"Light Responsibility" Positions

[FScouter]

Troop Librarian gets trashed from time to time as being a light position, nothing more than keeping the MB books in a shoebox. Maybe. Or, it is what you to make it to be.

Librarian -

Oversee the care and use of troop materials including books, MB pamphlets, magazines, printed resources, Scouts own materials, skit scripts, COH ideas, topo maps, trail info, summer camp brochures or CDs, sheet music or song lyrics, music CDs, OA info, camporee booklet, troop games list/rules, troop recipe list, Boys Life and Scouter magazine collection, troop copy of Field Guide, tree-finder book, SM Handbook, Troop Committee Guidebook, A Time to Tell video, MB counselor list, receipts & warranties for troop equipment, owners manuals.

 

Maintain a catalog of troop library resources.

Check out materials to Scouts and adult leaders.

Maintain check-out system to ensure return of materials

Follow up on late returns.

Identify new revisions to MB pamphlets.

Purchase new and replacement items as needed.

Repair books and materials as needed.

 

Librarian can be a great position of responsibility. Its only light if it is taken lightly and implemented lightly.

 

[hotdesk]

Our troop has a healthy supply of MB Books.

 

Before Merit Badge Days (offered by our District) and Summer Camp we expect scouts to list the Merit Badges that they are going to work on.

 

The scouts start working on these badges before the MBD or Summer Camp. Our Librarian goes through the lists and pulls the correct number of books from our Library. He puts them in a box that goes to the events. At the events he gives them to the scouts that are going to be using them and, during Summer Camp, collects them back at the end of the day.

 

If we don't have enough of the books he looks at the scout's schedule for those events and creates a rotation list so that the scout's know who needs the book next.

[insanescouter]

Are these positions really "light" or is your thinking about them "light" ?

 

Scouting is about building up on step at a time. It is not possible to just jump up to the "heavy" positions, nor will every Scout be able to perform in all the "heavy" positions no matter how old they are.

 

I am a perfect example, I could sprout excuses and facts such as the mile long list of all my learning disabilities, that fact I had the maturity of a 16 years old when I was 21... or even as I found out years later that do to my problems behavioral, emotional and mental that the Troop I earned Eagle from, at one point wanted to kick me out. My dad each time said, he goes I go... each time he saved me... Scouting helped me more then I can ever say... I would have never been able to do those "HEAVY POSITIONS" that does not matter - it was Scouting does for us. Scouting has given me life, it has given me experience, it has taught me almost everything I know about socializing, it has given me some of best memories and has made the greatest impact on my life.

 

DO you really want to take all that away just because I could not perform a "heavy" position?

 

For those of you who do not know ... I graduated college with two degree in Computers graduating with Honors and Deans List. I have been part of several start up business, holding down a full time job in web programming, and in option of those around me they say you do have all those problems because I have made the decision to fight it rather then let it rule me.

 

Now I am not saying this holds true for every Scout, in fact probably my experience is only a very small percentage. The reality is most Scouts are lazy and do not do everything they are suppose to for a position, and us a leaders - well many of us are lazy to and we do not ensure that the Scout is actually performing their duties or we say things like who cares its a "light" position anyway. The thing with the leadership position is it needs to be something the youth can do and is some what but not to overly challenging for them. It does not matter what we think of the position it matters how it relates to them.

 

Also if you have a good size troop, lets say 40 Scouts. And lest say 10 of those Scouts are older Scouts what are you going to do have 10 SPL's and Pl's - that is insane. Yet each needs to have a position of responsibility that meets their needs and the Troops - not yours or what you believe is a good or a easy job.

 

Sorry all - rant over ... just my wacky 2 cents....

 

Scott Robertson

http://insanescouter.org

Helping leaders one resource at a time....

[Lisabob]

I don't have a problem with having positions that allow scouts of differing abilities to demonstrate leadership in ways that are consistent with what they can actually do. Leadership comes in many forms, and really, they are positions of RESPONSIBILITY, which as someone else pointed out, differs a bit from leadership anyway.

