Dont forget the Advancement Commitee Chair

[Engineer61]

Hey SM's!!!

 

When you hold those CoH's and your off thanking all the ASM's, giving out mugs, etc....you be wise to do the same for the Advancement Committee Chair.

 

Our's didn't!

 

Our Advancement Chair puts in 10-15 hours a week...every week, year round...sometimes 30-40 hours in the busy weeks leading up to CoH and Summer Camp...paperwork everywhere, making up for the ASM's that don't turn in paperwork...coordinating with District Council, trips to the Scoutshop.

 

She easily puts in more time than the ASM's combined.

 

Man is she ticked.

 

[moosetracker]

I Don't blame her, my husband is Advancement Committee chair, and SM's & CC's put in alot of time, but hands down in our troop, the ACC puts in way more then the ASM's.. This may not be in all troops, so the ASM's do not have to get in a huff.. Just saying in some troops this is definately true..

[Stosh]

When I was Advancement Chairman for a large pack, for two weeks prior to Blue-Gold, I made DAILY trips to the scout office to pick up advancement badges, pins, beads, belt loops, etc. for the boys because the DL's trickled in the information at the last minute! With 130 boys in the pack I couldn't wait until the last minute to do it all, so it took me the full two weeks to get the job done. With 130 boys one could easily expect 500+ badges that needed compiling and sorting out. It was a blessing that our scout shop isn't open on Saturdays so I had all day to do the last minute details, and it did take all day! It is worse than popcorn distribution! One has to be precise because you don't want any boy not getting what he has coming! 12 dens, 10+ boys each, all laid out on the table so the CM could just go down the line and pick up the awards, give to the boys and get the thanks!

 

I did it for 4 years and no one ever said thank you!

 

But, it was for the boys and that was thanks enough just to see all of them getting their awards.

 

I went on to do advancement for the troop, but it was a lot smaller number of boys. I did that for 14 years and again, no thanks were ever expressed for doing that job either.

 

Being Advancement Chair is truly one of those thankless jobs one always hears about.

 

Thanks would be nice, but I have yet to meet an Advancement Chair that does it for anything other than the boys.

 

Would I do it again? Only if BSA policy changed and I could literally hold DL's feet to the fire and get the reports in at least a week in advance!

 

Stosh

[perdidochas]

I'm advancement chair of my troop. I don't do it for the boys. I do it for the power......

 

I helped out the advancement chair of the Pack. The troop advancement chair job is much easier.

 

I like the position, partly because I get to talk with most of the Scouts.

[Beavah]

When you hold those CoH's and your off thanking all the ASM's, giving out mugs, etc...

 

Yah, or better yet yeh can stop takin' up time patting each other on the back.

 

Courts of Honor are for the kids, eh? I can't tell yeh the number of times I've sat in COH's or (worse) Blue & Golds where the adults spend almost as much time congratulatin' and awardin' each other as they spend on the kids. Boring.

 

To my mind the only time a COH should honor an adult is when the youth unanimously agree. Somethin' like a brief thing at the end of the CoH to say goodbye to the SM of 50 years who is retiring.

 

Otherwise, save da mugs and plaques for a committee meeting, and spend your kid-time focused on the kids. Your CoH's will be better, and as a bonus you'll avoid the "pissed off" adult volunteer who didn't get her mug.

 

Beavah

 

[83Eagle]

Beavah--

 

ABSOLUTELY!!!!

[NJCubScouter]

Personally I think it would nice if it was the responsibility of the parents who don't do anything for the troop, to get up as a group at a COH and thank the parents (and "alumni parents", a group into which I now fall) who do volunteer and provide and support a program for the sons of the do-nothing parents. But of course the do-nothing parents don't get up and say thanks. They don't do anything!

 

By the way, perdidochas, I almost actually fell off my chair when I read your post. I just became advancement chair, and that's why I do it too. For the power.

[emb021]

"By the way, perdidochas, I almost actually fell off my chair when I read your post. I just became advancement chair, and that's why I do it too. For the power."

 

and the cool uniform, too. admit it!

