Troop program planning: how do you do it?

[fgoodwin]

The PLC of our allegedly "boy-led" troop has no idea how to plan monthly campout activities. I suspect two causes for this:

 

(1) The adults have done (and continue to do) all the planning; and

(2) The boys have never been shown how to plan camping activities

 

At the PLC last nite, the boys flopped around for almost an hour trying to come up with things to do on next month's campout. They spent far too much time talking about menus and far too little talking about activities.

 

I know what the adults want them to do; I think the only reason the adults didn't take over was because I was sitting there watching both them and the boys to see what would happen (I've been a critic of too much adult involvement in running our so-called "boy-led" troop).

 

I'm responsible for conducting Troop Leadership Training (TLT), but for those of you who've done it, you know TLT says next to nothing about practical skills like how to plan a campout, how to run a PLC meeting, or how to do annual program planning.

 

I've proposed to our SM that the troop invest in a copy of the Troop Program Features books; then some of the adults will sit down with the PLC and show them how to plan a campout. We'll worry about planning the PLC next, and finally we'll train them on how to plan the annual program.

 

The adults deny it, but I see the firm imprint of adult planning all over our annual calendar and our monthly campouts. The signs are that the boys complain about the activities, and the timing and location of our monthly campouts. When we ask them for alternatives, they have no idea what to offer.

 

Now, I wasn't present at the last program planning meeting, so its not fair of me to blame all of our shortcomings on the adults. But I think to blame the boys then begs the question: who trained them (or not)?

 

So how do your units handle monthly campout planning and annual program planning?

 

How involved are the adults, really? Is there anyone out there willing to admit that the adults actually run their "boy-led" troop? No one in my troop is willing to say what is patently obvious to me.

[scottteng]

Our campouts are usually themed making program planning relatively easy Search and rescue exercise, wilderness survival, canoe trip, bike trip, Climb and rappel, camporees. The JLC has input on what activities to do which months except for the district/council events. However all of this needs to be in your yearly plan well in advance. Deciding the month b4 the campout what you are going to do is tough. Reservations need to have been made for the more exciting activities. That's why council preview their program to you in August so you can sit down with JLC in August or September and fill in the schedule for the next year. Face it the adults have to have some input we are the transportation element as well as supervision. Patrols plan their meals and are given some time for their own activities. We have more of a challenge with troop meetings and spl losing control over noise levels and behavior.

[sst3rd]

fgoodwin,

 

Our Council calendar comes out in June of each year, and our Troop meets for its Annual Planning Meeting in August. As a long time Scoutmaster, I will admit here, that I schedule the dates of our camping trips for the new season (September to August). It's simply not fair to put the Scouts in the position to attempt this process. Experience has shown me, that by the time I fill in the Council dates (camporees, training, OA, Re-Charter, Super Saturday, etc..), federal, state, and local holidays, our sponsor's dates, and multiple school districts dates, there's very little to work with anyway. The calendar kind of works itself out.

After the dates have been established, it's turned over to the SPL and the Troop to discuss, decide, and plan the new year. All of the adult leaders are there for advice and suggestions, but the Troop decides what they're doing for the next year. It's worked for us for over 43 years. We're happy.

 

 

sst3rd

 

[Crew21_Adv]

FG and Fellow Scouters,

 

Greetings!

 

You asked. So how do your units handle monthly campout planning and annual program planning? How involved are the adults, really? Is there anyone out there willing to admit that the adults actually run their "boy-led" troop?

 

My experiences are similar to our fellow posters Scott and SST. Before our annual Troop Program Planning and monthly PLCs, our Troop has obtained all the school calendars, federal and work calendars, and the Council and District calendars.

 

You asked how involved are the adults. I would say, we are very involved in cooperation with the SPL and PLC. Does my Troop actually run our Troop. Well when the ideas such as tackle football, fire walking, or extreme paintball tag come up from the PLC, the adults will say WOW! That sounds like a blast! But ya know, maybe that is not the best way to satisfy advancement. What do you think, SPL?

