A Place to Beat a Dead Horse (or a favorite drum)

[Eagledad]

>>I've had the personal thought for some time that our council needs to tap the lodge as a resource for helping run the youth leadership training.

[Buffalo Skipper]

Yes, it was "Green Bar," and not NYLT. I know this because I also sit on the Council Program Committee, and we had the discussion about establishing an NYLT program in the council at last month's meeting. The Lodge Advisor was sitting right next to me, and he expressed his concern about scheduling it too close to the OA's Green Bar, and was concerned that Troops would choose one over the other. It was obvious he saw these as two different programs. The Council PD, on the other hand was going on about how this (NYLT) was to be done, and discussed a process and program completely unlike what the OA was presenting.

 

Our council has never offered (other than the OA's Green Bar) any youth leadership training program that I have seen. Though I continue to be grateful that our district and council remains free much of the infighting I read about here and on other sites, I have found that many in our council remain in the dark about change taking place around them. We do have a unique dynamic around here. We have a "new" program director, who came in armed with a tremendous amount of knowledge of other programs, and I pick his brain at every opportunity. (Prior to his appointment, we had never had a program director)

(This message has been edited by Buffalo Skipper)

[SR540Beaver]

Barry,

 

My son staffed NYLT last year and is again this year. While the staff had OA members in it then and now, it wasn't because they were OA nor was the Lodge consulted for staff suggestions. Last year's staff was made up of GT camp staff. They are doing things a little differently this year. Last year's course was put together at the spur of the moment. I'll PM you off line about my concerns as they are not for public consumption.

[Stosh]

The transition?

 

Interesting question because 95% of the transition is not in the program, it's in the understanding of the concepts of the program. We have WB people run off, get this terrific training in the process of self-led, patrol-method, and then run home and immediately revert back to "the way we've always done it."

 

Then there's the fired up young man that heads off to NYLT gets this terrific training in the boy-led, patrol-method process, and then runs home and immediately reverts back because, "We've never done it that way before."

 

I found that the easiest way to make the transition is to sit down with the boys, openly discuss the concepts of boy-led, patrol-method, and give the reins to the boys to figure out the rules to the game. I make the rules in my troop very simple. 1) Safety first, 2) Look and act like a Scout, and 3) Have fun.

 

The adults get only two rules: "1) If a boy can do it, let him and 2) Let him figure it out on his own."

 

With that being laid out for the boys, the first thing one is going to get is the traditional deer in the headlights look. You expect US to do everything? Yep! Need help? Just ask. Then the game begins. Boys: "If we stand around long enough, an adult will step in and take over." "If we don't take it seriously and major deadlines are being missed, then an adult will step in and take it over." "If (fill in the blank) then an adult will step in and take over." To which the adults say: "Bummer!"

 

Until the program becomes real and ownership is 100% guaranteed to stay in the boys' hands, they are not going to believe any adult would allow a real boy-led, patrol-method program to exist. They will constantly seek "guidance" to which their SM will respond, "Well, what do you think is the best course of action?" If he is really stymied, then a "Well, if it was me, I would consider a couple of options," and then give the boy some options for him to make the decision. Nurture THEIR leadership, not one's own.

 

Stosh