SM and Alloted time for meeting

[Bob White]

Your Scoutmaster is trying to follow his training. In the Scoutmater Leader tgraining the scoutmaster does his work before and after the meeting. Before the meting he tajkes a few minutes with the SPL to make sure he has everything ready to go and to his confidence in the SPL's ability to lead the meeting.

 

AFTER the meeting the recommended method is for the SM to meet with ALL the PLC to do a 10 minute evaluation of the meeting, amd to recogognize the things they are doing well so they know what behavior to repeat.

 

So rather than cutting the meeting short why not encorage him to include the other PLC members. That way you do not have to have the second adult with him. Keepin mind these extra 10 minutes comes to about another 8-hours a year out of his life that he is donating to help other peoples children develop into responsible adults. If he is willing to spend that extra time I would hope the parents would be willing to let him.

 

He's doing the right thing.

 

 

[Eagledad]

I guess I'm not quite sure what the big deal is over 10 minutes. Most boy run PLCs struggle just to finish the meeting on time. But that being said, if the scouts are given the responsibility to start and finish the meeting on time, whatever that time is, then it will be a good experience for everyone.

 

This kind of makes me wonder if I was over the line. I usually met with the SPL and the PLC seperatly after the meeting. We rarely went ten minutes total, but the SPL in our troop is the last to leave the building and he locks the doors. Never had any complaints.

 

Barry

[Crossramwedge]

Eagle90, that is what is suprising. These guy's are completely dedicated. Everyone of our leaders are trained for their individual postions. Most of them are cross trained as I am. (Venture, Cubs and Scouts) I am cross registered in all 3 and help in some areas in all of them. Some of the other leaders also wear many hats. Dedication is not the problem. Some may say that a few of us carry too big a load. That may be true.

 

To clarify things, the SM is the one who wants to keep the regular 90 minute meeting time. Then after the regular meetimg concludes at 8:30 he wants to meet with the SPL for around ten minutes. Again in lieu of this it has been suggested to him by some of the other leaders to shorten the "regular" meeting ten minutes (7:00 to 8:20 PM)then dismiss the boys and then have his meeting with the SPL, there by technically keeping the time (7:00 to 8:30 PM).

 

I support the SM and the extra 10 minute reflection time he wants to have with the SPL to be held after the regular meeting. If we called the regular meeting at 8:20 I feel that we would be cheating the other boys of that time. Everything else would have to be speeded up and time is tight enough as it is. If I had my way I would like to meet from 6:30 to 8:30 PM.

 

You find that in the Scout Master's Handbook it suggest that after the regular meeting the SM then meets with the SPL and the Patrol leaders to to review the meeting, go over the plans made at the patrol Leaders Council meeting and decide which patrol will be the upcoming service patrol. In my opinion this is basically what the SM is trying to do.

 

He asked if I wanted to call a Committee meeting and discuss which way we wanted to go. The problem is that some of these leaders who want the regular meeting over at 8:20 and then have the 10 minute SPL meeting are on the Committee and if we had a vote take place they would sway the vote. On the other hand I feel that the SM and I as the CC have the right to make this call without the Committee having to vote on it. Let me again state that everyone of these leaders are trained and dedicated and both of us respect them and their opinions, but we happen to disagree with them on this one.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Bob White]

Since when does a troop committee vote?

 

The knowledge available through training is a good thing.

 

From the Troop Committee Guide and the Troop Committee Challenge traing;

 

The Committee Chair assigns tasks and the committee members report on their progress at the monthly meeting.

 

The Scoutmaster determines program, the committee members support the program, they do not determine it.

 

 

The committee needs training.

(The committee is not a democracy, it is a benevolent disctatorship)

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Kudu]

I'm with BobWhite on this one:

 

1) An extra 10 minutes after the meeting is the Scoutmaster's call, the Committee should not be involved in that kind of decision.

 

2) If you are using the Patrol Method, the Patrol Leaders should be included in the meeting.

 

3) Two Deep Leadership applies to outings, the "Rule of Three" applies to meetings.

 

That being said, no matter how highly you speak of the other leaders they lack loyalty and dedication if they would actually vote against the Scoutmaster meeting with the SPL for ten minutes at 8:30. In fact they sound trivial, so you hanging around to provide two-deep leadership might be a good idea for reasons other than BSA policy.

 

Likewise, if the Patrol Leaders are the talentless winners of a popularity contest and including them in a ten minute meeting will only add to opposition to an extra ten minutes after the meeting, then it might be better to stick with the original Troop Method idea: a ten minute meeting at 8:30 between the SM and SPL with you in the general area.

 

Kudu

 

[FScouter]

Since when does the committee vote on how the treasurer keeps the books?

Since when does the committee vote on when where and how the treasurer works with the troop Scribe in recordkeeping?

