Scoutmaster

How Would You Manage Rapid Growth in Your Troop?

The current question at Scouting Magazine's 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.

When logistics get complex keeping the focus on the goals of Scouting becomes more challenging. I'd suggest that G.P. keep these goals in front of his youth and adult leaders constantly as a measure of success in meeting the needs of their Troop. This will help focus their efforts on the Scouts themselves rather than just the logistics of rapid growth.

Most of the time the best source for evaluating and modifying the way things are done is the youth leaders. I find that when the Adult leadership is confounded the youth leaders often have the answer. This is a great opportunity for G.P. and his fellow Adult leaders to invest more responsibility in the youth leadership.

Ask them for some guidance on how to manage these challenges, you won't be disappointed!

Getting Cub Scouts to be Serious

The current question at Scouting Magazine's Front Line Stuff

Getting Cub Scouts to be Serious

I am a den chief, and my father is a den leader. I play games with the Cub Scouts and try to have fun, but when it's time to be serious, they just want to keep fooling around. How can I get them to listen when it's time?

Den Chief W.M.

Congratulations to W.M. for serving as a Den Chief!

Cub-aged boys are still learning how to shift gears from fun and games to more serious pursuits. Whether it is a ceremony or some important point of instruction all Cub Scout Leaders take on the challenge of directing the tremendous energy and excitement of their Cub Scouts.

Ask the Cubs to help you set a consistent plan for Den meetings. Ask them what they consider to be enough time for the different parts of the meeting and how they think they should act for each one. If they have some investment in making these decisions they will be much more likely to adopt the proper frame of mind for the different aspects of a Den meeting.

Front Line Stuff - Finding a balance between sports and Scouting

Scouting Magazine's Front Line Stuff asks:

So many of our Scouts are involved in sports that there are always conflicts between troop meetings and outings and team practices and games. How do other troops handle this issue?

T.L.
Kansas City, Mo.

Instead of responding to these situations with a policy we have a philosophy: the Troop meets all year long and missing a few meetings or outings is not held against anyone.

Should another activity create a conflict with meetings or outings we expect our Scouts to balance the two with the help of their parents and coaches. Scouts who hold leadership positions are expected to see that their obligations are met in their absence.

We also encourage them to be mindful that participating in team or group may fulfill a rank or merit badge requirement.

After all we certainly don't want to hold our Scouts back from being actively involved in their school and community. Teams and groups outside of Scouting are not competitors but an important part of developing young lives.

Front Line Stuff - Commemorating 100 Years of the BSA

The next Front Line Stuff question is:
The BSA’s 100th anniversary is less than a year away. What special efforts are packs, troops, and crews planning to gain visibility and bring more boys into the program?

We are planning to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Boy Scouts of America in three ways:
Tell 100 boys who aren't Scouts about Scouting and invite them to join our Troop.
Commit to complete 100 man hours hours of good turns for our community in addition to Eagle projects and our normally scheduled service work.
Complete 100 merit badges and Rank advancements.

Cell Phones - Front Line Stuff

The Front Line Stuff column at Scouting Magazine poses the following  question on "How to Control Misuse of Cell Phones";

A few of our parents want their sons to be able to use their personal cell phones during meetings and camp-outs. What can we do to keep the technology from being disruptive, yet allow the parents the security they're asking for?

A parents desire for the convience and reassurance that cell phones afford must be tempered with a knowledge of the practices and goals of Scouting.  I have no objection to Scouts carrying cell phones so long as they and their parents understand their proper use in the context of Scouting.

We must also accept that cell phone use is a part of modern culture. Many of our Scouts have grown up with cell phones and will use them much more frequently than we may think advisable.

A Scouts autonomy to meet challenges should be preserved, as should his safety. A personal cell phone should probably not be the first resource for either. During a properly run activity any emergency should be immediately referred to the Scoutmaster or adult in charge for action. Imagine the confusion if Scouts start calling in emergency help before the Scoutmaster knows what is happening.

If parents want their Scouts to check in via cell phone periodically for the parents own peace of mind I would ask them to consider that this may compromise the experience for the Scout. We must also consider the disruptive influence of incoming calls from friends.

