How Would You Manage Rapid Growth in Your Troop?

Scouting magazine: Front Line Stuff
How Would You Manage Rapid Growth in Your Troop?

Over the past few years our troop has doubled in size due to good programming and good promotion by our committee chair. Although this is a great problem to have, it's hard to keep youth and adult leaders in step with changes required by the larger numbers. What should we do to manage our rapid growth?

Scoutmaster G.P.
Merrill, Wis.

You mention the pace of these changes  as being the principle challenge. It is a little daunting to look out on ten or twenty new faces at a troop meeting! But you have a strong patrol system right? If not this is an excellent time to develop one. You are not working with ten or twenty new Scouts but two or three new Patrols - a bit more manageable.

I'd suggest that you concentrate on training and mentoring your youth leadership who will, in turn, multiply your effort as they work with your newer Scouts.