Troop Meeting Notification

[kwarmack]

I have been a scouter form nearly 15 years having started with my youngest son in Tiger Cubs on through my recent Wood Badge Training. My previous troop was located in the South Suburbs of Chicago. The troop that I am currently with is in it's 3rd year of existence and is located on the South Side of Chicago. I have one mother who is the Troop Committee, who would send out notices to the boys of the meetings and what they should bring. At the start of this year, I prepared a calendar for the year, outlining when our meetings are scheduled, any proposed outing dates, Court of Honor dates, etc and passed it out to the boys and I also put the calendar in a folder for the Parents along with information about the Popcorn Sale, etc.

 

Although we have the calendar, the parent wants to continue to send out the flyers stating that parents are calling her asking for information, that the boys are not providing the information that is given to them at meetings, etc. I counter that we do have the calendar and we can also begin to produce a monthly newsletter that the parents could read and get the information that the boys will get.

 

I'm looking for help in this area.

[Scoutmaster Ron]

We use 3 forms of communication..announcements at the meeting, troop calendar and e-mail( parents only) if they dont get it thru those means what else can you do?

[EagleInKY]

Okay, I echo Ron's comments regarding communications. In addition to the three forms he mentioned, we also provide event specific announcements when we pass out permission slips.

 

However, I see other problems in the operations of the troop. Perhaps communication (or lack thereof) is a symptom of a troop not running properly.

 

I have one mother who is the Troop Committee

 

I didn't know you could be a committee of one. I guess concensus building would be easy:). You need at least three on your troop committee. One of these being the committee chairman. Also, the SM (I assume that's you) is not on the committee, although you should attend the meetings.

 

...would send out notices to the boys of the meetings and what they should bring.

 

Why send out notices of meetings? Shouldn't they be regularly scheduled, weekly meetings. Boys should be expected to bring the normal - Scout Handbook, notebook, pen or pencil, etc. If anything specific is needed due to the meeting plans (a compass, rope, etc.), the PLC should make sure that information gets out.

 

I prepared a calendar for the year, outlining when our meetings are scheduled, any proposed outing dates, Court of Honor dates, etc and passed it out to the boys and I also put the calendar in a folder for the Parents along with information about the Popcorn Sale, etc.

 

You didn't specify this, but, is this plan put together by the PLC? Boys will be more likely to remember it if they planned it.

 

...parents are calling her asking for information

 

She and you need to practice this line over and over until you both can say it in your sleep:

'Have your son call his Patrol Leader'

'Have your son call his Patrol Leader'

'Have your son call his Patrol Leader'

 

I counter that we do have the calendar and we can also begin to produce a monthly newsletter that the parents could read and get the information that the boys will get.

 

Good idea. Monthly, bi-monthly or quarterly newsletters are great. They can report what went on and also remind everyone of upcoming events. Have your Troop Secretary work with the Troop Scribe and Historian to put together this newsletter. Remember, this newsletter should be for both the boys and the parents.

 

Good luck!

[Hunt]

The SM of my son's Troop sends out a "Scoutmaster's Notes" e-mail to the troop (boys and parents) early in the week before each meeting--it reminds them of the meeting, but has other info too. I guess in time it would be better for it to be "SPL's Notes," but it's a good form of communication.

[anarchist]

I hope you are being notified about replys, 'cause this thread has been quiet for a month...We started a troop web page this year and in the words of the boys ..."it Rocks!" We have schedules, calendars, troop info, parent info, new scout equipment lists, camping check lists, permission slips, and rank requirements, troop rules, expectations and BSA links and in a pass word protected area and email links that lets the leaders post to the parents...We still get requests for calendars...so we print out a few extras each quarter...good scouting

anarchist

[raven_of_the_ozarks]

Anarchist,

 

What is your Troop Web site's URL? I would like to see it for ideas if you don't mind. I think this is the way to go since almost everyone has a computer and internet connection. Web sites and email are better than the phone because you don't have to actually get the person to answer or try to leave a "brief message" with all pertinent info and you can send one email to everyone at

[raven_of_the_ozarks]

what was cut off -----

 

you can email eveyone at the same once thus saving time.

 

raven

[Eagledad]

Great Friday All

 

Boy, there are some really good replies. I agree EagleInKy, this is a symptom of other problems problems. I found two life skills the scouts seem to have a really hard time mastering, communication and delegating. I once had a mom so frustrated by the boys method of communicating that she wanted to take it completely over. I asked her at what point in her sons life she felt it was OK for him to learn communcition. She siad when she was good and ready. She left the troop committee three months later.