 

A couple of the methods of Scouting are Adult Association and also Leadership Development. The Scoutmaster is usually the prime responsibility in Leadership Development. Ideally, we give the SPL and PLC the tools, and provide them a safety net along the way.

 

I would personally say it is unfair to conduct a one hour Troop Leadership Training, award the Trained strip and say "have at it".

 

I've been associated with a potentially promising troop, which the Scoutmaster swore was extremely "Boy Run". The PLC and Scouts were very enthusiastic, and they planned the entire year. (Sometimes their agenda was pure fun, sometimes it was pure high adventure). There was an annual PLC to write the annual plan. But there were no monthly PLCs to plan the monthly activities. With this troop a particular leader would occasionally degrade the PLC for not having any meeting plans, not having any agenda. There was extremely low advancement, and the only merit badges earned were from Summer Camp.

 

I would say, it was Boy Run, with no Adult Association or Leadership Development. Maybe a 10 percent success rate of completing any plan.

 

I have also seen what I would call troops which are Boy Run with Adult Association and Leadership Development. I would estimate a 90 percent success rate in completing their annual plans.

 

Most Troops I have been involved with find a blend of Boy Run, with Adult Association and Leadership Development. Prior to commencing the Annual Planning Conference, all of the local calendars are printed and provided to the SPL/PLC so they can view them simultaneously. After a few minutes of discussion by the PLC. The Scoutmaster (or Assistant Scoutmasters) will ask the SPL for permission to address the PLC. The theme of the months are recommended to the SPL to accept or change. The Troop excursions, hikes, camps, camporees are also recommended to the PLC/SPL. Often saying, Hey! look at this, we can camp here and conduct the 5 mile hike at the same time Look this camporee has a water front activity Gee, Dont our younger Scouts need to plan a menu, purchase grub and cook for their patrol?

 

The SM and ASMs often ask or state. Consider this? Do you think this is a good idea? or Do you really think that is safe? Are you willing to fund raise for that? Do you think we may satisfy advancement requirements, if we participated in this activity? and finally, do you concur?

 

The adults are careful to ask the SPL for permission to speak, each time, before addressing the PLC.

 

For our Monthly plans, our ASMs ask to the Patrol Leaders, May I see your meeting plans? Did you phone or email your patrol and explain the skill presentation? Does your patrol know what they are doing this month? Can we satisfy Advancement or Merit Badge requirements this month by doing this? Do your parents know of the Patrol plans? And finally, is there anything I can do to help with your patrol, or do you have it under control?

 

Maybe the best analogy you can visualize would be, My fellow Scouters give our SPL, PLC and Scouts a large highway to travel on, with strong guardrails to keep them in the same direction and in their lanes. (Maybe you can say our adult leaders are railroading and herding the PLC. Maybe you can call it the Trail to Eagle; or maybe just the trail to being a better citizen with strong moral values and able to make good decisions.)

 

Scouting Forever and Venture On!

Crew21 Adv

 

[prairie]

I wonder if some of this is just the boys not realizing whats possible? Maybe ask each boy to write down with no talk between them 3 events/places or other activitys they would like to do in the next two years. Phrase it so that coming up with one idea nobody else had but many think is cool is a very good thing.

[EagleInKY]

You are asking about two distinct activities - the annual planning process and the individual activity planning. Our troop does a great job at the former, and not so great job of the latter. We're continually trying to improve how we do activity planning.

 

Annual Planning

 

As for annual planning, I think we have a good approach. We do it twice a year. We hold a planning session in August, as soon as the Council/District calendars are out, and again in December. In August, we plan out the school year (through the next Summer Camp). We make sure to have fairly detailed ideas for every activity up through January or February. The rest of the year (Feb-June) is left very high-level. In December, they plan the next calendar year. Again, we try to have very detailed plans for January through August, with high-level ideas for the balance of the year.

 

I like this two-times a year approach for several reasons. (1) Since our PLC serves 6 month terms, it gives each PLC a chance to impact the annual plan. (2) It gives us a chance to rethink and reprioritize as the needs of the group changes. (3) It's easier for them because they don't have to think about the details of something a year away.

