PLC outings

[Buffalo Skipper]

Have any of you had an outing with only the PLC? I am trying to build some camaraderie amongst our leaders. I am not really looking for a leadership exercise, nor anything which is work. More, I am looking for a unique activity which is, first and foremost, fun. I am very open to ideas on this.

[asm 411]

Last march, still snow on the ground, our troop got to a campsite late. The SPL had a really hard time locating the campsite the camp Ranger directed us to. The next month we were to do our first backpacking trip in many years.

 

He did not want to look disorganized for a second time so he requested the PLC hike the trail we were going to backpack the week before.

 

It worked out great. The PLC really shined because during the hike they made plans how to traverse certain areas when we had all four patrols along.

 

Great team building experience and lots of fun.

[OldGreyEagle]

One of the best PLC outings the Troop ever did was a PLC COPE week end

[Gold Winger]

My son's SM tried to organize a PLC campout but no one wanted to go. Then again, I'm pretty sure that most of them don't really want to be PLs or Boy Scouts.

[Eagledad]

Our PLC does a lock-in twice a y (after each election) where all they do is eat pizza and play computer games all night long. No offical stuff, just camaraderie building.

 

I am always amazed at the computer stuff they bring just for this activity. They love it.

 

Barry

[Buffalo Skipper]

Great replies.

 

ASM11, we had a similar experience last year when our PLC organized a Webelos campout, but the month before had a dry run. They went to the same campsite, and had the youngest scouts pretend to be Webelos to practice. This also prepared the younger scouts to handle the next weekend. 5 of 6 5th grade Webelos crossed to the troop 4 months later.

 

OGE, I really really like your idea. I only wish we had a COPE course within a reasonable distance of us, which we do not. There is an incredible (indoor) climbing wall at the only area outfitter (actually in our neighborhood); it even has underhang to scale--truly top notch. Unfortunately, they charge a couple of fingers and toes for an hour of climbing.

 

We try to have lock-ins once or twice a year, but we always include all the troop.

 

One that I am considering is a daysail on the bay. I have strong connections to the boating community here, and I want to take the PLC out on a 40' sailboat for 3-4 hours. Not to teach them to sail, just to ride along and be as involved as they want to or not. I have someone in mind who used to be a cubmaster (25 years ago) and he has offered. http://heartofgoldsails.com/SeaMist04.JPG

 

[Eagledad]

I'm not trying to sound condesending, but ask the scouts. That is how ours started doing lock-ins. They just wanted to do something that is totally fun for them.

 

Tell your scouts that they can do anything they want, and see what comes up.

 

Actually sailing sounds like a great day to me, I'm just not sure how much they will like it. I learned to quit guessing how a teenager thinks. And all women in general for that matter.

 

Barry

[Buffalo Skipper]

Eagledad,

Not condescending at all. I have tried, but I get the usual dribble: paintball, go-carts, or even the skate-park. Without meaning to insult our scouts, they are stuck in the rut. I don't want to accuse them of not having any imagination, but they really don't see outside of their little world. That is why I want to give them something about which they don't need to be knowledgable of or plan for themsleves. Our PLC is in 2 weeks, and I want to have several ideas to throw out for them. We have agreed to do something in early December.

[Beavah]

Yah, Buffalo, I hear yeh.

 

One good way to think about PLC outings is Kudu's way, eh?

 

Think about PLC outings as patrol leader training, not leadership training. Like any patrol leader trainin', organize it at the adult level, and take 'em somewhere new to explore.

 

If your troop has never been rock climbin', take 'em rock climbing (perhaps at a local rock gym, or for a weekend out). If they've never been canoein' or whitewater rafting, take 'em. Skiing/snowcampin'? Lockin at da local science museum? Sailing? Mountain biking?

 

If they've done all those things, take 'em canoeing at a new spot. Go through lookin' at da guidebooks, scoutin' a river, getting maps, LNT camping by boat, safety, what fun things are in the area, etc.

 

Yeh use the weekend to teach skills, eh? Activity skills and leadership skills-by-doing. And at the same time yeh get them to expand their repertoire of ideas and possibilities.

 

Boys are a pretty non-creative bunch, eh? They don't have much life experience to dream up new things, and have nowhere to start on a new idea. If yeh get 'em to touch things and taste things, and yeh get 'em basic skills in the activity and familiarity with the area, then it becomes somethin' they can plan or lead in the future.

 

B

 

[Gold Winger]

"Boys are a pretty non-creative bunch, eh? They don't have much life experience to dream up new things, and have nowhere to start on a new idea."

 

Let's ammend that to say "Boys today are a pretty non-creative bunch. . ."

 

Boys of yesteryear would pretend to be spacemen, cowboys, indians, and deep sea divers using a washing machie box for a spaceship, submarine or fort. Boys of yesteryear would build go karts from old crates, tree houses out of abandoned lumber, race tracks in the wilderness and baseball fields in empty lots.

[gwd-scouter]

I think I have to disagree with boys today not being creative. The guys in our Troop have become very creative once we, the adults, got out of their way.

 

An example: Last May we went on our annual back to basics campout. We invite a Webelos Den to come with us and it gives our guys a chance to work on their basic skills while working with the Webelos. There is always a good amount of down time and the guys have come up with some amazing and creative games.

