Activity planning session for TJLT

[Twocubdad]

We've decided to include a session on how to plan an activity in this year's troop junior leader training program. Does anyone have an outline or syllabus for something like this? Or perhaps just your ideas.

 

My initial thought is to put together a worksheet for the patrols to use, then teach the session around that. Basic time, location, cost, transportation, etc.

 

This spring we've been encouraging the patrols to plan and go on their own patrol outings. It's been a challenge for the boys to pull together the logistics for the outings, so we're trying to beef up the training in that area.

[Bob White]

First good for you for suporting the Patrol Method and Patrol Activities.

 

Also kudos for realizing that training is needed. But I caution you about trying to do this by the use of a syllabus. Consider instead the use of leadership, specifically the act of coaching.

 

If you were to ask the scouts how they would get a few friends together to go play some baseball I would bet they would have no trouble explaining that they would, choose a date , a place contact people to see who could come, gather bats balls and gloves and figure out if they were going to walk, bike, skateboard etc. to get to the field.

 

Planning a patrol activity is just that simple.

Who

What

Where

When

Why

How

How Much

 

Who is going, who do we need to talk with, who do we need to get permission from, who is gathering equipment, who is buying food?

 

What do we need to take, what are we going there to do, what is the weather supposed to be, what are we going to eat and drink, what are the rules, what else do we need to think about?

 

Where are we going, where are we going to meet?

 

When are we leaving, when are we coming back,

 

Why do we want to do this?

 

How will we get there, how will we get back?

 

How much will it cost, how much food is needed?

 

 

Answer these questions in writing and you have a plan.

 

Start off with day activities and soon they will be camping overnight.

 

(This message has been edited by Bob White)

[CNYScouter]

Eamonn gave me a great activity for teaching the planning process that I have used in Crew/Ship Officer training.

 

Have the Scouts write a plan to make a desert and then make it.

 

Eamonn suggested making a pie.

If you are worry about time have them make Brownies.

I could see this being done with a Dutch Oven Cobbler also.

 

Have them first write out the plan; be sure to have them assign duties of who is doing each step.

 

When the plan is finished, pull out the ingredients and have them follow the plan and make the desert.

 

I found that I could easily fit another training module in while it is cooking.

 

When the desert is done cooking, use it for the break time snack.

 

During the break lead a reflection on what worked and what could have been done better.

 

[Eagledad]

Great suggestions. Let me suggest Get And Use The Patrol Leaders Handbook And SPL Handbook. Those two books provide very simple guidelines for planning and agendas and should be used by both the adults and scouts. That way when a question or problem comes up, the SPL and SM sit down together, pull out their Handbooks and work for a solution.

 

As your group gets better and more experienced, encourage them to improve what they have learned, but start very simple. We also taught the Who, what,where, when... and it works well once the system has developed. But right off the bat, it is a lot of stuff and needs to be broken up into smaller bites.

 

I personally think agendas and plans are the primary reason most troops struggle with boy run. I found that 90% of the scouts that participated in our JLTC (todays NYLC) had never heard of an agenda. I personally think the agenda is the first thing a Patrol Leader and SPL need to learn to write and use. Our JLTC participants wrote a minimum of 20 meeting, planning and activity agendas during the week long course. But dont make it hard, the SPL and PL Handbook has it all. Scouts and adults should refer to them.

 

The SM should develop the expectation that the SPL has with him and agenda or plan for every activity, meeting and campout. The SM needs only to ask to see it so he can see what is going to happen the rest of the day. He is not doing the planning, so he only needs to look at the agenda to know what the rest of the day looks like. Not a check on the SPL, but an education of what the troop is doing.

 

It will take some time before this becomes routine.

 

I really like the idea of adding this to your training. It will start slow at first, but once the scout experiences the value of writing and using an agenda or plan, they will lock on to it.

 

Barry

 

[SR540Beaver]

twocub,

 

All good suggestions. Our troop has a planning document I can send you if you PM me your email address. Our PL's poll there patrol members each year prior to the annual planning meeting to see where they want to camp and what kind of program they want to do. They then set down on a Saturday to come up with the annual schedule. Actually, any boy is welcome to come and have input and vote. Once they have their plan, boys volunteer to be the planner for the outing. Younger boys who have never planned an outing volunteer to work with the boy planner so they can learn the ropes. An adult volunteers to mentor the boy planners. The adult only guides or assists where needed like if a credit card is needed to secure a reservation. They will usually just ask the planner how things are going and if they need help or advice when they see each other at a meeting. Often, the adult has little to nothing to do. The boy reports to the PLC what progress he has made in his planning as his outings gets closer. We have operated with this method for years and it works for us.

