Core characteristics of successful troops

[qwazse]

Reservations (esp. at council camps) are tough. Develop some local options as backup.

 

Back to topic ... the troop is visible in the community. Boys are recognised for accomplishments outside of scouting. (They may be the ushers in your church, on student council, etc ...) You may even find them camping in some local hollow!

[frank10]

Want a successful troop, look for one with successful boys. It's the only real way to measure a troop. Just like uniforms and advancement, the troop is only a method not an end. Find a cross section of the boys in a troop and look to see how they are growing as scouts.

If the boys think of themselves as scouts even when not at a scouting event then a troop is successful.

If at the end of a little league game you can spot your scouts as the ones helping putting away the equipment then you run a successful troop.

 

 

If you find your former scout taking up careers and trades rather than jobs. Military, public, religious and political service, well you see the trend here...

 

If every boy know how to hike and camp there would still be a need for Scouts.(This message has been edited by wingnut)

[acco40]

These is a reason why they call it annual planning.

 

I had a radical suggestion because while we rarely ran into reservation issues - numbers (how many are going) was always a last minute thing. My solution, which went over like a lead balloon, was to charge each Scout a $250 (est.) fee each year and then make all outings "free." Some many of the reservations were not "head count based" it was difficult to set a cost per scout because the numbers were unknown.

[Horizon]

1. Ideals: Are boys learning and embracing the morals of Scouting? Is there a good Scoutmaster's minute? If you ask a boy about doing the right thing, does he get it?

 

2. Patrols: Real or provisional? Is there patrol pride and patrol flags? I consider the Patrol to be the heart, which is why I do NOT like new scout patrols. The patrols in my Troop are mixed age, with lots of interaction between the boys. There is also Patrol based competition going on regularly. If you ask a boy about his Patrol, does he shrug or does he brag?

 

3. Outdoors: Everyone gets this - do you get out? Nothing wrong if the Troop is all car camping, or all backpacking, or some mixture of the two plus fishing and skiing trips. Does the Troop get out of town is what matters.

 

4. Advancement: Do you see a mix of ranks on the chests? Not ALL boys should be First Class in First Year, but at least one should be a hard charging First Class in a few months. The Troop is providing enough opportunities to have 14 year-old Eagles, while also having 17.99 year-old Eagles as well. There should also be a couple Life for Life guys hanging around just having fun. No limits, but also no admonishment and no mills.

 

5. Personal growth: Tough to quantify. I think this just happens in a good troop.

 

6. Adult association: Is it just two guys signing everything off, or is there a good mix of adults WITHIN the Troop that the boys work with. While I appreciate Council merit badge counselor lists, I also think that a lot of adult association can happen within a Troop.

 

7. Leadership development: Are boys learning to lead? Who opens the meeting? Are there activities that are obviously purely boy run? Are Patrol Leaders even present at the meeting? Is the SPL talking without constantly checking with the SM? During opening, is the SM next to the SPL, or does the SPL call him up when it is time for the SM to talk? Is there any other training offered, or mentoring going on?

 

8. Uniform: Are they wearing it? Does it look like they WANT to? I disagree with those who think this is an on/off switch, rather than a spectrum like every other method.

 

A key thing here is also determining what the SCOUT wants, and what fits into the Parent's life. Yes, it is the Scout's choice - but if the parent's can not support it, it is not going to work.

 

Example: My son could not join a 100% high adventure troop, as his sports schedule would keep him from 1/3 or more of the outings. During the season, he catches up with the Troop on Saturday after his matches for example. Our Jamboree Troop was VERY strict on uniforming, to the extent of turning off my son at one point. He talked to me about not going, after being yelled at in front of the entire Troop for not being in compliance with the Troop's uniform policy that week. He had to re-stitch his Troop number because it was considered to be too far from the CSP. My son said that he would never run his Troop like that as SPL, and that he would argue against it at every PLC from now on at our regular Troop.

[Chug]

Good, enthuseastic adult leaders, and a varied and exciting programme.

[Beavah]

Yah, OK... an update...

 

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.

 

7. Scouts, especially older boys, demonstrate personal success in other activities and a service-minded nature. Alumni go on to successful lives with a service trend; some alumni stay as ASMs or help out occasionally when back in town.

 

8. Good SM minute focused on ideals; kids buy in. You can ask a boy about doing the right thing and he "gets it".

 

9. No provisional patrols, ever.

 

10. There is good patrol spirit, scouts identify with their patrol. There are patrol competitions or at least friendly rivalries.

 

11. Advancement should be mixed; not all kids the same age should be the same rank, different boys should have different numbers and types of MBs.

 

12. Mix of in-troop ASMs and active parents. Not just one or two active adults.

 

13. Scouts buy into the troop uniforming standard.

 

14. Adults seem committed and enthusiastic.

 

15. Program activities offer variety and change somewhat from year to year.

 

16. Troop PLC conducts an annual planning conference (or some equivalent).

 

17. Troop runs at least one TLT/JLT experience each year that is fun and at least partly outdoors. Boys (not just adults) talk about it positively.

 

 

Any more? Any edits?

 

Beavah

 

[Basementdweller]

Chug has it right.

 

 

Over complicating things.