Removing Scoutmaster from Position

[red feather]

Source, I feel your pain. The advise that you have and will receive from this campfire will not always be what you wish to hear but will be for the most part good advise.

 

I have been with the troop that I serve almost 16 yrs, 10 or so as ASM, couple as commitee member and after I forgot to duck, the last 2-3 yrs as SM. The troop is 40 plus years old. When I joined the troop it was a 'social club' and not a lot of scouting as I knew it. It has transitioned through many variations since then.

 

I have seen the troop grow from 10-15 scouts to 45-50 and back again, currently 30-35 scouts and growing. It is the growing pains that take a lot of effort to get through.

 

Being a SM of a troop that is established and with a good Troop Commitee and a high adventure expectation I can empathise with someone who is starting a new troop. Yours is a few years old and at least to my mind still trying to 'find' itself. A project that I would not be willing to undertake without a hard core cadre of ASMs, a working TC and a GREAT bunch of scouts. That said, it can be done but in small steps and accomplishments. It has taken almost 3 yrs to get the troop that I am with (remember 40 yrs of tradition) to get back to a scout led basis. We still have a long way to go and probably will for some time to come.

 

Sounds to me like your troop is getting to the stage where you are about to start that transition. Guess what, a lot more hard work is coming if that is so. Not just on the scouts part but on the leaders part, not the least that of the SM.(remember he/she has to make the transition also) Some of the decisions will not be looked upon as 'proper' but they are the decisions that the SM will make at the time. Mistakes and oopses will be made and survived. (part of the learning process of a troop)

 

Support of the SM is something that is necessary by his ASMs and TC. Without that the troop can be in real trouble. The SM may not be always right but he/she is SM and unless someone is willing to take on the responsiblities that come with the job the best advise I can give is support the SM and work within the framework of the troop to promote what the troop can become. Takes time and effort but it can be done. I wish you and the troop that you serve the very best and can only say have patience and understanding. Work with the framework you have a make changes where you can. Good Luck.

 

Hope this ramble makes some sense.

 

YIS

Red Feather