transition

[red feather]

Been four plus years of transition. Adult led to boy led to scout led. The biggest transition was from boy led to scout led. (and that is where most scouters and adults said 'Wow') There are a lot posts about boy led but not scout led, maybe need to watch the semantics? (not sure, try this test at meeting, call the boys to order and then scouts to order and observe the difference) When the troop was boy led the involvement of the youth was there but marginal but when they moved to scout led the improvement of their decisions and focus was very noticable.

 

When the boys become scouts they were informed of the difference and they took ownership of the troop as scouts. Almost frightening in how they changed in taking charge of what they are doing.

 

The SPL and his staff has taken responibility for the troop ( notice not charge of the troop but responsibilty) and has been a major difference is how the PLC and the troop is led.

 

That said, the biggest hurdle was with the adults. Getting them to 'buy in' to scout led. Many wanted to become a merit badge mill, eagle mill, etc etc etc. But once they allowed the boys to become scouts the transition was and is impressive. One key was to get the adults trained and provide them responsibilites where they had to interact with the scouts to provide the program as scout led. And getting the scouts to interact with the scouters (notice the semantic difference between scouter and adults, peronal perception of position is importent). The number of merit badges earned and I repeat earned and the number of Eagle earned (repeat earned) has gone up with the scouts taking personal responsibility for their achievements. Like I said almost frightening.

 

Not real sure why the need of this post but I think new SMs and scouters and others might like to hear about a troop that has made this transition. I am very proud of the scouts and scouters of the troop that I serve. They are proud of themselves to be members of that troop and are presenting the program. (not without oopses but that is expected)

 

A troops culture is what has to be developed. New ways take time to become the norm. Had to age out the scouts who grew up the older way of doing things and once the younger scouts came to leadership age they only knew the scout led way. Same with the adults/scouters. Once the scout led culture is in place then the issue is preventing the other methods to try to take hold. Takes constant observence of new/existing adults and scouters to make sure they make the transtion or stay on track.

 

One on the challenges is reigning in enthusiatic new scouters. Takes about a year more of less to harness that enthusiasm. Just takes monitoring and pointing them in directions that support scout led.

 

Guess that is all, looking for others to post with their experiences with the transition. Scouters (notice not leaders) who are taking one the responsibility of SM or ASM might enjoy and learn from others experience and information. After all it is about the scouts isn't it?

 

yis

red feather

 

 

 

 

[Eagle732]

"A troops culture is what has to be developed. New ways take time to become the norm. Had to age out the scouts who grew up the older way of doing things and once the younger scouts came to leadership age they only knew the scout led way"

 

Our troop is going through this phase now. Older Scouts doing things the old, adult led way. Problem is newer Scouts tend to follow. How do you break the cycle?

 

How about specifics? What do you do, what do the Scouts do? How did it happen?

 

I've heard the saying "Boy run doesn't mean boy run into the ground". How do you avoid that?

 

Great post. I look forward to learning from someone who has made the transition from camping club to Scout troop.

 

[red feather]

Looking back over the whirlwind of the last 4 years the most important thing initially was getting the scouters of the troop to buy into boy led. Takes belief as SM that it can and will work and patience is the name of the game.

 

Recruiting of adults to be on committee and as ASMs is also very important with them understanding where the troop is heading. Our Committee is very strong with 8 to 11 active members and our scouter core is also very strong averaging 13 uniformed scouters each meeting.(the troop has 45 or so scouts each meeting)

 

The scouters only interact with the scouts on an as needed basis and operate as their own patrol ( that only took 3 years to get started). But once started they developed their own identity and operate seperate from the SM. I am not a member of the scouter patrol.

 

Youth elections started the culture change with the boys choosing their leaders and learning what is needed in that leader. The SPL chooses his staff (with consultation with the SM) he chooses one ASPL and I reserve the right to choose a second one (also consulting with the SPL to assure compatibility). This tool allows me to give a boost to a scout in learning leadership skills.

 

Setting the expectations of scout led from the beginning is also very important to success. Reinforcing that the troop is the scouts responsibility and praising the scouts whenever they behaved as scouts of the troop that they are responsible for gave the scouts a source of pride in what they were doing. Several times it has been overheard from one scout to another, 'that is not how scouts in this troop behave or do things'. Scary.

 

Breaking the cycle takes time, patience and vigilance. Stay in focus, stay on track, be willing to overlook some things but also be ready to step in and ask 'is this how this troop does things?' Get your scouters trained and work with them to enhance their understanding of the training and why it is needed.

 

One thing that has helped in this is our habit of having same age patrols. This limited the crossover of the old ways to the new and each new patrol grew up in the new culture. Our first and second year patrols know no other way of doing things and the third and fourth year patrols are providing the scout leadership having grown up developing the new culture.

 

Set the expectations high and the scouts will reach them. Set the expectations of the scouters high and they will respond. Keep the scouters busy, talk to them about the scout led program and they will undertand and buy in. Getting the PLC to be a functioning body was another chapter but they are now functioning and have/are learning how to hold meeting.

 

The next challenge was started this year. We now have a troop culture that is scout led and working and we are starting the process of developing the patrol method even stronger. The scouts are liking the idea and are slowly developing how they want to do it.

 

How did it happen? The scouts did it. They were expected to and they responded. The message has to be constant. For years I have been a very 'dumb' SM requiring the scouts to go to their leadership for answers. They look themselves from boy led to scout led.

 

Hope this helps, let me know

yis

red feather

[Twocubdad]

Congratulations, red feather! We're also about four years into the transition. I figure we've got another 5-6 years to go.

 

I need to think about your distinction between boys and scouts, adults and scouters. Things that make you go hmmmmm......

 

You're right about taking time to wash away bad habits. After almost four years we have most of the organization and mechanics in place. We have a functioning PLC which plans and runs troop meetings. (Before I became SM, PLC hadn't met in more than two years). Individual officers (QM, scribe, etc.) understand their jobs and every new term they take on more and more responsibility. For the past three years we've had good Troop Guides who work well with the new scout patrols. The patrol leaders tend to be the weakest link. Last year, four of the oldest, most experienced guys were the four patrol leaders which was great while it lasted. I really thought they were going to make a breakout. But last September we were back to a crop of enthuiastic but inexperienced younger guys leading the patrols.

 

The one setback I feel we had (maybe it was a strategic retreat) was getting the adults more involved in instruction time. For a year and a half or so the boys were responsible for the instruction program. We're a young troop (of 62 boys, three are 15 and two 16) and the scouts just didn't have the expertise to teach much beyond basic stuff. The boys had gotten to the point that they wanted more advanced programs, but without the older guys, there was no one to teach it. The boys were really struggling putting on instruction and letting the inter-patrol activity slide in the process. We made the decision to let the adults become more involved in instruction, but require the boys to do a better job with the activities. So far, it seems to have been a reasonable compromise.

 

Our glass ceiling seems to be an unwillingness by the scouts across the ranks to do the hard work necessary to take it to the next level. They're more than happy to sit back and do the same things over and over, rather than doing the work to stretch. They've found a comfort zone and aren't willing to go beyond it.