 

I do have a problem with scouts who are capable of much more, shirking by choosing "light" positions on purpose and then only barely living up to even the lightest definition of responsibility. And I have a far bigger problem with SMs who allow this to continue. And in point of fact, if you aren't the SM and the person who *is* the SM isn't interested in holding the boys to a higher standard, then there's little to nothing you can do about it, other than find a different troop or wait out the SM.

 

We have a boy in our troop now who is in this very position. He's quite capable but well known for cutting corners every chance he gets. He has been troop historian but has not yet done a single thing in that capacity. He will soon have fulfilled his 6 months and will get credit for his tenure toward Eagle rank. This bothers me a great deal, but our previous scoutmaster wasn't interested in challenging (confronting?) this scout and our new scoutmaster has really come to grips with the situation a bit too late in the process to tell this scout "no" at the very end of his time with just a couple of weeks left. I am hopeful for a more robust set of expectations for all of our PORs going forward, but I do think we've let down our standards for this particular scout, that he has taken advantage of that fact, and that it is really at a point where not much can be done except to do better in the future.

 

 

[scoutingagain]

Lisabob, you've hit the nail squarely on the head. These positions serve at the pleasure of the SPL, with the approval of the SM. If the SM sign's off on this POR as having actively served in a list POR for six months, the requirement has been met. Unless the SM is willing to challenge this, with the support of his/her committee, there is little that can be done. As I noted in another thread, if there are youth who are not living up to the responsibility of their positions, more than the youth are not meeting theirs.

 

SA

[Eagle732]

Lisabob,

I agree. Our Scout that did one 6 month term as Librarian and thinks he's done for his Eagle requirement will be asked to be an Instructor and be responsible for teaching basic Scout Skills one meeting a month and will also help teach the new Scouts.

In an earlier post I asked if this could be addressed under the Scout Spirit requirment. If a Scout is asked to take a possition and declines for no other reason than he feels he has met the requirement and doesn't need to do anymore then it would be my opinion that he is not living up to the Scout Law, specically being Loyal and Helpful. I will point out to the scout that when I write my letter of recomendation to the Eagle BOR I would rather write that he has always been very helpful and has exceeded the minimum requirements for Eagle. In the next few weeks I will be introducing one of our scouts to an Eagle BOR and he will get my highest recomendation becuase he has always been willing help when asked.

[insanescouter]

IMHO it is up to us as leaders to only sign off the leadership and scout spirit requirements when they earn it. I do not know what BSA's policy is here, but to me it is up to the leaders to decided when a scout has meet the leadership requirement to the best of their abilities and only then sign it off. It is not a weakness of the duties of that position, it is a weakness of our expectations and enforcement of the related duties.

 

 

Anyway just my wacky 2 cents....

 

Scott Robertson

http://insanescouter.org

Helping leaders one resource at a time....

 

 

[insanescouter]

1) Ok... I am a little pissed right now ... so please forgive me if anything comes off harsher then intended... And the Scouting Police can take a chill pill...

 

2) I will admit the choose of the word "enforce" was a bad. Also note that leader does not have to mean youth, adult or even registered - it is just a generic term.

 

3) All I am trying to say is the leader (person) who signs off the book is also the one making the decision to do so - should they not be making this decision based on what the scout handbook says "activity serve" which to me includes performing the duties to the best of that scouts abilities per the SM handbook or the Junior Leader book for that position.

 

However lucky for the Scouts I am just the Troop paper pusher - have nothing to do with signing off leadership or spirit.

 

4) This post is about actually performing the leadership duties ... the earlier post was about referring to them as "light" and "heavy" as those are subjective terms relating to the Scouts abilities, just because the position is Scribe does not mean it is a "light" position for that Scout or maybe it is right for an experienced Scout (for good or bad) with to much on their plate who could do more just doesn't have the time to do so.

 

Anyway I am about to use my keyboard as a pillow - its after 2 am... so please just take this as my wacky 2 cents nothing more - nothing less ...

 

 

Scott Robertson

http://insanescouter.org

Helping leaders one resource at a time....

