Innovation Engine

[click23]

The BSA how has what it calls their "Innovation Engine" website. It is in beta right now, and only BSA employees may post, but anyone can read the ideas. I think this will be a good way to get our ideas to national once it fully rolls out.

 

From the FAQ

 

Q: What is this site all about?

 

A: We want to hear from you. We want you to tell us what changes we need to make. This can be about anything from improvements to the programs to how the Boy Scouts of America can save money.

 

http://ideas.scouting.org/

 

[Eagledad]

This is pretty cool and I'm always in favor of searching for new ideas. However, National did this about 11 years ago with JLT, which resulted in some really good ideas. I didn't see any of the suggestions used. NYLT ended up being almost a copy of Wood Badge. I'm not saying that isn't the right course, but it isn't very innovative.

 

Barry

[Eagle92]

This is a great idea for the pros. Volunteers can express their opinions on www.myscouting.org under the community tab. They do need to register though.

 

Eagledad,

 

Based upon my experiences of going through Brownsea 22 and staffing JLT, these top level scout trainging courses ARE suppose to mimic WB. For the two courses I went through and staffed, all adults either were working on their ticket, went through WB, or staffed WB. All except me. They considered my Brownsea 22 training equivelent to WB, and I got ther job as SPL since I was a "grey area" youth/scouter (registered Sea Explorer youth and ASM).

 

Also one of my youth staffers went through WB a few months later, after turning 18. He told me JLT and WB were identical except for the ticket. In my opinion this idea is reinforced by the decision to award WB staff and SM beads to NYLT adult staffers meeting certain requirements.

[Eagledad]

>>Based upon my experiences of going through Brownsea 22 and staffing JLT, these top level scout trainging courses ARE suppose to mimic WB.

[Eagle92]

Eagledad,

If I sounded angry or what not, I want to apologize as that was not my intent. My intent was to state that the top level of leadership training for youth has been identical to WB for years. I can't comment on the current programs, I've not been to WB21C yet or worked NYLT, so I don't know what goes one. i was just trying to point out that the two courses were deliberately planned that way.

 

On a lighter note, If the adult staff can get their WB staffer beads, and the program is identical except for the ticket, why not include a ticket, and give WB beads to the youth (This message has been edited by eagle92)

[Eagledad]

>>Eagledad,

If I sounded angry or what not, I want to apologize as that was not my intent

[Eamonn]

It does seem that the new team in National is open to new ideas and is looking at what we do and how we go about getting it done.

I at times do think and sometimes worry that as an organization we allow people who have been around for a long time and doing this for a long time to crowd out new people and new ideas.

We now do spend some time looking at change in the new WB course and send newer and young leaders back to units where they are faced with the "We don't do it that way" Or the "We've always done it this way!" attitude.

Innovation can be and is a wonderful thing, but many of us are a little afraid and maybe even scared of change and the unknown.

I was a staff member of what I have been given to believe was the second to last Cub Scout WB in the country. (I don't know how true that might be?) We had a number of Boy Scout leaders attending, mainly from around the Washington DC area. Some new things were in the course and we were informed that these were being tested for the new course.

During the waiting time for the new course, I can't ever remember hearing so many rumors and misinformation. I have no idea where they were coming from. I do know a lot of people who just love to think that they are the first people to be in "The Know!"

When I did get my hands on the new course syllabus. It became clear as I went over it that different people had taken charge of different areas of the course and different presentations. How much they had been influenced by the input/feedback from others? I have no idea.

It's maybe a little too easy to just think that Wood Badge and the uniform have been the only changes over the past few years. Many of the other training's have undergone changes and the books the Cub Scouts use have all had a re-write. A friend of mine was involved in the update to the Bear Book.

I have no idea what-so-ever what the cost of running an organization the size of the BSA is? I do feel sure that the drop in membership has put a financial hurt on the organization.

