SPL going to roundtable meetings?

[gwd-scouter]

Does anyone ask their SPL to attend monthly roundtable meetings? A lot of information is given out at roundtable, many times info that has to then be passed down by the SM to the PLC. Seems like it would be helpful if SPLs attended and got the info directly.

[John-in-KC]

I serve as RT staff in my District. We occasionally have events which are specifically structured for SPL attendance: Camporee planning (where we want their input), SM/SPL symposium (are the youth leaders running the Troop), ...

 

But as a general rule, unless the SPL is coming for his own Eagle Project or to OA chapter because he's an Arrowman, no.

[Mafaking]

 

I don't see any SPL's at RT. Nor is there a big push to have them attend.

 

But it would make sense if the RT programs were geared toward SPL's. It is hard to grow as a leader especially a new leader if experience is limited. SPL's could bring ideas back to the PLC instead of the adults.

 

Funny our RT staff is currently looking for a purpose. Attendance is poor and getting worse. There is a perception that there is little value in going to RT. The breakouts are weak, the discussion agendas delivered from Texas are as exciting as toast. The meetings are long drawn out affairs held in a very un-business like way. The silly games, woodbdge shenanigans is diffenitly and acquired taste (read tolerance). RT is to be indured more than anything else.

 

Troops are, by-in-large insular. The youth leadership gets little in the way of peer examples that he can draw on to create a vision and lead the troop program. A monthly RT meeting geared toward SPL could prove beneficial. Instead of the adults filtering the programs the troop may like such as the camporee's and service projects the SPL could. And just like the adults, some program choices he will get right and others will be a miss.

 

Do SPL go to RT's? No! At least not in our district. BUT I could see a benefit in a youth leadership venue either monthly or bi-monthly where SPL's coverage to gain skills, exchange ideas and learn what's going on in the district. Would they attend? Not in mass but neither are many of the troops and packs in my district attending anyway.

 

 

 

 

[desertrat77]

I'm all for the SPL attending. After I made Eagle, and moved to another state, I was SPL in my new troop.

 

Attending RT and other adult leader meetings & even training, did three things for me. One, I became familiar with scouting in my new council. Two, it provided me an incentive to stay in scouting, as a youth, post-Eagle...I saw a new level of scouting that I hadn't been exposed to before, and it very much interested me. Three, as a teen, it was a real confidence boost to be considered worthy enough to be allowed to associate with adults. There were times during those meetings adult leaders would turn to me and say "Okay, so what do you think?" Good stuff.

 

 

[SMT224]

A couple years ago our District developed an SPL Round Table at the same time as the regular RT. The idea was that SPL's from all over the District could get together and coordinate upcoming activities and discuss common issues and problems. Nice idea, and worked for a while, but was finally dissolved to lack of attendance. I think the many of the SPL's were interested, but other obligations (homework!) did not allow them yet another evening devoted to Scouts. Further, I often go to RT by myself, so there was no way to bring the SPL (2-deep).

 

As others have said, SPL's do not attend our RT.

[shortridge]

If you're seeking a forum to share troop leadership ideas and information - though perhaps not event-specific info that would be distributed at Roundtable - the local Order of the Arrow lodge or chapter would seem to be a perfect place to reach many of the youth leaders involved. Perhaps something could be worked out by synchronizing chapter meetings and RTs.

[Eamonn]

Kinda like John, we invited SPL's to attend R/T meetings when it was felt that there was something for them to do.

 

I think the SM needs to look at what is happening at the R/T meeting and the quality of the meeting before asking an SPL to attend.

In the District I serve the Cubscout meetings are a lot of fun with lots going on.

Sadly the Boy Scout meetings are not so hot.

In part I think this is due to having leaders who have been around for a very long time and they feel that they are not going to take anything away from the meeting, so the guy in charge isn't really trying.

A few adults only attend when they are unhappy about something, some it seems to me only attend when they want to score points for being miserable.

I'm not sure I'd want youth who don't know these people to see them in action!

One problem we ran into when we did invite SPL's was just getting them to the meeting and back home again. Driving one Scout home from a meeting, after the parking lot meeting meant it was a little late and then there is all the good stuff in YP.

Eamonn.

[Buffalo Skipper]

I know I have said this before, and some of you may be tired of hearing it, but our district has a monthly SPL Roundtable.  And even if there is no "official" position of SPL Roundtable Commissioner, we have an SPL RTC, and 2 staff.

The SPLRT focuses on leadership training, SPL networking and Camporee planning. This month, the plan is to have a joint SPL and BS Roundtable (I forget the topic), but this is the first time in a year the SPLs have specificially been invited to join the BS leaders. 

