switching troops

[advancement lady]

I know there are forums on this subject, but I need some thoughts.

 

I have an Eagle and Life scout and unfortunately high school has "gotten in the way"! My freshman has made a group at high school that meets on the same night as scouts. I need to explore some options of how to keep him active.

 

Should we visit other troops that meet on a different night?

Should I meet with the Scoutmaster of our current troop?

 

Any advice will really help. He wants to continue in scouting and not only finish Eagle, but also earn his palms. They were camping this weekend and he commented how much he would miss that experience.

[packsaddle]

You might want to look over the other thread on 'jumping ship' as well. They're discussing some related things. Your son could also talk to his friends and find out about other troops through the 'grapevine'. (I've never understood that particular metaphor, if that's what it is, other than being the subject of a really great 'oldie goldie')

 

Otherwise your district guys can give you a list of troops in the area. Better yet, go to a roundtable meeting and ask there. Some of the scoutmasters and others will be in attendance and they'll be glad to discuss the possibilities.

[qwazse]

Both strategies should be considered.

 

Don't write off the current troop. The boy might want to ask the current SM if he can still serve if he attends meetings less frequently. For example, QMs often need to put in hours outside of meeting maintaining equipment and tracking gear. A quick report every week to the SPL the day before the meeting might help the troop run more efficiently.

 

Find out if any of the boy's Monday night friends might be interested in visiting a troop or crew. (Remember, venturers who already have First Class can work on Eagle with their crew advisor filling the SM role until boys turn 18.)

 

Understand that this may also be his way of saying he wants to be less active in scouting. Be prepared to accept it for what it is and support the boy accordingly. I had one set of parents want to get their boy integrated in our crew, but after a few meetings, he concluded life was all about the band for him.

[Eagledad]

>>My freshman has made a group at high school that meets on the same night as scouts. I need to explore some options of how to keep him active.

[Eagle732]

Your son made a group that meets the same night as scouts. You don't mention what the group is, how long the commitment to the group will last, if it is related to school grades or how important it is to him.

 

I have scouts that play high school sports such as football, and I don't see them for a few months. All I ask is that they let me know. I'll assume your son knew when this group met and decided to join it anyway (although I realize that at least in my area Scouts joining a sport often don't know when practices will be until after they have registered and paid).

 

I do expect some type of commitment from my Scouts, after all I and my other leaders make a huge time commitment to them. And the scouts have obligations to their patrol and troop, they may hold a position or just by being a member of the team (patrol). Has your son though about the obligation he has to his patrol and troop?

[SeattlePioneer]

I agree with others that changing troops should be a last option, not a first option.

 

 

And it ought to be up to the boy to manage the programs in which he is active, not the parents.

 

 

[Second Class]

Having been through the trauma of changing troops, I'd fully concur in this case, that should be the last option. (And trauma is NOT to strong a word).

 

Moving him to another troop would take him from the group of friends he knows, and places him in a group of total strangers. What motivation would THEY have to encourage your son to go on the next campout, or hike, or whatever.

 

The club your son is in probably meets 1/2 the year, and then not every week. He may find that when the planning for an event he's interested in happens, that meeting isn't so critical now.

 

Let him do the talking at the troop meeting, when he announces he'll be stepping back for a while. It isn't the end of the world, and doesn't have to be the end of the Eagle Trail.

[WasE61]

Assess with your son his making this new group was indeed a message (as Qwazse suggested) to you that Scouting is now a lower priority that perhaps you want it to be.

 

I would think that switching troops so he could be engaged in two time-consuming activities might be a bit more load that he is wanting, or can handle.

[JMHawkins]

Should we visit other troops that meet on a different night?

 

As others have said, only as a last resort. He already has friends in his current troop, correct? If he enjoys camping with them, thats a good reason to stick with the current troop. Meetings are just meetings. Of course important stuff happens at meetings, but the outings are more important. Plus, he could always meet with his patrol separately from the official Troop meeting.

 

Should I meet with the Scoutmaster of our current troop?

 

You? No. Your son, absolutely! Of course, maybe he could use a little coaching from mom first, depending on how self-sufficient he is.

 

 

[GKlose]

I'm with all the others -- nothing wrong with communicating with the present SM, to see what expectations may lurk about, and nothing wrong with checking out another troop. Maybe even it could be a temporary switch. Maybe the other troop has high expectations. Who knows until you start asking around.

 

In our troop's case, we're pretty relaxed. We expect a best effort to attend, and we don't mind that some disappear for a few months at a time. My own sons fit in this same category, with football, marching band, travel team and AAU basketball, etc. They attend when they can, and they still do "Scout work" when they can.

 

Had an interesting moment this last weekend. My older son had decided he wanted to row crew this last spring. Something of a schedule killer, with practice 6 days a week, and meets on weekends. I couldn't really argue with him -- he loves being on the water, and he loved being part of the rowing club. But the troop didn't see him for three months.

 

About a month ago, he was looking at the requirements for Rowing MB, and saw that he'd completed almost everything. Got a letter from the rowing club coach, and then he approached a counselor. The counselor asked my son to bring a parent (me) if he didn't have a buddy. We met on Sunday. The counselor was great -- he had many great stories, and asked really good questions of my son. The counselor was impressed, and kept repeating to me that I should be really proud of my son (I am!).

 

I don't think a young man has to be around a troop all the time to be considered a good Scout. On the other hand, I think he has to respect the program enough to participate when he can. If he reaches a point where curricular and extra-curricular activities sap up 100% of his waking moments, and he spends 0% of this time with the troop, then is he really a Scout?

 

The astute reader will note that I started a thread about a month ago, which detailed an issue we had with a Scout that was "skirting the bare minimum" when it came to participation. So it might appear that I am arguing differently in the previous paragraph, but I think it comes down to intent and effort.

 

Guy