Boy Scout Roundtables; What do Scouters want from it?

[Crew21_Adv]

kraut-60,

 

This may not apply to everyone, or not all roundtables.

 

I do think there should be a time allowed for announcements. It give everyone a baseline. All the units hear the same details at the same time. There is no variation.

 

But what I have learned that fellow Scouters want from Roundtables are two things. Hands On and Take Aways.

 

Not flyers and paper instructions, but something they can assemble, disassemble, or manipulate. A hands on Scouting skill that they may pass to fellow Scouters and the Scouts.

 

Scouting Forever and Venture On!

Crew21 Adv

[allangr1024]

"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. " Quoted from above.

 

As a scoutmaster with a years experience, I can ditto the above statement. I have been through the training from the 90's, including woodbadge (for the 20th century), and I have been to the scoutmaster specific training now. What do I need?

 

Program ideas, where to go backpacking, where to go canoeing, how do I meet the current webelos den leaders to establish a troop to pack relationship, how to do fundraisers, and how can we do labor based fundraisers instead of sales based fundraisers, how do I find climbing instructors and shooting instructors if our tiny troop has none, how to get patrol method working in a troop that never really practiced it, how to get into the schools to do recruiting, ect.

 

I asked about our unit commissioner (I think this is what he is called; the front line contact between the unit and the district), and was told the district had not filled the position because no one would volunteer for the job. I usually call the district director with problems, mainly because he is in the scout office.

 

So, I need practical advice. BTW, it would be nice to have open discussion times in roundtable with other scoutmasters, but either time does not permit, or the guys who come do not speak up. Oh well.

 

 

 

 

[emb021]

"I do think there should be a time allowed for announcements. It give everyone a baseline. All the units hear the same details at the same time. There is no variation."

 

Its ok to have some time for announcments.

 

But the problem is that too often at RT, its becomes nothing more then a forum for announcements and lectured by the professionals, such that the real purpose of RT: on-going supplemental training and idea sharing with other leaders of your program, gets overlooked.

 

 

[kraut-60]

Great feedback here ladies and gents! One common thread through many replies is having two way discussions and making time to have them...I started to use this feature in my last years RTs to a greater level of participation.

[croushorn]

FOOD!! Party subs arent expensive!

I never have time to go home between work and RT; so I have two options: 1.) Hit a McDeath drive thru on the way and pay for it with heartburn and cursing of my Doctor, or 2.) end up disrupting the evening with my grumbellies all meeting long and gorging myself when I get home at 9:30.

Neither are good options!

 

[Bob White]

"One common thread through many replies is having two way discussions and making time to have them."

 

 

So kraut-60 if I could ask you a question.

 

Is your goals to accomplish the purpose of Roundtables, or to meet the wants of the majority of Scoutmasters in your District?

 

If you want to have them be able to talk about whatever they want then be prepared to abandon any hope of achieving the purpose of Roundtables.

 

If this forum has shown you nothing else it should show you that a number of scouters want to discuss what they believe is wrong with the world of scouting in the BSA. While you, as a commissioner of the BSA, have the obligation to support the program, procedures and policies of the BSA.

 

As you have witnessed here these opposing goals may make for interesting reading, but they make for a very poor Roundtable that will quickly deteriorate into one big gripe fest. Since misery loves company you will find that those who want to come and complain about scouting will quickly chase away those who are looking to enjoy the program and learn how to lead it.

 

So while discussions are important make sure you have someone you trust leading the discussion and that you have a positive goal in sight for where you want the discussion to lead.

 

I hope you take the time to check out the training I mentioned earlier.

 

BW

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(This message has been edited by Bob White)

[Beavah]

Yah, sometimes I think we should require Roundtables to seat everyone at a round table, eh? Nobody is allowed to stand up and pretend that it's an auditorium by makin' announcements or some dull presentation.

 

I know there's folks who think they're servin' the purpose of roundtable by doin' that sort of thing. Just like scoutin' with the boys, though, we should be baiting the hook with a format that unit leaders find desirable and worth comin' to. Otherwise I don't reckon we really achieve our mission.

 

So I suggest round tables. And coffee. For Boy Scout and Venturing Roundtable, avoid the little-kid stuff with crafts and beads and such and just treat people like adults. One of the most effective RT commissioners I knew just picked a nice location, made sure there were refreshments, and set a topic for the evening. Somethin' like "bring your troop's annual calendar to share." That and just a few tricks to break up cliques made for some wonderful RT's (at least until the DD started insistin' on announcements... ).

 

Beavah

 

[kraut-60]

BW; The discussions we have had so far are very positive ones...no gripefest yet...and as the RTC, I would steer the discussion to solutions and not just belly-achin and sour-grapes.

 

I intend to implement the "will to do" and "skill to do" as well as encourage the fellowship that need to be a part of all Boy Scout Roundtables. I avoid teaching the "how to tie a knot" school of RT thought...I encourage new Scouters to go and take training when its offered for their given position in Scouting. I will include the dates/times/places/contact info for training in my district/council in what I call "The Roundtable Crib Sheet"...this is a hand-out I make up monthly that includes the monthly suggested program/theme with its corresponding weekly troop meeting outlines and monthly activity/campout outline. I include items of Scouting interest from sources on the internet as well as this forum. For the Cubbers and the Boy Scouters, I do a "knot of the month" that covers a knot that we wear...I describe the knot or show an example drawing of it and talk about what is required to earn the given knot and if there is a scoreboard/sign-off sheet for it, I have copies availible for those interested in it.

