Tell Me About Your PLC, Who, When, Where, How Long, Minutes..

[kb6jra]

I would say it really depends on your circumstances.

 

Our troop tries to have a PLC for 15 min before each meeting, 5 min after and for 45 min - 1 hour each month DURING a meeting. (troop busy planning an outing, PL's and SPL, etc. planning next month)

 

The problem we've had in the past is adding an additional night, or an additional hour before a meeting. Seems everyone is running in too many different directions. Mostly the parents, so transportation is an issue at younger ages. The reality is that if the boys want it, it will somehow, someway happen.

 

They are most effective when the youth buy into the idea. At that point you can have them figure out when they want them and for how long all the while trying to make yourself available .

 

As for the who, SM is the advisor to the leader, the SPL, it's his meeting. He should have all PL's, perhaps his ASPL's, the TG's, Troop Instructors, Quartermaster if needed and the Scribe to keep evidence..:0) ASM Patrol Advisors may want to sit in as observers to keep their own notes so they can "advise" the PL's when they have an assignment due. The SPL can invite anyone to the PLC, youth or adult, or limit participation, with the exception of the SM.

 

An opening and closing during a PLC is not necessary unless they are practicing for the meeting IMO, The PLC is a committee meeting essentially for the boys as leaders to use to facilitate the program they run. If you have it before or after a regular troop meeting, you'll have time to have an opening or closing there. The real idea behind it is to have the SPL chair the meeting how he sees fit, and with consultation from the SM. If the SM is willing to let the SPL run his meeting in that fashion, that's really their call.

[jambo]

I see that 'Kbjra', was most likely trained by our latest national guide lines, "How to run a Troop ", which seems not to be very successful, the way I have observed it ..It seems to me that most of the old time scoutmasters , would not agree with our latest training methodology. One of the biggest role of a Scoutmaster is not to be just a consultant to a SPL, but to be able to guide and lead this boy leader, and be able to train PL's on on their functions. National has set up this " so called boy run units " as to curtail some of entusiasm and success of the program. I remember my days as a SM, we had a very loud and boisterious PLC meetings. Where I motivated my boys ,that "nothing is immposible",if they only try . On occasion, I had to step in ,to calm the whole situation down. And I , as a SM had the last word !. We were the only troop in the council that traveled Internationaly.( we grew in membership ),even to the objection of our district/council. All because our PLC members wanted to do that. Remember, you as a SPLs , that your Scoutmaster is not a log sitting in the corner just observing you ,?He is the spark that will ignite your program, so listen to his guidence/sugestions ...or other wise you will become just a mediocre " boys club " and not an adventures Scouting unit. I got ago...good Scouting to you all...jambo

[kb6jra]

"I see that 'Kbjra', was most likely trained by our latest national guide lines, "How to run a Troop ", which seems not to be very successful, the way I have observed it "

 

 

It's working for me?

 

Opens up an intersting point, but the "new" thinking that moves away from forced discovery to full disclosure of expectations is more to my management style and liking, so it fits me better than the "old" thinking did. In any event, new or old, I think the PLC is a tried and true method that has changed very little, as evidenced by SM handbooks dating back to the wee early days of the BSA. I have a friend that owns quite a collection, and we use them for training to show people, now matter how much things change, they are always the same.

 

YIS

[jambo]

In respond to 'jip': Your point of view is appreciated, but in reality one should observe that about 80 % of PLC, so called " boy run " troopa are a dismal failure. The other ones are successful is becouse they have experienced, motivated, resourcefull,imginative adult leadership who know how to guide/suggest and to SPL, how to organize and execute the Scouting program. It seems you have to learn a lot.Just experimenting , sometimes does not work, becouse boys will ussualy leave the unit, when they see that PLC/troop is not ineresting nor active. This could be the way you lose new boys if you hold on to much to the principal of " boy run troops "...I could go on for ever on this subject...but, you will learn , like I did...the hard way. Good Scouting to you. jambo

[Beavah]

Yah, jambo, I think you're right, eh? But you're also sayin' the same thing as kb6.