 

One reason our planning is successful is we do a lot of pre-work. We survey the troop on our activities. They are asked to rate the activities on two questions "Did I like it?" and "Do I want to do it again?". On first read, you might think the answers would be the same, but they are not. We tend to look at it in these four ways:

 

- Items low in "liked it?" and low in "do it again?" are generally activities that were poorly planned and executed. Sometimes weather and other factors can plan in this as well. These activities do not usually make it back on the plan any time soon.

- Low in "Liked it?" but high in "Do it again?" are activities that didn't go well for some reason, but the guys recognize that there is a chance to do it better. Sometimes bad weather on an otherwise good event can cause this.

- High on "liked it?" and low on "Do it again?" are activities that may have been fun, but have a "been there, done that" feel to them. These are great to hang on to for future years. After all, if this set of scouts enjoyed it, why wouldn't a new group in two-three years?

- High on both are definite keeper activities, and should be repeated as often as possible.

 

We also ask our patrols to brainstorm ideas during patrol meetings in the month leading up to the planning. The Patrol Leaders bring these ideas to the planning session. The SPL brings in the survey results. These are great starting points for the annual planning.

 

We encourage ASMs to attend the planning session. Their role is to stimulate ideas, encourage the guys, etc. We don't run the meeting and we let the guys do most of the talking.

 

Activity Planning

 

We have a lot of issues on planning individual activities. So I'm not going to give you much advice there. One comment you made was

 

"They spent far too much time talking about menus and far too little talking about activities. "

 

This level of planning shouldn't be going on in the PLC in the first place. Menu planning should be a patrol activity. The PLC should make plans about the overall activity, which may include guidance regarding meals. Such as "We're hitting the trail by 9AM, so breakfast has to be cleaned up by then", or "Remember, we're eating lunch on the river, so plan accordingly".

 

I like the Troop Program Features books as ideas-starters. I struggle getting our PLC to use them. They get hung up in the fact that they don't like the particular game suggested when they should be looking at it for ideas on how they can make their own plan.

 

It's hard for our adults to let the boys plan the activities. That's because it's harder to do it that way. For example, we have an activity this weekend. We have about 6 hours to kill along the way, and I asked the PLC to choose something to do en route. I was hoping for something like a hike, since we are going through some areas with great trails. The boys decided to go more of a sightseeing route. I've had adults e-mailing me suggesting alternative plans ever since this was announced. I just remind them that it's what the boys wanted to do. If an adult planned it, I'm sure our agenda would be different, and maybe even better. But that's not the point, is it? The boys will learn, good or bad, from the experience in deciding what to do.

 

 

I've written a bunch. This is a topic that is very near and dear to me. I hope it helps.

[Eagledad]

>>Face it the adults have to have some input we are the transportation element as well as supervision.

[Eamonn]

"Train them, Trust them, Let them lead"

A couple of things come to mind.

 

If this is new to the Scouts, it isn't going to happen over night.

Try starting with something small.

Planning a Campfire?

Something where they get used to the idea of the process.

Work very closely with the SPL -Before any meetings. Ask leading questions.

Make the meetings a learning experience.

At a recent Quarterdeck Meeting we had a Scuttlebutt Leadership challenge. The Boatswain knew the skills needed, but the challenge was for him to lead it with his hands in his pockets.

He at times wants to get the job done by doing everything and not lead.

The hard one for adults to accept is that what the Scouts come up with is just that.

Trying to tweak it or make it perfect is undoing the good that has been done.

There should be time for a reflection after the event.

A reflection will allow them to see what improvements can be made. It needs to be planned and is not an opportunity for the adults to mouth off telling the Scouts "I told you guys..."

Try and get the SPL to delegate different tasks to each of the PLC.

Then check with him that he is checking with them, ensuring that they are doing what they have said they will do.

Until they get used to the idea, it might mean that if they are not doing the assigned tasks and aren't taking the SPL seriously, that a call from you might be the kick in the pants that is needed. The call should be a friendly nudge reminding the person that he needs to call the SPL.

None of this stuff happens over night.

