Boy Scout Roundtables; What do Scouters want from it?

[kraut-60]

I serve as the Boy Scout Roundtable commissioner for my district and I am entering my third year of service in that capacity. I would like to hear from members of the forum on what they would want at a Boy Scout Roundtable...feedback is a gift...thank you for listening, I look forward to everyones input.

[emb021]

I think the thing people forget is the purpose of Roundtable.

 

Its meant to be on-going supplemental training.

 

I think too often that is co-opted for announcements and other such things. I'll accept that a small (*SMALL*) amount of time at Roundtable be given over to making sure people are away of upcoming events (training, camporees, etc, for those people who missed all the other avenues of getting this info out). But the bulk of the Roundtable should be given to providing program training and helping the leaders with troop program.

 

National puts out some good materials for Roundtables. Using that would be a step in the right direction for a lot of RT.

[eagle90]

What I would like to see at roundtables is a give and take among all leaders about what their units are doing. Where did you go camping last month? What was the campsite like? What is there to do there? What are you doing to increase advancement in your troop? What fund raisers are you doing? We are planning our first Ski trip. Where should we go? What are the pitfalls? We have a discipline problem. How would you guys solve it? Etc., etc., etc.

 

This would be much more valuable to me as a leader than re-teaching me how to cook a meal or tie a knot.

[Docrwm]

I really appreciate the time and effort that folks put into Roundtable. District level, from what I feel I have learned in the past 12 months, is the actual operational level for getting meaningful boy-related things accomplished. In our District that is the level at which all the Cub camping originates. Its the level at which two of the three most significant events, based on the feedback from the boys in my Den, were implemented (our local Memorial Day Flag Placement and our Family Camping events). However, I also think that there needs to be a balance between teaching the old hands the same thing for the umteeth time and teaching the new folks, like me, it for the first time.

 

My impression of Roundtable is that there are many who go regularly. There is a subset that is the in-group that does most of the heavy lifting and has for a long time. They can occassionally respond with "we've covered that". This reaction can turn off newcomers, who you don't see sticking around as often as many would like from what I've been told.

 

I also agree that announcements are best left to email and handouts. I go to benefit from the accumulated knowledge base of the others present in learning my evolving role as a Den Leader.(This message has been edited by docrwm)

[Eagletrek]

I think all the posters so far have touched on some very good points. Can the announcements!!! If you have to put something out, get it out via email prior to or via flyer at the meeting. As an example, I had to listen to about 10 minutes worth of "Popcorn Info" at last night's roundtable. My Popcorn Kernal already had the info because she's been reading her emails. Overall, announcements can take up 15 to 20 minutes of time.

 

As a member of my districts cub scout roundtable staff, I use the Roundtable Program Guide but I also make time to discuss cub-level issues similar to what Eagle 90 mentioned. Make the info presented relevant to the issues within your program/area and I bet attendance at the roundtables will go up.

 

Lastly, figure out how to break up those "in-groups." They seem to have alot of knowledge but for some reason they aren't to quick to share it. It seems like the "dark priests" find it hard sometimes to realize that the new folks may have some good input. The district won't grow and the boys won't flourish if you always have to "draw" the info out of the "in-group/oldtimers."

[Eagletrek]

Oh yeah, one last thing!!!!! Put those folks with the beads around their necks to work. I'm not saying they don't work already but if you are the recipient of what scouting calls "their highest level of adult training" get out there and lead the way!!! Too many of those guys/gals like to hang out in the back and drink coffee.

[kraut-60]

Eagletrek; I became the BS/RT Comm. as a ticket item (WB C-19-06). I plan to continue as BS/RT Comm. I do enjoy a cuppa joe though...I have had some increased participation with the forum model of comparing notes across the table...seems all attending want to have a turn at what works or dont work and hear how others are doing it.

 

I like the comment re; training newer Scouters...perhaps having an RT just for this purpose would help? I could see having the "veteran" scouters help pull this off. Good feedback, keep it coming.

 

ps...I agree, the "ounce-o-mints"(announcements) could be just as effectively e-mailed...and cut the yawn factor too.

[baschram645]

Have your Coucil Exec come and do a State of the council with Q & A period afterwards.

[dancinfox]

When I was a Scoutmaster and went to roundtable every month, it seemed like all we did is sit and listen to the Roundtable Commissioner or listen to announcements.

Even as a seasoned leader I still learned when the roundtable was run as a Boy Scout Meeting. We had an opening, skill time, a game with a purpose, Scoutmaster's minute and a closing. What was neat is that sometimes I heard an opening or closing I hadn't heard before and could use to help the PLC put new things in the meetings. Sometimes a skill or a game that would work with the troop. Those roundtables I learned from. Talking and listening to war stories did not give me much to use.

David

[AnniePoo]

I agree with eagle90 and dancinfox. Specific ideas of outings, ideas, (new) songs, skits, crafts, projects, fundraisers, etc. would be tremendously useful to me and other pack members who are newbies to scouting. I don't want to hear a 10-minute presentation from someone - printed information or a very brief summary would be great.

[John-in-KC]

Here is our standard District RT package (all in one place, all in one night)

 

Cub Scout RT

- Breakout for Den Leaders

- Breakout for CMs, ACMs and Committee folk

 

Boy Scout RT

- Program Feature training

- Two Special Feature trainings

- Scoutmaster to Scoutmaster, a forum for SMs to share

- A variety of "corners (freestands with info)

 

District Activities

- District Training Committee

-- NLE, monthly

-- YP Training, monthly

- District Advancement Committee

-- MB Counselor training, monthly

-- Eagle Leadership Service Project Approval, Monthly

- District Campin Committee

-- OA Chapter, Monthly

 

- District Mall

-- Tables staffed by: Commissioner Service, Membership Committee, Activities Committee, Camping Committee, Finance Committee and Professional Service (we have a team of 3 professionals for our District).

