Re: Advisor training (Explorer Advanced Leadership Development)
Amick Robert (amick@spot.Colorado.EDU)
Mon, 27 Jan 1997 13:42:56 -0700 (MST)
Mikele, et al,
By far the most effective training for both advisors and explorers
combined, is the Explorer Advanced Leadership Development Workshop
(EALDW). We insist that all new posts that are starting up take this
training before they get underway to ensure that they succeed. All
Explorers and Advisors/Committee members should take this training
together.
The single most important concept to remember is that Explorers must be
treated as *colleagues* by adults, and allowed to design and operate their
programs with guidance from adults. One advisor made a stunning comment
which should be heeded carefully by all advisors.."the use of the
phrase..'yes, but..' is the biggest single 'turn-off' an advisor can make
when commenting on ideas from Explorers.." Let them develop their ideas,
plan them, and operate them; and provide the resources they need to carry
them out. We all learn from experience, and from occasional failures, we
learn best. Advisors are there to prevent serious failures or exposure to
health and safety risks, but so long as Explorers are operating within
guidelines, they should be allowed to "find their way" and run their
programs as they see fit.
When new posts are starting, we often suggest to the advisors/committee
to put together a three months temporary program which will provide
exciting and interesting incentives for the explorers to sign up and
remain active, until they can get comfortable with the program and the
specialty or interest area, then get them trained and comfortable to plan
and conduct their own programs and events thereafter.
The EALDW is the newest offering in Exploring training and is very
versatile. The greatest advantage is that the Explorers and the Advisors
are trained together which very much helps in identifying how the group
works together; getting to know and understand each other, finding out
what the needs of the youth and adults are and meeting those needs, etc.
The program has some excellent exercises on team building and leadership
development, and especially on effective interpersonal communications
techniques (which is probably the most critical problem in Exploring and
other youth groups; Many of our posts now have a Vice President for
Communications who is in charge of maintaining web pages, e-mail list
servers, post newsletters, rosters, etc., to be sure that everyone is
informed and encouraged to participate.
The EALDW is very versatile and can be expanded or abbreviated as
required. I use Explorers from our Community Youth Service Explorer Post
sponsored by Alpha Phi Omega as Trainers. This works especially well
because you have youth training youth and adults, so the credibility and
understanding is at a premier level. Most of all we really have a lot of
fun with the posts when they take the training, and the feedback we have
gotten is that all the posts who have completed this program have a very
high rate of success in planning their programs and carrying them out.
We sometimes will combine the standard Explorer Leader basic with the
Advanced Leadership development training, and in particular, include a
module on how to use the resources in the Explorer Leader's guidebook. We
always do a combined post program planning seminar near the end of the
training, which includes the brainstorming of program ideas, selecting and
calendaring of programs, and then detailed planning of individual programs
by Explorer chairs. This seems to give both Explorers and Advisors a good
feel for the need for advanced planning, having failsafe plans in case of
bad weather or other factors, reverse calendaring of major activities to
cover all the advanced arrangements that need to be in place.
By having the explorers actually do this kind of planning of either actual
or simulated programs and events they want to try, they get an excellent
exposure to doing future post program planning. We encourage them to plan
for at least six months, and preferably a year for major program events.
We also encourage "strategic planning" to line up "superactivities" which
should be selected at least a year or more in advance (e.g., high
adventure trips to Philmont, SeaBase, SCUBA diving, National Explorer
Leadership Conferences/National Law Enforcement Explorer Conferences,
etc.) This allows plenty of time for fundraising, signing up
participants, and getting advanced training and preparation needed for
such events.
This part of the planning is especially fun, because we get an explorer to
be a moderator for the group and then have six explorers get up with a
piece of newsprint and a marker to record ideas. We have them list a
header on their sheet by experience area (social, fitness, career,
outdoor, citizenship, service). Then the explorer or adult suggesting an
idea states his idea and what category to list it under (it may fit
several categories, but we ask that they choose only one to put it under).
The moderator is told to move the brainstorming along quickly, going
around the "circle" for each person to get lots of ideas, and if someone
doesn't have an idea, they can say "pass" and move on to the next person.
When you get a sufficient number of good ideas, then you do a "straw poll
of the group" about each idea on each sheet. Members can vote as often as
they like for the items that appeal to them. Tallys are recorded by each
item.
Then the group picks out a few of the projects to do calendaring. They
set up a six months (or a year) calendar, and list one or two events or
activities per month to schedule from their list. Then they pick a small
and a large activity to plan, pick a committee chair and committee to plan
it, and use the "activity planning" form to cover all the details. Then
they report to the group what they have planned, how much it will cost,
what it takes to prepare for the event, etc.
We also suggest that the Explorer Officers and Advisors have a "staff"
meeting at least once a month to review programs, planning, setting
meeting agendas, and make sure that things are "on track."
As far as District/Council events/activities, the Explorer Officer's
Association (EOA) is usually the forum to plan such events. EOA is
composed of youthrepresentatives from each post and usually meets monthly
or at least quarterly.
Our EOA has planned such events as
"Nightwatch," Explorer Ski Days, Explorer Mock Disaster Exercise,
"Murder-Mystery Ball," trips to NORAD/Air Force Academy, etc.
Service Team support for posts is sometimes difficult to keep going
effectively, but if you can get more experienced Explorers perhaps from
EOA to also assist with Service Team, they can be very effective in
"shoring up" posts that need help in leadership, program planning. We
often combine service team and leadership training functions with EOA and
get youth members involved.
As far as district involvement and support of Scouting units, our
Explorers frequently support and participate in staffing of Klondike
Derbies, Scout Shows, Rendezvous Camporees, First Responder/First aid for
Cub Scout Day camps, etc. Explorers like to render service contribute to
programs for younger Scouts and youth groups, and should be highly
encouraged to do so.
I hope this information is helpful, and would be willing to discuss any
topics in more detail for those interested.
Best wishes..
Bob Amick, Explorer Advisor, High Adventure Explorer Post 72, District
Exploring Chair, and Council Exploring Training Chair, Longs Peak Council
Boulder, CO
|
