How do you train em?

[fling1]

Premise: primary job of SM in boy-led troop is to train SPL and PLs in their roles.

Question: How do you accomplish this on an on-going basis? What do you do every week to add value? What do you say and when do you say it? Do you "manage" or "supervise" or "oversee" them in their jobs? If so, by what process?

I am looking for specifics in terms of getting good performance out of troop leadership, beyond a one-time training.

[scoutldr]

Most of this is covered in SM-specific training. If you haven't had it, it should be next on your agenda.

[Bob White]

Scoutldr is right. There are some things you just have to take training for that do lend themselves to a bulletin board to to the depth of the subject matter. This really should not be used as a substitute for training but as an enhancement and idea sharing AFTER training.

[Scoutmaster Ron]

fling..After you have attended training, it's time to train the boys have a Troop JLT make sure they scouts are in their patrols throughout. Then seek more training for yourself!

 

Once you have completed that sit down with the SPL & ASPL's and find out what THEIR goals are for the troop/make sure THEY have a monthly theme offer advice and assistance only when THEY need it. Meet with them before and after each meeting ask how THEY felt the meeting went, what can be done better to enhance their program. At the end of each meeting provide them with a S.M. minute get THEM thinking, shouldn't be hard there are hundreds on the internet not to mention books you can purchase.

Assign ASM's to each patrol, encourage your ASM's to be trained. Sit down with each boy call it a S.M. conference but just talk to them learn about each boy in their troop remember you are there for them. Then seek even more training for yourself!

I would encourage your PLC to meet off-site O'h dont forget to bring along another ASM treat them to pizza be a bystander and watch the boys work together.

Then in about a year have the senior scouts in the troop do the JLT (Bob White has mentioned a new sylabus coming soon) Let the boys train the boys and so forth. Be sure to read the S.M. P.L. & SPL's handbook, cover to cover I learned alot from that and also the board especially!! Hope this helped I know everyone on the board will help also.

[acco40]

"let the boys train the boys" - is a hot button topic SM Ron. I can see reasons for it and against it. The primary role of the SM is to train the youth leaders and many feel this is a task that should not be delegated. Others feel that the best way to learn a skill is to teach it. I feel there is a little truth to each. My son has been asked to help staff the new NYLT course this summer. I've would love to see him do that for my own selfish reasons. I'd like to see him grow in leadership capability and would like to see the differences in the course.

[Eagledad]

>>primary job of SM in boy-led troop is to train SPL and PLs in their roles.

 

Hi all

 

Good answers all. I will give my hand of a few things I learned from my experiences.

 

>>How do you accomplish this on an on-going basis?>What do you do every week to add value?> What do you say and when do you say it?> Do you "manage" or "supervise" or "oversee" them in their jobs?>I am looking for specifics in terms of getting good performance out of troop leadership, beyond a one-time training.

[acco40]

Barry,

 

I agree with your observation about going with the youth leaders to training. However, I requested to attend our council JLT, as an observer only, so that I could understand what the boys were being taught so that I could help them implement what they were taught when they brought it back to the troop. I was told that the policy was that SMs should not attend. C'est la vie.

 

As for the SPL teaching the PLs leadership, I respectfully disagree. That task should fall primarily to the Scoutmaster. The SPL can teach by example and offer his advice but the responsibility for training the junior leaders does not reside with the SPL. If any youth leader was responsible for training youth leaders it would be the ASPL. He oversees the historian, librarian, scribe and quartermaster. I don't think the Scoutmaster should abdicate his training of these youth leaders, he should let the ASPL guide them. Just my thoughts.

 

 

[fling1]

Thanks for the generous reply, Barry! (others, too)

 

Your answers in the "what do you do" and "what do you say" categories were beautifully detailed and explicit. I love the "SPL locks the door" idea.

[Eagledad]

As for the SPL teaching the PLs leadership, I respectfully disagree. That task should fall primarily to the Scoutmaster.

 

Yes, I see your point. But I developed several reasons to why the SPL was the teacher. First, it pulls the scout

away from a bossy dictoral style of leadership towards a coaching style leadership. I also wanted the youth leaders to see themselves as servents of the scouts they led. By handing over your skills to others, you are raising those you teach to a level equal to yourself. Reduces the Big Head syndrome.

 

I also found that when a leader took on the task to teach, he also took responsibility for the performance of those he was teaching. There are all sort of positive qualities in that. I never forget when the SPL invited me to a meeting where he worked with the Patrol Leaders. The SPL was unhappy with the Patrol leader performance at the last campout and decided to have a work shop. I was invited but not required to come. I have been involved in thousands of hours of JLT at all levels. I saw scouts learn more in that two hour work shop than any other time.

 

And finally, I think there is a type bonding that goes on when you give a part of yourself to another person. That is why I tried to get all the scouts to see themselves as teachers of their leadership responsibility. Even when I was teaching knots, I would ask the first scout who learn the knot to help me work with the others to learn their knots. For many of these guys, that is the first time in their life they were ask to teach someone else a skill.

 

I love scouting best when a scout goes home saying "I like myself when I'm with the troop"

 

Hope this all makes sense.

 

Barry

 

 

[EagleInKY]

Barry - I always read your posts because you exemplify boy-leadership in everything you do. In fact, you challenge me as much as anyone on this board to do the best I can in this area. I agree with 99.9% of what you've had to say.

 

However, I'm not with you on the SPL being responsible for teaching leadership. I love the concept, but don't see it happening. I certainly encourage the boys to teach each other in lots of ways (scout skills, cooking skills, etc.). However, when it comes to teaching leadership, I believe that falls squarely on my shoulders. I do use the SPL and ASPL as aides in this, but I'm the one ultimately reponsible.

 

Maybe it's because it is what I enjoy the most??? Because I certainly do. JLT is one of my favorite activities of the year. I try to make it fun and enlightenting to them. I love to see the lightbulb go off when they understand shared leadership. I also enjoy the SM conferences and the SM one-on-one training for the positions. It's truly one of my favorite "jobs" as Scoutmaster.

 

Also, I think back to my days as a youth (hard as it may be as the years turn by). I was a strong leader, I now know. But, at the time, I wasn't really aware of it. Or, if I was aware of it, I really didn't know why. I think I taught leadership by example. But, I don't think I ever taught leadership directly. Frankly, it's because I really didn't understand leadership until nearly a decade later. Scouting gave me the tools and the knowledge and a place to apply it in a fun way, it just took me a while to understand it.

 

So, for now, I'm hanging on to this responsibility. But I will take this as a challenge to figure out how I can get our junior leaders to do more to teach good leadership down the line.

 

Thanks

[acco40]

I think we all agree that whomever can teach leadership the best - should go for it! I will admit that if the SPL can teach leadership as well as me (or better) I'll encourage it. As B-P stated (paraphrasing I think): Never do something for a boy that he can do himself.

[EagleInKY]

I agree with you Stapler guy!

 

(Figured you hadn't been called that in a while).

[Eagledad]

Hi EagleInKy

 

Very nice reply.

 

>>So, for now, I'm hanging on to this responsibility. But I will take this as a challenge to figure out how I can get our junior leaders to do more to teach good leadership down the line.Frankly, it's because I really didn't understand leadership until nearly a decade later. Scouting gave me the tools and the knowledge and a place to apply it in a fun way, it just took me a while to understand it.