 

Do to the internet and cell phones, I find our youth today have terrible communication skills. We actually had a communication course in our JLT just to teach how to talk to folks on the other end of a phone. Our guys are required to call MB Counselers and we could see they needed a starting place. Boy run is frustrating and requires a lot of patience. But it does work.

 

Great subject.

 

Barry

[Eamonn]

Boy Oh Boy, we have been playing this game for almost 100 years and the problem with communication is still just that a problem. I have a couple of thoughts.

Back in the day, I when I was an SM made a point of going to the Scouts home to meet with his parents. I tend to talk a lot so the most I ever got in any one night was three. I seen this meeting as a vital part of my job. I got to see what what sort of home the Lad was coming from. I got to cover all the important things like where to buy a uniform, what it cost, where the patches went, where we were going for summer camp. But just as important it gave them a chance to size me up. They got to see that I was just a normal one headed two eyed old Lad.

Meetings were never hard.Wednesday was games night, Thursday was swimming and Friday was troop night. We had a Troop newsletter that went out once a month. Most of it was taken up with Patrol news. A Scouts Mum would cut the stencil and the Patrol leaders would make a big mess running it off on a very old Gestedner (sp) machine. It took almost as long to clean up as it did to prepare the newsletter.

I hate announcements, for the most part they are a waste of time.I normally had a word with the SPL and he took care of them.

For the Jamboree, I am using E-mail and phone calls. Still the parents are coming to the meetings and asking questions. I will be working on the PL's to start working more with their patrols.

Eamonn.

[FAROUTSCOUT]

You may want to have either a SPL or in my case a DL remind the parents 48 to 24 hours before a scheduled event so that they get used to the idea of firming up plans with this person in stead of the Troop Committee mother.

I have been writing the pack newsletter for the last 4 years which is available at the pack nights. I always make an annoucement to pick up a copy before anyone leaves.

In addition to the newsletter, I send out a mailer that welcomes everyone back at the end of the summer annoucing our kick-off pack night and dates of the pack nights up to first half of the year. In december we announce our holiday party and include the second half year dates.

Our district also has a website where packs and troops can post their schedules.

As a WL at our very first den meeting we worked on our communicator activity badge and I told the boys to send me an email (with parental permission first) so that I could add them to my address book while they earned a credit towards a requirement. I have been emailing the parents for over a year, trying to keep them up to date with all pack and mostly den activities. For all intents and purposes I have them 'trained' to look out for my email.

Granted, not everyone is hooked up to a pc and may find it easier to pick up the phone.

Of course,I sometimes have to resort to making phone calls the night before an important event like tonight since we will be meeting our feed troop for an AOL requirement. I have one parent who claims not to receive my emails, so I know I have to call. Oddly enough when we do fun things like meet a local official, somehow the email goes through.

 

[anarchist]

Hey Raven of the Ozarks,

 

did you get the URL? tryed to private messenge it but not sure it went through....

 

Another way to communicate is phone trees...our PLs call their patrols once a week to remind...but sometimes they miss...

and Parents almost never get info from scouts unto 20 minute before the event...if you know what I mean.

 

Parents have list of all email addresses as well as home phones and cells (if given to us) of each scout/family as part of our troop roster (hard copy and or email).This is a big help!

anarchist

[WWBPD]

Communication is key. The more the better. We use:

 

Long-term communication (1 month or more)

Annual Calendar

Monthly newsletter

Website

Flyers describing upcoming trips

Annual parent meeting (not comm meeting)

Bulletin board at meeting place

 

Short-term communication (less than 1 month)

Troop meeting announcements

E-mails (yahoo groups)

Phone trees

 

Too many hands in the bowl can cause significant problems - misinformation, duplication of effort, confusion of where to get information. Unless it is organized and consistent, things can break down to the point that everyone thinks they are an information source whether they know the details or not.

 

I would suggest a Communications Coordinator for your Committee (could be the Troop Secretary) that works with different folks to produce newsletter, website, flyers, etc - the long range stuff. The coordinator could also mentor some of the junior leaders - e.g., scribe and historian who play a role in communications. The short term communication is best left to the uniformed leaders (scouts and SM staff).

 

But no matter how much you put out there...some people will not read it or listen to it.