Suddenly, folks are looking at our troop

[gwd-scouter]

What an amazing week this has been.

 

I've had the wonderful surpise of being greated with a few PMs from one of our forum bretheren with kind words and encouragement for what is going on in our troop. Another forum member has PMd me a few times asking about the difficulties we've had with our troop, since since he is having similar woes.

 

Then, a call from an old friend. He was the den leader for my younger son from Tigers through Webelos, while I was the Cubmaster. He, his two sons, and all the boys in the den joined the troop with the same CO as our pack, while son and I went on to the troop for which I am now SM. After 2 1/2 years, he and his boys are now looking to make a change and is coming to visit our Troop on Monday.

 

Then, an email arrived from a lady who was a Tiger Den Leader during my last year as CM. Her son is going to crossover in February and she heard I had a troop and is coming to visit on Monday.

 

Then, another email from the CM that took over when I stepped down. Seems he's not happy with the troop he and his older son are in (same troop mentioned above), younger son will crossover from Webelos in February, and they are coming to visit our troop on Monday.

 

The two with 2nd year Webelos also noticed from our website that our troop has a campout coming up in December and asked if it would be possible for their sons to join us. They both also asked if it would be OK to mention it to the other boys/parents in their dens.

 

Amazing week!

 

Sorry if this comes across as a boast. I just wanted to share this wonderful news.

 

 

[Beavah]

Yah, gwd, I like the news. Congratulations to your boys.

 

Now, while you're looking at all the interest, is a good time to think about "how big do we want this troop to be?" What makes it "special?" What do we care about?

 

Size necessarily changes troop operations, particularly when yeh go from 12 to 30, and again when you go from 40 to 60. Each step makes the SM and the SPL less personal examples/mentors and more "upper management." Just like the Peter Principle, a lotta troops rise to the level of their incompetence - they add members until they're no longer doing a good job and start losing kids.

 

Think ahead of time how big you want to be, and how big you can be without sacrificin' quality or sanity. Take steps in advance of that to limit recruiting, to help start other troops, etc.

 

 

[orennoah]

Must be something in the air.

 

Just after I finally updated the Troop website last week, I get a call from a dad with three, count 'em - three! - sons who are interested in our Troop. They show up at the meeting and the Scouts like them and they like us. Next meeting, they'll most likely be all signed up.

 

Congrats!

[gwd-scouter]

Beavah, I have often thought about the size of our troop and "how big do we want to be." My answer, so far, has always been - at least big enough to have real patrols.

 

Right now, we have one patrol. We have 12 scouts and have tried to make two patrols, but this always falls apart. The boys decided on the patrol make-up themselves. Younger guys aligning together, older guys together. The result has always been when a campout comes up, older guys rarely go leaving us again with one patrol.

 

So, this is something we continue to struggle with and work on. The first thing I thought of when I was contacted by the folks wanting to change troops was that we could finally work toward implementing the patrol method as it is meant to be.

 

We have two very large troops in our District, along with the handful of small troops like ours. The one thing I have noticed in the large troops is that the adult leadership seems very disconnected from the Scouts. I really enjoy the fact that because we are small, I can get to know each Scout individually. This helps, too, in that I've found that since no two boys are alike, the methods I use to motivitate and encourage them are different. What I say to one Scout to motivate him, may fall on deaf ears to another. Also, what works when a boy is eleven, may not work when that boy is sixteen.

 

In my post I mentioned that we have a few Webelos and their parents coming to visit, too. They looked at our website and liked all the plans on our calendar for the next year. I talked to our SPL about these folks coming on Monday and mentioned their interest in our activities (that same SPL that said "if we plan it, we can do it" posted in another thread). Should have seen him beam and puff out his chest with pride.

 

[OneHour]

gwd-scouter, please boast away! There is nothing wrong with being proud of the program that you have and continue to deliver! As I have mentioned before, this beats the heck out of listening to how scouting is about to become defunct!

 

We hosted webelos from 2 different packs this past weekend. After talking to the some the parents, I felt great! We are doing something right! Gas to campout costs $25. Campout costs $15. Dinner during trip to campout $5. After asking the parents attending why they chose to visit our troop, a couple of dads said, "we heard that you are the best troop around! ... priceless!

 

So please feel proud of your accomplishment!

 

Congrats.

 

1Hour

[Beavah]

Yah, good then gwd. You know where you're goin', and you're small enough now that some steady growth will do you good as long as you don't get 20 webelos arrivin' on your doorstep all at once.

 

Keep my thought at the back of your mind for 2-3 years down the road or so.

 

And keep doin' fun things with da kids, eh?

[gwd-scouter]

Update on recent visits:

 

Father with two sons looking to change troops came on Monday. As we were sitting upstairs talking about the troop, he heard his boys laughing downstairs. He said he hadn't heard his boys laugh at a scout meeting in a very long time. Good sign.

 

Then as he was leaving, he said he got a call from the SM of his current troop. Seems SM heard about Dad considering changing troops and called an emergency meeting of all the ASMs to talk about what is going on in their troop. Interesting.

