Older Scouts mentoring program
David F. Delman (Delman01@COMPUSERVE.COM)
Mon, 13 Oct 1997 07:04:55 -0400
<<Ref: Sun, 12 Oct 1997 15:23:07 Steven Myers <myers@UAKRON.EDU>>
First, Congrats on having such a great troop.
Some different thoughts,
Analysis
--------
Won't work as you described it. Many of the older boys will hate =
it. It's like giving them a little pesky brother that they have
to keep holding hands with. Some will treat him accordingly.
< responsiblility is not for advancement, but for all the methods>
< of scouting including being responsible for keeping them active.> =
"Yuk Yuk is almost the first words I can hear from a 16yr old"
Not really sure why some of your other methods haven't worked
because they are equally as good as your new idea. Granted the
new one has more accountability built in.
If you pair some likewise boys up it may work for them but there
are so many other pairs that won't work including some difficult
pairs that will never work.
The Big Brother will work but the Big Brother has to be the
Willing One and for the right reasons. The right reason is for
the older one to Want to Pull, Coach the younger, and enjoy
in their success. Desire being the main key. =
If you can muster Desire Do It.
Suggestion
----------
Shorten the contact time to about 15 minutes during one of your
meeting's advancement time slots. Make sure you have floater
adults observing interactions that need improvement. For the
younger boys beyond 1st class I would probably do a 2 or 3
young on one older depending upon where the young ones needed
assistance. This way you create the buddies for them to do
some of the merit badge activities. Don't stick the older one
with the 2 or 3 for very long. Mix things up and keep them mixed.
With your numbers you can have a back-up older one assigned
so that when the prime guy is unavailable the back up one carries
forward.
Use a matrix, table or Giant Wall Chart to do a scout skills =
inventory for where the younger ones want or should go for =
advancement / leadership. Do a matching after that with the
older ones initially in charge of who they want to work with.
Still a forced situation but at least with them somewhat in
charge and still accountable.
Suggestion (Better Well maybe)
------------------------------
Time for a Troop Older Scout Chat:
Get the Older Guys together with a couple of adults and lay
out your concerns and places you wish to see improvement in
their inter troop actions. Listen to every seemingly crazy =
idea, concern, and negative they have. Give them all your ideas.
THEN Ponder that Adult Ponder We Ponder with all the information
they gave you and then sit down again with them and do it
one last time before you choose the method.
IF possible try to use some of their ideas if they seem workable
even if a tad off base.
YiS, IMHO, and may we each attempt to live the SO,SL,SS,SM
Mr Dave (Hawleyton, NY (Susquenango Council=
Terry Howerton Sakima Group, Inc. SCOUTER Magazine Kansas City | 
