Help with our SPL

[hotdesk]

The first thing I would do is talk to the scouts that were involved. I would talk to the "victim" the SPL, and the ASPL (since he is the one that stopped it). I would find out exactly what happended.

 

The next thing I would do is work with the Patrol Leader's Council to establish a way to make sure that this does not happen again.

 

I would then determine if it was neccessary to replace the current Senior Patrol Leader. I would take input from the PLC, but the final decision would be mine. However, if I replaced the SPL I would leave it up to the PLC to determine who would take over. I would give them a couple of options like the ASPL, another past SPL, or a new election.

 

Sometime during this, probably between the first and second paragraph, I would inform the Troop Committee what is going on. I would also inform them that the issue is taken care of and what the next course of action is. I would stress to the Troop Committee that the scout does not need to punished by them.

 

However, all this could change depending on how the SPL feels and/or reacts to my discussion with him about the issue. If he didn't feel any regret I would inform the Troop Committee that action needs to be taken.

 

I would then work with the PLC to replace the SPL and come up with some ways to prevent this in the future.

[9muckraker7]

Let me put aside the FACT that the SPL should indeed possess good leadership skills and doing so, ALWAYS set a good example in his actions.

 

I do not think that it should be the SPL's job to get people to stand in a straight line and do other things like that...that should be left for their patrol leaders to deal with. If for some unexplanable reason you do not either remove the SPL from his position OR put him through leadership training, then at least try to instruct him to work more with the patrol leaders for them interact with the patrol members to take care of any problems with them, the patrol members, that the SPL might have.

 

Otherwise, I think that some people are indeed natural born leaders, while some people aren't. While I cannot say anything about this young man in particular, I can say that his experience in leading his troop in the past should have taught him a thing or two about a thing or two. The way he deals with problems now directly reflects how he has dealt with problems in the past. If his tenure in the troop and his holding several leadership positions has taught him how to deal with problems with other scouts, then he shouldn't be the SPL.

 

The other scouts look to him for leadership, and if the other patrol members see him dealing with scouts in such a way, they might get the wrong idea.

[johndaigler]

I think you have two separate issues to deal with.

 

#1) Your process and structure for leadership selection, training and supervision. You can think that through at length and gather all the good advice, knowledge and experience you can find before making any changes or additions to your troop's organizational structure.

#2) This particular Scout. You don't have time to overthink this problem. He needs to be removed from his role. You can do it as gently or d

[johndaigler]

(I don't know why my post didn't completely print . . .)

 

You can do it as gently or as dramatically as necessary. You can send him to training, you can kick him out, you can sit down and talk with him about his choices and their causes. But, when he touched that other Scout he stepped where no Scout, boy or adult, should ever go. The rest of your boys don't deserve him, and the good of the many outweighs the good of the one. Help him if you can, but help yo