 

For every troop, boys and the troop as a whole can be at different stages. Lots of troops are just tryin' out youth leadership for the first time. They gotta go slow and provide a lot of adult support/guidance. Quite a few troops use same-age patrols, so they have a lot of those young 12-13 year old PL's rather than a bunch of 16-year-olds. Those need some stonger ASM guidance for the younger PL's. Some troops have all the ingredients in place, they can let the kids have a lot more control; they need the adults to be "spark plugs" for ideas to push them to think beyond the comfortable/familiar. Every now and again one of those units gets a group of kids that handles everything solo. Then they graduate.

 

SM's have the goldilocks problem, eh? Doin' everything for 'em is "too hot". Not supportin' them enough is "too cold." Somewhere in between is "just right" for where a particular troop is at.

 

B

 

[jambo]

Beaver,it is great that this subject is stimulating...otherwise we would all be 'couch patotoes " ? ,..... wathing our violent TV shows (ha,ha,)..One of the things, our present leaders should consider,if we want a midiocre unit, or "an active,interesting, progressive, adventureous ... etc. Troop ? What use is having 40 boys in your scouting group, and withing 3 month you lose 50% ? Your boy run program is not working ! That is where preferably experienced adult leadership should step in and safe the situation. Other wise the boys might be joining a baseball team. where it is run by the coaches, and not by the boys. " Keep it simple and make it fun " jambo

[Aquila]

>>It seems that many troops lose these older scouts, which I think is the real key to junior leadership. Scouts are not kept interest, they are rushed to Eagle and quit, or they are moved to Venturing Crews. All of which takes leadership away from the troop.

[FScouter]

It''''s difficult or impossible for a boy to preside over a meeting with adults present that want to steer it to a predetermined outcome. Once adults get to talking boys are perfectly content to let them continue to talk. Even adults that sit at the table with their mouths shut can be intimidating. BSA recommendends for good reason that the other than the Scoutmaster, other adults serve no purpose at meetings of the PLC.

 

One suggestion is to provide a copy of the SPL handbook to all adults that feel a need to be present at a PLC meeting and request they read it with an eye to finding their role in supporting the SPL. The SM might even want to make it clear to the other adults that the SPL is taught that the adult leaders will provide him coaching, support, will answer questions, listen to his ideas, be fair, and perhaps most importanly, back him up on his leadership decisions.

[Eagledad]

>>One suggestion is to provide a copy of the SPL handbook to all adults that feel a need to be present at a PLC meeting and request they read it with an eye to finding their role in supporting the SPL.

[jambo]

Aquila: Woman don''t belong running the troop, nor sitting in at PLC meetings. The Scoutmaster and his SPL runs the Troop. Program is set up for the whole year with the rubber stamped by the PLC council. Once the boys leave the PLC meeting then the Troop is run by the Scoutmaster, SPL, Jasm''s...but definetly not by aggresive woman. jambo

[Eagledad]

>>Aquila: Woman don''''t belong running the troop, nor sitting in at PLC meetings.

[msnowman]

Nephew is the SPL for his troop. They have their PLC once a month, on a night seperate from their Troop meetings. Normally it is him (SPL) & the PL (small troop, one patrol) and the SM and runs around 1 1/2 to 2 hours and is at the SM''s. However, last nite it was just him and 2 of the ASM''s (at SM''s request) at our house. The PL and APL couldn''t/didn''t show up, so it was over in about 45 minutes. October''s theme now? Leadership skills.

 

Women don''t belong running a troop.....wow, I thought dinosaurs were extinct.

 

YiS

Michelle

[anarchist]

Our PLC meets for one to one and a half hours on the first Tuesday of every month. This is to plan for the comming month and work on "issues".

 

Only the SM or his designate ASM attend. no other adult unless the PLC has need of planning information, at which time they might ask the Adult grotto member (caving) or the Adult high adventure leader, canoeist ( or whatever adult might have some expertise they require) to attend to help them plan.

 

They also generally have a PLC cracker barrel after camp set-up on Friday nights at our campouts to discuss plans for Saturday''s activities and to make planning adjustments.

 

SPL sets the adgenda, SM helps energize and trys to stay out of the way.

 

ANY boy in the troop is welcome to attend the PLC but only as an observer, unless and until open discussion is called for. Only the green bars have the right to vote...where votes are appropiate.