Looking at my email In-box,it does seem that National Supply (Scout Stuff) are trying hard to go after a lot more sales than they have in the past.I have yet to hear if this has in any way hurt the sales that small Council Shops make?

While I have no evidence and have not heard even a rumor!! I do feel that when the present strategic plan runs out in 2010 (Which if you ask me has not been an overwhelming success!) The new plan will offer a lot more changes. I kinda think (Again I have nothing to back this up.) That we might want to look at the changes that have taken place in other Scout Organizations around the world. I of course am looking at the UK and the changes made there. I don't think the BSA will follow everything (I don't know if we are ready for coed Scouting?)But a lot of the changes there did help rebuild the sagging membership that had been taking place.

While I'm sure we have a lot of members who will say "If it's not broken, don't fix it". Many will dig their heels in and some will make a fuss, sadly some will just call it a day. But change is coming and I for one like the idea that we as an organization are not standing still waiting for the sky to fall.

I might not like some of the new innovative ideas and changes that come down the pike. I'm sure that some of them are not going to work. I however think we do need to remain open to new ideas and most of all keep in mind that the youth and their parents are the youth and parents who live in the world of today.

I have no problem looking back and learning from the past and the great people who led and formed our movement. I wish it were possible to hear from people like BP and others what they would do today? This of course is not and never will be possible. I do feel that these guys were such great leaders that they would be open to change and would be willing to go back on things they have said and wrote in the past; saying that maybe what was right for then is not a good fit for today.

We live in a time of great innovation and change, lets not allow it to pass us by, my hope is that we embrace it and make it work so we can serve the youth in the communities where we live, passing on the core values of scouting to the people who are going to look after us in our old age and advancing years.

Eamonn.

[Eagledad]

Well Im not sure Im viewed as one for change, but I will say that our troop during my time as a leader was considered very forward thinking at the time. Enough so that a lot of folks were scared of us. I hope you are right about the new team, but I still wonder what that means if they are.

 

 

I can say that typically the changes we made in our units usually simplified the program and made it easier for both the adults and the scouts to continue toward the goal. A lot of that was in our Cub Scout Pack and much of what we did was simplify our Tiger and Webelos program. As a result, 90% of both groups of boys continued in scouting the next year after they crossed over. That was a change from 30% before and very few other units could brag about that. But the main point is the changes were intended to require less effort from the adults, not more. So they were easy changes to hand over. I understand most of those changes are still in the pack.

 

I also learned a little bit of how National approaches their changes. I once met one of the writers of the present Scoutmaster Specific course. I told him that I liked teaching the course, but found it to be a bit confused because the book didnt exactly match power point. He said that made sense because there were three writers who did their own separate part, then sent their part to be assemble in whole by the National. Even when I was talking to him, he still had not seen the syllabus of the whole course, so he was excited to hear my opinion, especially of his part. That was a little strange to me, but he said National was trying to meet a time table.

 

I have heard rumors that National has been working toward a very long range plan. 2010 makes sense because I have been hearing about it for a long time. I will be curious to learn just what that plans are. I dont like to call myself a traditionalist because I think myself as very open minded. But I am looked at as a traditionalist because after trying different styles and methods through the years, many of the traditional styles of scouting gave us the best performance. I found that Traditional programs are typically simpler. I believe in simplicity and I have found that National tends to do just the opposite out of necessity. For example, National wanted to change the tradition of boys joining Troops from individually joining to moving all the Webelos over at once. The idea was more boys would crossover if they had a friend and I agree. But, that led to Troop Guides and aged based patrols. That has led to more adult run style of program, which has led into issues of leadership development. In my opinion that has changed average age of a Patrol Leader is at least 2 to 3 years younger than 25 years ago, which means less older scouts staying in the program. The younger Patrol leaders also led the adults to rely more on a JLT style of leadership development. All that leads into a more complicated program for adults to manage. After doing this for a long time, Im convinced that NSPs change made the Troop program much more difficult for adults to manage. And, the numbers haven't improved enough to say it was a success. At least not five years ago.