 

One in particular was what they called the shipwreck game. They took all the ropes we had and around a grouping of trees built an elaborate web. They used plenty of required knots and lashings in the process. Then, everyone on board the web as one boy unties a knot. The ropes drop to the ground one by one and when a guy loses his support or balance and any part of him touches the ground, he's out. Last man on the ropes wins.

 

That game brought our guys together along with the Webelos better than anything I could have imagined. Another cool result of the game. A couple of our older guys on our last campout decided to make their own hammocks and slept in them. Well, only for the first night. They found out what they created weren't very comfortable.

 

As far as an outing for just your PLC? Training does not have to be like work. Our Troop level training is loaded with team building games. Annual planning weekend in our Troop includes everyone because we are a small Troop, but I think most Troops do it with only the PLC. If they are having trouble getting started with ideas, give them several and let them choose. Pizza and game night lock-in. Very fun for the boys. Our local COPE course is no longer available, but I know of one Troop that used that every year as part of their planning weekend.

 

One result of having a special PLC-only activity could be that your other Scouts will see being a member will have special benefits. They may envy those guys having that unique activity and want to step up and be a leader in your Troop.

[Beavah]

Yah, gwd, you're right, eh?

 

I should have been more clear.

 

I think boys are just fine bein' creative when you're talkin' dreamin' up a new game... at an outing where they already have experience with the outing, its setup, how it's run, that games are being played, etc. And in many cases in da case of games, they're just bringin' in things that they already have experience with from other camps, school activities, etc.

 

But confront 'em with "let's do a different kind of outing than the usual thing we do", and lots of times I've seen lads get stymied. And some adults for that matter. Not enough experience to envision da thing. It'll seem like they're lazy or procrastinatin', but they really just don't know how to get goin'. Even if they sorta come up with something, it's pretty common to run into reluctance - boys want some confidence that they will be successful tryin' something new. So they fall back to bein' conservative, and plan the activity they're familiar with from last year.

 

Anyway, seemed to me like where Buffalo's lads are at. YMMV.

 

Beavah

 

[Stosh]

This last PLC outing was the annual program planning event. We went whitewater canoeing. When we weren't on the water, the boys were at the camp table doing their planning and the adults attended to the camp chores including all cooking, etc. It's the only outing where the adults do all the work, but it leaves all the "free" time for the boys to work on the program for the upcoming year.

 

Yes, if the adults are off doing camp chores, they don't have time to interfere with the creativity of the boys and the plans they are making.

 

Stosh

[gwd-scouter]

Beavah, you make a good point. We were there a few years ago. Our Troop had never had annual planning meetings. Adults ran the show and pretty much did the same thing year after year. We had our first planning weekend and our guys were rather stuck on ideas. I gave them a start by saying they should write down every idea the boys come up with, no matter how ridiculous it may be. Nothing is off the table at the start. Sure, I overheard "let's go to Hawaii" and things like that. After all the ideas, some crazy, some not, were on the list, I gave them the G2SS, the balance in our Troop bank account, reminded them how much they raised in fundraisers the previous year, and said "OK, now pick 12."

 

That year we along with the more traditional ideas for campouts, the boys added a couple of backpacking trips (something else this Troop had rarely done in the past), a day at an amusement park, bowling nights, movie marathon lock-in, and some service project ideas.

 

They presented the list to me and were quite amazed that I agreed to the amusement park and movie lock-in. I guess they figured I would see those activities as not being related to Scouting so I would say no. They have learned the mantra - if we plan it, we can do it.

 

These days, they come up with some great stuff for outings and meetings without any help from me at all.

 

I guess I didn't do a good job in explanation, but my previous post to Buffalo Skipper was meant to emphasize the adults getting out of the way of the boys. Sure, he may have to get them started by giving them a few ideas, but I have found the more I stay out of the mix, the more our boys let their creative juices flow.

 

Edit to add: Buffalo Skipper, the G2SS is actually an excellent resource for ideas. Let the boys read it. They will find out about approved activities they may not have thought of. When our guys read it for the first time, that's when they came up with snow skiing and cave exploration. Two activities that are now part of our annual program.(This message has been edited by gwd-scouter)

[Buffalo Skipper]

Again, thanks to all for your excellent suggestions.  You have all given me new perspectives on this issue, and on other, closely related topics.  And yes, GWD, you have it right.  I don't want to lead the boys by the nose, but I need to get them started; that's really what all this is about.  And I do like your idea about the G2SS, I had never looked at the at document in that light.  I will see the we puchase a new one (I use the online one) so we can use that chart, and possibly hang it on the wall.

We had a PLC 3 weeks ago (new leaders) to plan the next 6 months.  We had some new ideas fly around, but mostly it was the same old stuff.  I was able to "inspire" them to consider some new locations for hiking that we had never done before.  This was met with some grumblings by another leader in attendance (observer, not participant), but without addressing those comments, I supported the PLC in what they wanted to do.  I think they appreciated the vote of confidence.  There is another PLC next week to finish the planning through April, and firm up things.  After that, they will meet on a regular schedule.