Core characteristics of successful troops

[Beavah]

Yah, in da previous thread acco posted a list from somewhere of some characteristics of successful troops.

 

I confess I didn't much care for it. A lot of da items I felt were pretty superficial, and I've seen many excellent troops that wouldn't fit the cookie cutter. But a few I felt hit da mark pretty well.

 

So I'm curious if we could make a better list, eh?

 

What are da core characteristics of a successful troop? Yah, yah, we all have our favorite peeves and prejudices, whether it's full uniforming or 300 feet of separation, but I think we all recognize that there are quite a few great troops out there that either aren't fully uniformed all da time or that don't camp 300 feet away all the time. So let's try to set those hobby horses aside and just focus on what we'd really expect to be fairly universal signs and symptoms of a healthy program.

 

Beavah

 

[Eagle92]

Don't knwo what Acco said, so if I repeat bear with me.

 

1) The troop is truly boy led. I like PLs doing their job, SPLs doing theirs, and the older scouts helping the younger scouts. PLs and SPLs handled the problems, excepting very serious issues (which rarely happened), and it was a controled, safe environement for scouts to try new things, succeed or fail, and grow physically, mentally, and morally.

 

2) The troop is in the outdoors at least once a month. Yes I know patrols can camp on their own, and in some cases (patrols of all experienced scouts) wouldn't have a problem with it. But every scout should be in the outdoors at least once a month.

 

3) The troop's program has something for all levels of scouts. Growing up we had lots of older scouts still involved becasue A) we instilled in them that it was their turn to help the younger scouts just as older scouts helped them and B) the way our troop campouts were, they had opportunities to do their own thing. Sure there were times when they needed to help teach skills to the younger guys, but there was ample opportunties for them to to their own thing. this kept the older guys involved.

 

4) A great SM and CC who knows how the program is suppose to work, can mentor the older scouts as needed, and keep the adults, especially new adult leaders , from interfering. I know that when I turned 18, I still acted like an ASPL at times and not an ASM. Had lots of good mentoring from my SM and others.

 

More later as i can think

[BrentAllen]

A fun and exciting program that provides Scouts with a feeling of belonging - a home away from home.

 

That's it. If you don't have that, nothing else matters.

 

To dig a little deeper, a program that provides (in meetings and outings) a good mix of old favorites and new challenges. I don't think most boys care who does the planning, only that the program is fun and exciting. I do believe the older boys enjoy having the power to run the Troop, but they realize this also comes with a lot of work.

 

The Patrol Method. Successful Troops employ it in nearly every aspect of their program. Patrol Spirit, team work, sacrifice - they are all products of the Patrol Method.

 

I've been talking a lot lately with our youth leaders about the challenge of leadership. That some boys thrive on this challenge, that leadership can't just be learned by reading a book, but only by practicising it with different groups. Some boys enjoy the challenge, some hate it. They understand that Scouting is the only real organization that gives them the opportunity to really practice and study leadership, hands-on. A successful Troop will provide real opportunities for this to take place, and not just give it lip service.

 

 

[acco40]

The context of what I posted was from the eyes of prospective parents and Scouts shopping for troop. So, it only listed things that could be perceived by an "outsider" during a troop meeting or outing visit.(This message has been edited by acco40)

[Beavah]

Yah, that's a good criterion, eh?

 

Let's see if we can make the list objective enough to be useful in that context - either for a parent searching for a troop or a commish forming a general impression of things.

 

Beavah

[Eagledad]

What is considered successful? Of the top four largest troops in our district, Troop A with 150 scouts is totally adult run with a lot of activities to keep the scouts busy. Not much boy run, but a busy schedule.

 

Troop B with a 120 scouts is totally a MB Mill with a ho hum monthly outdoors program, but a very energized (and expensive) summer program.

 

Troop C with 85 scouts is very boy run with a very active outdoor program and high adventure program.

 

Troop D with 60 scouts has a good outdoor program but almost no boy run.

 

I hate to disagree with Eagle92 because I want to agree with him so bad, but boy run is not a prominent factor for a successful program. I dont think it is even in the top three. At least if we are looking at numbers as an indicator of success.

 

If we are looking at numbers as the indicator of success, my observations is Good Recruiting is the top item for a successful troop.

 

Troop B above to me has one of the most boring troop programs Ive observed in our district, but they have the best recruiting program of any troop in the state. Also, they loose at least half of their new scouts every year, but they recruit a lot of scouts. Troop D started with 12 Webelos and was at 60 scout in two years. The scoutmaster< who admits he doesn't know what he is doing, is in marketing and knows how to recruit.

 

Now I will say this about boy run, my observation is that the REAL boy run programs have the most active OLDER scout programs. Ive said a few times here that the best indicator of over all troop troop can be seen in older scout part of the program. Three of the four examples above loose 90% or more of their scouts by age 14.