[Twocubdad]

All very good suggestions and the kinds of things we are trying to implement. For a year I've been pushing and prodding the patrols to plan an outing. I think we got one. This spring we cancelled a troop campout and told the patrols it was their responsibility to do something on their own that month. My only restrictions was that it needed to be some sort of Scout-related activity. While a movie or video games at a patrol member's house is okay, for this first one I wanted to set a better precident.

 

Wow, crash and burn! Honestly Bob, I'm not sure these guys could pull off a baseball game. They would all probably wait for their mom's to sign them up of a Parks & Rec league, then wait for the coach to call. At the end of the month, not a single patrol had pulled anything off. At the PLC that month we ran a short discussion of the things they needed to consider. Actually, I had a pretty good analogy: the girl you've been chatting up at your locker every day finally agrees to go out with you. Now what? You have to find out what she likes to do, when she's available, how much it will cost, arrange transportation, etc., etc.

 

In the end, three of four patrols pulled off an outing, although attendance was way off our expectation, generally because the patrols didn't really consider the affordability of the activities or try to reach a concensus on schedule.

 

My objective here is to expand on the conversation we had at the PLC meeting, covering the subject in a bit more detail and with more guys.

 

Barry, I hear what you're saying about agendas, which is why I want to build this around a worksheet, something along the lines of a troop meeting plan. Unfortunately, anything involving paper, kids immediately seem to associate with homework. It's taken three years, but we're finally getting patrols to use the set of campout planning sheets (menus, gear checklists, shopping lists, duty rosters, etc.) They are finally beginning to realize that the forms really do simplify the process. But I still can't get the PLC to really buy into the troop meeting plans.

 

Thanks.

[Bob White]

"For a year I've been pushing and prodding the patrols to plan an outing."

 

I think that's probably where you are going wrong. You are still trying to make the scouts do what you want them to.

 

Pushing and prodding is not how you will lead them to independent activitities. They are not used to adults letting them make decisions in fact they have come to expect that they are not trusted by adults, and can only do what adults tell them. So you first need to show them that you trust them, rather than push and prod them into something, even if it is something they will like.

 

Start with 1 patrol leader, your best one. Sit down with him and ask him about the kinds of things he and his friends in the patrol like to do, What sports do they like? What hobbies do they have, what games do they play. Listen for clues for activities.

 

Maybe they like to roller blade, or skate board, or bicycle. Maybe they like to fish, or go to a car show, or a ball game. Then ask if he ever considered doing those things as a patrol?

 

Tell him if he would like to bike to local park for a day of fishing that you think that would be a great thing for him to do with the patrol. No adults, just him and his patrol out for the day doing what they want to do. let him know if he wants to borrow any equipment let the QM know and they are welcome to take it.

 

Once he selects an activity, tell him you just need two things. He needs to give you a simple plan of who is going, where they are going how, they are getting there and back, and what their activity is. The second thing is they need to have their parents sign permission slip saying that they understand that there will be no adults present.

 

Then I would call the parents. Explain what you are trying to get started and ask that they help make this happen by supportiung the scouts decision to go do something on their own.

 

Once the scouts have brought you the plan, tell them that they are getting to do this because you trust in their ability to know right from wrong and to set a good example in the community while they are on their own. Let them know that you are happy to have them do these kinds of things as a patrol anytime they want, all you need is a plan. Offer them your cell phone number and let them know that if they can always contact you should they need you.

 

Once you have the best patrol on their way, go sit down with another PL and repeat the process.

 

When the first patrol gets back have them give a report at the troop meeting to the other scouts about how they went out on their own adventure.

 

This is a good step you are taking, but you need to remember that this is as new to the troop as it is to you. You will all need some time to get use to it.

[Twocubdad]

Thanks for the input, Bob. That's pretty much the process we've, been through, although I have been working all the patrols, not just one at a time.

 

Pushing and prodding was just a figure of speech. Coaching and teaching would have been more accurate. The one success we had was a patrol that got together for a movie was a result of that process, but we weren't getting any traction with any of the other patrols or much interest from the first patrol for another activity.

 

Part of this has been bringing the adults along. I spent a week fielding phone calls for the movie outing. Prior to our emphasis this spring, I went through it all with the troop committee (which in our case is a mix of ASMs, interested parents and true committee members), explaining the rules and process and asking their commitment to help with logistics. That seemed to make a difference, too.

 

This is like any other sales job -- they've got to hear the message many times before they bite. The TJLT program is just another medium.