Alternate JLT/TLT

[Beavah]

Another example is JLT. Ive already pointed out that scouting has survived because it was designed around dreamers and adventures. Can someone please tell of a boy who dreams of sitting classes listening to adults talk about leadership? It is boring and it was never really intended to be the primary form of leadership development.

 

Yah, I have to agree with this, eh? Kudu in his more sensible moments talks about this, too.

 

So what more active and exciting ways of helpin' junior leaders learn have yeh done or tried in your units? Yah, most of leader trainin' is watchin' and helping older boys, eh? But there's often a need to "goose" the learnin' of new or returning leaders a little bit, or at least help 'em work together as a team. How have you used BSA materials or other stuff to help your junior leaders?

 

Please, no quotin', no criticizin', just honest sharing of what has (or hasn't) worked for you.

(This message has been edited by Beavah)

[Eagledad]

Hi All

 

Well since that is my quote, I would like to contribute; our troop uses the Patrol Leaders handbook (PLHB) and the Senior Patrol Leaders handbook (SPLHB). The SPL and ASPL will from time to time review those handbooks and see where the troop and patrols are not functioning well and develop some training in those specific areas. Its kind of a work as you need thing, when some part of the program seems to be struggling, then a JLT is provided to work through the problems.

 

This is exactly what I taught when I was the Council Junior Leadership Chairman. Dont get in the habit of doing JLTs just because it is something to do, give them only when they are needed to attack a common problem in the troop and to get scouts up to speed in new responsibilities. That way JLTs will maintain integrity as a tool. When you look at JLTs like that, you will find that not only are the scouts more willing to participate, they are looking to participate. Look at it this way, if your program is functioning as designed, a scout feel annoyance when he is failing of struggling performing his duties. Boys dont like annoyance, so they seek out ways to relieve that annoyance. If they start experiencing that JLT usually takes away their annoyance and makes the program fun again, they will start wanting a JLT, even asking for a JLT.

 

I like the PLHB and SPLHB because they are simple to the point references of how to run a troop using the Patrol Method. I think these references are so good that I ask Scout Leaders and Scoutmaster to use them for along with the SM Handbook or even instead of the SMHB. 90% of Scoutmasters have never read the full SMHB. In our troop all the youth leaders have the manuals so that if they do have to discuss an aspect of the program with an adult, the scout and the adult can learn from the same resource and get on the same track. I believe the PLHB and SPLHB are all that a troop really needs to get up to speed as a full functioning troop.

 

Barry

 

[kb6jra]

We take a multi-tiered approach.

 

We have elections every 6 months and ask that those who have just finished serving take some time off and let others take the reigns. We cycle through the kids on a pretty regular basis.

 

The new leaders are given copies of the PL handbook and SPL handbook. They're given an overview by the ASM Patrol advisors and the SM in the case of the SPL.

 

We hold a JLT once a year for everyone in the troop. Leadership is a cooperative effort and we encourage everyone to demonstrate it and participate in it always.

 

We send all eligable boys to NYLT in our council, which is a week long course. They come back with a ticket and pumped up about finishing it...Sound familiar?

 

We have so many outings and activities that our Senior leadership are not always able to attend, and sometimes don't need to attend. The SM will appoint a boy as acting SPL for the event so that he can show his stuff. This little snippet is quite an insight into the future of younger boy's leadership styles and abilities. You get a real sense of who is ready and who needs some more coaching.

 

We use the skills of every boy who has been through NYLT as a form of Troop Guide or Instructor and give them distinct responsibilities in the Troop. The SPL and the SM define thier areas of responsibility or assign them a patrol to mentor. For example we have one older boy that is responsible for training the boys to make "professional" presentations during troop meetings. He does a great job, too.

 

It's my opinion that boys will learn aobut 50% out of books, or attending a seminar or what ever, but if you give them opportunity to practice leadership and give them ownership in the process, they'll flourish and actually "get it".

 

There's a lot of stuff in the middle too, but these are the big pieces.

[John-in-KC]

I know a District nearby where a Troop provides JLT support to several area Troops. It was a ticket item for at least one Woodbadger.

 

The principal adult of the project is a PhD level child pyschologist. He's known and respected in our area.

 

He runs a great weekend program for unit JLT.

 

Note, I keep saying unit JLT. He's studied the curriculum of the new stuff. Done the backgrounders. Rejected it out of hand.

 

His honest evaluation is youth will extract more learning and have a more rewarding experience from unit JLT than they will from the new stuff.

 

 

[Beavah]

Wow, not many TLT ideas out there, eh? Maybe that's somethin' we and the rest of the BSA need to work on.

 

The best of the TLT programs I've seen are the type Eagledad describes. A troop recognizes it's got something to address or what the "next step" is for the troop and its youth leaders, and then they design a "retreat" or outing around that, with follow up.

 

Problem is, the only troops I've seen do that are troops that start out pretty near outstanding. Yah, yah, it's good to learn and try to emulate what outstanding troops do, no question. But I suspect most troops don't know how to pull that off, eh?

 

Maybe BSA needs to generate some additional modules to help such units. "TLT for kids on teaching skills". "TLT on outing planning". "TLT on helpin' little guys". All of 'em centered on action rather than meeting/lecture.

 

One of the best ways I know to teach outing planning is to take a small group of youth leaders on a trip to a new place. Just go explorin'. Check things out, get info., try local activities. Then talk on the car ride back about how to make that into a unit trip. Finish with ice cream on return and do a plan together. That way, when the trip runs, those youth leaders are the ones who are "in the know".

 

 

[Eagledad]

I hate to say it, but how about adult training for JLT. Our Council created a three hour adult course given on the last day of JLTC. Theoretically an adult had to sign up for the class for any of their scouts to qualify for the JLTC course. The course spent time in three areas: Boy Run, Aims and Methods and How to help their Scout Impliment New Ideas They Learned During The JLTC Course. Leadership Development was the main objective during the course.

 

It was a big hit and we had several units sent their whole committee when they learned about it.

 

Barry

[LongHaul]

Im with Eagledad here, we need a course to teach the adults about TLT. The old Scoutmasters JLT course had a syllabus and video which if a person previewed the video and read through the printed material gave them an idea of how to present the course. The new TLT #34306A is mostly wallet cards to give out to the boys describing their position. These might be better than the old 81/2 by 11 sheets but there has to be more. In talking with people that have taken the new WB it does not cover TLT. I ran a District JLT using the old course for troops that had only a few new leaders. As Eagledad said that requires adults to be trained also. Nothing is worse than sending a boy to training and having the adults clueless as to what he is bringing back to the troop and not willing to allow the boy to use his new training. The old course needed updating not eliminating.

LongHaul