 

Barry

 

[Eagle92]

ED,

No problems here.

 

FYI we were a small troop with between 28-40 scouts in my time with them. So we didn't have the numbers you see. However we generally had anywhere between 3-15 new scouts, 8-20 mid range scouts, and 6-12 older scouts. We were pretty a low key unit recruiting wise, with no feeder packs, until we moved to a new CO my last year as a youth, and relying on word of mouth and community work for recruiting.

[Beavah]

Yah, you guys are all too smart .

 

Let's say da criteria for success are those from the "Should all boys..." thread. That is to say, a "successful" troop is not based on numbers of youth. Instead it's based on the youth participants and their parents saying after several years of experience with da troop things like:

 

"Five years later, my now 14-year-old son is fairly close to becoming an eagle scout.. I could not be more pleased and proud... It certainly has become the most important and best extra- curricular activity he has participated in thus far in his young life... He appreciates nature and the need for conservation and sustainability. He enjoys helping the younger scouts. He can happily be without creature comforts and technology for weeks at a time. And very importantly in today's culture, he can be at peace with silence. He has learned more about ethics and values in scouts than through sports, school, religious, and other activities and organizations."

 

Stuff like that. Real outcomes for kids/young men.

 

Of course, maybe that's a characteristic of a successful program too .

 

Beavah

 

[Knot Head]

>>>> What is considered successful?

[Engineer61]

I think there is only one significant core characteristic of a successful troop...

 

Leaders who lead....guided by adults who know how to lead.

 

Without that...then it looks like our Troop...chaos.

[Buffalo Skipper]

I guess I have to disagree with many of you. To me, as successful troop is one in which there is a great balance and respect for the 8 Methods of Scouting. If you have a program in which all 8 methods are used, then you have a successful troop.

 

Any "adult led" troop is failing Adult Association, Leadership Development, and may well be missing the important points of Personal Growth and Patrols. Any troop which doesn't camp at least 10 or so times a year or more is failing at Outdoors. Uniforming to me is a "yes" or "no" issue; either you follow the uniforming standard or you don't. Advancement will vary from scout to scout as it is a personal achievement; MB mills decide for the scout what their achievements should be (bad)--this should be a matter of inspiring scouts to achieve. I would say that Ideals is something which cannot be overlooked. But to me, the most important aspsect of the 8 Methods is Patrols. Many different youth/civic groups have Leadership development or uniforms or values or a system of ranks and achievement and some even focus on the outdoors; but it is "Patrols" which is unique to scouting and no other organization. Without it, you are simply not a boy scout troop.

 

My 2.

[Eagle92]

Eng,

The problem is that ANY youth led troop will be organized chaos. If you read any of the older leader literature, "Green Bar Bill" Hillcourt himself states that repeatedly.

 

The key is that the youth are running things. They will make mistakes, forget things, wait to the last minute to prep, etc. These are learning moments,and even "failing' can be turned into something positive IF they learned fromthe experience, and improve themselves.

[boomerscout]

characteristic of a successful troop? Have enough funds so nothing has to be post-poned. Yeah, everyone needs to learn how to make choices. But, too often we hear "we're poor, we're poor"

Well, get unpoor. Learn how to fund-raise effectively. Pick worthwhile fundraisers.

Involve every parent. One may be an accountant and can help with the record keeping. Another may be a doctor and can help with camp physicals. Others may have super workshops and can help the Scouts build & repair their equipment.

You don't have to be a rich in money troop. You do need to provide the opportunities for rich experiences instead of "we can't, if only, I wish, it's not for us, maybe someday..." Plan, plan, plan -- at all levels

[Beavah]

Yah, let's see... so far we have:

 

1. Outdoors at least once a month.

 

2. There is good retention of older youth who have stuck around for the program and continue to be active.

 

3. The older youth are seen to be actively helping younger scouts, managing patrols, handling problems, directing the activities.

 

4. The adult leaders successfully rein in/redirect/re-educate interference by other adults.

 

5. Well established finances/financial planning.

 

6. Parents appropriately involved in support tasks that fit their expertise/interests.

 

Yah, Buff, I don't know quite what to do with yours, eh? Maybe yeh can come up with a few signs & symptoms that diagnose things like good patrol method?

 

 

 

[Jeffrey H]

Successful Troop? Plan well ahead for your campouts so they don't get cancelled because of late reservations(e.g., campsites or facilities are full and the Troop can't get in).

 

Our Troop seems to be falling into this pattern and we are not the campout/outdoors Troop we should be. We have good intentions, but poor follow-through. Our Troop is boy-led and our PLC plans the campouts and events calendar. However, the boys become discouraged when the Adult Leadership falls down on the reservations side of the planning. Reservation planning is led by one of our Troop Committee members with input from our Scoutmaster. It's not working well. In the last 6 months, we have had to cancel 2 trips and make a major site change on another because we waited too late.