 

Hey Beavah - what's that you said about 20 Webelos knocking on our door? Yesterday I got an email from the Den Leader I mentioned earlier. She had talked to her assistant (the Mom that brought her Webelos son to our meeting) and she wants to bring her entire den of Webelos (10 of them) to a couple of our meetings and our December campout.

 

I don't know how all this will turn out. The best I can hope for is that when those boys come to visit they will go away with a good feeling about our troop and decide to join. I know, of course, that they will be visiting other troops and may decide differently.

[gwd-scouter]

With the recent postings about the ultimate demise of the BSA, I thought I'd update this thread with some good news. It does not have any impact nationally, but then I'm more concerned about what goes on closer to home.

 

This past Monday saw 100% attendance at our Scout meeting. For the past year I've noticed attendance increasing, with usually about 75% week after week. The boys are engaged in their meetings, they are making the plans and running the show. Sure, it's messy some times, but it is wonderful to sit and watch them take charge.

 

Had sign ups for the upcoming camping trip. Twelve Scouts in our Troop: 8 signed up immediately, 2 signed up but weren't sure - just notified me that they are going, 2 can't go due to other commitments. Amazing, we haven't had a turnout like this since the White Water Rafting trip last August.

 

The most amazing thing was our two High School Seniors, both stalled Life Scouts that have decided that THIS is the year to get busy working toward Eagle. Both have only attended one outing each this past year. Both came up to me and very excitedly said they are going on the campout. One of them, a very very busy lad, said he'd just work to change his other plans so he could go on the campout. The other Scout is the guy that always has something "better" come up and won't commit to an outing. I can't say for sure, but the look on his face when he told me he was going on the campout was as if he was very pleased with himself because, by going, he was pleasing me. (He and I have had many SM Conferences this past year, all in an effort to light a spark under him and get him excited about being a Boy Scout again - I think it's working).

 

Finally, I just got confirmation that the Webelos Scouts mentioned earlier in this thread are coming on the campout with their parents. They will not be staying over night, just coming for the Saturday activities and leaving after dinner. What surprises me the most about this is that the campsite is almost two hours away from where we live and these folks are all going to drive up Saturday morning and home that evening.

 

Yes, I sure am proud of "my" boys.

 

(This message has been edited by gwd-scouter)(This message has been edited by gwd-scouter)

[gwd-scouter]

Well, all my hopefull thoughts and premature exhuberance seems to be dashed. Yeah, I tend to be a bit too optimistic.

 

Update on our troop.

 

Yep, the Webelos came. Not too many on the campout. Almost a whole den full last week. They came during the meeting when out Scouts had planned to make alcohol stoves. Much fun by all.

 

Now, here's the But... I took the parents out to another room so that I could talk to them separately and answer their questions about our troop. I got the feeling that most of them had already make up their minds about what troop they are going to - and it isn't ours.

 

Two of the moms did say after the meeting that they liked the fact that they felt welcomed in our troop and weren't told outright that they couldn't go on any campouts (all our other troops in the District have strict prohibitions against women on campouts). One of the women is very interested in continuing on in an ASM role in Boy Scouts but, as she said, ours is the only troop where she sees that possibility, but her son wants to go where a couple of his friends are going.

 

I am so frustrated now. I can't help feeling that no matter what we do, no matter how much we show that we are doing it the best way we can as the BSA way, no matter how much our boys have grown and how well they are doing in running "their" program, we will just never be able to compete with the other troops in our District. Meaning, the big troops that "must be good because they have so many boys" or "must be good because everyone advances so quickly."

 

We presented our honest face to those that visited. I guess we will continue to do that and our efforts to recruit word of mouth and one scout at a time.

 

I will spin off another thread eventually about...just when do you decide that it's time to thrown in the towel.

 

I have been priveledged to be the Scoutmaster of this troop for the past two years. I don't want to see this troop fold but without any new recruitment we will be down to 8 scouts by the end of the school year - all but two under 1st class.

 

All you wise folks out there...is there reason to continue to strive to keep this troop together?

[local1400]

YES-you have eight of them! Hang in there because these Webelos who are shopping for a troop may find that in the larger troops they may feel sorta left out maybe, or something, and remember your troop and what you did with them. It's not the quantity but quality of your unit. And invite that woman to join you anyway as an ASM. She may take you up on the offer, then her boy may follow, then others. Never give up gwd, never. Good luck and keep us posted.

[sst3rd]

gwd-scouter,

 

I agree with local1400. Push ahead knowing that you have something special with your Troop. My Troop has to work for every Scout we get, friend, transfer, or graduate. We never get the "graduating" class I keep hearing about. Our associated Pack is weak, and the Troop supplies Den Chiefs and invitations to our activities. Our Pack is inconsistant, and all I hear is (as Scoutmaster), the adult leaders can't wait until their Scouts quit, or move up to our Troop.

I'd rather you take your quality program and grow one Scout at a time. Your excellent reputation will continue to grow, so be ready. You only have one chance to make that first impression.

 

We're proud of your efforts. Don't stop now.

 

sst3rd