new ideas for troop leadership training

[watercub]

I am an ASM in our Troop and I'm working with our training chairman to update the Troop JLT to a much more relevant leadership experience and teambuilding exercise. I'm guessing that somebody has already done something like this, so I'll sketch out what I have in mind and see what you think.

 

* The seminar is held twice a year, when the new leadership is appointed or elected.

* Because it's not training, you can't "take it" once and never again.

* One of the goals is to have activities that encourage the Troop leaders to act as a team. I've never seen NYLT, but I was in Wood Badge, and it was quite effective.

* It should be in the outdoors and it should be fun.

* It should be scheduled by the SPL and facilitated by the SM.

* One of these events can coincide with the annual PLC planning retreat.

 

I don't intend to throw away the JLT syllabus - I want to use the best parts and create new experiences with the extra time. The videotape? Well....

 

I always value the feedback from the forum's members and anything you give me will help me shape the proposal.

[EagleInKY]

Hey WC. Actually there is a new sylabus you may want to take a look at. It's for Troop-level YLT. It's based upon the same framework as the NYLT class and is supposed to be a pre-req. Just to warn you, the sylabus is very light. They've given you (the SM) a great deal of flexibility in how to organize it.

 

There are a number of good JLT sources out there. I've posted links to some of them in the past. I'll find those and post them again.

 

In general, I like your approach. It's similar to what I've been trying to build. It's difficult to get it scheduled twice a year, so I'm looking at a "big" weekend and a "small" weekend as an option.

 

I'll be looking for other's thoughts as well.

[acco40]

In my neck of the woods, I'm trying something a little different from the JLT (BSA version) and NYLT (BSA version). As SM, I've held a few JLT sessions/weekends for the Scouts in our troop. We are a young troop so the SPL really really doesn't help in training but does participate (I've had two 12 yr old SPLs, current one is 13, and a 14 and 15 year old). My oldest son, now 15 has attended "Top Knot" (pre-cursor to NYLT)and was on staff for NYLT this summer. So, I'm somewhat familiar with both (and Wood Badge - Da Bears!).

 

What I've noticed is that the boys are better behaved when a few "strangers" are present (not just boys from their troop). Also, a few "new" adults thrown in the mix helps too. I've also noticed that a full week course, a la NYLT, is a bit much for most of the kids unfortunately. So what we are trying to do is have a quasi-troop JLT but maybe combine boys from two and possibly three (but no more) troops and create a modified JLT course for them. It is still a work in progress. I'll let you know how it works out in the near future.(This message has been edited by acco40)

[Eagledad]

All of your ideas are really good ones and I know your program will grow from them. I have a bit of experience in this area and I will throw a few observations that we learned over the years.

 

The big weekend and little weekend is a really good approach. We had the attitude that everything can and should be fun. I wasnt one of these, sometimes leadership isnt fun kind of people. In that, we found that repeated JLT isnt fun for scouts. I am presently doing my annual Contracting Officers Representative training at work, and after four years, I hate it because it is the same thing over again. Anyway, what you have to focus on is the intention of all your trainings. Dont do JLT just because it is part of Boy Scouting. It has to be purposeful. We eventually developed one big weekend a year and a little weekend after every election.

 

All scouts whom of at least First Class rank had to take the course if they wanted to be a Patrol Leader or above. It was a series of leadership skills and team building classes. We started by doing a full outdoor weekend course but eventually developed into an 18 hour in door overnight course. We found that scouts learn more and faster indoors because the atmosphere was different from the campouts and they felt more adult. Cant explain why, but it works. I did the same thing at our JLTC and we saw the same results there as well. Our Big Weekend was usually planned six weeks a head by a JASM and three other older scouts. The SM has some training sessions, but the older scouts do most of the weekend training.

 

The little weekend JLT was about three hours long and led by both the SPL and SM. The first hour was a quick review of all the leadership positions (scouts and adults) and Aims and Methods. The second hour was a review of the SPLs goals for the next six months. Each scout and his adviser spent the last hour setting goals for their position and getting some training for the position itself. Some positions like Patrol Leaders and Quartermasters may have had additional training during the next week. After the three hours was over, the PLC had a lock-in, which we found was a great bonding experience.

 

Its also important to understand that JLT sessions like we are talking about dont teach scouts that much leadership. Most JLT comes from the scouts watching the other scout youth leaders in action. You will usually find the troops with the best leaders are the ones where the young scouts are always around the older scouts. The more they are separated, the worse the skills because the young scouts dont get to observe the older scouts. The very simple reason is boys learn by watching, not listening, which is what they do at JLTs.

 

I also observed that scouts learn most of their leadership skills by age 13. Yes, they will learn more as they grow, but most leadership habits they will use in the troop until 18 were learned by age 13. That is one reason why new Scoutmasters who take over troops and want to make dramatic changes struggle with scout 14 and older. Anyway, you should consider JLT starts the day the new scout arrives. After the first six months, a scout should have some responsibility in the patrol. Not much, but enough that he has to communicate with other patrol members and enough that he has some expectations. Like Cheer Master, he should give a report at each patrol corners on the next skit they will perform on the next campout. He is expected to find, lead, and participate in that skit. That simple task teaches communication, planning, completion of task and confidence of being an important member of the group.

 

JLT courses like the big weekend and little weekend should be viewed as filling in the spaces of leadership development where the program is failing. In other words, if the troop doesnt do well with communication, then that should be a JLT subject during the weekend course or even added to a PLC meeting. At the same time, the Scoutmaster should be working with the SPL to improve that problem in the program. As far as Im concerned, the Scoutmaster should be working toward a Troop that does not need weekend JLTs because his program is working perfectly. Dont worry folks, no program is perfect and there are always leadership skills that need to be worked on, but if you take this approach, then you arent providing a JLT course for the sake of just something the do. Weekend JLT courses need to be filling need.

 

I really like the idea of involving other troops too. We do this and it really works well. Not just for the participants but we ask the other troops to provide staff to train with us for six weeks. Those guys really enjoy that whole experience.

 

Well that is long, sorry. But I commend you guys, your thinking out of the box and giving great ideas. Watch out, others will notice your success and want to learn more.

 

I love this scouting stuff.

 

Barry

 

[eagledad1]

can i find scouts whom might be eagle scouts whom have gone to democratic convention and also be involved in jota/jointly with girl socuts?i am interesting in starting a explorer post/venture crew to look at ongoing interest in braodcasting.which i tried to do fairly successfully with a cable tv station in small channel outside duluth,minnesota in 2003.scouting troops are dying off in record numbers here.i think our council is traditionally based in outdoors,police and fire activities and is a very large geographic council a well.i left my main concerns on site about starting small troop.i left my phone and email on that site.i will take all callers.my district executive also recruits for ja and they just lost one full time position at the district office.are royal rangers with pentacostal faith affiliated with scouts in troop/patrol methods?

david gustafson

msnnot21@yahoo.com

2187278442

i hope to get a fax machine soon.