There isn't a good Scout Fairy!!

[Eamonn]

As ever I could be way out of order, but I can't help thinking that some people think that doing one little thing is going to change everything.

Sending a handful of Scouts to JLTC,is a great idea. But without the help and support of the home troop,everything they have done at JLTC will not change anything.

Telling the Troop that they are now "A boy led troop" Is a great idea. But without the help and support of all the adults, will not change anything.

Having PLC meetings where the SM tells the members what is going to happen, might improve troop communications, but will not change anything.

Electing SPL's and PL's is a great idea, but unless you train and support them, nothing will change. Unless you let them lead, nothing will change.

There is no good Scout Fairy, talking the talk, without walking the walk, just sounds good and will not change anything.

Eamonn.

[acco40]

The biggest complaint heard from junior leaders after attending JLTC (NYLT?) is that the SM/SAs don't give them the leeway to implement what they have learned (according to my PTC trainers).

 

Now I hope the "Get trained" folks don't take this the wrong way but similarly - no good Scouter Fairy exists either. Getting trained is a good step - it IS hard to deliver a program one is ignorant about - but is not the end all.

[9muckraker7]

Amen.

[Eamonn]

One of the last things that participants hear at Wood Badge is that training never ends.

" it IS hard to deliver a program one is ignorant about" I would say that it isn't possible to deliver the program when you are ignorant about it. However I don't think that this is the problem. The problem is that people choose to ignore the program. Not just little things but big chunks of it. I have seen the troops that meet every week for their Merit Badge classes, the troops that never make it inside of the meeting hall because there is a basket ball game going on. The list goes on. I at times wonder what program is being delivered, I know it's not Scouting.

My heart goes out to the poor leader who joins a unit like this, they are trying to get things back on track, but meet with obstacles along the way.I'm big on training and know that it can go a long way to help new leaders and old leaders who are open minded enough to try doing things a different way. I don't think that we (We being the Training teams,Commissioner Service team or that group that is sometimes called the District) do enough to help the leaders over come the obstacles. The people who should be on hand to help are the Unit Commissioners. While I know that there are Districts that have great Commissioners, the quality of service can vary from outstanding to poor. Most really good leaders are serving at the unit level, so I have to wonder at the quality of service offered, there are of course some outstanding Commissioners.

Looking back at what I went through, even though I was surrounded by a lot of good people who were delivering the program and who really understood how this game is played, it took me a long time to see what I was doing and where I was doing it wrong. Even at the end of eleven years I still don't think that I had it right.

Now I think that I am faced with trying to do something that will make the District do more to help the poor guy who is trying to do things. I was going to say by the book, but that might be a little much? Working within what a district can do is hard. I do know that we need to beef up our Commissioner Staff and our Round-tables, I also see that we need to do more with our training teams, so they they do more than just present courses. As ever the age old question of finding the right people to do this is there. We also need to only spend time with the people who want to see the program work. We are never going to change the hearts and minds of the people who don't want to change and trying to do so it just a waste of time and effort. I can't help thinking about teaching a pig to sing.

Eamonn.