Crossramwedge Posted February 27, 2008 Share Posted February 27, 2008 Our new SM wants to change the format of our meetings. He is a seasoned Scout of 20 years. We normally meet from 7:00PM to 8:30 PM on Monday nights. After the "meeting" he would like for him and the SPL to have a time of discussion and reflection. No more than ten minutes. This would also require another adult to be there because of the "No one on one" rule. In lieu of this he has been asked by some of the other leaders to shorten the regular "meeting" ten minutes, dismiss the boys and then have his meeting with the SPL there by technically keeping the time (7:00 to 8:30 PM). Just to let you know he stepped up to SM before the end of last year as at that time our SM resigned with out any warning. Family and new job responsibilities required him to do so. The new SM took on the job when no one else would. At that time he told us that he was going to make changes and some of them may not be popular. He wanted our backing and we gave it to him. He is a good man and a good Scout leader. He is not young and he is retired but is still very active and rarely misses a camp out. He does believe in the "Boy led" troop. His son was the first "Eagle" scout to come out of our troop. The CO is happy with him and has complete confidence in him. He asked me as CC what I thought about this situation. I told him as far as I am concerned he is the SM and as such he sets the program. I told him I thought the boys needed the full 90 minute meeting time and that meeting with the SPL for ten minutes after the regular time is just a part of being a leader in the troop. Leadership comes with responsibilities and commitments that a person has to bear that others don't. That is why a leader is put in that role. I will stay after the regular meeting time if no one else will. He would prefer the ASM's be there though. I know people want to get home but this only involves the SM, SPL and another adult. I went to the meeting last night after a 15 hour work day and I am 57 years old. Surely we can handle this. Any thoughts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gold Winger Posted February 27, 2008 Share Posted February 27, 2008 IMHO, people are too anxious to get home at the end of meetings. For the most part we're talking about teens who aren't going to be going to sleep at 9 PM no matter what we want. Our meeting were scheduled to go from 7-830 and parents would start yanking their kids out promptly at 830 or sometimes before. It's just a symptom of how little importance is put on Scouting, those parents would wait for an hour outside of Joe's Pizza if Johnny was being paid. Someplace in the Scoutmaster's handbook is the idea of a "Stand-up PLC," to briefly go over the meeting. Sounds like your guy wants to do it with just the SPL. It's part of the job. If dad doesn't like it then maybe he'd be SM. BTW, you don't need a second adult. To avoid one-on-one, the third person can be another Scout. This is also a situation where car pooling helps. Oddly, I could never get parents to go for that. They'd insist on driving to the meeting and then whine about being there. Go figure. In short. Go for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beaver1onit Posted February 27, 2008 Share Posted February 27, 2008 When he stepped up he made it clear that there would be changes and you agreed to back him up. Ten mimutes with the SPL after the meeting is a good thing no one has to come out for a second meeting. A lot of parents hang around for 5 or 10 minutes chating at least they do after my meetings. I say go for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scoutldr Posted February 27, 2008 Share Posted February 27, 2008 Sounds like the new SM is following his training. Support him. Ten minutes is not going to ruin anyone's day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisabob Posted February 27, 2008 Share Posted February 27, 2008 I'd say support him too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scoutingagain Posted February 27, 2008 Share Posted February 27, 2008 I agree with the others, support the SM. However, there is a however, this really puts pressure on the SM and PLC to make sure the 90 minutes of meeting time is used productively. If others who are asked to stay late, feel there is wasted time during the meetings that could be used productively for this 10 minute time of review and reflection, you are not going to get interested and productive use of their time by keeping them later than they think they need to. SA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldGreyEagle Posted February 27, 2008 Share Posted February 27, 2008 I may be in an unusual place, but after the meeting, the service patrol of the evening always has clean-up and then there are adults talking to other adults about upcomming events and catching up from the week. The meeting goes 7-8:30pm, but getting out of the building by 9 is considered a luxury. I think its a natural to do a reflection after the meeting Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunny2862 Posted February 27, 2008 Share Posted February 27, 2008 I'd love to only be there for just 10 minutes over the allotted time. We planned our meetings to go an hour due to some wasted time issues in the past. Now I've got the some of the boys(and parents) who work me another 45 minutes before we all leave, Support him! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pixiewife Posted February 27, 2008 Share Posted February 27, 2008 With all due respect, I think you all missed what the problem was that the original poster was acctually asking about. The problem, as I see it, is this: SM wants to have a quicky conference after the meeting w/ SPL. The poster does not have an issue w/ the meeting, only the timing of the meeting. Current troop meetings are 90 minutes long. SM wants to shorten them to 80 minutes, and have his meeting w/SPL in that next 10 minutes, so that his total time spent (in a perfect world) would be 90 minutes. Poster thinks that troop meetings should stay 90 minutes, SM should have meeting w/ SPL in next 10 minutes, making total time spent by SM, and SPL 100 minutes. Poster states that 2 deep leadership would not be a problem for the extra 10 minutes, as the poster is willing to be the one to stay. Crossramwedge (the original poster) wonders if he should go along with the SM and let the boys lose 10 minutes of all meetings, or try to get the SM to see that staying another 10 minutes would not be a problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunny2862 Posted February 27, 2008 Share Posted February 27, 2008 pixiewife, I am not sure about the others but I was tracking true on this one. And to me it looks like they all were too. Edited " We normally meet from 7:00PM to 8:30 PM on Monday nights. After the "meeting" he would like for him and the SPL to have a time of discussion and reflection. No more than ten minutes. This would also require another adult to be there because of the "No one on one" rule." the above is what the SM wants to do ?Here's where the confusion comes in, it's an alternate scenario he will carry out if he can't have ten minutes after them main meeting "In lieu of this he has been asked by some of the other leaders to shorten the regular "meeting" ten minutes, dismiss the boys and then have his meeting with the SPL there by technically keeping the time (7:00 to 8:30 PM). I'm saying let the SM do this the way he wants to - using 10 minutes after the meeting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pixiewife Posted February 27, 2008 Share Posted February 27, 2008 Wow Gunny! I missed like 4 words, and had the whole scenario wrong! Sorry about that! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eagle90 Posted February 27, 2008 Share Posted February 27, 2008 If the adults in this unit are so concerned over 10 minutes at the end of the meeting, I would contend there is a much deeper problem. I would suggest there is no dedication to the program or to the boys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ASM416 Posted February 27, 2008 Share Posted February 27, 2008 I have to say this problem boggles my mind a bit. Our meetings go 2 hours, 6:45 to 8:45 and there is a group of adults hanging out until well past 9:15 most nights. The idea that there's not one ASM willing to hang out for 10 minutes drives me nuts! How can you not be committed enough to the program to give 10 minutes! Maybe the solution is to have the meeting with the SPL and the ASPL. This would allow them to follow YPT and not have any adults stay. I mean, we wouldn't want to inconvenience them would we! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gold Winger Posted February 27, 2008 Share Posted February 27, 2008 " I would suggest there is no dedication to the program or to the boys. " This is a good thing, "Wow! That coach is great! He makes the boys work on basics for hours and if they screw up, they have to run laps." This is a bad thing, "Boy that SM is a hard case. MY son is the SPL and the SM acutally expects him to go camping and comes to meetings. And he expects him to wear his uniform." Sports are IMPORTANT. Scouts is just Scouts. Got it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John-in-KC Posted February 27, 2008 Share Posted February 27, 2008 I assume that pre-meeting starts about 630-645? If so, then don't worry. Besides, he's the program guy. That's pretty much his lane to decide how to structure meetings. Give the man the support he needs! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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