Like any tool cell phones can be used improperly. We should discuss their proper use in the same way we do pocket knives and axes. Here's a suggested list of rules along the lines of the Tote N' Chip card. Perhaps we can call it a "Cell Contract"

1. During meetings and outings I will either turn my cell phone off or disable the ringer.
2. I will not answer incoming calls and messages nor make outgoing messages or calls until it is appropriate to do so courteously to my fellow Scouts and have the permission of my leader.
3. In any emergency I will first inform my Scoutmaster or adult in charge of the situation and obey their directions.

A lively, active, engaging program at meetings and observing the rules of Safe Scouting (especially the Buddy System) on outings and a clear understanding on their proper use will greatly reduce the likely hood of cell phone 'abuse'.

Creating Functional Boy Scout Patrols

Scouting Magazine's Front Line Stuff asks the question:

Our troop's patrols are organized by age and don't function well. We  basically have two patrols: the "chaos" patrol of 11- and 12-year old  boys and the "I'm too cool" patrol of older Scouts. How can we create  functional patrols where the older Scouts teach the younger ones?

A.S.
Louisville, Ky

Encouraging older and younger Scouts to interact with each other is simple when we observe the methods and aims of Scouting. Examine the 'chaos' Patrol carefully - what appears to be chaos to an adult may be a highly functioning patrol of 11 and 12 year-olds.

Since the Patrol method is THE method let's examine how A.S. could apply it to resolve the situation. If there is instruction going on ad it isn't coming from the older Scouts where is it coming from?

Assure that responsibility for the Patrols and skill development where it belongs - in the hands of youth leadership. Put a moratorium on all adult instruction (except in mentoring leadership) and reduce adult oversight of the patrols to a minimum. The troop may have to step back and do some youth and/or adult leader training to accomplish this.

A.S.'s fellow adult leaders probably have the common concerns we all have had in taking the plunge with such advice. But when we step back the Scouts step up.

Once there is a clear understanding of leadership roles start asking lots of questions of the Youth leadership:

• What are your goals for Troop and Patrol advancement, activities and involvement in the next several weeks or months?
• Does our current Patrol structure lend itself to reaching these goals? (i.e. does having all the younger Scouts in the same Patrol make sense?)
• What do you plan to change about your Troop so to achieve the goals you have set for yourselves?

The Scouts will surprise you. They will work hard once given the latitude to do so. The short answer to any problem or dysfunction within a Scout Troop is asking the leadership (specifically the youth leadership) if they see it as a problem and then guiding them to discover a solution

The Uncertain Senior Patrol Leader

Scouter 573 asks:
What can I do to help an SPL who thinks he got chosen for something other than his leadership abilities?

Most of my SPL's (twenty five or so and counting) have had at least a minor crisis of self confidence. A few have had some major misgivings. I try to help them recall that they were elected by their fellow Scouts, and that in itself witnesses that they have confidence in him.

Imbue them with confidence and support, make their disappointments small. If they are beaten down by many failures find some element of success to build upon.

Think of yourself as a drill sergeant who, instead of finding every opportunity to tear down, finds every opportunity to build up. Don't floridly overreact in the manner of a doting parent but find your opportunities for praise.

The confidence you exhibit in any youth leader is proportional to the confidence they will develop.

Early Departures from Campouts

Scouting Magazine publishes answers to questions from Scouters in 'Front Line Stuff'.
They have posted questions that will be featured in upcoming issues here. There is also an archive of past questions.

Here's the question for the May-June 2008 issue.

Early Departures From Weekend Camp-Outs

Our troop has a growing problem of parents picking up their sons from a camp-out on Sunday morning, right after breakfast but before the real work of breaking camp begins. The parents have many excuses for their son's early departure, but this makes the other Scouts feel like they are getting stuck with all the take-down and packing chores. They even wonder if they should ask their parents to make an excuse to pick them up early. Any suggestions?

J.S.
Dallas, Tex.

I would encourage J.S. to take this to his Patrol Leader's Council at their next meeting. They are the ones who have to do the chores, they should be able to find some resolution.

A more predictable reaction is creating a policy of some sort or tossing the problem to the Troop Committee. To do either denies the Scouts a prime opportunity to  practice some leadership and self government. Once he has asked the PLC to solve the problem J.S. should listen carefully to their discussion, perhaps ask a question of two and let the Scouts formulate a solution.

If they own the solution they are more likely to make it work.