[Stosh]

The issue for me lies in the dynamics of functionality and expectation. There is no such thing as a light and heavy duty POR. It is all important and if the person fulfilling the expectation is not functional they don't get credit. If the APL can't step up to PL when needed he is not functional and will not get credit. The TG that doesn't guide is not functional. A historian that doesn't record pictures, document events, journal, etc. is not functioning and will not get credit. Do the job, get the credit. None of the POR's are light duty if taken seriously. The expectation in some troops may be non-existant and thus would be considered relatively unimportant. If that be the case, expect the functionality from others and give them no credit. i.e. SPL always leads grace at meals, etc. In a small troop that may be important but if you have 4-5 patrols, a functioning QM is manditory, same for the TG.

 

Stosh

[Beavah]

Yah, insane and others make good points, eh? I reckon in some troops the position of PL is "light" duty because they're runnin' Troop Method. It's not the position, but how it's used (or not used) in the troop.

 

That's why I was suggestin' folks describe the duties of positions that they think are worthy of (advancement) recognition, eh? What's a Librarian position look like that really shows responsibility? How about Bugler? A Patrol Leader? It can help SM's decide whether a position should be deleted from their program (or beefed up) because there's not enough responsibility in the position to merit recognition. Like a Librarian for a troop that doesn't keep a library (seen those), or da Historian Lisa'bob describes.

 

Da other thing to consider is that it's just fine to have lighter positions of responsibility which can be good for kids, but might not meet S/L/E recognition. Assistant Patrol Leader, Patrol QM, Cheermaster, are all great things for guys who are growin'.

 

Remember da tenets for Boy Scouting Advancement, though, eh?

 

Self confidence is developed by measuring up to a challenge or standard.

Peer confidence develops when the same measuring system is used for everyone - when all must meet the same challenge to receive equal recognition.

Confidence in leaders comes about when there is consistency in measuring - when leaders use a single standard of fairness.

 

Handicaps aside, that argues against having a "light" position than can get you to S/L/E via an easier road than others.

 

Beavah

 

[RMcCown]

A great thread, and addresses an issue I'm facing right now. Tuesday I had a SM conference with a First Class scout, who is QM, and he hasn't been doing his QM-ly duties much. Gear from the lockers hasn't been signed out consistently, and stuff that gets taken out during the Troop meetings hasnt been signed out AT ALL.

 

The conference went OK, he agreed that he needs a bit more time in the position (I said no more than 60 days), but his dad sent me a rather scathing email along the lines of "That will put him 3 months over the required time for the position". I'm now trying to figure out how to best address the dad's feelings.

[scoutingagain]

RMcCown,

 

Had anyone given the QM feedback on his performance prior to his SM Conference? Or were folks silent on the issue? Generally folks interpret no feedback, as I must be doing OK. If the scout is not fulfilling his responsibilities, he needs to know that prior to his SM conference so he has a chance to correct his efforts.

 

SA

[OldGreyEagle]

RM, you could send him the 5th reuirement for Star (I assume this scoutmaster conference was for Star)

 

5. While a First Class Scout, serve actively 4 months in one or more of the following positions of responsibility

 

You get to call what is active or not, not the Dad. it's the scouts advancement not his. If you laid out expectations when the job was assumed, then there is no issue. If you gave the scout periodic assessment on the job he was doing there is no issue

[Eagledad]

Happy Scouting All

 

>>I'm now trying to figure out how to best address the dad's feelings.

[RMcCown]

To answer some questions:

 

scoutingagain: In short, yes. We have "POR Blue Cards", which describe the position, and are regularly tracked (Every couple of months). All of the boys in POR were 'mid-term reviewed' a couple of months ago.

 

One of the 'problems' that I inherited becoming SM is a 'non-PL type positions get pencilwhipped' syndrome. i.e. we had a bugler that never buguled, but got through his Star and Life SM conference no problem (Before my time). Now what I'm dealing with, but not TOO much, is the feeling from some of the older parents of "this never mattered before, why are you giving my son such a hard time?". I'm lucky to have a TC Chair who was one of my ASMs until a few months ago, and we think alike on the whole Scouting Ideals. He's going to address this in the next TC meeting with the parents, and I'm going to spend a bit of time with all the PORs in the next two weeks going over their cards (again).

 

I love this job, but you couldn't pay me to do it sometimes.