and help them do it.

 

Same goes for meetings, eh?

 

Da problem is that relatively few adults have the skills to run a tight, age-appropriate, fun-and-learning meeting themselves. My guess is that one out of 8 packs really gets it down, so yeh gotta figure that only 1 out of 8 adults can do it themselves. Makes it rough for the kids.

 

Which is why I wonder if we're better off without a meeting-a-week expectation, eh? Maybe it's best to have meetings only when absolutely necessary to get ready for an adventure.

 

 

[Venividi]

It kinda sorta somewhat depends. One can seed the Jr Leaders with ideas, teach them how to create and follow an agenda, call them to check on their plans, and still end with the Jr Leaders coming to meetings without having put in effort to create an agenda or be prepared for the meeting. I have seen and experienced success with many jr leaders, but have seen and experienced others that despite all support, still came to meetings unprepared. The most noteable was a SPL that had no interest in the postion, but ran for office only because his parents wanted him to run.

 

 

[OldGreyEagle]

The adult association thing (common to both Venturing and Boy Scouts)is always a tight rope, too much "association" and the troop can be adult lead then again its a bit much to expect the newly elected SPL to maintain control over the whole troop. It can be done, but I am not sure the "average" scout can do it. So, the adults in the troop work to be sure the boys know how to lead and that is the "art" of scoutmastering. All of this assumes of course (I know I know) that the boys want the troop to be boy lead and want to lead. If you have an SPL who doesnt want to do it, you can try a few times to explain how its done. We can set expectations and then if they are not met or no effort is shown, the SPL can be "fired" and some one who wants the job installed. Its the last resort of course, and should happen only if its the last option, but it should be available.

 

Meetings "have" to be planned by the PLC with the thought, is this a meeting I would want to come to?

 

[GernBlansten]

I have contacted other troops, especially those with "successful" programs. Those with entertaining meetings are pretty much adult lead troops. Adults plan the meetings, set the program, arrange the speakers, but let the boys run it. That in my mind is adult lead.

I've also noticed that the PLC likes it when the adults do all the heavy work. This year, we have sat back, only asking leading questions, letting (making) them fill in the cracks. They don't like that so much. Too much work.

I agree with OGE, its a tight rope. Too much adult and you become a pack. Too little adult and you have anarchy. We are still wavering wildly trying to find our equilibrium.

[BrentAllen]

If you know what programs (speakers, presentations, etc...) the other Troops are using, then get a list of them and their contact info and give it to the PLC. Let them take it from there. In your earlier post, it sounded like the boys couldn't come up with the ideas. I don't think providing ideas to the PLC for Troop meetings is being adult lead. Is this a creativity problem or a planning problem?

Attend Roundtable. It is a huge resource many Scouters just don't take advantage of. I have trouble getting my leaders to attend - busy schedules and everything. I have always taken home great information from Roundtable to help run our unit and keep the program fun and exciting. Many times you will run into leaders who were facing the same problem you are now, and they can offer hard-earned advice.

[GernBlansten]

Brent, sounds like you have the meeting secret cracked. Would you be so kind as to post next months agenda? I'd just like to see what a great meeting schedule looks like.

 

BTW, at our roundtable, the troops who proclaim great meetings are really adult lead meetings. The rest of us who are really trying to be boy lead pretty much have the same issues, boring meetings.

[mtm25653]

Boy-led program does not mean that only boys present the program at every meeting.

 

Our PLC plans program topics and trips for every month. Some programs the boys run (new scout stuff first month after crossover, shakedowns for backpacking, prep for events at camporees, program for campout with Webelos), but often the PLC asks an adult to put on the program. Some regular ideas in our troop:

-Town attorney talks about Law - visit to the jail (the boys love this), and mock trial in the county courtroom (takes 3 meetings)- every 2-3 years

-Glass blowing demo (boys actually get to blow glass) every 2-3 years

-Visit to a local potter every 2-3 years

-Bike clinic (before bike trips) - everyone brings in their bikes, adults who are knowledgeable help boys inspect and repair bikes plus review of bike trip safety(usually have a big bike trip every year)

-Every few months - fun night - go bowling or to the golf driving range or rollerskating (bowling and rollerskating are 30 min+ from our meeting place - boys don't usually do these activities)

-Living history demos from various time periods

-Talk from a man who was a scout in Ireland during WWII

-Ski safety/intro (every Jan we have a ski trip)

-Intros to various merit badges

-Rock climbing practice (we usually rock climb at least once a year)

Usually one meeting a month is concentrated on trip prep.

 

We don't do a lot of interpatrol games, but there is an ongoing patrol competition - points for attendance, uniforms, quality of meals at campouts, advancements. The winning patrol gets a patrol or individual prizes at the Sept COH - this year all 3 patrols were within 5 points - all got patrol cooking equipment (winning patrol got more). Previous awards have been sleeping bag liners, compasses, dutch ovens. The boys like the competition.

[ogghall]

I am looking too for more specific examples on what actually can go on during troop meetings to make them interesting and successful. We are a small troop usually around 7 to 9 scouts. (Currently oldest are 9th graders.) I would have to say we do not have a very strong leadership history for various reasons. Some years with few or no crossovers from Webelos, military area where families move, etc. (I would prefer to keep discussion on troop activities though.) We have had 2 scouts go through the new NYLT training. SPL and others are motivated. But I am looking for specific examples much like BEAVAH.

 

I agree that scout led means that it isn't let all up to the boys to take care of everything. Adults need to provide the examples, training and coaching for the scouts to become better leaders and take on the leadership roles. But I would like to hear the specifics of a successful meeting agenda.

[Eamonn]

"Talk from a man who was a scout in Ireland during WWII "

OK, I'll bite!!

Why?

Ireland didn't participate in the war.

However,the number of citizens of the Republic who came to the UK to sign up was so great that the UK never was forced to resort to a politically-unpopular program of conscription in Ulster. c.40,000 Irish citizens joined the British armed forces, which for context was about the same number as the strength of the Republic's army.

The Republic acted as a "benevolent neutral"; it fulfilled the strict criteria of neutrality while making its broad interests clear and tacitly supporting one side over the other - it sent fire crews to Belfast during bombing raids, turned a blind eye to Allied ships and aircraft passing through, had a habit of accidentally losing track of interned Allied soldiers... you get the idea. Essentially the same as Spain did, for the other side.I forgot to note one other detail - the IRA was heavily cracked down on by the Republic's government, and was essentially dormant until the late 1940s - a few shootings in Ulster, but nothing remarkable by their standards. (Contemporary UK sources often express a rather touching gratitude at this, apparently under the impression that the IRA had voluntarily taken a few years off, which probably says something about news reporting in wartime)

Do you mean a man who was a Scout in Northern Ireland?

Eamonn.

[mtm25653]

"Ireland didn't participate in the war."

 

Yes, I know. The man said that - but I don't remember exactly the years he was a scout, and he mentioned food rationing during the war, so it was easier for me to say "during WWII" as opposed to the more correct "during years that much of the rest of the world was fighting WWII".

 

The boys were fascinated by what he had to say - I would think anyone who was a scout in a different country or long ago would be of interest to the boys.