 

[perdidochas]

""By the way, perdidochas, I almost actually fell off my chair when I read your post. I just became advancement chair, and that's why I do it too. For the power."

 

and the cool uniform, too. admit it! "

 

Nah, I just do it for the power. I already had the uniform as a WDL (and Bear Leader and Tiger Cub Leader before that).

[Engineer61]

I don't agree with you at all Bev...

 

I think CoH is the perfect time for the Scouts to recognize and show appreciation for the adults that make Scouting possible. No adults...no scouting. I'm there is some Scouting edict somewhere about Scouts showing appreciation for efforts taken on their behalf.

 

CoH is the only time where ALL of the Scouts and ALL of the parents are present.

 

If you don't want that at all...then fine. Don't thank any of the adults for anything....but don't exclude anyone if you do...

 

...that's just rude.

 

What a ...

[moosetracker]

I agree with Engineer61 - But will state, keep the thank-you short and quick.. Especially with cubbers.. BS can be a little more to it, but not much more.. Do not drag them out... Have them stand.. Say thank you.. Set them down.. Recognizing them a) makes them feel appreciated, and willing to help more... B) Let's the do-nothing parents know that the unit does not run on air, but the time of parents who do something, so let them squirm and feel uncomfortable for being a do-nothing.. But don't bore the kids..

 

Engineer - though the SM may have just had tunnel vision & looked at those who report to him.. Not, right but just saying.. Two months ago, I had an IOLS training.. my future Daughter-in-law helped coordinate before the training date, but during the date she was a participant since she needed the course herself, and did not know enough to be a trainer for anything.. So at the end of the course, I thanked all my trainers.. I forgot to thank my daughter-in-law, though she did a terrific job.. My son told me my error in time so I could add her to the list of people to thank.. The participants helped by also thanking her for the informative email they sent her.. I still fell awful for having forgot her in the first place.. I was just searching my mind for those who had helped during the event, and had tunnel vision, and did not think of before the event.

[NJCubScouter]

I'm sorry if it's boring, but there's nothing wrong with 5 or 10 minutes of honoring the adult leaders at a COH. In our troop we do that very briefly, the CC just calls out the names of the adults who are there and says what they do, and each of us gives a little wave, and then (since the parents are there) she puts in a plug for more parents to volunteer. It probably takes less than 5 minutes.

 

Let the kids hear, now and then, that other people are spending their time for THEM -- and while they obviously know their SM and ASM's, they may not know some of the committee members or about what they do. Occasionally and briefly reminding the boys that good things do not happen by themselves, but happen because someone cares enough to make them happen, is a good thing even though it might make the 11-year-olds restless for a few minutes.

[Lisabob]

I'm leaning more toward Beavah on this one. We left a pack because the pack meetings were dull and boring, and consisted mainly of adults talking at each other and telling the boys to be quiet (B&G was no exception). And my son recently changed troops. In his previous troop, COH was my least-favorite event on the calendar (well, except committee meetings) because it was ALL about the adults with little opportunity for the boys to take ownership even if they tried to. I don't know if it was also my son's least-favorite troop activity, but it was always clear most of the boys were not enjoying themselves at COHs. Literally, sitting in rows of chairs lined up, facing the stage where a bunch of adults were blathering on and awarding each other - for hours at a time. BORING.

 

Sure, give a quick "thanks to all who help make this pack/troop/crew/whatever work" thing, but DON'T spend the boys' time with elaborate adult award ceremonies or endless adult speeches. That's not what scouting is for, and they aren't who scouting is about.

 

 

[Engineer61]

I too agree that a long blown out ceremony for the adults would excessive.

 

At the CoH in question, it took less than 3 minutes for the SM to call up in mass all the ASM's, thank the ASM's, and down.

 

Thank all or thank none.

[Twocubdad]

That you are into Scouting only for the boys makes no difference. The troop showing its appreciation and offering a word of thanks isn't about you. It's about being appreciative and courteous. If that is a sentiment which come organically from the boys, great. If not, it is another life skill they need to be taught and an example we need to set for them.