Junior Leader Training

[Bob White]

Well I pick up my son from JLT today. He's been gone since last Saturday. We had 3 scouts from the troop attend. They are there with 61 other scouts from the council. I'm anxious to get his feedback on how he enjoyed it, what new friends he made, what he learned, what his goals are for putting the training to work etc.

 

His course director is a very talented trainer (a female scouter you might be interested to learn) who attended PTC with me last year, and his course Scoutmaster followed me as the SM in the troop I served as Scoutmaster in for several years. I know some of the training staff (all scouts) and they are all very good. So I'm betting it was a good experience.

 

His mom was a stitch at sign-in. As a staffer was trying to take his picture she kept running up to straighten his bolo. She was so busy running in and out of the shot she didn't realize he had already snapped the photo before the first time she ran up.

 

It was very funny.

BW

 

[AdvanceOn]

My husband (ASM-Program) and older son (Senior Troop Guide) are at JLTC preparing for the course which will begin on Sunday. I will take my younger son up on Sunday as a participant.

 

One of the comments my older son made last year after having completed his first year as staff was how much more he gained from JLTC as staff. The training and preparation they go through for months before course is intense. You really can't be a slacker to serve as staff on JLTC. I know he learned a lot as a participant but his eyes were definitely opened as staff.

 

He is also comparing JLTC staff training to summer camp staff training. He is working at summer camp for the first time this year. His JLTC training has definitely given him a leadership advantage because the summer camp training isn't nearly as indepth. I suggested he thank his adult staff at JLTC for their hard work and dedication.

 

We really shouldn't take excellent leadership and training for granted. And we shouldn't expect or accept mediocre training and leadership.

 

[mk9750]

AdvanceOn,

 

We have the same experience as you describe. Council JLT here is excellent, but our boys have increased their leadership skills exponentially when serving on staff. This is very close to our Troop practice, based on the medical profession: See one, Do one, Teach one. Go to JLT (see the Skill). Go back to your Troop and practice it (Do one). Come back as staff and instruct others (Teach one). It's a beautiful program that has never failed us.

 

Mark

[silver-shark]

Bob, great post and one that's near and dear to my heart.

 

Prior to last November, our 48 year old troop had never had anyone teach or take Troop or Council JLT. This is the first thing that I set out to change after joining the troop 15 months ago.

 

Since then another ASM and myself ran the Troop JLT last November, then prepared the sylabus for some of the trained boys to run it this past April. A very valuable learning experience for the boys. The trained boys have already formed a small training committee to write their own sylabus for the next session, following the established format but changing the games to keep it fresh.

 

This Sunday, the first 4 boys in the history of the troop are going to White Stag, our Councils JLT Program. I am just about to burst waiting for them to get back to the troop with this new training and they haven't even left yet. I know, I know, to make it really work us adult leaders need to get through the Wood Badge of the 21st Century course before it will work the best. I.m hoping to get it yet this fall.

 

These first 4 boys are already talking about going back next year to be trainers themselves and they haven't even taken the course yet, that's how pumped up they are about it.

 

Additionally, we already have about 4 or 5 boys talking about going next year that are either too busy this year or are not old enough.

 

I just love this training stuff !!!

[Bob White]

Well we got home about 8:30 from the council JLT course. My son gave it a 9 out of a possible 10 points.

 

On the Plus Side

Enthusiastic Junior Staff

Very good quality presentations

Well Planned

Lots of activities

Learned some new things

Made some new friends

Feels he is a better leader for having gone

 

On the Minus Side

Some staff dropped out at the last minute and so they did not have enough Patrol Guides and had to do two patrols of 11 boys (my son was in one of them)

 

Back on the Plus Side

He now understands and appreciates why patrols are limited to a maximum of 8 boys in his troop.

 

(side bar)

A faction of 4 scouts formed within the patrol under the control of one of the scouts other than the elected PL. This caused some conflict in patrol teamwork. This goes to show you that boys naturally gather in small groups, hence the reasonong behind the patrol method and the strong recommendation to restrain patrol size to these natural numbers. 6-8 Scouts will give you the most effective patrol operation and the most successful boy leadership.

 

It's good to have him back home and I'm pumped that he had a good time.

 

Bob White

 

[Eamonn]

Oliver-James (OJ)Packed his back pack, kissed his mother, took some of my hard earned money. Loaded up all the stuff he needed for the OA weekend, Which is to be followed by our Council JLTC.

Last year we were unable to find a Scoutmaster for it, so we send our Scouts to Greater Pitt. And one Lad went to Philmont.