 

And that was a little change. You can imagine the effects of bringing women leaders into the program. Im actually scared to see the new program. Im glad my sons are adults now because it will be very easy for me to bail out if it gets harder. Maybe it really is time for a new generation of pop culture adults because thats about all who will be left to run the units. I can still barely text message.

 

Barry

 

[Eamonn]

One of the problems I seem to have with change is all too often I tend to ask too many questions and the biggest of these questions tends to be "Why did they do that?"

All too often I never get an answer. Or maybe the problem might be that I don't get an answer that I like?

I have never really been sold on the Tiger Cub program.

While of course it can be argued that these little fellows and their families do benefit from the good found in the purpose of Cub Scouting.

I rightly or wrongly have fixed in my mind that it was just a way to show an increase in membership.

Having now worked with a coed Sea Scout Ship I'm very much for us going coed, but I feel sure if (And I don't see it happening anytime soon.) We were to go coed, many would say this was just about boosting the membership numbers.

I'm still hearing (But have yet to see) the Lion Program aimed at kindergarten aged boys. I don't think this is such a good idea.

Much of my problem is that while I still and think I always will believe in the values of what we are trying to do, I somewhere along the line seem to have lost trust in the people at the top.

I'd much sooner us look at the questions we are being asked and think about why they are being asked? That is to say examine the question, before answering with the same old answer.

I'm sold on all the good stuff we do! I'm great with core values and all this talk about building character. - There really is no problem there.

But...

Before we start new programs for what might be younger and younger youth, we need to look at the programs we have and the kids we have and want to have and find more ways to attract and retain these youth.

If this means that we have to embrace things that some of us older members can't do or are afraid to do? So be it.

If it means that maybe there might be a lessened empathize on areas that we have traditionally focused on? So be it.

I would love to see us more focused on participation than advancement.

I think having trained kid friendly adult leaders is more important than signing up lots of busy parents who don't really want to be involved and begrudge the time and money that true involvement takes.

I'd love to see all of our camps take a long hard look at making what they offer year round kid friendly, unit friendly places for groups to go.

If there were a way to get all the adults to understand that no volunteer out-ranks any other volunteer that would be great.

I do think it's time that we put the commissioner staff to bed and admit that this just doesn't work anymore. In their place lets develop well trained trainers who will do a great job and inspire the adults to get out there and deliver programs that kids will enjoy and want to participate in.

I keep hearing that adults who take the time to attend training's come away feeling short changed. This is just not acceptable.

Of course much of this lies with the local Councils and Districts. But maybe if at the next Top Hands meeting the new Scout Executive laid down some new ideas this might make a start?

Everything we do depends on program.

I wonder how long it will take for the guys at the top to understand this and stop playing numbers games and come up with ideas that will help the poor guy who has had a bad day at work but still has to face a group of kids after his has picked up a burger from the fast food joint. Because he didn't have time for his tea.

Eamonn

[shortridge]

I really like a couple of your ideas.

 

"I'd love to see all of our camps take a long hard look at making what they offer year round kid friendly, unit friendly places for groups to go."

 

I'd love this, too. Wouldn't it be great to have the pack meeting outdoors a couple times a year, at a camp? Or den meetings at a camp? It wouldn't work for everyone, but those units in the immediate vicinity ought to be encouraged to do so. From there, it would probably snowball so more units would have their meetings outdoors as a matter of course... the way it used to be. :-)

 

"I do think it's time that we put the commissioner staff to bed and admit that this just doesn't work anymore."

 

This part is extremely intriguing. The idea of floating consultant troubleshooters with no direct authority doesn't seem to be a very effective way to solve problems.

 

"In their place lets develop well trained trainers who will do a great job and inspire the adults to get out there and deliver programs that kids will enjoy and want to participate in."

 

Amen to that.