While once it becomes the norm it becomes a lot easier and more accepted, but just when you think they have it mastered the people change, new Scouts bring new challenges and you end up with white hair or no hair!!

Good luck. It really is worth the effort.

Ea.

[anarchist]

fgoodwin,

 

I am gonna limit this to activity / event planning so if you want our annual planning (calendar) methodology let me know (PM?).

 

A while back our SM started "requiring" each patrol to plan and organize "patrol only" activities consisting of one 2-hour patrol activity, one day long activity(six to eight hours) and one camping trip (Friday, Sat, Sunday) and the patrols are "challenged" to do this at least twice a year (Fall and Spring). Even the new scout patrol is expected to do these activitys (the troop sets aside weekends for "Patrol camps" so there are few conflicts.

 

Do they just jump in and get 'er done?...Of course not, but using the BSA program features forms and suggestions/ideas they get "walked" through the process...some of this is in PLC meetings, some in patrol time at the weekly troop meeting (each patrol has at least one ASM assigned to support that patrol) and some planning is done in their own special Patrol only meetings - no adults allowed.

 

By starting with a two hour (or more) activity (say a trip to a museum ('course it always takes more than two hours) or even a movie and pizza-"team builder" the boys get to deal with "what, when and how". They have to "arrange" transport, deal with out outdoor coordinator for the tour permit specifics and figure out the general program al the while making sure they have a couple of adults available to support the ativities. After the two easier activities, then they move to the all day event, (a hike, canoe day on a lake, fishing trip, geo caching, map compass GPS skills day...whatever). They need with this activity to really start learning to develop "a program" and plan for the activity so all scouts (patrol members) are actively involved. All this is still on a relatively small scale.

 

Then comes the weekend camp and they have to do it all (with the assistance of their ASM and parents)...its really cool to see it start coming together...And after they have been scouts for a couple of years it actually seems to come together pretty nicely...as long as the patrol elects a reasonably decent PL...Of course, as in all we do in scouting it requires five times as much time as an "Adult Led" but in the end it can be really cool.

 

When these boys "move up" into troop leadership the Annual Planning meetings really fly -what used to take several meetings between the PLC and the SM before the plan is ready to be presented to the Troop Committee now takes one or two meetings...

 

PLCs are generally easier too, last week on of the Platrol Leaders suggested setting up a troop binder with all of the "patrol only" planned activities (including the thorns and roses). This suggestion was so other (newer) patrols could use the binder for guidance and perhaps avoid the pitfalls and/or improve on some of the activities that work "less than spectacularly"....

 

just some thoughts

anarchist

[AvidSM]

I agree with sst3rd in that the annual program plan kind of works itself out in terms of the dates. You have to get the boys focused on WHAT they want to do and then figure out the WHERE. For example, if the boys want to try out rock climbing, then the location has to have a suitable climbing terrain.

 

In my experience, I have found that boys do better at planning if you give them options. They don't work well with a blank slate. I see the SM's job as working the options with the boys until they come up with a consensus. Some times the boys and especially the older boys will come up with some good options themselves.

 

You can't arrive at the annual planning meeting without having done your homework, which includes talking to the boys and finding out what they want to do. The adults must know and work with the boys. They must value their opinions and inputs. You can't have boy run without this.

 

If its only the adult doing the planning, then the boys are doing what they want to do and you may lose them.

 

 

 

[ozemu]

Nice work anarchist

[DugNevius]

we have our PLC meeting tonight. It will go as follows.

 

The Scoutmaster will go through some news and cancelations, talk about an incident with a broken door. Then the SPL will take over and they will map out their plans for the next month of meetings (demos-games, BOR) and talk about this months trip, our troop olympics.

 

Normally the Adult leadership just tells them what cant be done or what needs to be done and guides them in the right direction, but the SPL runs the PLC meeting himself and they schedule the trips on the calander and tell us where they want to go.

[gwd-scouter]

We have only had an annual program planning weekend for the past two years. Something new and the first was a disaster. Our guys had never done it before, had never been given the opportunity, and were all used to the adults planning everything. It took a lot of my input that first time to get them thinking. The next year (last September) the guys did much better. Talked about things they had done the year before that they liked, used the themes from the program features books, and came up with ideas for the next 12 months. So far, we have done everything they put on the calendar. I say put on the calendar rather than planned because they are still very much in the learning stages for making the detailed outing and meeting plans.

