No Quartermaster

[mdutch]

What do you do if nobody in your troop is interested in being quartermaster? Do you run the troop without one? Do you force a scout to take the position? We didn't have one this past year, and things have not gone as smoothly as they have in the past. I think this may be, at least in part, at cause.

 

Thanks,

Eric

 

 

[OldGreyEagle]

How has the troop handled its equipment issues for the last year?

[taamland]

My troop has had equipment woes for quite sometime. We have had a quartermaster but unfortunately he has only functioned as a scout who oversees loading equipment. In the past an adult has come to the equipment room before the campout and pulled all the gear we will need. The quartermaster then packs up our troop bus or cars.

I think the troop quartermaster is an essential position as well as patrol quartermasters. My plan for our equipment is to have a well organized equipment room (sometimes you can not even walk in ours), have troop issued patrol equipment contained within plastic totes or something, Then have each patrol plan out what gear is needed for the weekend and sign it out with the troop quartermaster. They then are responsible for transporting, packing and setting up only their own gear / campsite. It has seemed in the past everything becomes troop gear and things get mixed up.

I believe that with an organized system that complements the patrol method is the key. If there is no need for someone to oversee equipment and care for it there will be no real quartermaster. Along those lines if there isn't an ASM or adult to guide the quartermaster things will be a snafu.

The trick to the quartermaster in my opinion is having a system that needs a scout to run (and can be run by a scout)

I say yes get a quartermaster. But don't force anyone to do it. Convince them that it is a necessary position and give them as much responsibility as possible under the guidance of an well trained adult.

 

taamland

[mdutch]

OGE,

As we are fortunate enough to have a trailer (so we can take all of our gear with us) the SPL (or, in his absence the ASPL) has acted as an ad-hoc Quartermaster for each trip.

[DugNevius]

Our troop is lucky to have a large room in the school that is soley for our use which is a huge help. Having it for 65 years, no matter how many times we clean it up we still find something neat. Last year i uncovered an old ham radio.

 

Anyway, our troop has a patrol of senior scouts much like the Leadership Corp described in another topic by an SPL. This consists of the SPL and his "staff". One of these assistant spls is the Troop quatermaster and his sole job is to distribute, care for, retrieve and purchase equipment. He has assistants in the form of young scouts in patrols around the rank of first class.

 

Being a troop quartermaster is a very difficult job. So why would a scout WANT it? Every scout has a little napoleon inside. heh. And kids like stuff.

 

You cant try to add these chores onto a scout, you have to make it a unique and exceptional position. You cant expect a scout with many responsabilities already in the troop to want to add to it. SPLs and members of the PLC have enough to do already.

 

Our quartermaster worries about his room and his gear. He doesnt worry about demos, advancing scouts, sitting on BOR (yes, we do that)planning meetings and other such things. During meetings when there isnt a game in session hes in the back with his gear, with a radio on low eating squeeze cheese and orginizing tents, fusing rope or sweeping up.

 

This scout is generally in highschool, star or life rank and has held leadership positions as Patrol leader for 6-12 months. He was appointed to the position by the elected SPL for the duration of the SPL's term of 1 year, along with other senior scouts in the Staff Patrol, all maintaining one distinct position, like Scribe/webmaster, (in charge of website and editing and publication of monthly newspaper) Photographer/historian (Photographs all troop activities for website, newsletter, scrapbook etc) and Librarian (Orginizes and maintains library, badges, paperwork/documents and office supplies) These 4 assistants also fill in for the SPl when needed and provide guidance and assistance for the PLC. The Quartermaster assists the least because hes got enough to do as it is.

[mdutch]

Dug,

Thanks for the great response. To clarify your answer to my key question (how do you get them to take the position), you are suggesting that we convince them that being Quartermaster is very powerful, and then they will want to take it? (sounds like it might work)

[DugNevius]

In a way, yes. Young men love the idea of being a leader, being in charge of something. Give the Quartermaster position a meaning. Our QM never has a lack of young scouts wanting to be his assistant.

 

It is a lot or work, however, but with it comes a sense of pride.

[Eagledad]

Hi All

 

I agree with Dug that the job has to one that scouts want. In our Troop, the quartermaster is the second of three steps toward SPL. While none of the steps are required, scouts are expected to have experience as a PL, Quartermaster, ASPL and then SPL. There is a purpose to the madness; The Patrol Leader is the first step in learning to control the group, delegating and planning at the small group level. Quartermaster is viewed as learning how to teach and delegate at a large group level as the Troop Quartermaster is expected to teach Patrol Quartermasters how to do their jobs at the Patrol level, and delegate the Patrols to managing and loading and unloading the trailers. The ASPL is responsibile for all activity planning. By the time a scout gets to SPL, he is very experienced with the leadership skills of the troop.

 

In our Troop, the Quartermaster is a large position of trust and responsibility with property. He is issued his own set of keys to the storeroom and the trailer. He is responsible for helping the tow vehicle driver backup, hookup and he makes sure the trailer is loaded properly so that of the equipment is balanced between the wheels of the towing vehicle and trailer. The Quartermaster is expected to lock and unlock the storeroom and trailer, so he has to be reliable. The SPL in our Troop unlocks and locks the church for Troop meetings. He is the first in and last out. If the SPL doesnt make the meeting, he better find someone to do the job for him. The Quartermaster is training for the responsibility. Nobody gets into the storeroom or trailer without first talking with the Quartermaster. The SM and CC also have keys, but that is only for emergencies. The CC and I had and understanding that even in an emergency, we first call the Quartermaster.

 

When it comes to loading and unloading the trailer and storeroom, the adults get out of the way and the Quartermaster is in charge. He delegates task to his Patrol Quartermasters who are in charge of the Patrols at that time and delegate duties to the patrol members. The idea is while the Patrol Leaders are working with the SPL on car seating assignments or camp assignments, the quartermasters are responsible for the equipment. The adults wait with the SM to find out who is assigned to their vehicle. When it works, it works very well.

 

The Quartermaster job is very demanding, we had two when our troop had 90 scouts. They work pretty hard, but we have the opposite problem with our Quartermaster position in that once a scout gets the job, many times they dont want to leave. Imagine that if an adult needs to get in the trailer or storeroom, they have to go to the Quartermaster for permission and a key.

 

Most or our Troop Quartermaster ages start about 14.

 

I think the best way to make your Quartermaster position attractive to scouts is to give them the responsibilities of an adult. Once the expectations and requirements of the job are understood, I dont think you will have trouble. We sure dont.

 

I love this scouting stuff.

 

Barry

 

[SemperParatus]

All good answers.

 

It is very easy in a large troop to overwhelm the quartermaster. That is why our troop has 2-3 of them. We have it set up that they work with the APLs, who have as their responsibility the patrol equipment. That way on any given trip we have 6-8 scouts with 'quartermastering' responisbility at different levels (patrol and troop) and in different capacities (load/unload, camp setup, cleaning station setup/take down, etc.) The more scouts that are exposed to equipment care, transport, storage and usage, the easier it is for them to make the transition to the troop leadership role.

[EagleInKY]

I agree with the thought that if no boy wants the job, then they must not see any value in it. Work on the job description and responsibilities. Overseeing patrol QMs is a great start. And, will make the position one of responsibility and one that they shouldn't be overwhelmed by.