We tried the 30 minutes before meetings (several times and it was a flop...Major issues with scouts being on time, having enough time to plan and then of course there were the odd parent (or three) trying to horn in or complain about something..

 

How we get them there? The SPL has a phone tree and and email tree and finally the meeting follows by one night our monday meeting so it is announced at least twice during the weekly troop meeting.

 

Green bars are expected to take the junior training, get SPL/PL handbooks, job discriptions and a list of expectations. The PLs are required, if unable to attent a PLC, to have either their APL or scribe attend...more over the PL is expected to have fully briefed his "replacement" about what is needed or what is going on in their patrol so the "stand-in" is not always telling the SPL "I don''t know". Then there is the leadership agreement to stand for the PL job...Miss two PLCs without back-up arrangements and your APL replaces you as PL...Quick and easy -do your job or get out of the way.

 

As to the "blank paper temper tantrum" caused by scouts not bringing paper and pencils...These meetings are held at the same place we hold our troop meetings and each patol keeps a notebook on site so there is an ongoing record that is easily available to the PLs (though, reading them is somewhat frightening and sometimes very difficult)!

 

Openings and closings for the PLC were decided (by the boys) to be a waste of time so they simply call the meeting to order and at the end call for motion to adjourn...Just like many adult meetings....their reasoning was, after all, they do the pledge, the law, the promise and the outdoor code as an opening at each troop meeting... and close with a prayer and a scout circle...bases covered...move on...

 

but it takes a lot of work to get there...and constant work to keep it going...some years are better and easier than others...some SPLs are real gems and some are ...er "diamonds in the rough"...takes a great SM to make it work-well...(glad its not me)

Anarchist

[scoutmastert67]

our troops PLC is held about every 45 days usually on a Sunday nite at our meeting hall it runs about 90 minutes and is run by SPL but with help on the first one just to show the ropes from the scout master they plan out the next two months meetings they do not have any opening or closings but attendance is noted at the PLC only adult at the PLC is the SM for bouncing ideas and to address any SM needs or concerns about the troop they have tried the before meeting PLC but as noted before to many distractions and lack of on time attendance mandated a change to a PLC only meeting on a different nite then the troop meeting there is a 3-5 min "after action report " after the weekly troop meeting sort of the stop start continues and a brief overview of next weeks meeting

 

Exactly.

 

Our SPL and ASPL are 13 -- and the SPL is a *young* 13. He''''s trying; really, he is. We have a great ASM who has always sat in on the PLC meetings (for about 10 years now). He''''s squared away and the most wonderful adult in the troop. But the SPL''''s dad is the SM. Another good guy -- unfortunately he comes with the wife... She hijacks the meeting, does most of the talking, and treats her 13 year old like a little boy. My son has complained to me, but is afraid to complain to the SM -- for obvious reasons. So they "discuss" forever, and rarely come to any decision at all.

 

Any ideas on how to deal with an overbearing SM''''s wife? (who is signed up as an ASM)

 

 

the problem of a parent of a scout that interferes with that scouts development will always be a issue many do not realize that they are even doing it and sometimes it only needs a little private talk to solve. In our troop we have a policy of a mother/father not working with their own kids this cuts down on favoritism or being harder on your own and if you have a parent babying their kids and it starts affecting advancement you would be amazed how fast they will change the behavior in this case the spl and PLC may want to invite only the adults they want to the PLC and speak only on topics under debate for a limited time and if the SM wife still interferes then the SM "GOT TO MAN UP " and put a stop to it

 

[JerseyJohn]

55 scouts - six patrols - SPL 17 year old Life

 

Green Bar replaces one monthly meeting. SPL, 2 ASPL, 6 PL's, Scribe, Instructor, and Quartermaster, myself and one ASM.

 

They take 75 to 90 minutes. They are held on the last Wed of the month and are used to plan the upcoming month. All troop meeting plans are established - skills session instructors, service patrol (set up and tear down) Game patrol.

 

They review past month activities, plan next month, make all troop meeting agendas for the next month, old and new business. Pretty straight forward.

 

I could not imagine doing a 30 minute Green Bar before or after a meeting.....

 

YIS,

SM John