 

But, PLC does meet once a month now and works out the details of the next month's outing. They use the program features books to get ideas and then write down each week's activities to lead up to the campout. Recently, the PLC decided that all the Scouts in the Troop should have a turn at running something. So, the SPL/PL assigns duties to the other Scouts for each week such as instructions on first aid (an older Scout) or coming up with the game (a younger Scout). This particular idea is working out very well as the SPL/PL is no longer the guy up front through the whole meeting and each week a different Scout is put in charge of something. The younger guys really like having that responsibility and I've been amazed at how prepared they are when it is their turn.

 

A week before the campout is menu and duty roster planning night, which still is a disorganized mess.

 

I have noticed that I am becoming less involved in the activities planning for meetings, which is a good thing. We adults do set the dates for the campouts at the annual planning weekend - four weeks apart - because of work schedules.

 

The guys are already starting to ask about this year's planning weekend at the end of summer, asking if they could do some of the same outings and ideas about new things they'd like to do next year. Interestingly, the things I'm hearing are moving away from car camping and more toward adventurous backpacking type campouts. I think this stems from the campout we have coming up in the end of summer, which the guys are already excited about. We are camping at a mountain lake which can only be reached by boat or canoe. Yes, guys are already thinking about canoeing merit badge at summer camp.

 

 

 

 

[JerseyJohn]

How we do it.......

 

Patrol top ten list

- Decided by patrol the meeting before the Green Bar annual planning meeting

 

At the Green Bar planning meeting, the six patrols present their "Dream Sheets"

 

Then the negotiations and discussions begin (with a little bickering thrown in for good measure).

 

They break it down to a troop top ten.

 

It is reviewed by the committee. It is usually rubber stamped unless they have a long string of expensive trips which can exclude some scouts due to funding. In which case we recommend that the GB reconsider a distant or expensive trip and replace it with a more local trip. If they persist, I'll recommend they consider a dual trip weekend.

 

About 16 scouts took a long distance trip that cost 100.00 per. So we also offerred a local campout for $20.00 and another 25 or went on the local trip.

 

Everyone won and more boys participated that weekend.

YIS,

John

[Twocubdad]

Boy, I wish I could get up to the level of having these problems. When I stepped in, the troop had almost no troop program. The PLC never met, there was no planned troop meeting programs, no JLT in years and probably one-in-three campouts cancelled due to lack of adult leadership. Needless to say, it's been a long slow rebuilding process.

 

I've been SM for about 18 months (I registered here as "Twocubdad" a LONG time ago) and have been through one planning cycle. In retrospect I can see that the boys may have had too much lattitude in planning the program. The monthly themes this year have been really fun (mountain biking, shotgun shooting, wilderness survival, etc.) but those "gravy" themes have been at the cost of a lot of basic Scout skills. Consequently, I've taken a bit heavier hand in planning the next couple upcoming campouts. Fortunately, at the planning conference in August, April and May were left a little fuzzy. So I've not had to change any plans, just guide the planning a little more. Next August I'll start with a SPL who has watched the process for a year (and hopefully completed NYLT), so I'll be able to work with him in advance to structure the annual plan a little more. I guess the Scoutmaster has a learning curve, too.

 

One thing that has been both facinating and frustrating is the boys' resistance to doing things "by the book." They want to re-invent the wheel at every turn. Troop meeting plan worksheets are viewed as just one more homework assignment. I can't tell you how many times I've suggested a Scout look through the Program Features book for ideas only to have him glance through it for a few seconds and then set it aside. I'm not sure how to crack that nut.

 

Building the troop has been like eating an elephant, one bite at a time. Everytime I ask the PLC to do something, it the first time they've done it. We're just starting to get the hang of planning and running troop meetings -- After almost 8 months, we had enough successes that the boys are beginning to see if they plan things properly, the troop meetings work.

(This message has been edited by Twocubdad)