Since when does the committee vote on how the equipment coordinator works with the troop Quartermaster?

Since when does the committee vote on how the committee chair interacts with the COR?

Since when does the committee vote on how, when, or where the Scoutmaster interacts with the SPL?

Since when does the committee vote?

 

The committee chairman makes sure the committee positions are filled and the jobs are being done. These committee people do their jobs and report at the monthly committee meeting what has transpired since the last meeting, and what work they have planned for the next 30 days. At the committee meeting the Scoutmaster simply needs to include in his report that he will be meeting with the SPL/ PLC for 10 minutes at the end of troop meetings. There is nothing to vote on. The committee members dont need to vote on how each other is functioning in their respective positions, nor do they need to vote on whether the SM may meet with the SPL, nor whether the SM should structure the troop meeting to be 80 minutes instead of 90 minutes.

 

[msnowman]

If the SM wants 10 minutes w/ the SPL after the regular meeting I don't understand why the ASM's would have such an issue with that. But, if they do, couldn't the boy's driver stay (to fill the 2nd adult role)? I am Nephew's driver (at least for another year, God help us all) and I don't mind staying late if the SM believes it to be necessary. As a Scout Guardian I belive my job to support not just Nephew but to support the SM too. I'm also a Committee Member, so I believe this doubly so.

 

YiS

Michelle

[Gunny2862]

Going back to an earlier response.

 

If you can't support him on this,(however he wants to do it) What else does the poor guy have to put up with?

[eagle90]

Cutting the regular troop meeting short by ten minutes is penalizing all of the scouts in the troop and possibly hurting the program. This is the SM's call.

[Stosh]

If the PL's are working with their patrols as they should be, and unless the SPL is running around interfering in everything, he should have plenty of time during the meeting to visit with the SM.

 

Stosh

[Gold Winger]

"There is nothing to vote on."

 

Unfortunately, most units don't see it this way. The create large committees and then everyone votes on everything. Many units also allow any parent who wants to show up to vote as well.

 

It goes along with our society believing that everyone is an expert on everything. If your kid plays soccer, you get to tell the coach how to coach. You get to tell the ref how to ref. Why not tell the SM how to do his job? Of course you know how to do it better but you just don't want the job.

 

Not long ago, I was at a pack committee meeting where they spent 15 minutes debating napkins for the Blue & Gold dinner. Why? Just let people do their jobs.

[Eamonn]

The Ship when it meets indoors has a 90 minute meeting.

We start on time and end on time.

That is the meeting ends on time.

After the meeting several Scouts do the clean up.

We don't have any real time set to reflect or do anything that might be seen as "Structured".

People do seem to want to hang out for a while.

After we leave the building we have a parking lot meeting!!

Normally a few Scouts a few parents a couple of adult leaders and myself.

If something has been left undone or needs doing?? We either drive to my house or go for ice cream or a burger and try to see about fixing what needs fixed.

Of course in Sea Scouts the youth are a little older.

As a rule we do call it a night by 2200.

The $64,000 question here seems to me to be "What does the SPL think about this?"

There were times when OJ went from school to the Troop meeting (Mainly during track season) and still had to do his homework when he got home. Ten minutes isn't the end of the world, but ten "Scout minutes" can sometimes be close to thirty real minutes.

I would hope that this extra time is explained to the Scouts before they run for office.

Ea.

[Crossramwedge]

An extra 10 minutes after the meeting is not going to hurt anybody if it stays to the ten minutes and it has so far. In the Scoutmaster handbook this same scenerio is suggested with both the SPL and Pl's attending the meeting and it also states that the SPL/PL meeting should be held after the regular Scout meeting. That is what he wants to do. The SM knows about the kids getting home. Thats why he was trying to keep it to the SPL and another adult and let the other boys go home. He basically is going by the book so to speak.

[eagle90]

Our meeting ends at 8:30, and I am NEVER out of there in ten minutes. I'm always signing blue cards, talking to parents, making sure everything is put away, doing a final check of the meeting place for forgotten neckerchiefs, shirts, etc. making sure we leave the gym the way we found it, and making sure I have everything that I brought.

[SSScout]

*sigh*

 

"Alright, ya'll have a safe trip home. Eagles, you're putting the tables away tonite,right? Oh Tommy, can I see you a

minute?"

"Yes, Mr. Smith?"

"How'd you think the meeting went tonite?"

"Well .. ((insert stuff))"

"Okay. We'll have to talk about that at the PLC next time, huh?"

"Yeah, guess so. Can I go now, my dads waiting."

"Sure, good job tonite, Tommy. Pete, you got a better than average Scout there."

"Oh,yeah, sometimes I even think so, Ken. G'nite."

"G'nite."

 

((sound of lock turning))

 

And the problem is...?