Most interstingly, the SPLs are actually responsible for planning and executing our district camporees. For us this has been a great experience. Camporee attendance has gone up and it is scout led with activities the scouts choose and plan. The troop feedback has been more positive with this as well.

Feel free to ask me any specific questions on the SPLRT you may have, and I will try to answer it. I am not directly involved with this RT, but I have sat in as an observer several times, and the RTC is a good friend.

[Gunny2862]

I have had SPL's who chose to attend and and other who chose not to.

The previous SPL, went to every one during his tenure, the current one hasn't made any of them. One did a great job and one appears to be doing a better job in the face of new challenges.

 

There are benefits, they see that the adults have issues and work (mostly) thru them.

They find out about many events that the community or council offers that aren't always advertised to the Troop - and to date have always figured out the rationale as to why they aren't always advertised on their own. They see that Adults give up more time than they may otherwise be aware of to help them work the program.

 

There are drawbacks, they see that the adults have issues and work (mostly) thru them.;(

They sometimes feel they have wasted an evening, but then, occasionally so do I.

 

I like it when they attend, It doesn't bother me when they don't. It doesn't affect my thoughts about their effectiveness about being the SPL - I look at how they interact with the PLC and Troop for that.

[acco40]

I used to go to roundtable quite frequently. After a two years as a den leader (Wolf/Bear), one as a Webelos Leader and about four years as a Scoutmaster I thought to myself - I know this stuff. I don't need another "supplemental training" about how to conduct a PLC, how to do an entertaining troop meeting, etc. Yes, I wish more of my assistant Scoutmasters would attend roundtable but who I think would really benefit was our SPL! At Philmont during training I asked a few folks if they had SPLs attend roundtable a few did. When I approached our roundtable commissioneer staff the response I got back was absolutely not - we only allow adults. No amount of pleading by me seemed to change their mind.

 

As far as OA meetings - no, I don't think they should be roundtable (supplemental training) for youth. They should have a different function. What I would like to see is for the SPL to attend with an adult from his troop - preferably the Scoutmaster.(This message has been edited by acco40)

[Twocubdad]

When my older son was SPL I took him to one Roundtable.

 

He described it as the most useless, boring hour and a half he had ever spent.

 

From the mouths of babes....

[desertrat77]

Though I'm in favor of SPLs attending, Eamonn hit the nail on the head: what's happening and quality should be determining factors.

 

The meetings I attended as an SPL were very educational--in that particular council. And well attended in general.

 

I've been in three councils since as an adult leader, and many of the meetings are of little value to anyone, adult or youth. Endless discussions about bureaucracy, sundry carping, rehashing of old disputes, and the like.

 

My last council, in MS, had superb RTs, well attended. Why? They made them interesting.

 

 

[scoutldr]

We have an open invitation to "bring your SPL with you"...but very few do. Why? I think it's a matter of the youth trying to fit one more thing into their already overscheduled lives for little value-added. I remember well-run RT in CS and BS, but they are a thing of the past. Now it's just an "announcement session" or where you have to go to pick up your recharter packet.

[SM214]

Our districts OA meetings are held at the same time and location as our RT ( different part of building) and when the OA finish their meetings ( 1 scout was there for the last...my son) they usually sit in on the RT.

[Buffalo Skipper]

Yes, the quality of the program has alot to do with everything. Last August, we actually had a RT topic which applied to all 3 RT groups, CS, BS, and SPL: Webelos Recruiting. But it was not a combined, in fact there were 5 different presenters.

 

At CS RT, a presention was made to the combined Webelos leaders and Pack leaders on "Finding a Good Scout Troop." It included a list of all troops in the district, contact information, meeting place and time, Charter Organization and even website info. The discussion largely revolved around differences from Webelos to Boy Scouts, what to look for in a troop, what to expect at a troop visit.

 

The BS roundtable was about Webelos recruiting, how the committee and SMs should handle it, how to approach pack leadership, and innovative ways of invigorating Webelos.

 

The SPL RT was on how to plan for a Webelos visit, either at a meeting or a campout. It also discussed appropriate activities, and looked at ways to make visiting Webelos feel welcome.

 

Overall, I think it was a success. Again, just like good RTs depend upon a quality program, the program is only as good as the ideas are implemented by those attending. The most interesting and captivating and well attended roundtable progam is wasted if the participants don't take the ideas back to their units.

 

Back on the SPL RT, if a troop is truly Boy-led, this is where the leaders should be getting information on their own, not spoon fed from their troop's adult's leaders.

 

My 4 (I posted twice here).