 

For this years RTs, I plan to do a back-to basics section for each RT, this will cover the 8 methods of Scouting and will entail having myself or one of my staff describe the method and then open the floor to a roundtable discussion of how this method works for each attendee, or how its not working, so we may be able to offer solutions as a group. I want all attending our RT to be able to contribute to it. Each RT will also feature Patrol method emphasis.

I am using the SM handbook and the PL/SPL handbooks in preparing my topics and discussions, as well as the troop committee guidebook.

 

I am looking for ways to increase attendance at our RTs. Do you have any suggestions for that?

[Bob White]

I am convinced that the biggest factor in attendance is program quality. The second most important factor is promotion by the Roundtable staff at every possible opportunity, camporees, district dinners, district meeting, summer camp, training events. If a RT commissioner or a RT staff member doesnt promote their next Roundtable every time they talk with a scouter, or a group of scouters, then shame on them

 

One of the biggest challenges we have in Roundtable attendance is the expansion of district service areas as councils become larger and districts become fewer.

 

In the district I live in with the Scout Roundtable located in the center of the district there are units that would have to drive an hour each way to attend Roundtable. They would have to leave home no later than 6PM and would not return until nearly 10PM. For that kind of time commitment, and expense, you will need to guarantee a FABULOUS Roundtable, and that is a big challenge.

 

My staff and I have done surveys with nearly 100 Scout roundtable commissioners across the country and found a direct correlation between the distance the furthest Scoutmaster has to drive for Roundtable and the percentage of units that attend roundtable.

 

Districts where everyone lives within 15 miles of the RT location have far better attendance than districts where the leaders must drive 15 miles or more. The further away the leaders live the less likely they are to attend.

 

We had Districts where leaders live within 10 miles that had truly atrocious Roundtables that had 90% of the units attend. If you live close enough evidently your standards are far less demanding.

 

On the other hand, we had a District that in less than a year after training had people driving 65 miles every month to get to Roundtable. That can only be attributed to program quality.

 

So like everything else it is a balance. In this case its the three legged stool. Program quality, promotion, distance, all play a role. The greater the distance the more vital an outstanding program becomes.

 

I hope this helps

BW

 

[Docrwm]

Well, I just got home from RT this evening. Always meet some great people. All the heavy lifters in the District are usually there and tonight wasn't any exception. Problem is that out of the 93 minutes of program over 50 were announcements...........and I'm not counting the awards (even a Heroism award tonight!)

[AnniePoo]

Distance makes a HUGE difference. I'd go to every roundtable, but they are an hour away. Thus, me (CC) and CM trade off.

 

OK, next time I"m going to bring copies of instructions for our water bottle rocket launchers, and a prototype to share. Maybe I can start a trend, and others will start bringing interesting ideas as well. What's that quote - "Be the change you want to see in the world". I think that's it.

[Rythos]

The first round table that I went to was a kickoff for the year last month and it was set up to be a scouting information gathering event. You were given a list of 30 names and we had an hour to try and visit as booths as you could/that applied to your part of the program. You were able to get a brief overview of the topic and get a phone number and the name of a contact person within the district to call to discuss the topic with if you had questions about later in the year.

 

I thought this was very helpful as it gave me 30 or so new contacts to reach out to and discuss a question or a concern about the program with. It also put names and faces to the individuals handling certain events and/or aspects of the scouting program for our district.

 

After discussing it with the other leaders in our Pack who attended almost everyone went away feeling like it was a good experience. I would suggest it to anyone looking to offer a informational roundtable meeting maybe once or twice a year.

 

Ry

 

[bt01]

I am not relly going to add anthing to this disscution because everthing has been said. But Just have the scouters come every month.

 

I have been a round table comm for 4 and 1/2 years.

[BeaverIII]

Eagletrek wrote:

 

"Oh yeah, one last thing!!!!! Put those folks with the beads around their necks to work."

 

 

Have you or anyone associated with RT asked them? My experience is that most Scouters (with or without beads) will help with RT when asked, however the CS or BS RT Commissioner or SOMEONE should ask.

 

BeaverIII

 

[Basementdweller]

Rountable......The biggest waste of two hours in a month. The Cub program in our area was horrible. Sept. roundtable was to introduce the new leaders to cub scouting. The round table staff had no idea why tiger wolf and bear. They were not prepared. They suggested using the scout helps and didn't have a copy. I asked if they would like for me to help.

 

I ended up stepping up and telling the moglwi wolf story, Basically Jungle book. I got my scout helps out of my brief case and showed it to them, and suggested the cool, lame test, My den looks at the up coming month and either give it the cool or lame vote. A number of people asked for my number if they need some help.

 

I have resolved myself to run it. I have not been asked but I will come to the meeting with material and prepared to do it.

 

Yes they have those worthless wooden beads around the neck. There are some great wood badgers, but I have met a number that are self important and all about the rewards. I spent a couple of hours at an awards banquet last spring while they rewarded each other over and over and over again. Pathetic.