Troop Problems and Quality Unit
CHUCK BRAMLET (chuckb@AZTEC.ASU.EDU)
Sun, 1 Dec 1996 01:29:02 -0700
I find that I must disagree with Terry and John over the "bad"
boys in the program.
Many years ago, a wise man taught us about a sheperd that noticed a lamb
had been lost from his flock. He immediately left the flock to go find
the lost lamb. This man also taught several other things that are
related to what we do.
Are we, who are Boy Scout leaders and not psychologists, doctors, etc.,
equiped to judge on the basis of one or two incidents that a particular
boy should not be in the program? I will refer you to this month's
"Scouting" magazine, and the article about Troops being established in
reformatories in the '20s and '30s.
We have had a few of these in our Troop too. Like the boy who went out
one evening with a slege hammer and destroyed a neighbor's brand new
car. At the same time, he was being disruptive in school, and a problem
at home. Bad boy? Maybe. Hooligan? Probably not. Throw him out of
the Troop? Last thing he needed. His father had walked out on the
family and moved in with a "younger model" just down the street. Mom
had cancer, and the prognosis was not good. He was a basket case, and
had no idea how to cope with all the problems - so he struck out at
everything.
On Quality Unit:
I think that the change in rules, here, is going to hurt rather than help
the units that it is supposed to be helping.
The assumptiuon is that a "Quality Unit" does not ever lose membership.
Well, I can see a few situations where this may be absolutely false.
There is a well publicized reason why _every_ boy must eventually leave
even the best unit. Turning 18. At 18, a boy must leave because he is
no longer a boy, but an adult.
Our Troop has the possibility of 5-6 Eagles at the next ECoH. One is
just waiting for the CoH, 2 are in the final stages of completing the
packets, and 2-4 more are planning/working/completing their projects.
at least 3 of these will turn 18 within weeks of their Eagle Courts.
Growing assumes that a unit will attract/recruit more boys than leave.
Attrition is, many times, dependent on factors outside the control of
the unit. The WDL that becomes unreasonalbly upset over an
inconsequential incident, and refuses to cross "his" Den into _any_
Troop, or even discuss the problem with Troop reps. The four boys whose
fathers all worked for the same company, and the comnpany abruptly
closed it's doors here and transferred some of the employees (including
said fathers) to another state, for instance.
There also seems to be a disincentive to split a large and successful
Troop into two smaller ones. Are the smaller Troops any less quality
that the large one when they are made from the same boys and leaders?
>From my observations, and from several studies that I have heard of, the
Troop loses more boys when they become old enough to get: a girl; a car;
a job. Some of these may move on to Venture or Exploring units.
However, they are _still_ membership losses to the Troop.
I know of no business in which the overiding measurement of quality was
_quantity_, that remained effective for very long.
Just my $0.02 worth.
YiS,
Chuck Bramlet, ASM Troop 323
Thunderbird District, Grand Canyon Council, Phoenix, Az.
I "used to be" an Antelope! (and a good ol' Antelope, too...) WEM-10-95
Please E-mail any replies to: >> chuckb@aztec.asu.edu <<
Member DNRC
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