SPL reports to committee

[Lisabob]

Does your troop expect or require an SPL report to the committee at each committee meeting? If so, do you expect or require the SPL to attend the committee meeting, in full uniform (despite the committee rarely wearing uniforms to such a meeting), to deliver the report? Is it reasonable to expect/require the SPL to submit a written report to the CC in advance, and if so, how far in advance? Can you envision a situation in which the CC would require the SPL's report a month in advance so as to ensure that nothing the CC didn't want brought up, was in the report? Stated reason: if SPL brings up topics that the CC didn't expect or want to discuss, it could throw off the CC's meeting plan.

 

If you were the parent of the SPL and such an expectation was made known, how exactly would you respond? How would you counsel your SPL child to respond?

 

 

 

 

[Eagle92]

Growing up the SPL was too busy runnign the troop meeting to attend the committee meeitng.

[Twocubdad]

Sounds to me like the committee chairman is trying to hold the senior Patrol Leader to a higher standard than he is willing -- or able -- to meet himself. Is this something new which is being enforced? Or is this a new responsibility being added to the SPL's job description?

 

 

Where is the Scoutmaster in all this? The SPL should be working through him. I would hope the SM would be trying the shield the SPL from this junk. Meeting with the troop committee and relaying the results and plans of the Patrol Leaders' Council is the job of the SM, not the SPL. I always ask new SPLs if they want to attend committee meetings and represent the PLC personally, but I've never had a taker.

 

What's the SPL's opinion of the request? That you are posting it I assume it's a problems for him. Does he object to attending committee meetings, to having to produce a written report, or having to make a written report a month in advance?

 

I think the SPL's role in this is to go to the SM and explain his position. The SM needs to represent the SPL to the committee and, frankly, back him up. Beyond that, my general operating principle is that problems with adults need to be solved by adults. The SPL doesn't need to get into a shoving match with the committee chairman. If the SM isn't going to tote water for the SPL, his parents should.

 

 

The CC is really so worried the SPL is going to stump him he needs a full month to prepare? Jeeez.

 

 

[BrentAllen]

No, we don't expect or require the SPL to report to the committee - that isn't his job, and it isn't part of his job description by the BSA program.

 

As the parent, if I wanted to put an end to the CC request, I would have a friendly conversation with the SM to see if he could deal with the CC, let him know that isn't the job of the SPL. If that didn't work, I would have my son write a courteous note to the CC, along the lines of, "Mr. CC, According to training I have received in (TLT, NYLT, etc.) it is not the role or the responsibility of the SPL to report to the committee. If I am mistaken, please direct me to the BSA publication outlining my committee reporting responsibility and I will be happy to oblige. Sincerely, SPL."

[CalicoPenn]

Scoutmaster is responsible for the program side of the Troop. CC is responsible for the administrative side of the Troop. Youth leadership, such as the SPL, is part of the program. The Scoutmaster is the voice of the PLC, including the SPL, for the committee. There should be no need for the SPL to attend any meeting of the committee - that's what the SM is there for. There is definitely no need for the SPL to give a written report, that's essentially pre-planned by the CC, to the CC.

 

The CC is out of line - the SM needs to tell the CC that the SPL's will not give written reports to the CC, and they will not attend Committee Meetings. If the CC balks, the SM contacts the COR, explains the issue, and if the COR doesn't agree to back up the SM, the SM hands his patch over to the COR and tells him "good bye and good luck".

 

If I'm the parent, I'm telling the SM that my son will not be doing the SM's job by providing reports - written or oral - to the CC and Committee. If it's pushed, I'm counseling my son to take on a different role (Den Chief comes to mind) and give up SPL.

[Bando]

Our SPL routinely attends the committee meeting every month, and gives a short, informal report if he actually has anything he wants to discus. It's a great way for the adults and a representative of the youth leadership to get on the same page, share thoughts, etc. No need to be rigid or overly demanding.

[Stosh]

If the SPL reports to the committee, what does the SM do?

 

I would think if the CC wants info from the SPL, he can chat before the meeting and not waste the SPL's time.

 

Anything the CC wishes to convey to the boys he should be doing it through the SM.

 

I don't see any purpose in the SPL meeting with committee unless specifically invited to do so for a special concern they may have.

 

Stosh

[Beavah]

If you were the parent of the SPL and such an expectation was made known, how exactly would you respond? How would you counsel your SPL child to respond?

 

I think as a parent, I'd stay in my proper role, eh? "Lad, you're smart and brave and I think yeh do a great job as SPL. I trust yeh to do what you feel is right."