I have been informed that there is a really good course for youth staff members at camp Alpine in New Jersey.

If anyone has any info. I would love to hear it.

This house is very quite without him.

I don't think that I like it.

Oh Well the shape of things to come ?

[AdvanceOn]

Eamonn:

 

Your son is in good hands at Camp Twin Echo. I also just dropped my son off, been back only a few minutes and had to check the forum!

 

I'd like to do some bragging if I may. My husband has been appointed as the 2nd in command (sorry, I'd don't know his official title) for next year's course. And when I arrived my older son who is on staff was beaming because he was promoted to instructor for this course. He had originally been senior guide but there were some youth staff changes.

 

There are some really great guys on this course, some who have been there for YEARS, others only a few years but are clearly dedicated.

[Eamonn]

The things this Lad will do to get out of buying me a Fathers Day Present.

He has a birthday coming up - A good time for me to go out of town ??

Just joking.

He will be 15 so for the next year there will be a count down. Counting the days till he can get his driving permit.

[acco40]

My son and I are off to summer camp this coming weekend and after seven days of summer camp he immediately goes to one week of JLTC (he will get to spend one night in his own bed). My number one concern for him is functioning on sleep depravation. JLTC has a rigorous program from 7:00 AM (wake-up at 6:00) and it goes to 11:00 PM every evening. He won't get much sleep in summer camp either. At this time of the year (summer soltise) and living "up north" we get way to much daylight in my opinion this time of year. I guess it compensates for our dark winters.

 

We went to our JLTC orientation this weekend and he seems excited after some initial reservations. He is a great kid but somewhat shy amongst his somewhat older peers (he will turn 13 in August).

 

 

[Eamonn]

Picked up number one son last night from JLTC.

As Council Training Chair. I was invited to the Feast. I love that word. We don't use it enough.

There was mud everywhere, thanks to all the rain.

It had rained eveyday.

I spent some time with the participants, most said that they would like to come back next year as staff members, and that they had a lot of things that they wanted to try back with their troops.

O J, felt that the Scoutmaster could have done a better job and that he didn't stick to the syllabus as much as the last guy did. (Twas me.)

They lost their SPL, just before the start of the course.

Due to a mix up with dates they closed on Friday night after the campfire.

This is a great ceremony - Up there with what we used to do at some other course that we still do, but it has changed.

Talking with the Adult staff, we think that we will move it next year and hold it after camp in August.

There has been a rumor that there will be a new course out soon - Anybody hear when ?

I am going to look into what is happening at camp Alpine to see if they do have a course for the youth staffers.

OJ, is home for a week then he is off to summer camp. It's not fair all I get is to pay for it.

But I can't think of money better spent

Well maybe if I was the one going ???

[Bob White]

Eamonn, A nation-wide task force has been working on revamping all of the junior leader training processes. A new JLT is scheduled to be tested this summer in the Great Lakes area. I don't know that a release date has been set.

 

Bob White

[jerryz]

Bob,

 

I have had three of my sons attend JLT conducted by our council. In all cases, it was a turning point in their scouting career. Two went on to become Eagles and the other is nearly there.

 

They all enjoyed the fact that the course was really run by the scouts, taught by the scouts, etc. They saw scouting as it was supposed to be done.

 

JLT has motivated them out of the doldrums many 14-15 year olds in my experience fall into. After attending JLT, they wanted to go back and serve on staff. There's an old saying that you learn more when you teach than when you are a student. This has really been true for my sons.

 

Last month, my middle son served on staff for both courses put on by our council. At the second course, the National BSA staff were observing since it was the first pilot of the new JLT curriculum (following roughly the same type format as Woodbadge). My son received great reviews and was invited to serve on national staff next year at Philmont.

 

I have sent a number of our scouts through the course and have rarely been disappointed. Most bring back a much more positive attitude and great ideas. It is my hope to eventually get every scout in our troop to attend.

 

The course is tremendous in teaching leadership skills and methods to scouts. The JLT kit provided by National for Troop JLT is good at building team spirit. However, both are lacking in providing job specific training - i.e. SPL, PL ,etc. I realize that as SM that is my job, but it would seem that there should be more available as resource tools.

[rlculver415]

My son was inspired to attend our council's JLTC by the glowing reports of his SPL from when he went two summers ago. He and another boy from our troop left at 4:00 am today in order to get there by check-in at 8. Not being a morning person, he was barely awake and hoping this was the last time he'd be required to be up at that hour (lol). I can't wait till next weekend to hear how it all went!