 

The Key Point: We make RT be "one stop shopping" for all unit service needs. They go to one place, once a month. If they need paperwork taken to the Scout Office, they can bring it to RT. If there needs to be a Popcorn meeting, it happens RT night. If there is Camporee signup, Camping and Activities Committee man a joint table at RT.

 

Concetrate, not dilute, the effort. Strive to get Scouters, not just the SM or the CC, to attend.

[Bob White]

Kraut 60

A good place to start is "What is the purpose of Roundtable?" Unless you know what it is supposed to be, you cannot tell if you are deliverying it successfully.

 

Just as there is a specific purpose for having a pack meeting or troop meeting there is a specific purpose and goal to Roundtable.

 

It is not about announcements, although it is about providing information, there are other ways to do that besides announcements. It is not about sitting around and complaining about things although it is about sharing knowledge and experiences.

 

All three Roundtable programs are designed differently, so if your Cub Roundtable and your Boy Scout Roundtable follow the same model there is a problem.

 

In Boy Scouting, the purpose of Roundtable is to provide Unit leaders the "Will to Do" and the "Skill to Do" a quality unit program. Everything done within the meeting is directed at effecting one or both of those purposes. Anything that does not directly effect a leaders confidence and enthusiasm for scouting and their role in scouting, or does not increase their leadership skill or scout skills, does not belong in a Roundtable program.

 

My recommendation is that you download the Boy Scout Roundtable Commissioner training http://old.scouting.org/commissioners/roundtable/34256.pdf

 

Then make plans to attend the week long Boy Scout Roundtable Conference at Philmont Traiing Center. You can no more learn how to provide a quality Roundtable over an Internet forum then you can learn to deliver a quality Troop program over one.

 

A good Roundtable is great asset to a local Scouting community and I congratulate you for wanting to do a good job, that is the first step to success in any challenge.

BW(This message has been edited by Bob White)

[Buffalo Skipper]

We have placed a slightly different spin on Roundtable, but I am sure it is done somewhere else.

 

We start as a joint meeting of all 4 roundtable groups (Four? I'll come back to that in a minute). The joint portion allows leaders from all groups to mingle, visit and maybe even learn something via cross-pollenation. During this 10 minutes, we only cover things which are pertinent to all groups like upcoming training, popcorn, recharter, and the like. Sometimes the DEs present awards here, but we don't discuss things like CS Family Camp, BS Camporee or anything which is specific to one group and not another.

 

All groups break up, Cub Scouts (the largest group) stays in the main room, Boy Scouts head to another large room, while the Venturing Forum heads to a smaller room, as does the SPL Roundtable group.

 

SPL Roundtable? Sure. We have a commissioner assigned as SPL RT commissioner. Invited are SPLs and ASPLs. They have about 30 minutes of leadership training, specifically pertaining to meetings, and spend much of the rest of their time in open discussion about troop leadership issues. It has been a huge success, as it really allows the SPL/ASPLs from many troops to interact and learn (in the same way we Scout leaders and Cub Scout Leaders do).

 

Recently, the SPL RT group expressed interst Camporee planning. This has been a great help to the District Camping committee, and it has really put some leadership back into the hands of the troops. Attendance at camporees is actually up as the troops have had more of a hand in the planning. It has been in place for just about a year now, and we believe it is going well, and slowly growning.

[Buffalo Skipper]

OOPS, I didn't really tell you about the BS Roundtable.

 

Our BSRTC has been in this his position for 4 years now, and he does an excellent job. He arranges various speakers, ususally 30 minutes each, to present on various topics. Once per year, we have an outside Dutch Oven cooking demonstration (with the district's best scout chefs!). Yum.

 

Some of the meeting is devoted to issues, concerns and suggestions, in an open discussion. And of course there is the innevitable announcement time. The total roundtable time is 90 minutes: 7-8:30 pm.

 

I helped organize a pretty neat discussion for August. It was on Webelos Recruiting (not transition or crossover). There were actually 4 presentations, the first to the commissioners (who meet the hour before roundtable), on how to work with CS and BS units to prepare for recruiting. The second was to the BS group and focused on finding Webelos, meeting with leaders, and pitching program. The third was to the SPL group about how to prepare meetings and campouts for Webelos visits. The last was to the CMs, CCs and Webelos leaders of the Cub Scout group, and focused on what to look for in a troop. It also included a District Troop list which included Charter Partners, meeting place and time, troop websites, SM and a second contact for each troop.

 

Presentations were taylored to its audience. The timing of the presentation (August) was important, as a troop should be prepating at this time to seek out and find Webelos programs. Part of the reason behind this one was to help improve Webelos-Scout transition numbers.

[SMEagle819]

I would like to see more discussion time devoted to some of the issues that other posters put down, such as camping trips, cooking, program ideas, advancement, etc. What our RT lacks is the two sided discussions. Usually, it is either the DC or a UC giving a presentation about a merit badge, or inviting someone in to talk about opportunities in school. This is all well and good, but the two way discussion part seems to be missing. Having a separate room for an actual "roundtable" would be a benefit to the new leaders, and some of us old guys as well.