 

And leave it at that. Learnin' to work with different people is a part of growin' up and something that we provide in Scouting that most other youth programs don't. I'd let him have the full benefit of the program without my getting in the way.

 

Now if yeh ask what advice I'd have for da CC or the SM, that's a different question. But as mom of the SPL, I think yeh know that your role is to give your son the support he deserves - by trusting him to handle these sorts of challenges on his own.

 

Beavah

 

[Lisabob]

I didn't realize there would be such strong reaction to the SPL giving reports to the committee, in general. That has just been "the way it is" for as long as we've been associated with this troop. Nobody else does this? While sometimes I think the reports are a bit useless ("we went camping and it was fun"), it does at least offer the SPL direct access to a broader group if the PLC has issues they want to see dealt with.

 

The current SPL has been emailing his report to the CC either the day before, or the morning of, the committee meetings (which occur at night). Now the CC says he wants them a month in advance so he can pre-approve them. He says he is concerned that the SPL will bring up issues that he doesn't have time to cover in his monthly committee meetings. I am wondering why we even have committee meetings, if the committee isn't willing to discuss issues of importance to the youth in the troop? The committee appears to be taking on an agenda and importance of its own? Mind you, I've been on this committee for 6 years, I've been trained as a troop committee member, and I've rarely seen committee agendas of such importance that it could really matter if we didn't make it through everything on the page. What am I not getting here?

 

 

[sailingpj]

I can see why the CC might want to pre-approve the reports. Maybe he is tired of hearing "we went camping and it was fun". On the other hand I don't see why he should need an entire month to do this. A lot can happen in a month. I think the SPL should say to the CC that he thinks it might be better to give him the report a week in advance because then it will be filled with more up to date information.

 

I am betting that somewhere along the line the committee decided that it would be good to hear directly from the youth what they think of the program. I'll bet it makes everyone on the committee feel good to hear that everyone is having fun.

[Horizon]

Our SPL makes a verbal presentation to the Committee, usually followed by the Scoutmaster. It is a great experience for the Scout, and as Scoutmaster I am right beside him giving him support. It lets the SPL ask for resources, comment on activities, etc.

 

If my Committee ever started grilling my SPL inappropriately, I would step in. However, in a boy led Troop I think having the SPL report can be a good thing.

[CalicoPenn]

Maybe I'm the one not getting it. I don't disagree that inviting the SPL to an occassional committee meeting to talk about the Troop from a youth's point of view is a bad thing.

 

That being said, I think I'm strongly and negatively reacting to the idea that the SPL must present a written report to the Committee Chair one month before a committee meeting so that the Committee Chair can "approve" the report. This seems to be a corporate model to me - and a big waste of the SPL's time. The Committee Chair may as well write the SPL's report.

 

I hate to say it, but a thought just flashed through my head. While I'm not suggesting this is taking place in this Unit, the need of a CC to approve a report before it is presented to the Unit Committee raises a big red flag. What happens if a strong CC decides s/he needs to approve the Treasurer's report before meetings - and what stops them from making changes to hide things?

 

Coming from that angle, I think perhaps the Committee needs to make clear to the CC right now that they (the Committee) won't allow the CC to approve/censor an SPL's, SM's or any other committee members reports in advance of a meeting - and take the tact that they aren't doing it because the believe the CC is doing so for nefarious reasons but because it gives the appearance that the CC is hiding something. I'd suggest that if the CC balks at that, then it might be time to become suspicious that the CC is, or is planning to, hide things - and that it's time for the CC to be replaced.

[frank10]

1) If a scout is coming to speak to me I will be in my Uniform even if the scout is not.

2) If I wanted to know what the SPL was thinking I would ask him on his time not mine.

3) Throw off the CC's meeting plan? Does the CC suck the fun out of every thing he touches?

 

John B

CC T115 Naugatuck CT

 

edit -

Oh, and I'd tell my son I'd understand why he was no longer interested in being SPL.(This message has been edited by wingnut)

[Mike F]

Our SPL usually gives a quick verbal status report at beginning of TC meeting. He also highlights upcoming events which require special support from the TC.

Uniforms optional -- I'm just glad to get them to attend.

 

As others have said, I see this a valuable way to increase their adult interaction in a different venue.

 

If CC requested written report from SPL one month early, as the SPL's "boss", I would tell CC no. SPL has better things to do.

[SMT224]

Our Troop:

The SPL reports to and discusses issues at PLC. The SM attends PLC, listens, and discusses issues with PLC with regard to Troop activities and Committee support. The SM then attends Committee meetings and reports on Troop activities, needs, and any PLC issues. SPL does not attend Committee meetings.

Seems to work fine.