SPL and Troop Committee

[starbash]

I'm new to this forum and did not find any subject related to this matter in my search. Our troop is fairly new (3 years) lead by scouting newbies. Somehow in the past year we have been inviting the Patrol leader ( since we only had 5 young scouts)and now the SPL to attend our Troop committee meetings. But we have had problems getting the scout to attend or participate. I guess we thought it would be a good learning experience for the scout to see how a committee actually should work.

Anyway, I've been trying to find somewhere if the SPL should even be attending our meetings. I see nothing in the Troop Committee Guide book and there was nothing written in the Troop bylaws that I cobbled from another established troop stating that it was or wasn't a responsibility of the SPL to attend.

What does everyone else do??

 

Thank You in advance for your input.

[qwazse]

Youth do not attend troop committee meetings -- although I don't think anyone would oppose the idea. But, our SPLs are pretty active boys in general.

 

I banned crew committee meetings unless the Crew President could be present. Call us dysfunctional, but it's nice to have one less meeting a month.

[Kudu]

In my Troops the SPL always attended Committee Meetings.

 

The basic idea is that in a boy-run Troop, the Patrol Leaders run the program and the SPL then coordinates the Patrols' plans with the resources that the Committee is willing to offer.

 

Remember that in Baden-Powell's Scout Program there is NO committee of kids' parents. The Patrol Leaders run everything (including the bank account) from what we call the PLC.

 

Yours at 300 feet,

 

Kudu

http://kudu.net

 

[Beavah]

Yah, star bash, welcome to da Scouter.Com forums!

 

In answer to your question, whether or not the SPL attends troop committee meetings is entirely up to your CC/committee and your SPL . I've seen it both ways, and in fact a lot of permutations (includin' putting the former SPL on the committee).

 

Generally speaking', I have the following thoughts (in no particular order).

 

1) adult meetings tend to be boring, and da style might not really help the SPL work with the PLC.

 

2) if the adult meeting is too boring to an SPL chances are your CC is doin' a lousy job with the agenda for the committee meeting. It shows your committee is spending too much time on things that don't matter to the boys. The adults can learn from that, eh? Sadly most don't.

 

3) having one or two youth present helps da adults to behave themselves, if that's an issue for your committee.

 

4) it's good to have the SPL come to the committee for some things, like presenting the annual calendar from the PLC or da budget, or sitting on the committee to select a new Scoutmaster. Even if he doesn't attend other meetings.

 

Beavah

(This message has been edited by Beavah)

[Troop185]

Our PLC and Adult Committee Meetings are the same night. PLC 6:30 - 7:30; Committee Meeting 7:30 - 9:00. Our SPL attends the Committee Meeting; is first on the agenda, and gives a report to the Committee on what the PLC has just decided; and then leaves.

[Lisabob]

In my son's former troop where he served as SPL for a year, it was expected that the SPL would attend the monthly committee meetings. The SPL would give a report, answer questions, and raise/relay concerns from the PLC.

 

In theory, this seems like a good idea. And as a longtime committee member, I could see it as helpful for the committee to hear from the boys in this way.

 

On the downside, it is only helpful if the committee is actually interested in the boys' input. If not, then the whole thing becomes a charade, and a waste of everyone's time. Further, once my son became SPL, it was easier for me (as a parent) to recognize the drain on his time. SPLs are typically very busy kids who do a LOT for their troop already; another meeting, and one in which they have little voice, may be seen as a poor use of their time.

 

Just another perspective.

[Oak Tree]

Our committee meetings happen during a troop meeting, so the SPL has other things to do to occupy his time.

 

I would think that mostly he would find it boring. Driver reimbursement policy, merit badge counselor recruiting, when to schedule the Friends of Scouting pitch - I really don't think he's missing much.

[CalicoPenn]

Hang around the forums enough and you'll learn that maybe you don't want a Scout to attend committee meetings to learn what they're like. We seem to see a lot of dysfunctionality displayed.

 

There's no need for the SPL to attend committee meetings - the Scoutmaster should be perfectly capable of representing the PLC's and the boys interests at the Committee meetings.(This message has been edited by CalicoPenn)

[frank10]

Why would I inflict that pain on my SPL. I don't want to attend a committee meeting and I'm the CC.

 

The boys should run the program, It's my job to push the paper.

[hotdesk]

Many of you have used your SPL to report on the happenings of the PLC. I would agree that some meetings are appropriate for the SPL, and others aren't.

 

I would let the Scoutmaster serve as a liason between the committee and the PLC.